Travelling W/ 9 Month Old

FLY! You'll ALL be so much less tired. If he cries on the plane, give him a pacifier or a bottle or just keep saying over and over "I know, I feel the same way. I'd like to be off the plane too"...people are nice. And if they're not, forget about them, they wouldn't be nice anyway.

Good luck.

Definately Fly!!!
We just got back from FL with my 71/2 mo old and it was fine. The decent bothered him a little on the the way there but give him a bottle, breastfeed or a pacifier and he'll be fine. Also try giving a little tylenol before takeoff can prevent some ear pain as well. Try to get an evening flight so he'll be able to sleep better. You can get a seat for him and sit him in the carseat for more comfort as well. Don't worry about bothering other people, most flights to FL are full of kids anyway and you deserve a vacation too!! Have fun!

FLY FLY FLY. The first time we flew with our son he was 6 months...he did fantastic! The flight to FL is only about 3 hours so it's not bad. I'm flying with both of my children to FL this April...my youngest is 16 months. I just make sure they have a milk/juice/or breastfeed the tiny ones during takeoff. It helps their ears adjust and comforts them. Don't worry if you little one cries either. That's what babies do, and people know when they are traveling to Florida that they are gonna get families and babies on board. Don't feel bad one bit! The noise from the airplane kinda blocks it out a bit too. Enjoy yourself and don't stress about a flight, you will be just fine.

Hope you have a great vaca!

As frequent travelers ( our 8 month old has flown three times with three more trips planned before her 1 yr birthday) I would suggest flying. It is pretty easy and is nice to be at your destination in1/2 day rather than 1 or 2 days of driving. Some advice: 1) bring a couple of toys that fit in your carry on. Don't worry about bringing tons of stuff. It is amazing how a change in environment keeps them busy.2) When we travel we try to keep it to one suitcase to check and a carry on for each of us. If you are in a condo you can always do laundry, no need to pack clothes for two weeks. 3) Buy supplies when you get down there. Bring enough food for a day then hit the grocery store and get the baby nessecities... formula, diapers, food, cherrios.

One thing that has saved us is baby supply rental companies. If you google Baby Rentals Florida you can find tons! We use these and don't worry about bringing a portable highchair, portable crib, or stroller (or the lifesaver exersaucer). They rent by the week and it is totally worth it.

And don't worry about the crying, If babies get upset it is usually because they are hot, hungry or tired. All of those things are very fixable!

Good luck!

I flew with my 9 month old to Australia by myself in 2005. The plane trip from Chicago to LA was absolutely horriable, and it was only 4 hours. The plane ride from LA to Australia which was 13 hours was totally fine. The first flight was crammed the air hosteses were not accomadating to me. I flew United. The second flight was with Quantas, it was way more spacios and the air hosteses were fabulous. I guess its hit or miss. But if there is two of you, so you can help eachother out with the little one, I'm sure the 4 hour flight to florida would be less stressful than an 18 hour car ride for the baby.

Hope that helps a little.
Good Luck.

T. i have done both with my son who is now 8 months! and to be honest he did so well in both... i thinking flying is better bc they arent stuck in their carseat and they will feel comfy in mommys lap! as long as u have a bottle for landing and take off u will be ok.. and as far has him fussing it doesnt matter what others think he is a baby its expected! i was in shock how well my son did!!! and at 9 months they are such busy bees so there are enough people in the plan for him to watch! just have toys bottles and snacks!! good luck!

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to travel with a small child. If you drive, you have more control over the situation but if you fly, you spend less time en route, but far less control. I flew to Hawaii with a 4 month old baby with colic and was not concerned with what other people thought. Of course, I tried to soothe her and keep her quiet but there is only so much you can do. My theory is "screw you" to other grumpy passengers. You and your child are entitled to be on that plane - tantrums and all. If a person wants a quiet trip, then they should charter a private jet or fly first class. Besides, I've spent more unenjoyable flights with adults (drunk usually) than with crying children. Do whats best for your family and don't worry about others with whom you will probably never make contact again might think about you.

I suggest you fly. Flying with kids - especially when they're not fully mobile - is really really easy. My son - also 9 months - has flown to Europe and back, to Seattle, to San Diego, and to NH (he's very well traveled, yes). We have always taken him as a lap child and for most flights have flown Southwest, which is nice because you can almost always get a row of 3 seats with an empty one. (Plus, you get to preboard).

Here are some suggestions:
1. If you are flying and it is going to run into his nap time, make sure you are seated farther back in the plane. Most families/kids sit in the front and if there are any number of them on board it will never be quiet enough for him to sleep.
2. The altitude thing is no big deal - just make sure that he swallows whenever you swallow to pop your ears. So either nurse/bottle feed him at take off/descent, or even just giving him a little snack or some juice will take care of this.
3. You can take a carseat on (you'll have to pay for a seat then, but at a reduced price usually) but if your son is anything like mine, he'd rather be held by you than sitting next to you. Still, it might be nice for naps. You need to put the carseat all the way in by the window if you use one.

As for entertainment, I would just bring a few of his favorite toys and books. And, if it were me, I would NOT ship any of his toys down to FL with you. There are lots of things to entertain a baby - pots and pans, tupperware, etc. No need to hassle with anything bulkier. Just bring a blanket for him to roll around on and a pack N Play (though honestly, when we travel our son frequently ends up in bed with us since he doesn't sleep well away from home).

We have flown to Florida three times with my son before he was three. I think the first trip was before he was a year old. I invested in the sit-n-stroll. It is a carseat stoller combination. It is expensive (about $200.00) but if you get your son his own seat you can wheel him right up to the seat, fold down the wheels and put him in the airplane seat. My son has always done well on the plane. There are so many new sights and sounds, it keeps them pretty entertained. Make sure you give him something to drink during take off and landing and try to schedule the flight during nap time. Also, a brand new toy will help keep him entertained. We made all three flights without incident. Also, there will be many children flying to Florida. Most people going there know there will be children making noise. Just apoligize if you son gets noisy and don't worry about it.

Hi T.,
Wow- he's made through a 26 hour roadtrip- or were you saying a 2 to 6 hour road trip? Either way- i travelled to Florida with my son at 6mth to florida as well as just recently- he's now 16mths. Travelling at 6 mths was much easier- so i dont' think it would be a problem- FL is only a 3 hour flight (to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale) which isn't bad at all- maybe try to catch a flight at one of his nap times. He may cry a little but that is to be expected. My son didn't have any ear problems when he was 6mths- i think it affected him a little bit just this past trip. People are understanding- just give him a bottle or juice to help him swallow when you are going up or landing- that helps- and lots of books/little toys. I didn't ship anything- i went from Wed-sunday we just packed a seperate small toy bag for him- and crammed with his favorite things- we were at the beach and out to eat most of the time so that was entertainment in itself. Good luck! I would vote to fly WAY over a long roadtrip any day! :)
D.

FLY! A 9 month old will not tolerate a road trip very well....I am also a former flight attendant and can tell you that "kids on a plane screaming the whole time" is an exaggerated myth! There would be times when our flights to Florida (Orlando) would have more children than adults and it was fine!! So many times on other flights, at the end, a mom would come walking off with her baby and we would be like "oh..there was a baby on this flight??" Very rarely do babies cause trouble. I do recommend having yours suck on a bottle or pacifier during take-off and landing to help equalize the pressure in his ears. (Although the ear thing also never seemed to be a problem for most babies.) You will have the option of paying for a seat for your baby (must be in the car seat, though)or having him sit on your lap. If you can afford it, get the extra seat. But just as many people choose to have the baby sit in their lap, too
Have fun!!!

Having taken both road trips and one airplane trip, I prefer the road trips. If you take into account the amount of time you spend getting to the airport, waiting the 2 hours before your flight (if it's not delayed), the flight itself, and getting your baggage and then traveling from the airport to your final destination, you are in it for well about 7 or 8 hours in general anyway. If you drive, at least you can take a break when you want and you don't have to worry about bothering other people when the baby gets grumpy.

Having said that, if you do decide to fly, I highly recommend getting the baby his own seat. We carried ours in our lap and it was very uncomfortable. If your baby cries on the flight, try not to worry too much. The only people it will bother are those who do not have kids of their own. Everyone who is a parent will totally understand and they will be kind and patient.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

Good luck!
L.

We have taken 3 road trips with our daughter who is now 2. We started when she was just 2 weeks. Bring lots of toys, also we had bought special new ones that she got when we were leaving on our trip. Also we had a portable DVD player when we went to florida when she was 1.5 and my niece was along who was 9 at the time. We also made sure that when we did stop we took the time to let them run around and stretch there legs, so that when we got back in the car they were ready to settle down. We have a wedding in Florida next year to attend and think that we will drive also, my daughter will then be 3 and we have a new little one due in August. Good Luck!

T.,
I have done both, and for such a long car trip, I would definitely fly. (You probably know to give your son a bottle or nurse during takeoff and landing to help with ear-popping. I have a 22 month old, but when he was you son's age, I had to divide a 10-hour car ride into 2 days becuase it was just oo much to be strapped in a car seat that long. We had a wedding in bermuda when he was 11 months old, and he traveled like a champ (Obviously we flew!) Wrt the toys, we brought some to bermuda, but he hardly played with them. The change in environment really was enough for him to be interested in. Hope that helps!
A.

Fly, fly, fly...it will be much better. Don't worry about taking heaps of toys, just a few favourites and maybe a surpise new one for the trip. Try and schedule it so that some of the flight will be around his nap, dress him in layers(it gets hot on the plane if you are holding him). If he gets fussy you can hold him up so he can see other people (my little boy loves that), something you can't do in the car.
Make sure you have lots of food/drink/snacks with you, and all the liquids are in a ziplock bag that is easy to pull out of the backpack when you go through security. Take as little bags as possible onboard (you'll need to check the carseat with your suitcases and you can check the stroller at the gate)
Give him a bottle, sippy cup, pacifier or something to chew when you take off and land and that will be fine with the ears.
Don't stress to much, you'll have a worse time trying to figure out what to take than you will going through the airport and don't worry if he has a little meltdown, there are always lots of kids yelling on flights to Florida and people will be either sympathic or will have kids themselves one day!
Enjoy your trip

I'd fly!! I have four and have done both. Flying is much more enjoyable. They usually sleep on the plane. As for crying- I don't think babies crying on the plane bother people it's the four and five yr old that don't mind parents that aggrevate. The crabby people usually bring headphones so they can't hear anyone. As for toys a small suitcase is enough. You're usually busy and don't use tons of toys anyway.

I traveled with my son to colorado when he was about nine months old. I choose to fly, I tried to scheduel the flight around his naptime. Also During take off give him a bottle it will keep his ears from popping. I also choose an airline with Tv monitors on the seatbacks and ordered a cartoon movie just in case he woke up he would have something to occupy his attention. By the end of the flight the people behind me had completely forgotten that there was a baby in front of them. Better to go with a couple hours than almost 2 days.

We drove to Colorado when the boys were almost two and almost one and I was preg with our third it was the best trip we had so much fun in the car and whenever we stopped.
We left at 2:00am the boys were sleeping we put them in their carseats and drove till breakfast it worked great then we played,snacked.They took little catnaps and listen to the radio of course it was kids music. we stopped for lunch/ diaper changes and they napped at their regular nap times. I would suggest stopping for the night just so you can rest. by the next afternoon you should be where ever you are stopping.
Just remember to relax and go with the flow whichever way you decide to go HAVE FUN.

My husband and I just took our second road trip this year with our now 3 yr old girl and 20 month old boy. We drove from Wheaton to Atlanta for our friend's son's baptism then to Hilton head for a few days then to Folly Island, SC for a couple of nights. We drove the first day for 13 hours and just stopped for bathroom breaks, got food to eat in the van and for gas. They were both great - I just kept them busy with toys, lots of snacks and looking out the window, singing silly songs. My son fussed for the last hour each time but was fine. They napped in the van just fine and I just tried to keep them up for the last leg of each time we drove so that they would be awake for a while in the hotel and then sleep well. They loved seeing the ocean. It was wonderful. In September when he was 14 months old and she was 30 months old we drove to Vail and back. Again, no DVD players - just paid a lot of attention to them and enjoyed the road trip. We think my son would not tolerate flying - being stuck on a plane for a few hours where you couldnt get off when you needed to might not be so great when they start getting crabby. I just wouldn't want to do that to other's who paid the same amount for airfair. Maybe in a year or so. Also, it's so nice being able to load up a cooler, plenty of toys and plenty of clothes.