Flying with infant

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are flying this week with an 8 week old (short, 1 hour Southwest flight). We have purchased a separate seat for DD and plan on bringing the Graco SnugRide to strap her into her seat and the Snap-n-Go stroller, which we will gate check. I was also planning on bringing the SnugRide base for use in the car on our trip, since it seems much easier to install the base once in the car rather than strapping in the car seat each time. In your experience, is it worth bringing the base on the trip, and if so, should we buy a special bag to use in checking it as baggage? (I assume we don't need the base for the plane, as then we would have to carry it with us through the airport). Also, I have read several posts about the benefits of nursing at takeoff and landing. Should I try to nurse regardless of whether DD is fussing or not? Any other flying advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I never had a Graco, but I never took a base anywhere. I practiced on my Chicco Keyfit using the seatbelt a few times out in the car. It was very easy to do. So I just whipped that thing into cabs, etc. when I had to. Try it this way a few times and see if it's easy or not. I'm a firm believer that when traveling by plane, bringing less is always better.

[Anonymous]

I just flew to S FL from DC with my 3yo DD and my 10wk old DS. I can't speak to the car seat issue as I never bought a seat for DD until I had to and then we've always used a convertible car seat for the plane. She's flown about 7 times starting at 11wks and I used to nurse her during take-off/landing because she seemed a little fussy. I brought DS on as a lap baby this time also and didn't end up nursing him either time. I did nurse during the flight, but he slept right through take-off/landing so I let him be and he seemed fine. I'd say wait and see how your baby acts.

[Anonymous]

I wouldnt bring the base. Its really not difficult to strap the car seat in and why carry around a whole extra piece of luggage.

[Anonymous]

If baby is sleeping, don't wake her to nurse. I think it's more important to nurse on landing than take off (plus, you never know when take off is actually going to happen these days--if you do nurse, I'd try to wait until your plane is definitely in line for takeoff).

I would just leave the carseat base at home. If you're visiting friends or family, I'd call around and see if anyone has a base they're not using, or if they can borrow one--my mom used to borrow stuff from her friends who had grandkids when we visited with my son.

[Anonymous]

Skip the base. It is not that hard to install the car seat with seatbelt. Plus, I actually thing the Consumer Reports study shows the seat is safer w/o the base.

[Anonymous]

If your baby uses a pacifier, that achieves the same thing as nursing during takeoff/landing, without the hassle of trying to time nursing.

[Anonymous]

I personally wouldn't bother buying a seat for an infant. If you are lucky, and you bring a snap and go with your car seat and gate check, if the flight's less crowded, you may be offered a seat on the plane, and you can just bring the car seat on (this happened to me yesterday, actually). And, as long as it's not a long flight, having an infant on your lap really isn't that challenging. Through some unplanned circumstances, I've just completed six short flights (four were round-trip two-segment connections), only one of which I had my two-month-old in a seat for, and I really didn't find it to be that tough.

I would second PP's comment about the pacifier; I popped one in her mouth for all flights, and she didn't cry at all during them.