Traveling with 3 Month Old

Even the fussy ones generally love sleeping on planes I took an all day flight with my daughter at 6 weeks and she slept most of the way. For your comfort just be ready with padding for arms to nurse a lot and bring something to wear him on the plane to bounce him around and keep him sleeping while you eat sleep or read a little! Enjoy babies generally love flying

Have you tried a sling? He can sleep snuggled up against you and it is easy to nurse that way too. Best of luck to you! Have a good trip!

Give him benedryl just before the flight. It will keep his ears from getting to plugged which can be very hard for babies on flights. Our doctor told us to use it and the side benefit is it will make him sleepy.

We flew to FL with my son when he was 3 months old. I was worried about trying to nurse him on the plane for takeoff and landing, so I bought one of those cover things to drape over us. I think it made the people around me more comfortable than myself. We brought the Bjorn with us, and ended up strapping him to our chest to sleep. If he takes a pacifier, bring a bunch, they have a way of falling onto the nasty floor, even with paci clips. The white noise of the plane is soothing to most babies, so they often will easily fall asleep. If all else fails, you can always walk up and down the aisle with him to comfort him. Our flight was much easier than we anticipated, and we were relieved. The flight home was a little harder, I think because we were all so exhausted, but still bearable. You do have to ignore other people if your son gets fussy. There isn't anything you can do about it and are trying every trick you know. Some people will be very understanding, but there is always one or two who can be rude. Just ignore them, if they make you flustered, your son will feed off your frustration and be more fussy. If you normally swaddle him to sleep, I would do that on the plane too. Anything you can do to encourage sleep. 11 hours is a long time on a plane for an adult, so for a baby without a change of scenery I'm sure it can seem endless. Not sure if he has a few favorite toys yet or not, but bring anything from home that seems to soothe him or that entertains for a long time. My son liked our keys, so we put together a key ring for the flight of blank keys that we washed first so that if they got lost we didn't lose our keys. That provided hours of entertainment. Good luck.

I have two children ages 2.5 & 4.5. When each was 3 months we went overseas, Taiwan and Japan. Check with the airlines, most that go to other countries have a bassinet they attach to the wall for the baby(they give you the seats right behind it). It's attached after take off. There is no extra charge (we just had to pay the taxes for our babies). You can take the baby in/out as you please. Make sure the airline is aware of the baby and the baby will need a passport. During take off, if your baby isn't sleeping make sure he/she is sucking/swallowing so that the ears clear. Both flights for us were great. Good luck! I noticed someone suggested benydril. I never did this but have heard it's best to try it before you leave. Many kids, including my own get hyped up from medication and in prevents them from sleeping. T.

traveling with an infant can be exhausting and exhilerating at the same time, its kind of scary just knowing your going to be by yourself but dont fret, I have been traveling with both of my infant sons and everything seems to work out. One big thing I can tell you to do is nurse the baby when the plane is going up and when going down to help with pressure on his little ear drums if he isnt swallowing when his ears need to pop they wont and hell have discomfort which could lead to crying. I just pretty much feed and coddle the whole time Im on the plane, the hard part is when they grow up and are 1-2 yo and screaming for something fun to do so enjoy this easy time when you can feed your way through. Also try to keep him away from the strangers as much as possible just because people carry around so many viruses, etc.Goodluck!! After this you will feel like you can do anything!!!!!

Hi J.,
Get yourself a Moby Wrap www.mobywrap.com You can order one directly from their website or find someplace near you that carries them. It only takes practice putting it on 2 - 3 times to get comfortable with it. I found that while traveling with my 3 month old by airplane she was able to settle easily and comfortably to sleep because she was secure against my body and it made walking through airports easier. With a little practice you can become comfortable nursing in the moby as well. The airline will allow you to wear it during the flight as much as you want except during take off and landing. Congratulations on your new baby. Best wishes for you trip. - K.

Hello Jamila,
I think it is awesome that you are traveling with your young infant. We started ours at about the same age and she too was breast feeding and quite uncomfortable at times(cranky and fussy). The wonderful thing about traveling with an infant is that they are going to be loving having you to themselves for an entire day. I would recommend trying to get at least one open seat, if possible so that he can be put down when he is sleeping and you can relax your arms. Another thing that overseas airlines sometime have are baby bassinets- you would be seated in front of one of the walls where the bassinet would hang. I know Japan Air, SingaporeAir and a few others offer this service.
All in all, I would say relax, nurse when you need to and if your baby takes a pacifier - bring it along. It should be just fine.
Mia is not even two and has been on about 15 flights and now enjoys them. She gets to be right next to us for a long period of time.

Comfort nursing might work very well. Younger babies who are nursing seem to not mind plane rides as much as bottle feds. I wore a good nursing tank top on our flight to Hawaii when my son was 8 mos. old and he didn't fuss the entire time, he slept most of the time. My hope is that you may have an open seat next to you to lay him in occasionally if your arms need a rest. I had my husband for relief. Our sling helped tremendously as well. Wishing you luck and safe travels, dear.

I just took my 4 month old daughter on a flight for the first time! It was really nerve racking and she is really fussy as well. Everyone was really understanding and I apologized ahead of time for her crying. As soon as the seatbelt signs went off I walked around up and down the isle with her and hung out in the back by the bathroom most of the time.

11 hrs is a long time so that might not be too helpful. Try Children's Benadryl. It makes the baby sleepy. I give it to my 4 month old before bed on the days she scratches since she has eczema. My doctor said it's perfectly safe. If you buy the premeasured children's benadryl, give your baby about 1/5 of the individual serving. It helps our baby sleep better without scratching her head all night from her cradle cap/eczema.

Also, try nursing or feeding the bottle when taking off or landing. That might help calm them down and hopefully fall asleep at least until the seatbelt signs turn off.

Hi J.,

My baby was born just before Christmas Day and we just travelled for 21 hours to Brazil to visit family. She did great on the flight and slept for 9 hours straight on the flight from Dallas to Sao Paulo. Here is what worked for us:

- American Airlines was very kind when we checked in SFO. Not only they gave us the first row with more space but also an extra seat between my husband and I so we could install our car seat.
- Nurse or give him a bottle or pacifier when taking off and landing (my doctor said landing is what really matters) so he won't have ear pressure problems
- Bring several clothes. I ended up needing more changes than I had antecipated.
- You can bring breast milk bottles through security. Just let them know and they will hand inspected. Same is true for colic medicine (i.e. Mylicon or Gripe Water). They will not make you drink the milk anymore...
- Bring your stroller/car seat all the way to the gate. You can check it in there. This will be specially handy if you have to change planes. This doesnt count towards your bag allowance.
- Not sure if you would have a crib and so on in Puerto Rico. If not, you might want to bring a Pack'Play. Ours fit in one of the bags and it has been great for us here. (Ours is the one with a changing table and mobile so we were able to recreate all she needs with just one piece of furniture)
- We tried to use the sling in the plane but it didnt work too well for us. We don't have much practice with it though...

Good luck. It won't be as bad as you think. I was really worried before our flight and it ended up being a breeze. The airplane motion really helped on rocking her to sleep.

A.

First you just need to know that he will be fussy some of the time. Just plan on it. When you take off and land have him feed. It will help his ears. Also, make sure you bring some tylenol just in case his ears hurt him. There is no need for him to endure pain during the fight. As long as yo have your boobies you are fully equipped with all he needs! If I were going on such a long flight I would defiantly get him his own ticket. Trying to hold him for 11 hours will be difficult for all of you. Try to apologies to those sitting around you if he is making a lot of noise. Hopefully you will be surrounded my mothers who have all been in your position. In my experience you are flying at the easiest age. They sleep more now then they ever will and all you need are a few diapers, several changes of clothes, blanket and yourself to keep him happy.

Have a great trip and do not stress out about this. Go have fun, you deserve it.

You'll both do great! I flew with two on my own for the first time when my youngest (the MOST fussy/colicky baby in the world) was 2 months and my older was 2.5 years AND potty training! We flew in 3 airplanes, for a 15 hour journey up to the nether-regions in Alaska to visit my parents and we all did wonderfully! They are both seasoned travellers now and I enjoy taking them just about anywhere because it's always an adventure...but here's what I've learned: 1. Pack a carry-on of just diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and 1 change of clothes. Of course, you'll want a separate carry-on bag with everything else you'll need for the flight, but when you need to do a quick diaper change in the airplane, it's so much easier to just go to a small bag and find your supplies easily and quickly rather than having to go thru everything else in a larger bag to get to what you want. 2. Try your hardest to encourage either nursing, a bottle or a pacifier during takeoff and landing. The reason little ones tend to be uncomfortable in a flight has to do with the change in air pressure and by working their ears (much like an adult chewing gum), it helps to keep them feeling much better. Remember that there is a constant lull with the airplane and a slight movement to it, so he'll feel comfortable with the white noise and the little bit of motion. As long as his ears don't bother him, he'll probably enjoy the entire sensation. 3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. In airplanes, there are always ready, willing and able grandmas who would love to hold your little guy while you go to the bathroom. The benefit of being in an airplane is that they can't take your child anywhere and run away; you're all stuck together! 4. In the airport, unless there's someone with a wheelchair or an obvious disability in line, utilize the handicap bathroom. With all of your supplies (stroller, bags, etc.) you won't fit into a normal stall and you won't want to leave anything unattended. 5. Hold your little one as much as possible during the flight. If he's fussy, he probably loves to be held as it comforts him quite a bit. I don't know if you bought a ticket for him/his carrier, but either way, just remember that he'll be loving life if he's being held by mama consistently (or an airplane grandma). I don't know if you've ever used a sling with him, but if you do, bring it along to keep your hands free (you just can't wear it through security, during take-off or landing). 6. Relax. It will be fine! Everyone was a baby at some point or has a baby, and people are so helpful, generally, when it comes to flying with a small infant. You'll do the best you can and so will he and it will be a bit of a juggling act at times, but I bet that you'll actually have a chance to read a little bit while he snoozes! You'll do great and it will be well worth it when you get to Puerto Rico! Good luck and happy travelling!

Hi J.,
If he likes to nurse and be close to you when he sleeps, I suggest not bringing a stroller and just using a baby carrier. I use the ergo, which I really like and found very helpful when my little toddler was smaller. Even still, when traveling I put her on my back with the ergo and it makes her feel safe and leaves my hands free for carrying things.
Anyway, using a baby carrier allows you a more discrete way to nurse and gives him a comfy safe place to sleep.
hope that helps,
-M.

Hi there! I traveled with my infant daughter when she was this age....had to fly back for my grandmother's funeral...it was a 5 hour flight. She used a pacifier which was a lifesaver for me, and she slept real well with it during our flight....I purchased an extra seat next to me for her carrier and it made things a whole lot easier...she took her bottle in her carrier and I could even manage to change a diaper in it. I was suprised how easy it was....I thing it is much easier to travel with them at this age then when they get to be toddlers. Make sure when you take off that he is either nursing, drinking from a bottle or sucking on a pacifier cause it helps with with pressure on their little ears. Hope this helps, good luck on your flight and hope you have a great visit with your family.

Feel free to nurse, that will make it easier on everyone. I have 3 kids and travelled a lot, especially with the 1st and that helped. If you can get an open seat and take the car seat on, that will also make your life easier. It is hard to get the gate agents to tell you where an open seat is so be persistent. Ask if the flight is totally full, if it isn't totally full find where the open seat is and try ot switch so you sit next to it. Car seats need to be against the window, fyi. Very imporatnt tip as the baby gets older like 18months. Good luck.

He him sucking on take off and landing, so his ears won't hurt. If you can get him to take a bottle for those moments, go for it. Our daughter never cried on flights when we did this. If he is sick, don't fly. He WILL cry the entire way.

Hi J.,

I flew w/my 5 mo. twins to Puerto Rico in February without a hitch. Below is a very long Summary from another mother of twins along with my comments. I hope you find some of the advice helpful.

I'm also Puerto Rican and have family in Aguada...I thought I was all alone here. Glad to know there are other boriquas around. Here's my email if you ever need to connect again: ____@____.com

My original question was re: flying alone with infant twins and how to get through security, through the airport, and onto the plane and assumes I am buying 2 seats and holding one baby.
Thanks again to everyone who sent me their tips and recommendations (and encouragement!) - I really appreciate how helpful everyone was.
There were a lot of requests for a summary, so I’ve included a high-level summary followed by the actual responses since there’s a lot of great detail in the responses. Also, the first response includes a very detailed summary that another mother already did on the same question.

General
There seem to be 2 great options for arranging to have help getting through security up to the gate:

A special pass for someone (friend, family) to help you get through from security to the gate; you can get/request this at check-in
A non-wheelchair assist from airline can be arranged ahead of time or at check-in, and an airport employee can help you navigate through security to the plane (note: one mother had trouble with this as her request was de-prioritized once she got to the airport)
Otherwise, if you either choose to go it alone or the above options fall through, the general advice was to take help from those around you who offer it even if you normally find it difficult to accept help; people found that strangers were extremely helpful
Getting through security
Consensus seemed to be that security staff is generally not so helpful (or at least don’t expect them to be), so if you don’t have someone helping you through, be prepared to manage yourself or with the help of strangers

You can request a private room for security screening – although one mother noted that they (security) don’t seem to like doing this
Put everything through on the belt first (bags, shoes, etc), saving stroller & carseats for last; then, unload the babies, put stroller and carseat(s) through; finally, carry babies through and load them up on the other side
Getting through the airport
Most of the replies recommended taking the double snap-n-go and carseats (this also gives you the added storage under the snap-n-go and the bonus of having the add’l carseat in case flight isn’t full and the flight attendants are willing to arrange the 3rd seat for you for free); gate check the stroller base and extra carseat

Those who didn’t take the snap-n-go took a regular stroller and strapped the carseat to it.
Getting onto the airplane

Pre-board if possible, but you might want to wait until last to get off since other passengers are usually more impatient and anxious to get off to connecting flights, etc.
Many mothers found the flight attendants to be helpful in getting onto and situated on the plane although they had more success in finding someone helpful depending on how busy the staff was
Otherwise, carry one baby in the Bjorn and one in carseat (the Bjorn is also handy to have on plane for holding baby or getting to the bathroom)
Situate the carseat baby while other is in Bjorn (or ask flight attendant to hold one baby)
Other recommendations

Get to the airport extra early to minimize stress
Let them know when you check in that you have another baby – often, if the flight is not full, they will try to arrange for you to have the additional seat
Take as little as possible on the plane
Bring extra clothes for everyone (including yourself) to deal with increased wetting through clothes and possible motion sickness
Bring rubber gloves (see another mother’s summary included in first response below); plastic baggies would work well also for sealing dirty diapers if you can’t get to the bathroom immediately
Bring treats for other passengers and flight attendants – candy, chocolates, earplugs
Using either bottles or pacifiers for take-off and landing works fine (if using formula, get water for mixing after security and before boarding the plane in case the flight staff is too busy); if babies are sleeping already, let them sleep; landing seems to be more difficult for ear pressure
Bring infant benadryl just in case they have a very hard time – but test it at home first
Dress them alike even if this isn’t something you normally like to do

Detailed responses:

i just returned from a 11 hour trip to Puerto Rico w/my 5 mo. Twins but I also travelled w/my husband. I found this summary very helpful. Bring candy for the flight attendants! Giradelli box from Walgreenswas a hit! they were very helpful. --- In ____@____.com, "Lisa Ann Blackwell" <l.schoellermd@...>wrote: My original post asked about flying alone with twin babies. Thanks to all who gave invaluable advice. The summary is attached and my experience is below: I just returned from a trip to North Carolina (12 hour journey each way including 2 flights and a layover) with my 4 month old twins. Truthfully, it would have been a breeze had both babies not gotten sick, and even easier without a connection and layover. My advice for anyone attempting such craziness: 1) Ask for help: Door to door I traveled by myself with the babies and I just asked for help each step along the way. I had the cab driver help me unload all of my gear and take my checked bags to the curbside desk for check in. I had 2 car seats, a double snap n go, one Bjorn, a back pack, and smallshoulder bag, and of course, the 2 babies which I took on or to the plane with me. I went immediately to an airline employee and said "I need help getting through this line and security". As one would expect, some people were perfectly unhelpful, some were rude, and some were living angels. I had to put both carseats and the collapsed stroller through the security scans as well as all of the bags, my shoes, coat, etc. The hilarious thing is, security refused to hold a baby while Idid all of this. So, I took their poles and ropes and roped off an area to safely leave my babies while I dismantled everything. The security officers were horrified and about to pounce on me when some kind stranger walked up, picked up both of my babies, literally yelled at the security folks, helped me through the line, then she offered me her phone number for babysitting. She was angel #1. 2) Pack lightly and dress to sweat. Of course, bring the requisite change of clothes, extra diapers, and formula/bottles if necessary, extra pacifiers too, a bottle of earplugs for passengers, latex gloves, a blow up head/neck rest (will get to that later) but nothing more. Toys take up space and are never as interesting as the plastic cups, foil baggies, and barf bags already on the plane. 3) When you get to the gate beg them to block out an extra seat next to you if the plane isn't full. I did this on my longest leg and was able to bring both carseats on to the plane (without paying for an extra seat). Most passengers don't want to sit next to you anyway so they're usually happy to do this if space is available. 4) Gate check what you don't absolutely need on the plane. I was able to bring everything right up to the plane door then it was all waiting for me to stroll (run, actually) to my connecting gate/flight. Once you get to the end of the ramp, unload your stuff and hand what you can to anyone nearby who is taking pity on you. One of the captains carried a baby to my seat for me. By the way, flights do get delayed and passengers have less sympathy when they have connections to sprint to or places to go. So, be prepared to carry all of it yourself off the plane. I carried one baby in a Bjorn on my chest, the other in the carseat, and one bag on my back with the other slung over my shoulder. It wasn't hard - but I was glad I wore comfortable, cool clothing. 5) Feeding. I breast fed and bottle fed on the plane - always on take-off and landing. Bring extra formula (just in case some spills – mine did). Get warm water for bottles after security (I had to dump mine out) but before getting on the plane because the flight attendants don't always have time to get it to you when you need it. Mix the bottles right before you need them. Get yourself one of those blow-up head/neck rest things. It takes up no space but them becomes a miniature boppy for feeding or propping up a baby. I fed the other baby in the carseat with airline pillows/blankets 'holding' thebottle up. 6) Diaper changes. What can go wrong, will go wrong. On the only plane without a changing table (3/4 had them) my daughter had diarrhea. This is when your sense of humour needs to kick in. I had a few latex gloves with me so I discreetly donned one, cleaned up the baby in her seat, then folded upthe diaper, grabbed it with the gloved hand and pulled the glove over it. The smell is instantly gone and everything nicely concealed until you can get to the garbage. In other cases, I put one baby in the Bjorn and carried the other to the bathroom. Nine times out of ten someone will happily insist on holding the other baby for you. When no one was available, I put an airline blanket on the floor and laid one kid down while I changed the other. 7) Bathroom use. The same strategy gets you to the bathroom also so don't dehydrate yourself in hopes of avoiding a toilet. Also, airport restrooms always have handicapped stalls. I'd advise against letting some stranger watch all of your things while you go in. Bring the stroller in with you and if the door doesn't close all the way, so be it. 8) Screaming babies. There is only so much you can do. My favorite piece of advice from a POM was "just remember, it is a finite period of time and you will never see these people again". Someone else said "just remember, you are not in Baghdad". I did my best to console with bottles, pacis, bouncing,then just smiled to myself because the kids were actually pretty funny with their hysterics. Once the seatbelt sign went off, I popped up and strolled with one kid in a Bjorn and the other in my arms. I never lasted 5 minutes without someone volunteering to hold a baby. On the last and longest flight Angel #2 flight attendant took the loudest, sickest baby and held her in the galley for 2 hours. She then passed her around to her co-workers, one of whom sick baby threw up on and her blouse was soaked. Remember - sense of humor. 9) Enjoy the experience and wear it like a badge of honor. My husband was supposed to pick us up at the airport but the battery on the car died. I laughed again, grabbed a luggage cart, fetched my bags, and dragged the cart behind me while pushing the double stroller to another taxi. I arrived homeexhausted but with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I'd do it again.
I am a single mother by choice and all travel with my kids has been just me. It can be done. It can even be done without stress. You already have most of the answers; your instincts are good. The double snap-n-go is a HUGE blessing. Take it thru and gate-check it. If you run into any delays you will bless having that stroller to keep the kids in.The piece about unloading all the stuff from it (including the kids) at security is the "fun" part. You'll take everything off and put it thru the belt (including the carseats) and then carry the kids thru the little doorway. Obviously you need help. I once asked for help at check-in and someone took me thru the whole process like they take the wheelchairs thru. We even bypassed the security line. Most of the time I took the kids out of the stroller and carried them. Someone at security has to help. Sometimes other passengers offered. Always accept offered help unless you don't feel good about the individual offering it. It promotes good will; it is good role modeling for any passengers waiting in line who might feel put out by the fact that you are taking longer than you would w/o kids; and you need the help.

Pacifiers work fine. Nursing is the best but pacifiers are as good as gum.

Other tips:
1. Do you know if you are in a row of three seats? If so, see if your other snap-n-go carseat will fit in the overhead bins. Even if it won't try to take it on the plane with you. Unless the plane is packed to the rafters, the passenger in that third seat will likely be very happy to move, and the airline will let you use all three seats. If not, they will take the carseat and stow it for you, or send it below.
2. Dress them alike - in cute matching outfits. It's the only time I did and it encourages others to help and to be patient, when patience is required.
3. Take something friendly to pass out to surrounding passengers (like chocolate drops) as a friendly gesture before you take off. Tell them it is "payoff" for the potential of crying aboard during flight. It promotes laughs, which starts you off on the right foot with your neighbors and lets them know, if the crying starts and the patience is needed, that you are aware of the inconvenience to them. Generally people are much more tolerant if they think their discomfort is not irrelevant. It also opens up communication, allowing them to offer to help more easily than shy folks might otherwise do.
4. Take extra changes in case of spit-up (air sickness), more wet diapers than they would normally produce during the same time. Include a change for yourself, in case of disaster. You don't have to take enormous amounts, but an extra set of clothes each, beyond what you would normall take for the kids is prudent.
5. I never had to resort to it myself, but I've heard people advise taking infant benedryl, in case the kids really have a hard time. I've also heard it advised that you try it out before the trip to make sure it doesn't create more problems than it solves in the situation.
6. Crying in flight;
A. They are not as loud to anyone else as they are to you. And the plane drowns most of it - it is a loud environment.
B. If one of the babies is really loud enough that you feel uncomfortable, an option is to take her/him into the restroom. It muffles the sound and gives the baby an enclosed environment that sometimes helps them feel safer. With only one parent, this requires enlisting the help of a flight attendant or neighboring passenger to watch the other twin.
C. One brilliant mother described taking a crying twin and walking up and down the aisles to calm her down. She reported that people offered to hold the baby so she could tend to the other one. It certainly spread the opportunity to offer help thruout the plane!
7. Leave yourself extra time for check-in, security, etc. More than the recommended. Just to handle the unexpected. You will probably sail thru it all and have extra time waiting at the gate, at which point you will be very glad to have that stroller!
8. If you are nursing, no problem. If you have formula, remember that you can't take water (or not enough water) thru security. You can buy it on the other side (for inflated prices, of course) so leave time for that. You can also ask for it on the plane.

It works. Leave the stress home - you don't need to take it.

you are paying for one baby’s seat. That infant is entitled to help from the airline, just like a wheelchair passenger. I’d call in advance to arrange it, but they should be able to give you someone to help you check your bags, get through security, etc.
That said, you may not need help if you take the car seats and the snap & go. Definitely take either a double stroller or the double snap & go and gate check. I’d pack as compactly as possible. Perhaps a backpack for the baby’s stuff, a carry-on for you, and your purse. With some airlines, you can pre-board – either as a parent with young children or as a party needing extra time and perhaps assistance. Also, you can ask for assistance from the gate staff. My recollections is that their helpfulness was hit or miss, depending on inclincation and how busy it was. Often, the kindness of stranger is very helpful.
Getting off: no rush, especially if you are waiting for the gate checked stuff to come up. Often, this is more challenging.
Another idea is to still bring the strollers and the carry-ons, but also bring a baby bjorn or sling, both to get onto the airplane and to hold the baby when you are on the plane. I found a sling particularly helpful.

If you have someone dropping you off at the airport, have them come in with you and get a pass (not sure what it's called) from the airline. My husband was able to come all the way to the jetway with me and my mother, who was only sort-of helpful :) Bring both carseats with you and gate-check them. We've been on empty flights and they've let us use the carseats even though we didn't buy seats for the kids. Bring a bag of disposable earplugs to offer to nearby rows. No one has ever taken us up on this but it's an offer of good will. Give bottles going up and coming down. I think pacifiers worked too.

I think you can ask for a gate pass so a friend or family member can help you to the gate & plane.
Yes, I would definitely use your car seats and snap and go to get through the airport....it made that part of the trip go smoother even with two of us. We’ve found it’s much easier to check it all at the gate and I’m sure the airline can help you with an extra set of hands when you are ready to board. It will also make your arrival less stressful since your extra carseat and snap and go will meet you at the gate when you arrive. For take off and landing, pacifiers work fine for our twins. They usually fall asleep, so we just make sure they at least have their pacifiers in the mouth just in case. Babies usually feel the ear pressure more during landing than take off.
WOW...how brave. We went to Hawaii when our kids were 6 months old. We did not use the car seats because we held them. We checked the car seats w/base attached. You will have to bring one for one of the seats. You might consider only bringing one car seat on the plane and putting the other one in a bjorn. When you go through security you do have to take them out. Are you buying 2 or 3 seats? FYI, in the future, when you have two people, you and your mate cannot sit in the same 3-seats. You have to spread out. Something to do with the number of oxygen masks. You can bring on formula that is made and we just used that for crying. Our kids did not cry much even during landing and takeoff. HOw long of flight will it be. Ours was 6 hours and it felt like 12 hours. It is too bad you have to take the snap and go because we just took the regular stroller and that workedgreat.
I would be interested in getting a summary once you've received some responses. I haven't traveled alone but I do know that when we did travel with the twins, the airline staff was more than happy to hold a kid and help navigate all the stuff. In fact, we didn't even ask..they offered. I would recommend bringing the snap and go with the carseats. We checked both carseats and the snap and go at the gate without a problem. It's nice to have them there when you get off the plane. Again, there should be people to help, just ask at the checkin counter before you board. As for security, it's a bit trickier. I would suggest sending everything through security leaving the snap and go and the carseats with kids until last. This includes all your stuff, shoes etc. You need to take all toys, bags and everything off first. Then I would just pick up both kids and get the security person to load the carseats and snap and go into the xray machine. Once the stuff goes through security, you can put each kid in a carseat and then load up the snap and go with all your stuff, fasten the kids in etc. It willtake you a bit longer to get all assembled but they will just move your stuff over to the side and you can take your time. People were so in awe with my twins they were more than willing to help. I tried pacifiers and feeding the kids. I don't know if they were helpful or not. One of my kids refused to eat and didn't want the pacifier and she seemed fine. The other one was asleep for takeoff and landing. We have only traveled twice but I have found that twins does have it's advantages. People saw us coming and we got to go through the airline staff security lineup. We were also fastracked through immigration on our way into Canada rather than standing in the huge line. They see the 2 babies and I guess they feel sorry for us :-).
I haven't traveled by myself, but we just got back from a trip.

Going through security, just ask them to help you. I found that other people around would also help.

We took our snap and go and checked it at the gate. Try using a baby bjorn for 1 child as you get on the flight and I'm sure they'll also assist you as you board-I would ask the airline at that point.

Pacifiers work, feeding works and also, if they have the hiccups that works also.

We read in the diaper rag to bring chocolate or candy with you for the flight attendents to help. Some flight attendents we found to be helpful, and other times, not so much.

Most airlines let you have someone come with you to help you get through security. When you check in, have whoever is going to help you go with you and get a special badge. My mom did this and she went through security with me up to the gate of the airplane and then I pre-boarded with the help of an airline person.

When I did it, I had one baby in a bjorn and the other in a single umbrella stroller (lightweight, folds up compact, narrow, cheap) and I had the carseat strapped on to the umbrella stroller so that I could walk through the airport when we landed. All of our stuff was in one backpack that I carried on my back (we checked luggage). To get on the plane, I put the baby that was in the stroller in the infant carseat and carried the carseat by the handle with him in it and the other baby stayed in the bjorn. I checked the stroller at the gate. A stewardess held the baby that was in the bjorn while I strapped in the carseat. Once the carseat was in, I sat down with the other baby on my lap. I used bottles on the airplane but I heard that pacifiers work too if they are sucking on them.

We flew with triplets but my fiance is in a wheel chair- so I had to take two of them plus some carry on bags. I used a maxi-mom twin carrier to get two of them through security and onto the plane. If you need one I have two sets that we don't use anymore and was about to list them for sale. (You are welcome to borrow a set if you don't have any other use for it). (We did have an extra person for the third baby)I think the snap n go with the seats, gate checking the extra seat and frame is a good idea. Maybe you can store all of your carry on stuff in the snap n go. I would suggest just getting to the airport very early so you can take your time. I found that the staff on the plane were very helpful with getting all of our bags onto the plane and they board you first. The security bit they were less helpful- i don't know if they can touch your bags before security clearance. but if you have time to just go at your own pace it will be OK!!!!Ours were asleep for takeoff and ears were OK. One thing I would really suggest if you happen to be flying East is to take a Red Eye. Ours slept the whole way out to NY..... ***

Good idea to go now while they are small. I went by myself when our twins were three months old and again when they were 10 months. The first time my husband was allowed to come to the gate with us and then a flight attendant held one while I got us situated. The second time both of my parents were allowed through with us and again we found a helpful flight attendant on board. Just ask the agentwho checks you in for a security pass. (We flew Southwest and Midwest Express.) I tried bottle feeding during take offs and landings but didn't always time it right. Pacifiers helped when they were three months but they weren't using pacifiers when they were 10 months. They seemed finewith or without sucking. One key is to take as little as possible on board. It's hard to deal with lots of bags or even one big bag. The double stroller and car seats is great – gate checking is genius. No matter how you get it done always remember that you can do anything for a few hours. You'll be fine and glad you did it. Bon voyage!

I traveled alone with my two when they were 18 months old so it was a little different of an experience but I will tell you what I learned. 1.) Security-they were not very helpful quite honestly. I had read on the TSA website that I could request a private room in order for all of us to be searched and had planned to request that if there were problems. When we got to Security, I was all prepared (had them wear shoes that were easy to take off, I did not wear any jewelry that I needed to take off) but I had not anticipated my kids refusing to go through the metal detector without me. TSA was not very helpful until I requested the private room and then all of a sudden they were very helpful-apparently it is a pain in the rear for them to do that so all of a sudden once I mentioned that I perhaps would like a private room, they started helping with the kids. 2.) I had called United ahead of time to ask for what they told me was a "non-wheelchair" assist. They noted the request on my reservations and said that someone would help me get on the plane (I had one car seat on top of my double McClaren that I planned to gate check). When I got to the check in desk to ask for the assistance, I was told that my request was lower priorty than a wheelchair request and that all the wheelchair assistants were busy (apparently Friday night during the summer is not a good time to travel!). The gate agent then asked me "how is it that you are traveling on your own with two young children?"-I almost became apoplectic BUT so many passengers behind me heard him ask it that all of a sudden tons of people offered to help me. In the end, an off duty male flight attendant helped get me on board. I would call your airline and find out their policy and just stick to your guns if someone contradicts that policy at the gate. At security as well, tons of people offered to help me-almost everyone has traveled with children at some point in their lives and they know how difficult it is. I am not very good at accepting other's help but the moral of these stories is that if some one offers help, take them up on it and you will get on the plane (all I kept thinking was that the plane was not taking off without us as all of our luggage was on the plane!) Would I do it again? Yes in a heart beat but I learned a few things. I learned not to back down with the people at the airport, I learned to accept other's help and I also learned to take an extra set of clothing for the kids and for you if possible on the plane as I found out for the first time as we landed that one of my kids gets motion sick.
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Nurse on take off and landing...it will help. The hum of the plane seemed to keep my 9mo old a sleep. My flight was only from California to NYC.

This is a great age to travel with him! Just make sure you nurse him during take off and landing, so his ears don't hurt. Don't worry about him sleeping - the rumble of the plane will put him right out! Enjoy your trip :)

Hi J.,

I know its hard to travel sometimes, but there are lots of things you can do. I loved to swaddle my baby- so that helped alot-- also, there is a baby wrap called the Moby that is absolutely wonderful. It holds your baby close to your heart-(that alone is relaxing for infants) and you are also hands free. Pacifers are great for taking off and landing- it helps to have them suck on something because of the cabin pressure. Or, if you breastfeed, thats the perfect opportunity. Singing softly, or bringing those vibrating toys work great also. If possible, ask the flight attendant if the plane is full or not, and if its not- get a seat towards the back where the bathrooms are and where you aren't arm to arm with other passengers. Good luck and I hope that these suggestions helped.

Molly

Nurse him as much as he wants on the plane. Don't worry about what anyone will think or say --do what you need to do! I've flown quite a bit with my 4 boys and it is actually easier when they are smaller --just nurse him!