30h-flight with 10-month old baby - Any survivors? :) | ExpatWoman.com
 

30h-flight with 10-month old baby - Any survivors? :)

28
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 November 2011 - 11:59

We are invited to a wedding in Columbia in February, our son will be 10 month then and I am *slightly* reluctant to agree to the trip. We need around 30h one way and we only have a week vacation (let forget about the cost ...). I am torn since the couple getting married are really really close friends. They should understand but I know it is very very important for them and they (and the rest of our friends) are all excited about meeting the baby.

Any experience? Any recommendation? Any ideas?

2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 20 November 2011 - 16:55
There's no sugar coating it, it will be awful! Besides the flight your baby will have to adjust to the time zone change, which will take around a week, at which point it will be time to leave and adjust all over again. I personally wouldn't do it just for a week unless it was my very best friend/was in the bridal party etc.. is there ANY possibility you could go earlier and stay longer? Are you planning on also bringing the baby to the wedding, how will that work in the evening etc....?? I'm not saying don't do it, but there are very very few friends that I would put myself and my baby through all that for, trust me, meeting your baby is not THAT important to them but having YOU at there wedding may be, depending on the relationship you have. I am dreading going back to NZ for xmas, not just because of the 22 hours of traveling each way, but because of the way it absolutely stuffed my baby's sleeping up for months afterwards last time, but we have a 10 hour time difference to contend with, which is probably worse than you have.
1403
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 20 November 2011 - 15:26
We've traveled long haul with our babe a few times now, although our trips are not as bad as 30hrs. Our journeys are anywhere between 24-28hrs door to door. We did a heck of a lot of flying with DD (3 trips) around the 10-12month age and it was he11 as she wanted to walk ALL the time and would have a tantrum if she wasn't allowed to walk. All our flights were spent walking, walking, walking up and down the aisles of the plane. Then she would get extremely overtired and always found it hard to fall asleep and when she did fall asleep she would wake soon after due to noises etc. The long hauls are so tough on the babies and it really knocks them about. I personally would not put my baby through 30hrs of travel for only a week vacation, but thats just us. Your baby may travel extremely well, get enough sleep whilst flying and generally be OK with the long trip. I don't envy your decision. Its tough when its something so important. We have decided to cancel our Christmas trip back home due to the travel taking a real toll on DD, plus its too close to our last trip which was horrendous. I think only you will know how your baby would handle this based on how he has traveled previously... <em>edited by shellly on 20/11/2011</em>
77
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 November 2011 - 15:17
I would not worry to much and just do it. The baby might just be fine or might as well not:-). Nothing you can change. On the other hand you will have plenty o ftime to offer during the flight as you are not busy with anything else. Be prepared to walk the isles for hours in a row if nessessary. Ask for the front row with a baby cott and hope the baby sleeps a lot:-) One advise from experience: Make sure to dress him/her nice. That way everyone thinks how cute they are- at least at the beginning of the flight. The might come handy later on ...
48
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 November 2011 - 14:26
Hi, we only flew to the states when our LO was 8months. however than we drove from NYC down to like Baltimore in one trip and to be honest the trip was a drag. LO wouldn't sleep on the plane there, we had to walk the isles with her, I think I was more exhausted than LO was!!! It took us more than a week to be on normal sleeping schedule. This was for a wedding too but family wedding. 10month old would be a little more difficult if they are crawling? and only for 7 days, that's tough.I don't envy your decision...
 
 

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