I had been quite worried about taking Daniel—with all his sensory issues—on two planes and a layover by myself, but it actually turned out really well!
Going through security was a little nerve-wracking, mostly because I thought I was going to miss my plane, and then they asked me to wait in the special holding area to get patted down since I was wearing a skirt. The pat-down was very short and minimal (she only did the bottom half of me), and I didn't feel violated at all. (Of course, the Portland airport doesn't have the full-body scanners in place, so there's much less patting-down all around, I think.)
After that, I had to have my hands scanned for explosives. The security guard held up my (empty) stainless-steel water bottle as the reason I needed to be scanned. That part was only a little tricky because I was holding Daniel, but he let me take a second to put him back in the Ergo before swiping my hands to test them for...whatever.
I had no trouble with any of the other passengers even making comments about me breastfeeding him on the planes or in the airport. Everyone (appropriately) acted like there was nothing unusual occurring, so that was perfect. We had nice, polite seat-mates both time, and that was such a blessing. I only wish I had filled my water bottle before that first flight, because after not drinking enough on that flight, I felt dehydrated for the rest of the day. Oh well!
Changing diapers on the plane was a bit challenging...but that's a whole post in itself. When I get home next week, I'll write about my experiences traveling with cloth diapers.
Daniel slept well in the carrier off and on throughout the day. He had fun smiling at strangers and playing with the toys I brought with us. Toward the end of the second (longer) flight, he got bored with his toys, so I gave him the safety instruction card to play with. That got us through until he was tired enough to nurse and fall asleep again for landing.
In any case, we landed safely and only a little late. However, our bags did not make it with us, which was not surprising since I "late-checked" them. We decided to go ahead and leave and come back later for the bags, but then there were some issues with the car seat that came with the rental car. (Namely, the big issue was that the right shoulder strap came totally out of the seat while we were driving.) So, we ended up staying a long time and then not getting the bags until today anyway.
Daniel had a couple of meltdowns in the car after that very long day of traveling, and he crashed after crying at one point. I wish the travel hadn't affected him so negatively, but I really don't blame him for needing to decompress after the constant stimulation all day long.
We're doing much better today, after getting some sleep and getting our luggage back. I think by tomorrow, we'll be all back to normal, and ready to fully enjoy our time here. He's already starting to get used to the new people here, and I'm very happy that he's not having a lot of crying time so far. It's really nice to see everyone here, and I'm so glad all these people I love are getting to meet my sweet baby!
That is so weird that they made you take him out of the "snuggly". :) My sister said they made her do the same thing, but I was on six flights and two different airlines and they never made me do it once. Maybe it's just a Southwest thing? I'm guessing you flew SW since you didn't have a reserved seat? Anyways, United and Continental let me wear him the whole time, which I appreciated because it was much easier on our rough landings to have him snug against me, rather than just holding him.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're there with family now. Have a blast!
I've also had flight attendants make me take my babies out of the Ergo (on United). So screwy. I'm awaiting your post on traveling with cloth diapers. We've copped out with disposables during our last trip - hoping for some good tips. Have a great trip!
ReplyDelete@Rachel: Yes, I flew Southwest. It's so funny that you didn't have anyone ask you to take B out of your carrier--but I'm glad for you!
ReplyDelete@Kelly: I'm still wondering the rationale behind having the baby out of the carrier for take-off and landing is! I'm glad to hear they weren't just picking on me, though. Traveling with cloth post coming soon! =)
25 years ago they were all called Snuglis, like tissues are all called Kleenex - no competition there! I bet the person who wrote the flight attendants' manual is my generation!! So glad you're back home.
ReplyDeleteThe rationale, as I understand it, is that in an impact situation, your upper body will fly forward, and your baby will take the impact of your upper body (his body will act like an airbag). Then again, if he is in your arms in an impact situation, he'll probably fly out of them. Essentially a no-win situation.
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