I'm on a plane now going out of town for a conference. This will be the first time that I'm away from Keerthana for the night! I have flown with K a few times before this and it feels strange to travel by myself. My economy class seat suddenly feels roomier and I have the irresistible urge to hold something warm and soft to fill the space.
The first flight we took together was when we flew to Chicago, just the two of us. Now that was an experience! My first time traveling by myself with a baby. I prepared for days, scouring internet forums for travel tips and asking anyone with kids about their travel experiences. And then there was the India flight. A whopping 15 hrs in a flight with just me and K in our cozy airplane seat. After these experiences, I think I can safely call myself an expert on traveling with a baby. Like all experts, I feel the need to dispense advice. Here are the top ten things that come to my mind:
1. You can't pack light. Trust me, I've tried. There's the food, and the books, and the toys, and the Tylenol, and the diapers, and the wipes, and the change of clothes, and all the other things you forgot to pack which turned out to be essential. Forget it. Don't even try. Go ahead, pack the kitchen sink. Pay extra for baggage fees. It's a losing battle anyway.
2. Flights were designed to discourage you from flying with a baby. Think about the security check. You have all the liquids that you need to bring out, then take your shoes and coat off, lift your carry on and place it on the belt, all this while the baby gets anxious in a stroller. Then you have to fold the stroller down, hold the baby in one hand and magically lift the stroller with the other and put it on the belt. If you want to beat the system and wear the baby in a carrier, be prepared for some interesting restroom breaks, some cool ninja moves while you get the baby out of the carrier on the cramped plane, and to end up in tears from the whole experience (this happened).
3. People will hate you. Not your baby, they will love your cute baby. It's you. They will hate you for holding up the line while figuring out where to put the baby while you haul said overpacked suitcase over your head. They will hate you for then failing and requesting the unsuspecting soul behind you in the line to haul it. They will look away, hoping that by not making eye contact, you will somehow not sit next to them. And then they will give you a resigned look when you crush their hopes by actually plopping down next to them. They will try to be nice when you knock their drink over while trying to fish out baby's favorite book from your bag (this happened too) but they will hate you. Or the really nice ones will pity you. Get used to it.
4. Forget about eating: If you are like me and want to take advantage of the lap child flies free option for an international flight, forget about eating. You, baby, tiny tray table, and shiny foil packages with hot food doth not a good combination make. Wait till the baby falls asleep, get a cold drink and drink it fast.
5. Pack lots of food: I was stranded in the New Delhi airport for 12 hours due to fog. I was so happy I lugged around all that extra food on my carry on luggage! Here's a question for you: what is the best invention of mankind? No, not the wheel. Not even sliced bread. It's shelf-stable milk! And any food that is nutritious and doesn't need refrigeration (think baby food pouches). I carried enough in my check in bag and carry-on luggage to feed an army and I'm so glad I did!
6. Sleep: Surprisingly, K liked to sleep on all the flights I took with her. The overstimulation of airports seemed to tire her out and she was out like a light once things quieted down on the flight. Turns out, the process of getting on the plane, plus the stress of preparation for the flight tired me out too! So we both slept for a good part of the journey. Take my advice. Turn off that in-flight entertainment (it's not that entertaining anyway), and sleep.
7. Don't be self conscious: Go ahead, make those funny faces and sounds, sing in your off-key voice, nurse at landings and take offs, do whatever it takes to make your baby, and by extension, you and your co-passengers happy. No one is looking at you anyway. Your happy baby looks way cuter.
5. Pack lots of food: I was stranded in the New Delhi airport for 12 hours due to fog. I was so happy I lugged around all that extra food on my carry on luggage! Here's a question for you: what is the best invention of mankind? No, not the wheel. Not even sliced bread. It's shelf-stable milk! And any food that is nutritious and doesn't need refrigeration (think baby food pouches). I carried enough in my check in bag and carry-on luggage to feed an army and I'm so glad I did!
6. Sleep: Surprisingly, K liked to sleep on all the flights I took with her. The overstimulation of airports seemed to tire her out and she was out like a light once things quieted down on the flight. Turns out, the process of getting on the plane, plus the stress of preparation for the flight tired me out too! So we both slept for a good part of the journey. Take my advice. Turn off that in-flight entertainment (it's not that entertaining anyway), and sleep.
7. Don't be self conscious: Go ahead, make those funny faces and sounds, sing in your off-key voice, nurse at landings and take offs, do whatever it takes to make your baby, and by extension, you and your co-passengers happy. No one is looking at you anyway. Your happy baby looks way cuter.
8. Quit while you are ahead: If your flight landed at your destination airport and you made it without any major mishaps, just get into a cab and go home. Don't think of going to the restroom to freshen up and/or change a diaper. The time I tried to do that, things cascaded from a simple diaper change to having to change her clothes, which meant opening suitcase while she was trying to get off the changing table, with people banging on the family restroom door and general chaos all around. Just get out of the airport as soon as you can!
9. Books are your friends: I have a system. I take 2 of K's favorite books and in the airport bookstore I let her pick 1 before the flight. That gives a good mix of the new and exciting and the familiar and comforting. Stickers are a great hit too. If you see an Air India flight with farm animal stickers all over the seat and walls, that was us.
10. Keep your sense of humor: If you are taking a flight by yourself with the baby, the destination is probably worth it in your mind. So take a deep breath, laugh with your baby, and have as much fun as you can in that small space around you in the sky.
10. Keep your sense of humor: If you are taking a flight by yourself with the baby, the destination is probably worth it in your mind. So take a deep breath, laugh with your baby, and have as much fun as you can in that small space around you in the sky.
