Athena
My son and I are traveling overseas in January to visit my sick mom. He'll be 5 months old. It's going to be just the baby and me from beginning till end. Since it's just the 2 of us, I'm taking my FAA approved car seat and stroller with me. I was wondering if anyone else has traveled this way and if you could give me advice. I'm already aware of the fact that I need to be there earlier than normal but will the stewardesses be mad if I book the seat next to me? Are they helpful? Is it hard to put the seat in place? What about bathroom brakes? Where do you change the baby? Can I take the CAN of formula or does it have to be in a bottle already mixed (I'll be breastfeeding but I'd like to have it with me just in case)? and things like that. I've traveled this route more times than I can count but never with a baby so any advice would be very welcome!
Thank you in advance!
I'm asking the question in this category because more mothers are likely to read it and respond! :)
Answer
Definitely book the seat next to you--it will give you SO much more space. You will get there early and you can just buckle his car seat right into the seat next to you just like you would do a lap belt install in a regular car. It works great! If you didn't do this and you hit turbulence during the flight, your baby would become a projectile, not only becoming injured himself, but injuring you and the other passengers. Not to mention, checking the carseat with luggage can mean a badly damaged carseat.
You'll take the stroller and carseat right to the gate and you'll check the stroller at the gate when the attendants get there and you'll carry him on in his car seat. They'll have the stroller waiting for you at the other end of your destination.
As for the canned formula, you'll have to ask the airline--each one has different regulations. That said, most say it's ok so long as it is completely sealed and you just buy bottled water once you are through security. If it needs warming, the flight attendants are usually more than happy to warm it for you.
Make sure to bring a few toys for him and a pacifier for take off and landing--or make sure he's feeding during those times. And, as for changes, many planes these days do have a spot for changing children. If your plane does not, either plan on changing him on your seat or the floor space in front of the seats which is why it's imperative that you choose the window seats not the middle section of the plane. Just bring a changing pad. If your baby has a poopy diaper, head for the bathroom and lay the pad on the toilet seat in there and work fast, or ask the flight attendants for a suggestion. They may let you change him in their area on the floor.
Definitely book the seat next to you--it will give you SO much more space. You will get there early and you can just buckle his car seat right into the seat next to you just like you would do a lap belt install in a regular car. It works great! If you didn't do this and you hit turbulence during the flight, your baby would become a projectile, not only becoming injured himself, but injuring you and the other passengers. Not to mention, checking the carseat with luggage can mean a badly damaged carseat.
You'll take the stroller and carseat right to the gate and you'll check the stroller at the gate when the attendants get there and you'll carry him on in his car seat. They'll have the stroller waiting for you at the other end of your destination.
As for the canned formula, you'll have to ask the airline--each one has different regulations. That said, most say it's ok so long as it is completely sealed and you just buy bottled water once you are through security. If it needs warming, the flight attendants are usually more than happy to warm it for you.
Make sure to bring a few toys for him and a pacifier for take off and landing--or make sure he's feeding during those times. And, as for changes, many planes these days do have a spot for changing children. If your plane does not, either plan on changing him on your seat or the floor space in front of the seats which is why it's imperative that you choose the window seats not the middle section of the plane. Just bring a changing pad. If your baby has a poopy diaper, head for the bathroom and lay the pad on the toilet seat in there and work fast, or ask the flight attendants for a suggestion. They may let you change him in their area on the floor.
my 9 and half month old son.... is about 22LB and he hates his car seat?
gisele_hom
what kind of car seat/bran name/style do you segest..please help
Answer
First off, don't ever put any hard toys on a baby's seat, nor a TV! OUCH in a crash or even a speed bump. My first question would be how reclined is he? If he is still in an infant carrier, you can't change the 45 degree recline angle, but in a rear facing convertible car seat, you can adjust it a little bit. Newborns must have a 45 degree angle recline to prevent their head falling forward and closing off their airway, but an older baby only needs 30-45 degrees recline. He may want to be able to see more than he can right now. So I'd look into that first off. Put some static clings on the rear windshield and back side windows to give him something to look at. Play music for kids, or better yet, talk and sing to him. He may just not like his seat, he may be bored, he may be scared b/c he can't see you.
Put one of those mirrors so you can see him. I had a mirror securely attached (with several safety pins to make sure it would not become a projectile in an accident) to the rear headrest so he could see himself, also, I put on of those baby view mirrors below my rear view mirror so I could see his reflection in his mirror in my mirror without turning around while driving (which isn't safe!) You may have to try several different models of mirrors (for his headrest) until you find one that works securely with your car.
He may really just not like car rides right now. In that case, minimize travelling for a little bit till he gets over it, which he soon will! Aim to travel at his best times of the day, morning for most babies, only go when he's eaten, well-rested, and in a good mood. It will make the trip easier for both of you.
Please DON'T get the Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That's what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they're at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you'll ever need to buy. Not a good choice.
If you think padding might help, some great choices (and best bang for your buck, too!) are:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It's one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.
The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.
Whatever you do, don't turn him forward facing! It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (see sources) that ALL babies stay rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight/height limits of their seat. Most seats go to 30lbs rear facing, some go higher, check your manual. They are too tall for an infant carrier when the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Too tall for most convertible seats when their ears reach the top of the seat. Has nothing to do with how long their legs are! There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better. They are safest rear facing b/c their bones have not yet completed the ossification process that bonds/hardens them like adults. They need the bracing support that a rear facing seat offers to withstand a crash. 20lbs AND 1 year is the bare minimum as far as the law is concerned, but the law is the bare minimum of safety, and who wants to do the bare minimum for their child? A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.
First off, don't ever put any hard toys on a baby's seat, nor a TV! OUCH in a crash or even a speed bump. My first question would be how reclined is he? If he is still in an infant carrier, you can't change the 45 degree recline angle, but in a rear facing convertible car seat, you can adjust it a little bit. Newborns must have a 45 degree angle recline to prevent their head falling forward and closing off their airway, but an older baby only needs 30-45 degrees recline. He may want to be able to see more than he can right now. So I'd look into that first off. Put some static clings on the rear windshield and back side windows to give him something to look at. Play music for kids, or better yet, talk and sing to him. He may just not like his seat, he may be bored, he may be scared b/c he can't see you.
Put one of those mirrors so you can see him. I had a mirror securely attached (with several safety pins to make sure it would not become a projectile in an accident) to the rear headrest so he could see himself, also, I put on of those baby view mirrors below my rear view mirror so I could see his reflection in his mirror in my mirror without turning around while driving (which isn't safe!) You may have to try several different models of mirrors (for his headrest) until you find one that works securely with your car.
He may really just not like car rides right now. In that case, minimize travelling for a little bit till he gets over it, which he soon will! Aim to travel at his best times of the day, morning for most babies, only go when he's eaten, well-rested, and in a good mood. It will make the trip easier for both of you.
Please DON'T get the Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That's what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they're at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you'll ever need to buy. Not a good choice.
If you think padding might help, some great choices (and best bang for your buck, too!) are:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It's one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.
The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.
Whatever you do, don't turn him forward facing! It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (see sources) that ALL babies stay rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight/height limits of their seat. Most seats go to 30lbs rear facing, some go higher, check your manual. They are too tall for an infant carrier when the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Too tall for most convertible seats when their ears reach the top of the seat. Has nothing to do with how long their legs are! There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better. They are safest rear facing b/c their bones have not yet completed the ossification process that bonds/hardens them like adults. They need the bracing support that a rear facing seat offers to withstand a crash. 20lbs AND 1 year is the bare minimum as far as the law is concerned, but the law is the bare minimum of safety, and who wants to do the bare minimum for their child? A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.
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