While air travel for a newborn baby should be avoided if at all possible, circumstances are often created wherein you need to travel by air with your newborn.
There can be several things that may make a baby uncomfortable about air travel, the unfamiliar place, the fact that hundreds of strangers are milling about, and the physical discomforts of being in a pressurized cabin. These tips may help ease the discomfort for baby:
Use a baby sling or kangaroo pack: Baby may feel most comfortable by having their mother or a caregiver hold them close to their chest.
The warmth and steady heartbeat could reassure the child and it will leave your hands free to check yourself in and through security checks and to carry your cabin baggage.
Carry a favorite toy: A favorite rattle, teether or baby book, even a pacifier may be comforting for the little one and may help to distract when feeling uncomfortable.
Breast feed if possible: If you have the privacy available, make use of it to breast feed your infant. This will not only comfort him or her because it is a familiar and pleasurable activity, it will also keep them swallowing so that their ears will be relieved if blocked.
