Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. If you're new here my name is Gemma and I've
been travelling with my son George since he was 12 weeks old. Since then we've visited
over 13 countries on 3 different continents and in todays video I'm going to share with
you my top tips for flying with a newborn to 6 months old. And I'm going to share my
big secret on how to make feeding your baby on a plane so easy. By the end of this video
you will feel more prepared, less anxious and ready to take that first flight with your
newborn. But before we get started don't forget to hit that subscribe button and click the
bell to be notified every time we post a new video. So lets get started! Tip number 1,
bassinet. A bassinet is a cot that is attached to the wall on the aircraft. And if you have
the option on your flight to reserve or request a bassinet, book it immediately! It can have
a really positive impact on your flying experience. So this tip is predominantly aimed at long
haul flights. for a short haul flight, no longer than three hours you won't really need
a bassinet. Another really important thing about getting a bassinet, you may actually
get yourself some extra leg room because they have to have enough length from the wall to
the seats to accommodate for the bassinet. You don't have to have a bassinet. We flew
from San Francisco to Manchester and that was a 10 hour flight without a bassinet and
we managed just fine. But it if is an option for you, definitely do it. Tip number 2, book
a direct flight. And if you can't try to give yourself a 24 hour stay over in a hotel near
to the airport. Flying with a baby, for the first time or any time can be really stressful
and at an airport you've got a lot to contend with. You don't want to be going through the
airport security, baggage, collection, nappy changed, feeding, twice in one day if you
don't have to. Tip number 3, schedule around nap time. We always fly in the morning with
George because it allows us to stick to his routine. Now if you've worked really hard
to establish a routine flying can be the one thing, or travelling with a baby that puts
you off because you don't think you can stick to your routine but if you opt for these morning
flights then you will really find it easier to follow the routine and it will help your
baby also. If you're baby becomes upset and you know your feed me signs, you know when
your baby is telling you they're tired, you'll be able to react to them and help them feel
safe, and help them feel secure in an environment that's foreign to them. We tried a night flight
once from Singapore and George didn't sleep, we didn't sleep and it was a 14 hour flight
and we won't be doing that again! Tip number 4, a good backpack. There's plenty of colourful
varieties on the market but try to be practical. Using a backpack for carry on means you have
freedom and two hands and remember sometimes when you are flying with budget airlines you'll
be expected to walk onto the tarmac carrying your baby and the last thing you want to contend
with is weather and a bag that continually falls down your shoulders. I personally use
a Cath Kidston backpack because it has handles on the top but there are lots of different
varieties available but for me, this has been a really handy tip and I swear by it and share
it with lots of other mums. Tip number 5,m pack smart. You only have so much room in
a carry on and the more stuff you cram in there the heavier it's going to be for you
to carry. So only take the essentials.Young babies and again this video is aimed for newborns
to 6 months old, don't need a lot of things and neither do you, because you've got a baby!
So just take what you need. A couple of bibs, a couple of muslin cloths, one or two toys,
which leads me on to my next tip. Tip number 6, spare clothes for you. Always carry with
you a spare t-shirt, trousers, and underwear in your carry on because you don't know when
you're going to get vommitted on, or worse, pooed on and you don't want to be sitting
on a long haul flight in wet smelly clothes. Another little tip for you as well, take a
ziploc bag within your carry on bag so if there are any accidents for you or for your
baby, you can wrap them up pop them in the ziploc and that will keep all the smell in
there and keep everything else in your backpack dry and clean until you're able to get yourself
to a washing machine. Eh that rhymed, did you notice? Boom. Tip number 7, gate check
baby gear. Did you know that you can take your pram and a car seat and check them in
for free? For both long haul and short haul flights for budget or premium, this is an
option for you. And in most cases you can use your pram from the very moment you arrive
at the airport, right up to your departure gate. Once you''re at the departure gate a
member of staff will ask for the pram, from you and in some cases it will be wrapped up
and taken from you and once you land you will either get it when you disembark from the
aircraft or you will have go and collect it with the rest of your luggage. Now there's
one downside to doing this and that can often be security. Your pram will have to be flat
packed and will have to go through security which can take time. And if you're travelling
in the school holidays then you will be one of many parents having to go through this
process. My advice here would be just count it in for having extra time when you have
to arrive at the airport. Sometimes this can take up to an hour, it's hot, it's sweaty
and there's a lot of noise going on. Many airports will have an express lane for families
which if you're flying during a quiet time is a wonderful thing to use and members of
staff will direct you with your pram so you can fast track everybody else. But again,
if you're travelling during school time you will be one of many other parents trying to
use this service. Look at going in a morning, look at morning flights because the airports
tends to be quieter and try to get there earlier than anticipated so then you can get all the
way through security, which can be quite stressful when you've got a baby and then you can get
on to the other side where you can take some time to relax and get your baby used to their
new environment. Tip number 8, pre-boarding. When you are booking your flights, if there
is an option to get priority boarding or pre-boarding definitely take it. More times than not when
staff members see you that you are there with a baby or small children they'll announce
and invite you to board the aircraft first but sometimes this doesn't always happen.
It's a small expense but it's 100% worth it and will just give you a little bit of rest
bite to get yourselves relaxed and comfortable before everybody else boards the plane.Tip
number 9, feeding on a plane. This is the big secret that no-one talks about pre-made
baby milk. I've successfully bottle feed George on over 10 flights and every time I've used
pre-made baby milk. Now different companies call it different names but it's essentially
the same thing. And it's in a sealed bottle and all you have to do is warm it up using
hot water. Now I know what you;re going to say, you can't take liquids that are more
than 100ml onboard the plane, but that doesn't count when you're travelling with a baby.
You can take any amount of liquid with you if it's pre-made baby milk. You can also take
breast milk with you, up to 2,000ml. And did you know, that you can take breast milk onto
a plane even if you're not travelling with a baby? This makes life so much easier because
the alternative is really quite difficult. You have to have a plastic container, you
have to have your milk formula, you have to have baby bottle, you have to have sterilised
water, they don't let water through security so it can become quite a nightmare. Pre-made
baby milk is a real game changer for flying with a baby and once you're on board the aircraft,
all you have to do is have a thermos flask, ask a member of staff to get you hot water
and members of staff are more than happy to help you when they see you are travelling
with a baby, and then pour in your pre-made baby milk into a baby bottle, I just bring
mine from home, the day of flying, I keep them in a ziploc bag to avoid any spills.
You pour your aptamil or whatever your brand is into your baby bottle, pop it into the
thermos flask with the water and a few minutes later you can feed your baby. It's mess free,
it's cheap and it's my favourite number one tip if you are bottle feeding with a baby.
Tip 10 feed during take off. From my experience the main reason babies cry on an airplane
is due to the air pressure hurting their ears and this tends to be for take off and for
landing and the simple way around this is to try to feed your baby. Now it may not be
feeding time and they may not be interested but a few ounces maybe better than none. And
what you're looking for is for the swallowing action which will help pop the ears. So if
they won't take any food try a dummy or a pacifier. Tip number 11 keep calm and carry
on. This is my final tip and there is so many tips but I've really tried to focus on ones
that will beneficial and aren't as obvious as pack some snacks! Flying with a baby can
be really daunting and an overwhelming experience but well done for doing it and I really hope
you have a good time. So what happens just keep calm and focus on yourself and focus
on your baby. If you're baby becomes upset on the aircraft cuddle them, rock them, just
do exactly what you would do at home and you will be able to get through it and I know
this is going to be a weird thing to say but try to enjoy it, it's a big experience for
both of you, it's a big milestone and once you get off that aircraft, no matter what
your experience will be you should be more confident in yourself and in your abilities
to travel with a baby. So there you have it my top tips for flying with a newborn to six
months old. Let me know in the comments where you're heading with your baby and if you like
this video remember to hit like and subscribe to our channel we have new videos every Wednesday
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