MOTHERHOOD | TRAVEL
We Took Our Baby on a 10-Hour Flight, and Here’s What Happened
Not what I expected…
My husband and I planned a vacation with our one-year-old son. The thoughts going through my mind before the trip were anxiety-inducing.
I expected the worst of situations.
I imagined our infant screaming his head off for half of the flight.
I imagined the diaper changes in the tiny airplane bathrooms being a nightmare.
I imagined him tired, restless, and inconsolable.
I imagined angry people would stare at us with disdain.
Though we may never be vocal towards parents with loud kids, most can agree that a quiet, child-free flight is preferable.
So, as you can imagine, the first time you plan a long trip with a child or two can feel overwhelming.
Because you know the stigma of being on an airplane with children, to be the one with the children is intimidating.
Were any of my worries warranted?
Nope.
I think I expected the worst case scenarios due to thinking that all babies hate flying and will show their discomfort.
But apparently, this is not always the case, as we soon learned.
So what was it really like?
It was fine, except that I developed an awful case of chapped lips.
And yes, we were exhausted, mostly because we didn’t sleep much the night before.
But the kid?
He was a happy little flyer.
The things I was most concerned about didn’t happen.
He didn’t have long periods of crying or screaming. He napped in our arms with no problem.
Even the diaper changes weren’t half bad. He didn’t shriek, and there was no place for him to crawl away. The small space actually proved beneficial.
The only time he was “screaming” was during our last layover. I think he was simply hungry and calmed down after a bottle.
To conclude…
If you’re planning a trip with a child, know that it may go better than you expect. Plan for the worst, but hope for the best.
The biggest problem I faced when traveling was the fact that I forgot to grab chapstick. My lips were insanely red and painful by the time the longest flight was over.
By the end of the trip, I resembled a clown with awful lipstick. No joke.
If there was one thing I would do again, it is to not focus too much on what may go wrong with flying with a baby and instead focus on not neglecting my needs.
I would pack my chapstick.
