Vegas, Baby
I love it when readers send me their questions about flying with baby. Erin’s son will be 6mos. when her sister gets married in Las Vegas…
My baby will be six months old when my little sister gets married in Las Vegas. I’d love to attend the wedding, but I’m a bit overwhelmed about our first trip with him. He’s bottle-fed and the flight for us will be roughly 11 hours. Can we do this?
This will not be the most relaxing trip of your life, but you will have wonderful memories of your sister’s wedding AND your first trip with baby!
Let’s start with surviving the flight. If buying a seat for him is an option, do it. 11 hours is a long time to have a baby on your lap – both for him and for you. If not, check with your airline to see if they offer bassinets for infants. Book the bulkhead in advance and they’ll (in an ideal world) have the bassinet ready for you as you board. If all else fails, ask the counter agent what the likelihood is of having the seat next to you free, and if it looks promising, don’t gate check your car seat. Bring it on board and use it and if not you can gate check it along with your stroller.
I have an extensive carry-on list to refer to, but essentially you should pack 1 diaper for every hour of your journey, at least 2 more feeds than you think you’ll need, a couple of changes of clothes (for you and for him), plus a big package of wipes. At six months, your son likely won’t be too mobile, and should be fairly easily distracted with a few toys. Try to stick to his usual routine, even on the plane. A great tip is to get him used to room temperature bottles and food – that way you don’t have the bother of heating his meals while you’re en route. For take-off and landing, try to have him sucking to help with his ears – a pacifier is a big help for this as most flight attendants will tell you to hold him in the “burping” position during this time, making feeding difficult.
At 6mos, you no longer need to sterilize bottles, but if you still do you can bring along a Travel Kettle
to pour boiling water on them after you’ve washed them in the sink. He won’t be eating much in the way of solids at this point, so a box of dry cereal plus a few jars of puree should be enough to hold him over. Don’t introduce new foods while on the road, so there’s no chance of a reaction. If you’re fussy about brands, bring all that you’ll need with you, unless you’re absolutely certain you can find what you need locally. You’re going to Vegas, so you won’t have concerns about the water being potable and you can pick up supplies if you need them. Check ahead with your hotel about cribs, and make sure your room has a fridge or that they’ll empty the mini-bar.
There’s not a ton to do with a baby in Las Vegas, but there are a few family-friendly attractions and outings in Las Vegas for kids, so if you find youself with a free afternoon you do have some options besides the casinos.
Have a great trip!
**Image courtesy Stock Xng**
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