I have heard that baby tylenol works wonders........but that might fall into the paper-towel chewing category of no-no's.

I would think that the main thing would be to make sure she is eating when you take off and land. I hate the pressure on my ears and it must be miserable for a baby who can't clear them. Sucking on a breast or bottle would remove that. It wouldhelp prevent the screaming at least.

shoot leta.

Find as many implements on the SF end as you can to borrow -- a car seat specifically. Yes to the breast feeding on take off and landing. Especially landing. ESPECIALLY. Flight attendants love to hold babies.

LOL -- No idea how you travel with a baby -- guess I refrained from the necessary alcohol intake to make that decision! But I promise to laugh lots at watching you try it! :-)
Seriously, we did do a long weekend once -- my car recorded temperatures of over 100 degrees. Point #1: Keep everyone cool.
Point #2: Evaluate everything you're bringing and decide if you really need it -- 'cause it turned out that we never used the bouncy seat. Preserve your lugging energy for the things you really can't live without -- like the favorite stuffed bunny/dog/duck. Otherwise, as long as you have face wipe diapers, drool bibs, and baby butt wipes, you can handle anything -- you can buy whatever you forget.
Good luck!

Oh my gosh -- an opportunity to post a comment! You are so funny and it is so obvious how much you love that kid -- in spite of some of the things you write that completely and totally shock me senseless!

Most hotels have cribs available -- just ask the front desk. Bring blankies from home that smell like home -- if it works for a puppy, maybe it will work for Leta. But no matter how difficult it may get, resist the temptation to buy a binkie. It's a high price to pay after all your hard work in detox.

Enjoy your trip!

Well, after more long trips in the car than I can count in the last months (a 11 hour drive coming up this weekend!) with the now 7 month old Coleman, I can offer the following advice: if you do not have a pack n play it makes a great temporary crib, but hotels also have cribs if you give them warning (check for safety- some are OLD). Also, it is Benadryl that you want to drug her with- check with the nurse at her pediatrican's office for dosage and you need to try it at home first because it may make her hyper instead of out cold (as said by nurse at OUR pediatricians office who happily supplied us with benadryl, syringe and dosage info). I agree with buying diapers there instead of travelling with a ton of them, and you can also wash clothes at a laundromat if you need to instead of packing all 25 pair of pink pajamas. Do take along medecines and sunblock so you don't have to hunt for them when you need them most. AND take lots of compact flash cards for the d-70 or a laptop to dump the images on... you'll need the space. Enjoy!

If you are staying at a hotel, most ~DO~ have cribs, or at least Pack-n-Plays. (Call ahead to ask/reserve one. Most hotels don't charge for their use.)

Also, don't forget, a roll of quarters takes up a lot less space than extra clothes. I'm sure that they have a laundromat SOMEWHERE in San Francisco.

Since you're nursing, don't forget to take a snack for yourself for travel time - you never know about delays!

Actually, I think you are going to have a great time and Leta will just love it..giving you a false sense that you can take her anywhere, but that will change after 8 months when all she will want to do is crawl (or try to walk) everywhere. This is an incredible age to travel. Enjoy!

Dear Dooce and Lady Leta,

We had a screamer too. And I traveled with him. The flight out of SLC wasn't bad. I nursed him at take off and he fell asleep. The flight home was worse... much worse. But I won't tell you that story. Even if Leta screams the whole way home you'll have an interesting story to post here about the angry man who asked you to sit in the bathroom with your screaming baby.

They do make children's Benadryl and I know how to figure out how much to give a tiny baby. Baby doses of Benadryl can either knock them out for a long winter's nap or wire them up so that they look like they're on speed. So it's a gamble.

They do have cribs in hotels, but I ended up sleeping with my screamer because the unfamiliar crib was a scary thing for him. But at least you'll have options.

Now, because I'm taking up way too much room already - leave most of the baby gear home. Take a stroller and the Bjorn, oh and some booze for the both of you should Leta find out that SF is really hell on wheels. And protest audibly the entire time.

The best advice I read about travelling with babies came out of a book someone got me: If the baby freaks out and howls for the entire flight, do what you can to *look* like you are trying to calm her and keep reminding yourself that you will *never* see these people again.

I had the same sort of thoughts going through my head before I got on a plane (by myself - a 2-hour flight) with my 4-month-old daughter. She cooed to everyone in the airport, fell asleep promptly upon takeoff and woke up cooing again at landing. I don't know who swapped *my* baby for that peaceful, quiet creature (and swapped them back as soon as we were in the airport) but I was grateful.

She's been on 4 flights since and has acted the same way each time. A couple of times she woke up fussy, but I stuck my boob in her mouth and she went back to sleep.

The added benefit was that if there was ANY open seats on the airplane, both passengers and airline staff worked out a way for me to have a row all to myself. *That* was cool.

Good luck.

As someone with no baby, I am, of course, an expert. I don't know whether you bottle feed her yet (your milk) but that is often better than breast feeding on a plane. Also bring lots of entertaining things to do...books and toys (none that beep). For an hour and a half you should be fine. Even if she screams like a MF it's not for that long. It's a good practice run for the future.

In future I would buy a seet for the baby and strap her into the car seat.

As a childless person I never mind the screaming 5-6 month old, I mind the whiney 2 year olds. A 2 year-old knows the score and you can bring things for them to do. They're eating solids and cookies and you can bring them lots of snacks. There is no excuse for them to whine. A 6 month old, well, we all know there's very little the parents can do. Don't sweat it.

Okay, every natural wholesome mother, please close your eyes now.

The tip: babies will not nurse when you want them to or you'll nurse them to keep her quiet as everyone is boarding the plane and hating you for having brought a baby, so she's too stuffed to eat at the appropriate time (for ear popping). So, bring a lollipop and give her a couple of tastes at landing and take off. She'll love the flavor and will swallow, hungry or not, all the sweet drool that she produces.

Go to a dollar store and stock up on throwaway stuff. Think mini-flashlights, every plastic toy you can score i.e. dinasour, shark, whatever, that you can buy 2 minutes of occupied time with. And in the future, make those red-eye flights since she'll be more apt to sleep then.

Do NOT give her benadryl to make her sleepy without firsthand knowledge that she reacts like that. In some infants, it wires them and you hate to find that out on the plane.

And relax yourself. Babies pick up on your feelings - so she'll pick up your stress. Its okay if you have a drink (read - one or have a designated parent!)if you can't get over the stress of this first time adventure.

It'll be fine! I've traveled many times with my 3 and have never been banned or chased by a mob yet.

I've found that the things I dreaded the most with my daughter, such as travelling, always turned out just fine and if she screams oh well. Chalk it up to one more day as being a parent. Just be thankful you do breastfeed...no having to warm bottles up on the plane!

i have absolutely no baby experience (yay, college!), but since i adore you and your family i thought i'd try a suggestion: maybe organize some pretend trips over the weekend? i know a car's no airplane, but it's kind of got the motion and lack of space for maneuvering. if she can sit in your lap for a good hour and half and be good, or bad (oh teh nos!), maybe you'll get a better feel for the trip. it's like training for a marathon, haha.
best of luck!
all my wellwishing is to you guys.
<- elyse

Don't medicate your baby unless she's sick...that's abuse. There's this stuff I used with my daughter...Lavender Massage Oil...you gently massage it into the baby's feet and it has natural calming properties for both you and Leta. I don't know if it's the oil or massage that does the trick but it works, smells nice and is legal.

children's gravol is the way to go. it will knock her on her ass safely - unlike medicating her with benedryl and tylenol. are those other people fucking nuts? also, make sure she is toasty warm. planes tend to be freezers which makes it really uncomfortable for an underdressed baby. you too - it really bites nursing a baby when your nipples are icicles.

children are perfect little travellers - especially babies - they are portable and don't give a shit if they have clean clothes or a crib to sleep in. it is the parents that will make the trip enjoyable - not the baby that will ruin it. just chill and leta will chill. all will be fine.

oh, and a shot of bourbon never hurt anyone - or two or three for that matter!

Don't give her Benadryl. Even if every damn person in your family swears "Benadryl works wonders on flying babies! It unclogs their ears! It knocks them out!". Don't do it- sometimes Benadryl has the opposite effect and makes the kid wired and crabby. My son smacked the flight attendant. Seriously. But, I learned if your baby smacks a flight attendant and she is a bitch about it-you can write the company and will be granted 20,000 free frequent flier miles. Score!

I'm all for natural, but using lavender oil on a small plane with limited air ventilation? Are you serious? That stuff is STRONG, not to mention very oily. What a nightmare waiting to happen. Yeah, use lavender oil and then you'll have a screaming baby, a messy lap, AND a plane full of people with migranes.

If the pediatrician-approved Benadryl solution scares you and you want to try something more granola, try massaging her feet with some baby lotion with lavender in it.

From a Fragmented Mom; I should tell you this in person, but its a mouthful and when do you have time for a mouthful... We are watching PBS kids (Reading rainbow with Lavarre Burton. You may know him as Jordy from Star Trek), and well you know Eli wants to watch something else and they are both screaming and Ok, we will put The Little Bear Movie On...

Back on Topic: When Kyle was thirteen months old we counted and realized that he had flown twenty-three times. Are we crazy? Yes.

His first flight was pure hell (if you read my father's day post, you will see why. I was misinformed on giving the little guy drugs. HE WAS TOO YOUNG for cold medicine!) Note, Kyle was only three months old on his first flight. As you know, that is a big difference between five or six months old. (A six month old can handle the other drugs better than just having Tylenol.) I always went fort he Benydryl. Also we always arrived at the airport a little early and went and talked to the gate attendant in our most friendly voice to see if we could have an aisle and a window seat. If you can finagle this seating arrangement then Leta can come on board in her car seat where you can strap it into the window seat (All airlines will only let you strap car seats into the window seat.) Sure you can pick her up, but if there is turbulence, well, you know... When we thought enough ahead of time we would just reserve an aisle and a window seat.

We still had to worry about someone taking the middle seat and that is why we still arrived early. We could usually talk the gate attendant into kicking the person out of the middle seat by saying something like, "Boy you look great in that Blue Delta Uniform. You are the nicest Delta Employee ever."

On board I always had a Manic/Neurotic amount of items to occupy the kid. On flights when Kyle would not cooperate we made sure to look at everyone around us and assure them with our words and knowing glances that we were just firs-time parent and we sure did appreciate their understanding. It's all about P.R.

Finally, best tip ever given to me. Nurse Leta on the way up and the way down. It helps pressurize her ears. There is nothing, I mean nothing worse than a baby with a bad Earache.

You guys will do great. Thank God San Francisco is a short flight. You can borrow our port-a-crib if you need too. Most hotels have them, but as a Neurotic parent we always took ours along.

I am sure there is more, but I should leave space for the others and pay attention to my own children.

be careful with the baby drugs; my sister took her son on a trip to florida last summer and decided to try the baby benedryl. instead of having the calming, drowsy effect, my nephew was wide awake and moody the whole miserable flight. maybe baby valium or xanax would work better. oh and don't forget the duct tape!

have a great time!

I have no advice that hasn't been covered already. I do remember travelling with my Mum at a young age - as long as I got enough sleep, life was good, even a little exciting! Best of luck to you both.

i say just check the baby and let the baggage people worry about all this. what are we paying these people for, anyway?

Okay so I second (or third, or fourth, whatever) the nursing duing landing and take-off. Also, tylenol or benedryl are good choices too. Make sure you try to benedryl at home prior to travel, because like someone already mentioned, it can make babies hyper. If the hotel doesn't have cribs, just request a room with a king size bed and have her sleep with you. It doesn't mess a babies sleep patterns up too much, and there should be no trouble with her going back to her crib once your home.
Since I live in SF (or close to), let me tell you, bring lightweight clothes for the day and warm clothes for evenings. I'm sure you've been here before, so you know how the weather is. Tata! Have a great trip!!!

Put her in the overhead compartment storage, seems like the perfect size. Just be careful when you open the door after landing. Items may have shifted during the flight.. haha. maybe freeze some bourbon, I mean ice cubes for her to suck on. yall have fun!

If the flights only about 2 hours and you factor in an hour or so at each airport you only really need a small diaper bag With 3/4 diapers, butt wipes, a bib/burp cloth, recieving blanket and a few toys. OK throw in a few nursing pads. Also I found these neat little Gerber treats that melt in babies mouths. Maybe trying to give her new treats will help keep her occupied and it should be amusing (as it always is) to watch our children try new things. Looks like you are getting some good advice from all types (parents and non parents). Good Luck. Oh, for good measure, throw some paper towels in the diaper bag too....hehe

we're faced with the same thing - thinking about this weekend's trip to new jersey (new jersey!) is like staring into the gaping maw of a sleepless, cranky hell.
i will say, however, that at leta's age, travel is far easier...owen would routinely snooze through 5-hour car trips with nary a peep (or poop). feed her a ton before you get on the plane, and hope the dull roar of the engines put her right out.

then break out the bourbon.

I once flew from Toulouse to Detroit with two screaming and unhappy children (not mine) sitting right next to me. How I wished I had brought ear plugs. So, first, don`t waste a precious second worrying about the other people on the flight. It is a free country and babies have a right to scream all they want. Second, bring complimentary ear plugs. That should wipe the dirty looks right off all their faces. And try to have some fun!

Yes on nursing at take-off & landing, hesitant about drugs, yes on bring a little along as you can bear to.

Best wishes!

Try, as hard as you can, to remember that one and a half hours, compared to the amount of hours in your life, is nothing. The absolute worst thing that can happen is that Leta will scream the whole time, and some people will quietly hate you. In case this happens, bring a voodoo doll to curse them with children within a week of their flight with you.
There is nothing illegal about using Benadryl or Tylenol (ignore the hippies), just test it out first. Remember that there will be other parents and understanding people on the plane who will symphthize. Also, I've been on planes with screaming babies, but never has there been a baby that screamed continuously. Best of luck, and I'm sure you'll do fine.

We just flew for the first time (to Seattle) with our 5 mo old. I was TERRIFIED for NO REASON. She nursed and slept, slept and nursed (and she is NOT a napper...I'm thinking of buying an airplane). Our one strategy on the plane was to sit in the vicinity of the other pre-board baby people...that way if she was crying or screaming, it would fall on sympathetic ears.

I have a friend with a now 2 year old who always brings candy and passes it out to the passengers around them before the flight. Kissing ass seems to work for her!

You'll do GREAT. I got SO OFF on "introducing" our little girl to a new city...all the sights and sounds. She'll love the stimulation. And cooler weather (I'm in SLC). Have fun...can't wait to hear!

I'm a new mommy of a 4 month old and I just flew from Orlando to Chicago BY MYSELF!!! (Hubby sat home with some much needed X Box time) I brought her car seat along in hopes that there were empty seats, but, alas, there were none. I have one of those "Travel systems" (baby talk for a whole lot of gear disguised as one) and I was able to take to the gate. Since there were no available seats, they checked it at the gate, which was nice, because it was waiting for me right when I got off the plane. I nursed during take off and landing (much to the dismay of the 2 gentlemen sitting next to me, but oh well, like they've never seen a boob before) My baby was great, the "white noise" of the plane lulled her to sleep for most of the trip. I put one of those airline pillows on my knees, and laid her on my lap with her head on the pillow, and she slept.

I second the pack light advice. There is nothing you need that you can't buy in San Fran.

Take a picture of her first plane ride.

Call the airline and ask if the plane has a changing table (some smaller planes do not have one) and plan accordingly.

Oh, and while going through the security checkpoint, you'll need to take her out of her carrier (if you brought it) and carry her through yourself. (Much easier with two people--by myself it was crazy. And my carrier got stuck going through the x-ray machine)

All in all, it was not as nearly as bad as I thought. Don't stress about it. Remember, your baby can smell fear...

Good luck!

We flew on a short flight (1 hour) with our 4 month old recently. She nursed on take off and landing and napped a little during the flight. It really wasn't all that hard. I think the best thing I brought was my boobs, not all the toys and blankets and crap. We boarded the plane early and it was no problem - Lily just sat and watched all the new faces pass by. And I don't know how comfortable I would be using a rental car company child seat. We just brought ours with us and they stowed it during the flight. We brought it to the gate with us and they had it ready when we landed, and much faster than I thought possible. The airlines know how to deal with all of that stuff.

As far as what to bring, I always pack too many clothes. But my theory is you never know when you are going to have poop-up-the-back or puke-down-the-front.

Don't let everyone scare you. It will either be easy, hard, or somewhere in between. Even if it sucks try and make the best of it! I hope you guys can enjoy your trip.

If you are not comfortable with breastfeeding in the plane, her doctor may perscribe an eardrum numbing drop. They give it to kids when the have an ear infection.

I have learned that children are the worst when you interrupt their routine. Try to stay on the same routine, take naps at the same time, eat at the same time. Don't take her out of the daiy routine.

Good Luck and remember to just have a ton of fun!

Drop her off at my house when you get here!

I just want to say that, contrary to all these people who are shocked - SHOCKED! - at some of the things you say in regard to Leta, I think it's great that you haven't succumbed to the notion that you aren't allowed to have a sense of humor or irony or sarcasm now that you're a mom. Your honesty and wry humor in relating the frustration and mistakes and fears you encounter as new parents are, I think, so much more helpful and reassuring for other new (or potential) parents to read than some rose-tinted, Stepford-wife litany of bliss. Keep on rockin', Dooce and DJ Blurb, and good luck on that trip!

My son is 2 now, i agree with a previous post that you should travel now because once they can talk all bets are off. I have only 2 things to add.
1. Stop at the dollar store and pick up anything that might amuse her. A set of plastic measuring spoons and cups were the shiz-nit to my son at that age. The best part is since these things are only a dollar, you can use them during the flight and not worry about toting them around for the rest of the trip. Just hand them off to any parent waiting for their flight on your way out of the airport.
2. I am far from a new age type attachment parent, but when we went on trips, the family bed always worked great. There is just as much research saying it is the best thing for the child as there is to the contrary, so it's a personal decision, but the extra closeness always helped my son fall asleep far from home. One warning though, if you do need a couple shots of whiskey after the flight, do not try this option.

Well, this seems superfluous considering all the other comments -- and I admit I haven't read them all, so I may be repeating stuff.

WE TRAVEL WITH OUR 7 MO. OLD on an airplane EVERY WEEK. Yep, you read it right. We commute between Austin and Madison, and that kid is a pro flyer/traveler now. So am I.

1. Get to the airport early -- going through security with a baby takes a few more minutes.

2. Definitely bring the carrier part of the car seat. Like someone said, you can usually ask at check-in that they block a seat, then you'll be able to put Leta in it. If not, they will check it at the gate.
DO NOT RELY ON THE RENTAL CAR baby seat. They're usually nasty, and you don't know whether it's been in an accident. Well, that's my little paranoia. Do what you like, of course.

2a. If you go to Burlington Coat Factory, you can buy, for $35, a hideous Kolcraft carseat carrier "frame" -- it turns the carrier into a stroller. They rock. You don't care when it gets checked at the gate if they mess it up (they won't, but ya know), and IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT TRY TO CARRY THE CARRIER THROUGH THE AIRPORT. It also has a GIANT basket underneath that is totally key when walking around a city all day. Ours holds our diaper bag, two full grocery bags, etc. etc. -- but it folds down VERY easily and is very light (since it's just a frame). Also good cuz a lightweight stroller (umbrella) would not work with a baby as young as Leta (not sitting up well).

3. MOST AIRLINES DO NOT ALLOW PRE-BOARDING ANYMORE. But it's not that big a deal. Ask, though -- it is always nice.

4. It is not bad practice to give the baby Tylenol before the flight -- in fact you're supposed to. It doesn't drug them or make them tired, but it protects their ears a bit. Don't know if you bottle feed, but giving a bottle at take-off and landing protects their ears, too. That being said, my baby has never complained from ear pain, not once in over 20 flights.

Benadryl would be an excellent idea if Leta were 12 months -- before that is not good, from what I understand. When we get to that age we might do it (WILL BE GOING TO SYDNEY WHEN MAX IS 12 Mo. .... HELP ME GOD), but not without a practice run at home to make sure the effect on him.

5. Bring the Bjorn, for sure. You'll regret it if you don't.

6. As for "stuff", just bring baby tylenol, a thermometer, lotion, baby spf, a sun hat, and nail clippers. I've never "needed" anything else I couldn't get at a corner pharmacy.

7. For the airplane, be sure to bring more diapers than usual and TWO extra outfits in the diaper bag. That way if your luggage is lost, you aren't.

8. Good luck with the sleeping arrangements: the playyards they give you in hotels as "cribs" suck -- I personally can't drop my baby 4 feet down to the bottom. We always make a pallet on the floor with the big ass quilt we never use from the hotel bed, surrounded by rolled up towels/pillows/whatever.

I think it is great Leta only sleeps in her crib. Some people have babies who will only sleep in swings n shit. That sucks.

Well, that's all -- and remember, I do this professionally (would that I got paid for it). You'll find out you just don't need to stress. I know, you won't know that til afterward, but it's true.

Think of it in a good way: Leta will never be more portable than she is now.

Our experiences traveling with the kids while they were about Leta's age:

1) Do not rely on renting a car seat. Our experience has been that they are grody (dirty, old, nasty) and only ever Toddler-sized. We explained very clearly when reserving our rental car(s) w/ car seat that we needed an INFANT, rear facing 5 point harness seat. The reservation person said: "Uh huh, yeah, no problem". The people at the car rental place laughed in our face when we pointed out that the seat wasn't an "infant" seat. Plus, it is nice if you have one to strap into the window seat in the event of turbulence. (Or fear/guilt of chance of turbulence.)

2) Expect that your stroller, which you gate check as you enter the airplane, will be damaged. The airlines will do JACK CRAP about this. Even if you write a really good letter with before & after photographic evidence of the damage. Fuhgeddaboutit. They don't care. Remove anything attachable on the stroller (the cup holder, any attached toys, etc.) if you ever want to see them in one piece again.

3) If you have the good fortune to be traveling together with your partner in addition to the bambino..send one parent ahead at "pre-board" time to load all the baby gear you aren't checking and to get situated in your seats (i.e. install the car seat, stow the baby gear) ..while YOU stay holding the baby, off the plane until the last possible moment before take off. The waiting area/terminal is WAY more entertaining to baby (and you can move around) and the less time you're stuck sitting still, the better.

4) Most passengers will be FAR nicer to you than the flight attendants. (With a few magical exceptions.. most flight attendants are pre-disposed to thinking you're going to be a pain in their butt--asking for extra this and that --generally expecting parents w/ small children to be "high maintenance".)

5) Be sure to get the policy on car seats in the airplane printed out and maybe stuff 'em in the diaper bag/your purse.. Seems like the flight attendants don't nec. know all the exact policies--and may disagree with each other about what is permitted/not permitted. We thought two flight attendants were going to come to blows right in front of us when one freaked over our having a car seat with us on the plane, and the other said it was OK, as long as it was in the window seat. Then a third, more senior attendant happened along and said it could be in ANY seat as long as it wasn't blocking an exit row. She shut the other two up, and the flight went on..but we were persona non grata for the rest of the flight and were intentionally "skipped" when beverages were passed out later by flight attendent #1 (who didn't think we were allowed to have our infant car seat with us).

6) Bring your own baby bedding. The Hotel Pack-n-Play or crib will prob. be OK (if Leta will even go for that..) but most hotels don't have baby bedding for their cribs and just fold up a regular bed sheet. Bringing a familiar smelling set of blankies and crib sheets from home will be a big help and worth the minimal space in your luggage.

Having just endured a flight from Des Moines to Denver (about 2 hours) with my 6 month old...yes, nurse on take off & landing. the other thing that Zoey did a lot of on the flight was eat biter biscuts. they are those rock hard teething cookie things. She gummed those things most of the flight. good luck!

"...how the hell do you travel with a baby?.."

Very carefully. All 3 of you will be fine.

P.S. If I turn out to be half as good of mother as you are, I will be the luckiest girl in the land...oh, and so will our baby.

When we travelled to San Fran with an 8 week old we were insanely cocky about the whole damn thing. I had my breasts and some dipes and figured that would be all she'd need. Until of course she reacted very neagtively to all of the GARLIC in my BREAST MILK from having eaten at the Stinking Rose. Then she screamed hysterically whenever she tried to nurse, waking up everyone in the Hilton which left me crying in the bathroom trying to express breastmilk and worried that M was going to starve herself and or get us kicked out onto the street. So we hopped in the rental car and drove around all night until she finally slept. Then we went back to the hotel and broke into the minibar which resulted in the single most expense hangover I've ever had. Good luck ;-)

uh. in opposition to one of your posters who said it was rude to bring a baby on a plane (yeah, hi. mothers are not allowed to travel. certainly not WITH their kids!)

if she screams on the plane, screw it. how many times have you had to sit through a flight with a screaming baby on board? that's travel. the truly screaming-baby averse folks can take a bus. ha!

i don't have kids therefore i have no advice whatsoever. when i fly, i don't even think about the screaming babies, i think about how i don't want to die.

she'll prolly surprise you, though. kids do that.

Whatever you do DON'T BRING THE CAR SEAT ON THE PLANE!!! Send it through luggage...it's obnoxious and no fun to lock your kid in it, and it won't save her life if you crash. If you crash...you die...carseat or not. I've flown from la to ri many many many times with my son (he's 7 now) trust me on this one. Oh and pack an extra outfit in case of blow outs.

Hi. I've traveled with my daughter 3 times so far: 1 mo. old, 13 mos. old, and 2 yrs. old. The first and last trips were traveled with just the two of us since I'm a single mom, and it's worked out fine. I do have to admit, my daughter's not a crier so my advice may be exempt. But-here's what's helped.

1) Travel at bed time in hopes that she'll sleep-I bought a ticket and used her carseat since my daughter has NEVER fallen asleep in my arms.

2) Bring treats. This may go against your better judegement, but an eating/drinking baby is a quiet baby. The nursing is excellent for ear popping.

3) Be goofy and tickly and see if you can make her laugh. Public humiliation may be the only way out.

4) Be super nice and let people see how adorable your baby is so when she starts crying they'll think, "oh that adorable little angel is crying, poor thing;" instead of, "shut that brat up!"

5) Also, don't do carry-on. Take you, your baby, a backpack of necessities and that's it. You won't have time to read, look out the window, or do anything that you used to enjoy on the plane unless you use your bourbon trick.

Sorry to ramble on, I just love talking babies.Good luck!!

Nurse on take off and landing.
they will stick you near the back of the plane, so if you're lucky the roar of the engines might keep her asleep.
I also suggest a snugli or foldy stoller. Leta will get mighty heavy racing from one end of the airport to the other.

A friend sent me a link to your journal after reading yet another of my teary LJ/blog journals in which I denounced ever wanting to be a mother and praying to the Lord above for one - yes, just ONE! - full night of sleep. I've gone 10 bliss-full months with my wonderful always-sleeping, always-eating, always-smiling son - only to find now that he's been replaced by some extra-teresterial nightmare that WON'T STOP CRYING.

You make me feel sane. Can we be best friends?! :P

*links journal*

V xx

Erika (No. 51) and Julia (No. 76) have a lot of good suggestions.

I'll just repeat briefly:

Gate-check stroller and car seat (if they don't have a separate seat available for Leta).

Bring extra clothes for you *and* her on the plane. We flew with our daughter something like eight times before she was 2, and she had a diaper blow-out on EVERY flight. Only about half the planes we used had changing tables in the restrooms, but the others let us diaper her on the floor in the galley area.(yum!)

At Leta's age, you don't need a lot of toys and junk in the plane. Either she'll sleep or she'll scream. Cheap plastic measuring cups *are* a great travel toy, though -- you can use them in the bathtub OR the sandbox.

If you're lucky, you're staying with friends who live in Noe Valley, and every child-related thing you need will be about a half a block away from you (including a really cool second-hand store for anything essential you forgot to bring). If you're at a hotel, ask at the desk where the nearest playground is. There's a pretty cool one across the street from Grace Cathedral in downtown SF; there's another one in Chinatown, but I think it's got more stuff for older kids than babies.

Here's my worst baby travel story ever: She's about 2-1/2, she's toddling up the aisle of the plane ahead of me, and the tape on one side of her diaper comes undone and a GIANT POOP BALL rolls down the leg of her pants and out onto the floor. Fortunately, I had the napkin from my drink in my hand. I scooped that sucker up without changing the expression on my face and no one even noticed!

I feel for you. Tomorrow I take my three kids, ages 6,3,and 1 on a flight to AZ by myself, and I make the trip with much trepidation. (What was I thinking?)

If you're going to bring a Pack and Play start letting her sleep in it. For survival on the plane bring ladybug book, Morrisey CD, money for drinks. Have a drink before you take off, and ditto on the breastfeeding and ditto on what Jae said about boarding last. Give the benadryl a test run(medicating babies when they are not sick is not abuse).

96 comments on how to travel with a 5 month old? If she only knew.

I also travelled to San Francisco with my daughter when she was about the same age. Here's my advice, for all it is worth: 1. Bring a cooler (w/icepacks) with bottled breastmilk/formula, ready to drink. 2. The flight attendants can refrigerate things if you need it. 3. Fly Jet Blue and let your daughter watch TV. 4. United and Jet Blue have good changing tables in the bathrooms. 5. Look for a place in SF that rents baby things. On a trip to FLA we rented everything - bouncy seat, crib, toys. 6. Buy a new toy for the flight. 7. Remember you can call your doctor for advice if needed. 8. Bring infant tylenol for teething. 9. Bring spare set of clothing for baby on plane. 10. Don't worry about other passengers. Hard to hear baby over white noise. My baby fell asleep for entire flight thanks to the motion and white noise. Have a great time!

Have fun..remember..if Leta screams on the airplane, take solice in the fact you've PAID for her right to SCREAM the entire way.

Short of that, feed her on takeoff and landing if possible, take lots of pictures to document her first flight and have fun.

good luck.

In keeping with the "good" parent theme, leave Leta at home and let Chuck babysit. Then you can party it up in San Francisco without having to worry about anything!

Babies are basic creatures, of course. When she's tired, she'll sleep (or scream). When she's hungry she'll eat (or scream). What's there to worry about?
I'm JUST KIDDING. Have as much fun as you can, and if she screams, think of how great her lungs will be when she's older. Maybe she'll be a singer, who knows? And finally, never, ever forget the oxygen masks in the ceiling. They're there for a reason.

Heather:

Thanks for the opportunity to tell you directly how much I enjoy your site.

My advice (from experiences with my niece:)

Anyone who is nasty to you about any crying (if Leta even cries - my sister's experience was that it was easier when my niece was under a year old) can and should be told that if they don't want any screaming babies on their flight that they should by a first class ticket next time. You have as much right to travel as they do. Plus if that does happen we might get a funny entry out of it...

2) I second (or third...) keeping your hands as free as possible on the plane. Check whatever you can, but have the essentials with you.

3) My sister's experience is that car rental companies charge too much (on a long trip) to justify renting a car seat. Plus, Leta's will be familiar to her.

4) I also second keeping Leta on schedule. THe worst bout of screaming my niece did while visiting was on a day when naps and feedings were off kilter. She was not happy and everyone in that ice cream parlor knew it.

If only I'd had scotch tape or a paper towel.

For some reason I was always eerily quite as a child...my mom would take me to her politcal meetings and I would never make a sound..hmmmmmm

Speaking for all of us who don't have children, burn the tickets. I have a friend who had a baby over a year and a half ago and they're yet to fly anywhere. He said they're not going to travel until their child is old enough to do it without making it a living hell. If only more people had this attitude.

Ok, so this isn't a comment for Dooce, but for Jenn, a commenter somewhere up there.

Skip the cheerios and pretzles because she's only 5 months?! My son was eating WHOLE slices of PIZZA at that age! I think that the wonderful and talented Miss Leta can handle a couple of pretzles. ;o)

If Leta watches TV, definitely the DVD thing. My insanely energetic nephew can be calmed with the DVD. It's only an hour and a half and really, the vast majority of the world understands a screaming child. Having travelled a LOT, the only thing that really freaks me out is when there are 10+ infants on board. very. scary.

#1 Relax.

#2 Remind Leta that you'll tell embarassing stories about her and this trip at some point in the future, so she better co-operate!

#3 Realize before you start that there's going to be at least one thing that you forgot, should have tried, or didn't do. And forgive yourself for it in advance - you'll know better next time!

#4 Have a great trip!

Definitely have water or milk with you, easily accessible, on the plane. The swallowing will help Leta's ears pop (yes, pop) and she won't cry if her ears are popping.

Likewise, Mom & Dad, take gum (or milk or water) to help your ears pop.

1. Befriend all airline personnel.
2. Beg them to let one of you board first to get your area set up before the other boards with Leta.
3. Whichever one of you has Leta should board at the last possible second.
4. Feed Leta during take off and landing.
5. Take a Neat Sheet (plastic sheet you can fold into diaper bag) with you, so that if you have to change Leta, you can put her on the floor without catching Lord Knows What Grows on the Floors of Airplane Bathrooms.
6. Make sure you do 2 shots before attempting steps 1-3.
7. Relax, and remember no matter how many hateful stares you may get, you'll never see these people again.

Keep a boob in her mouth the entire time you are up in the air. I'm not kidding. It will help her ears to pop, plus it's difficult to scream with a boobie in your mouth. I flew cross-country with my oldest when she was 6 weeks old, and in this manner managed to make the trip with a minimum of misery for myself and my fellow travelers, except guess what? She didn't poop for an entire week before the trip, and then in the space of the six-hour flight, pooped FIVE TIMES. I hope Leta spares you that.

It has never failed me to calm screaming babies with their own reflections. Whether it's your compact or the airplane bathroom mirror, little faces are mesmerizing.

I don't really have any advice on traveling with a baby. I just thought I should comment because everyone else in the world did. Sheesh, Dooce! You're famous.

Coming to SF, eh? Fab! Remember to bring a carseat for the taxi and earplugs for all of the other plane passengers....they do not, I repeat, do NOT think your baby is cute enough to listen to her scream during take-offs and landings. When you get here, go to the Ferry Building Fa