This time i wanna share my experience traveling with by air with Afif. To date, dia dah naik kapal terbang sebanyak tiga kali. Untung lah. Mama dulu umur 4 tahun baru merasa.
Anyway, we traveled the first time when he was 5 months old, second time when he's 7 months old and the latest one was last week, when he's 8 months old. So in total, ada 6 kali lah. But all are short distance flights; 1 hour 45 minutes KL-Kuching and 1 hour KL-Langkawi. Belom lagi anak aku ke luar negara. Mungkin lagi 2-3 bulan? Hewhewhew..
So based on these 3 trips, these are the tips i can share with moms out there:
1. Do Not Travel During His/Her Bedtime
Afif is the kind of baby who nurses to sleep. Kami baring atas katil, dia menetek lalu tertido. It's hard to do this on a plane. i was lucky on 2 occasions when we travelled at night time. He fell asleep nursing in my arms, no fuss at all. But on our recent flight, we were not lucky. He's sleepy and cranky and refused to nurse. He just wanted to sleep lying down. Husband and i tried everything to soothe him. In the end he fell asleep with me rocking him, mostly sebab penat merengek. Kesian. Tapi ko macam cuak dan malu sorang-sorang sebab risau anak ko mengganggu passenger lain. So lesson learnt: kami sebolehnya avoid night flights. Tapi jika anak anda boleh tido senang takde nak cranky, boleh je travel bila-bila.
2. If Possible, Sit Next to An Empty Seat
On our first trip when Afif was 5 months, he liked being held. So no problem keeping him still. Tapi sekarang dia dah lasak. Sebolehnya nak baring/duduk sendiri. That's when having an empty seat on your row comes in handy. Kami hamparkan dia kat seat kosong, happy lah dia. More room to play. Lagi satu, related jugak dengan the first tips above. Afif nak baring sambil nenen. Kalo satu row ada 3 seats tu ko yang punya, you can easily lie down and nurse your child, with your head on hubby's lap. Tapi trip yang baru ni, ada lg sorang minah ni dok sebelah somi aku. Afif dah melalak sebab tak selesa/sempit pon dia buat bongong je tanak pindah seat kosong kat depan. Pastu buat muka sebab anak aku nanges. Eh ehhhh.. Apa lah salahnya ko mengalah dan pindah seat. Hidop ko senang tak dengar budak melalak, hidop kami pon senang boleh diamkan anak.
Luas dan lapang. Happy bergolek.
(Kuching-KL. 2.6.13)
3. Bring Enough Milk/Fluid for the Little One
You know how your ears seem to be blocked during takeoff and landing.. That is caused by pressure difference. As we go higher, pressure gets lower, and when we land, pressure increase. Sakit wooo kepala dan telinga, especially kalau tengah selsema. But we adults can bear that. Pandai telan air liur, pandai hembus hidung. Babies can't. Drinking milk or water or juice helps to lessen pain/discomfort due to the pressure difference. In my experience, Afif tak pernah meragam during take off and landing. Mostly becuase i shove the bottle/boobs in his mouth or he's already asleep.
He fell asleep just before boarding. Phew.
(Kuching-KL. 2.6.13)
4. Bring the Stroller. Seriously.
i know most websites suggest travel light or wear your baby but i find using the stroller is more convenient. Imagine going through check in, rushing to departure hall, kalau naik Airasia kene jalan lagi 5 kilometer nak naik kapal terbang.. Sakit badan kalo takde stroller. Dah la nak bawak bag lagi. So use the stroller. You can leave it at the airplane door and the crew will store it for you. Upon landing, the stroller will be waiting for you at the door (or sometimes at the baggage belt). Paling bagus umbrella-style stroller (we love our Maclaren Quest 2012). Compact and lightweight. Pernah nampak satu couple ni struggle nak pasang Quinny stroller sebab frame lain, tempat duduk lain. Takleh bayang mereka yang pakai Stokke yang gabak.
5. Toys Please!
Sitting at a confined place is pretty boring. Especially to infants who can't even appreciate the fact that we're flying into the sky. Bring one or two toys to entertain him/her. We always bring Mr. Froggy and Mirror Book, Afif's two favorite stuff. Tapi jangan la awal-awal dah tunjuk. Mula-mula main-main ngan dia. bagi dia tengok keliling. Lama-lama dah bosan baru kuarkan mainan.
Membaca dengan daddy. Masa ni dia demam. Nasib baik tak meragam.
(KL-Langkawi. 16.6.13)
"What? Only 15% discount.. Not worth it!" Afif said. Hewhewhew.
(Langkawi-KL. 19.6.13)
Cranky at the last 15 minutes of the flight sebab dah kol 9.15pm. Bedtime!
6. Timing is Key
Do not arrive at the airport too early nor too late. You don't wanna be wandering around the airport and bore the baby. Tu belom masuk flight lagi. If you get there too late, leceh jugak nak berlari rushing sana sini. Paling best adalah web check-in. Sampai 1 hour before flight, drop baggage, terus masuk departure hall and board.
7. Do Not Overpack
Depending on the duration of the flight, do not overpack your on-board bag. Aku tak pernah lagi bawak diaper bag. Segala barang mak dan anak aku sumbat dalam Longchamp gabak aku. For 1-3 hour flight i suggest you bring only one diaper, mini pack wet wipes, travel-sized changing pad, a pair of spare baby clothes and a blanket. Chances are you're not gonna change the diaper if he/she doesn't poop. Setakat ni tak pernah Afif tukar pampers dalam kapal terbang. Tapi kalo flight 3-12 jam memang kene lah bawak extra diapers. Kang berkudis lak bontot anak.
8. Do Not Travel Alone with An Infant
i have never travelled alone by air with Afif before and i'm never gonna do that. When/ If your baby is cranky at a public place like that, you tend to panic. Having your husband there to help calm or entertain the baby or even just pass you things are a big help. Mana nak cukup tangan nak tengok budak, bawak bag dan juga bawa stroller.
So these are the things that i can share based on my experience. Mungkin tak applicable untuk baby setahun ke atas yang lagi lasak. Juga mungkin tak applicable untuk yang dah beranak 2-3 orang.
Teringin nak travel jejauh tapi bila memikirkan camne la Afif nanti dok dalam flight 6-8 jam boring cranky tak dapat golek-golek terus la rasa "takpe la takyah gi memana.. tunggu dia besar.."
Baby why the duck face?