Flying from CA to FL w/11 month old..any suggestions...

[besito20]

on what medications to give my DS so that he can sleep thru most of the flight?

 

I've talked to some parents who recommend Benedryl but I'm just curious to see what others have done... (Ped. said Benedryl is ok to give).

 

thanks!

 

susie

[Kerry's Girls]

If you are going to give a new medicine, it's a good idea to give it a test run beforehand - sometimes those medications will have the opposite reaction and make them jittery.

 

One other suggestion - when I fly with my toddlers, I've found that a portable DVD player is the one thing that makes the trip easier.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Best,

Mia

[TNC010100]

I could have posted this exact post. I have DD who will be 11 months when we board the FOS on October 15. I have to fly ahead of DH and DD b/c I have ot be in Miami on the 12th. DH has to fly alone with DD:eek:

 

we flew with her to Philadelphia when she was 6 months old. We didn't get her her own seat. We flew the red-eye out so she slept. Coming back was a different story, she would not sleep and squirmed in my lap for hours, ut never fussed out loud, thankfully.

 

My first suggestion would be to get her her own seat if you haven't already. I am leary of giving medicines unless the babe is sick, but that is just me. I say bring several of her favorite toys, lots of little munchies, a portable DVD player is good if she will watch for more than a few minutes at a time. Hopefully she will sleep. Make sure that you don't let her nap before getting on the plane or wake her up early if you have an early flight. Aslo, dress her in something comfortable and remember that airplanes tend to be cold, so dress in layers or bring a comfy blanket.

 

Nurse her (in your lap) or give her a bottle on take off and landing - it helps equalize their ears.

 

Good luck!!!

[graycliff]

I have flown wih all my kids starting at while they were babies. But with the kids I have always found the best thing to do is give them tylenol cold and sinus. Not really to get them to go to sleep but to make sure thier ears do not clog on the flight. Most of the time when you hear a screaming child it is because their ears hurt. I still give my kids some sort of cold and sinus or decongestant at least 1 hour before we leave. This will keep their ears clear.

[PattyW]

I've given Benedryl, but the longest they've ever slept from it was 1.5 hours, which isn't going to take you from CA to FL.

 

Getting the baby a seat is always ideal - and then you can bring the carseat, which somebabies love and will sleep comfortably in for longer than if they lay in your arms.

 

If you've got a TV watcher (one of mine was at that age, one was not) then DVDs are the way to go. Otherwise, I would buy a couple of small-ish toys for the ride that don't have multiple pieces that can whipped by baby across the plane.

 

My most recent of these flights was with a 13 month old in July, so it's pretty fresh in my mind. I bought him this fuzzy ball that had Elmo on one side and cookie monster on the other that vibrates when you squeeze it and this set of four soft cars made by Parents (like the magazine). Nothing too big or too loud.

 

Take the toys out one at a time, and never until he's squirmy and bored. Otherwise, you'll be two hours into the flight with nothing but peek-a-boo left to play.

[crusinmama06]

Benedryl can have a negative or positive effect. Some kids get wired on benedryl. And also, the same med might have a different effect on the same child. So testing it beforehand won't really be an indicator. I have given my child benedryl and she has slept. But then on the way home I tried it and she was wired.

 

I did bring the infant car seat so she could rest comfortably and a dvd player, toys, crayons, etc.