moneypenny20

It's fine that you knew the effects on your child. However those drugs can have the totally opposite effect on children - I know, I have two who would start climbing the walls and be hysterical. If you don't know how it will affect your child, an 24 hour journey in a tin can is NOT the time to find out

Very few children are hard work on a flight, it's parental stress that communicates itself to the child that causes the child to be 'difficult'. You (general) stay chilled, the child is more likely to. It's amazing how children pick up on the subconscious worryings of a parent. Shame they don't pick up on the vibes that they are reaching the cut off point of bad behaviour at other times

wargod

What we did with our children on the flight was to buy and wrap up about 20 presents each, toy cars, little cheapy games, colouring in books and the like - basically every hour on the hour we would let them dip their hands into the 'treasure chest' and they would play with that for a few minutes.

Its not much of a distraction but it did help!

GracieK

We flew out in December with a 5 month old. We were quite worried about it all and panicking about how to get all her stuff into the hand luggage, what baggage etc then how to get her over jetlag and changes in temperature.

Pre-flight
-Book a bassinet, then you won't get dead arms (make sure you double check you've definitely got the bassinet booked - we did, but the family next to us at check in didn't and they had to carry their baby the whole flight as all the other bassinets spots were taken already)
-Check how much baby stuff can travel free of the baggage allowance (we got her travel system/buggy and large travel cot as well as the 10kg and also her very full Boots changing bag came as handluggage free)
-Order baby meals with the airline (if your baby is weaning/weaned by then)
-Be prepared to become a mechanical engineer!!! We kept our buggy till we were at the gate. When we went through the X ray machine we had to collapse the buggy down to get through the machine (it didn't fit so we had to take various parts/wheels off - it was one of those 3 wheeler all terrain suspension jobbies) and then on the other side they insisted on taking off any further parts that could come off and using the sniffer wand thing over all the tubular bits. Then you've got to put it all back together whilst holding the baby and ensuring noone walks off with your family's luggage and meanwhile everyone else's luggage is piling up on top!!

Flight
-Don't bring premade up formula - they'll make you open it up at xray and then it's useless as it's not sterile anymore.
-I found bringing a few ready sterilised bottles and the formula powder great (just ask the stewardess for the warm/cooled boiled water, but do it 10 mins before u need it as it may need to cool down in the ice bucket)
-Singapore Airlines were very attentive and bring you a bag of goodies (had nappies, wipes, soft toy, and a bib in), serve your food at different times if there are two of you travelling (so one can eat while the other looks after littl'un)
-We fed Evie on take off and landing and she had no problems with the air pressure changes
-Our baby didn't actually sleep much on the plane (too nosey) and she spent most of it either sat in the bassinet trying to watch the TV monitors or looking at various people or stewardesses near by. When she did get grumpy we just wrapped her in the blanket and walked her around the plane.
-It gets cold on the plane. We put her into her sleepsuit and brought her pram blanket onboard.
-It always seems to get turbulent when you go over Indonesia, go to the toilet before as you might end up having to be seatbelted with the baby applying extra pressure to your bladder (when seat belt signs are on baby has to be taken out of bassinet)!!!!!
-If they're teething then you may find bringing bonjela and calpol (conveniently it also comes in a bottle small enough) may be useful. We also picked up some gripe water at the Boots in the airport just in case.

Settling in
-Think best to just let them get on with settling themselves into their routine when you get here. It took Evie about a week to get used to day being night. Bringing baby out more in the daylight (not mid day heat or direct sun of course) helped to get her adjusted.
-Baby clothes. I'm finding the basic everyday baby clothes a bit pants. Bring some with you (things like the cheap Bonds vests and body suits just seem to look shabby after one or two washes and some of the stitching is terrible, whereas even my cheapo Tescos baby things and handmedowns from the UK are still fine)
-Find the local Early Childhood Health centre when you get settled. They're kind of like a weighing clinic/midwife drop in thing. I found them invaluable in getting me up to speed with what I needed to be doing with Evie recommending local GPs and what local services and playgroups were available. Send the BHC an email when you get here and tell them your a new migrant to get a Blue Book sent to you for free (it's like the red book equivalent).

Turns out after all my stressing and trying to plan for this that and the other, we blundered through and everything just turned out fine.

suzyambrose

When we went to Perth last year I started with anxiety on the plane because I was worrying about how our son was going to be but he was fine (he was 7 months old at the time) BUT when we got there I remember the first few days or so he wasn't going to sleep until about 4am and his body clock took two weeks to change to Perth time so he was very cranky and always whinging which made life alot more difficult for us and to be honest I was contemplating going home because it was really getting me down. Our four year old daughter's body clock however changed instantly like ours, I think it's easier when they understand that they have to go to bed although the jet lag made her more emotional than usual.

I know they say that kids just adapt and that it's easier for them than adults but with my son that's just not true. Even when we went to Spain he was whinging for the first four days when were there. Maybe he just doesn't like change. For when we go to Melbourne in October I've booked flights that arrive first thing in the morning with the hope of trying to keep him awake as opposed to the flight that arrived at night when we went to Perth. He'll be two when we go this time so I'm not expecting it to be as easy a flight as last time.

I hope this helps!

livinginreality

Sorry can't help with the flight enquiries but yes I do agree its very very helpful to find out what the airline provides for you.I had both my kids in Oz,and can advise you to be vigilant with applying high (30+)sunblock at all times whilst out.Babies skin will burn extremely easily so please be very careful.My kids as babies just slept in a nappy in summer with a cotton sheet covering them.You also need to be aware that your child will be needing more water to drink and fluids in general than if you were in the UK.

SNH

I think people make far too much of the journey to Australia.

Those people - like me - who started out in Australia have had no choice but to make the long trip to and from Europe many, many times. Australians think nothing of it - it's just something you have to do.

However I've had so many conversations with people in Britain who are stressed out about the flight to Australia. I think people over there have built it up into some torturous nightmare, and it really isn't. (Usually!)

I think a baby is much easier to travel with than an older child.


(Just make sure you follow the seatbelt rules (not that you wouldn't!). I was recently on a few flights in India where all the mothers isisted on removing the babies' seatbelts every time the air hostesses walked away.)