Thread: Baby Tech Talk

Originally Posted by commonlaw

Thought about starting a new thread but I figured tech talk needed to retain a modicum of respect.

Anyone have tips on travelling with an infant? Mine will be nearly 10 months when I take her back to Hawaii for a business/vacation trip. The trip just materialized so I am just now thinking about all the stuff I need to do to prepare.

Flight suggestions (I REALLY don't want to be the guy with THAT kid.)?
Travel on the Island. Do rental companies have car seats?
Items that a newbie might normally forget to bring?

I know people do this all the time but it is kinda daunting.

Do you know how to breast feed, if the baby mommas not there maybe ask around on the flight for a wet nurse? If not tequila for you. Fuck if I know about the baby.

You have to bring your own car seat I would think. It's the only way to keep junior strapped down while you get felt up by TSA but I think you can sneak booze/drugs past them using baby food containers that are bigger than 3 ounces so that's good but it results in getting your junk touched by a stranger which I have no problem with.

We haven't flown with ours in a while but she's now 10 months and our problem is she's super active. I don't know about the lap thing but we've got a flight coming up in August so I guess we'll see then.

Originally Posted by FormerKnuckleDragger

Good luck to the both of you. Let me know if you figure out the secret to keeping one from waking up the other and/or how to conduct a dual feeding solo mission at 2 in the morning. Twins are expected here sometime in late December. Equally stoked and scared sounds about right.

I have a 6 yo and 2 (twins) 26 month olds.

fer all you soon to be twins parents, expect and plan for them to come early with a likely stay in a NICU. if you make it past the point in pregnancy where a nicu stay is not necessary, you are stoked. nicu's are kinda a bummer place. most hospitals have social workers assigned to the nicu's. these people are your friends and are there for you. the doctors and nurses are primarily there for the babies.

i'm not sure if all y'all soon-to-be twins parents already have kids. if you do, then you are already familiar of some of what will happen next, ranging from poop to funny newborn sleeping sounds.

in terms of waking each other up, they do this, but not always. for me, this is part of the cards you're dealt. currently, they sleep in the same bed and will sometimes wake each other by accident by rolling on each other. One wakes easier from sounds than the other. they'll also wake each other up on purpose to play when one wakes up before the other. that's kinda a drag because typically the one that is woken up is not ready to be awake and is sad.

regarding duel feeding, boobs work pretty well if the mom can breastfeed. duel nursing takes a while as everybody is learning. as newborns, we often did a one at a time thing, but both would get fed in the same wakeful stretch for the parents, allowing some rest for the parents between feedings. the duel bottle thing is challenging, but not impossible. for me, it often required use of hands and feet.

for me, having twins (3 kids, actually), takes a good amount of patience and the ability to be flexibility with plans and life. i still haven't figured out how to get all 5 of us to the ski hill in a manner that is fun for everybody and will not break the bank.

regarding flying with a singleton, i'd recommend being ready to "be that guy with the baby". might as well put the expectations low (and possibly reasonable). i'd recommend trying to time a nap with the flight. nursing, if the kiddo nurses, can help with anxiety, pressure changes, etc. take lots of new and fun activities for the plane ride and be ready for some good toddling times down the aisle. naptime will likely be your only good opportunity to relax while on the plane. jonathan s. had a thread on here a while back about safety belts on planes. it's probably just me, but i'd take my own car seat for the rental. in HI, we bought toys and fun stuff at a second hand store for some of our time there and for the flight home.

cheers

eta, having twins is pretty amazing. their social development is very different than for a singleton. with three relatively young kids, two of which are toddler twins, it continues to be an amazing, enriching, and challenging experience.

Originally Posted by commonlaw

Anyone have tips on travelling with an infant? Mine will be nearly 10 months when I take her back to Hawaii for a business/vacation trip. The trip just materialized so I am just now thinking about all the stuff I need to do to prepare.

Flight suggestions (I REALLY don't want to be the guy with THAT kid.)?
Travel on the Island. Do rental companies have car seats?
Items that a newbie might normally forget to bring?

I know people do this all the time but it is kinda daunting.

You ARE the guy with THAT kid. Get used to it. Actually, forget it. As a kind stranger/mom told me our first time at the airport: "Nobody cares if your kid starts crying, btw. You really don't need to worry about it." Not entirely true, of course, but it is good advice to not sweat it so much. The only people who care are a few 20-somethings without kids and the people in your immediate vicinity if your kid starts wailing, which he/she will. People are generally kind regarding kids traveling.

How long is the flight? Japan to Hawaii was 9 hours and my daughter slept the whole way. Get a night flight! Problem solved.

Create couch games now so you don't have to teach them on the plane. Literally practice sitting in the same place via card matching, crayons, whatever you use and can carry in her pack.

Our car rental company (hertz?) had child car seats. No worries. A few bucks extra. You're not the first one to rent a car with a kid.

We got my daughter a used iPod with Toy Story on it as well as some touch/matching toddler games to pull out in emergencies (which will exist). Just beware she may find it addicting and taking it away may be hard. Not to mention you'll have to monitor it as she'll close the app or whatever, then the battery will die. I'll definitely use it again. As the steward said: Well, you have to give her something and you're not going to drug her, are you?

A 10-month old won't know how to pop her own ears. Get something to drink/swallow for takeoff/landing. Landing was miserable for me. Forcing her in my lap with a seatbelt, her wailing, clawing, throwing a tantrum. Just enter battle mode and train for alaska. There's no easy way around it. maybe hand out ear plugs to your neighbors. My daughter had a death-defying scream.

Thanks for the advice so far guys. And shit, apparently I have no chance and I just need to start accepting my fate. I actually think I will bring ear plugs and smuggled booze as a peace offering for my neighbors. The kid is generally good, but one place for that long is going to be nuts, especially with the ear popping issue. Am I a bad father if she comes down with "allergies" the morning of and needs benadryl?

often, the wailing of a baby will cause their ears to pop at take off and landing.

Originally Posted by commonlaw

Thought about starting a new thread but I figured tech talk needed to retain a modicum of respect.

Anyone have tips on travelling with an infant? Mine will be nearly 10 months when I take her back to Hawaii for a business/vacation trip. The trip just materialized so I am just now thinking about all the stuff I need to do to prepare.

Flight suggestions (I REALLY don't want to be the guy with THAT kid.)?
Travel on the Island. Do rental companies have car seats?
Items that a newbie might normally forget to bring?

I know people do this all the time but it is kinda daunting.

Did the hawaii trip last may with a 15 month old. Some tips:

BRING YOUR CARSEAT.
1. Airlines require a carseat if the kid is going to sit by themselves, and your kid will be more comfortable in it because its THEIRS. (also true on the island)
1a. Airlines allow free gate check for carseats and stollers
1b. Airlines typically allow kids under 2 to ride on parents laps for free
1c. Airline flight attendants dislike screaming kids
1d. If there are empty seats on the plane, mention the fact that you brought a carseat and if they could reseat some people so you and your child and be more comfortable on the flight
1e. The greatest odds of this succeeding at scoring a extra seat are in the back of the plane. Depending on the plane type, pick the center row in the back of the plane and leave a middle seat empty. It will be the last one booked.

2. Bring food. If your 10 month old is eating or drinking anything besides mom's milk, bring it, and a lot of it. Layovers and delays don't mean shit to kids, and they can't cope.

3. Umbrella stroller + good backpack >>>>>> big stroller. 1000 times more useful, versatile, and easier to pack into rental cars/taxi's

4. Get your kid used to riding and sleeping in a pack. Wear said pack on the plane if the carseat gamble doesn't work out. You'll also like the pack if you're going on any hikes.

5. New toys and books, stuff they haven't seen before. A couple for the trip out, a couple for the trip back. Hold out on bringing them out for as long as possible, because their max attention span on anything is 15 minutes max.

6. Prior to boarding, let the kid run wild in the waiting area (crawl, walk, whatever as much as possible). Tire the kid out.

7. Pacifier. Mrs. DJSapp was mostly opposed to it in general at 15 months, but a couple hours on an airplane isn't going to cause any harm. Fucking do it, save for emergencies.

8. Kids don't sweat at that age. Keep that in mind, as hawaii is hot. Wet rags are a good thing.

9. Pop up tent/bed instead of a portacrib. They pack down to almost nothing. We got this one, and made it her own personal thing in advance of the trip (i.e. not something new and scary to sleep in). http://www.kidco.com/products-page/peapod/

10. Smartphone or tablet with fingerpainting and other kids apps.

11. If the kid is walking, walk up and down the aisle. Hell, do that even if they're not.

You're going to be that guy with a kid not matter what. If the two of you are working to the best of your ability to keep the kid happy, it will show.

Originally Posted by commonlaw

smuggled booze as a peace offering for my neighbors.

No baby advice, but on long/red eye flights I'll always fill up as many of the little travel shampoo bottles (you can buy empty ones at most grocery stores) as you can fit in the standard size bag with rum/vodka/whatever for the flight. If you make sure they are the right size and pack them among other normal toiletries I've never had any of them checked. You can get 8-10 oz of booze each onto the plane, which should be enough. YMMV of course.

DJSapp has almost everything I was getting ready to type in his reply.

We flew to Kaui with my son when he was 10 months old.
Breastfeeding was key on takeoff and landing.The constant swallowing keeps their ears clear.
Gate check your carseat. DON'T trust the rental company to have anything I would dare put a child in (of course, you'll be driving at 20mph the whole time you are there, so how bad could a crash be?)
Don't bother with a stroller. Just use a good hiking backpack. We draped a mosquito net over our since my son is somewhat sensitive to bug bites.
Benadryl also helps. Just a little

Try not to stress out too much if a crying/fussy fit starts during the flight. You'll stress out about it more than any of the other passengers. If they don't have earphones with music/ipod/ipad/phone/tablet, then they are stupid and deserve to listen to the ear-splitting cries of your little angel.

Also on carseats:

If yours is a rear facing removable with a base, take the base and use it if you get the bonus seat on the plane.

Reason: in the unlikely event of a plane bailout, you remove the carseat and GTFO quick instead of unbuckling and fiddling with that crap in a panic, AND then dealing with an infant on the slide.

Mrs. DJSapp and baby got to ride the slide on the JetBlue flight that blew it's wheels out a couple years back. Terrifying experience for her, as the plane had a hard landing, blew up a set of tires and they were burning when they stopped. She was incredibly grateful for the carseat aiding the quick up & out.

DJ,
thanks for the thoughtful response. Lots of stuff in there that I will use. Hell, may print it out.

Then again...wife and I were talking and she may just stay home with the kid. We figured we may be at each other's throats due to the added responsibilities, so I may just jet in for business, drink a bunch of Steinlager with the family and get home. Why are they always drinking Steinlager? No fucking clue.

we flew with our 11 month old to south america. 16 hour day and he didn't complain a bit. mostly slept on the plane, but he rarely complains about anything. one thing you should be prepared for is changing a nasty diaper in a shitty little airplane bathroom. it can be a challenge.

We flew our 2 month old to Mainland Mex for a surf trip (not a pissing contest) and were surprised at how easy the whole deal was. Engine noise would appear to be baby ambien.

CL, breastfeeding may work for some people, but here's what worked for us and our 10 mo old: puffs. If your kid likes puffs (we get some organic hippy baby kind), they work great. We just fed her a slow and steady stream as soon as we started to descend. Worked like a charm, no ear pain. Also, we gave chocolate to all of our seat neighbors. And had an array of toys.

And prayer.

Hmmm, maybe we should reconsider. The plane is really a crapshoot with my girl. She is generally a great girl but super strong-headed and if she decides to be a dick, that's about it. She loooves those hippy puff things though, so I could keep a steady supply. Good to know its doable.

My 5 year old has been on well over 50 flights, the 3 year old has been on at least half that many, and my 13 month old already has his own passport so I have a few tips.

First and foremost, you have to remember that this is public transportation. If folks want to have the place to themselves then they need to charter their own aircraft. But to mitigate the risk of having folks look askance at you there are a few things you can do. You already know that kids have short attention spans. So you will want to pack a bag with a little bit of everything that the kids likes and slowly dispense those things at opportune times during the flight. Different toys, snacks, treats, games, lovies, etc... Next is to bring the baby ibuprofen and dose the little bugger up as soon as you get to your seat so that the meds have time to work before take off. You can help with altitude issues at landing by bringing a sippy with a pretty slow valve and then fill it with some sort of sugary juice that the kid will drink even if she's not thirsty. The sucking will help with her ears. Just be sure not to break it out until the initial descent begins. Finally, a well fed baby has a lot better chance of being a happy baby than a hungry one does so be sure to pack a variety of filling foods that you know your kid has eaten well for you in the past. Bring more stuff than you will use. That way you have a nice arsenal of things to try to keep her happy.

Originally Posted by commonlaw

DJ,
thanks for the thoughtful response. Lots of stuff in there that I will use. Hell, may print it out.

Then again...wife and I were talking and she may just stay home with the kid. We figured we may be at each other's throats due to the added responsibilities

You're going to have to learn how to take a vacation with the family someday. If you have the added bonus of family already there, that's the best you can hope for (i.e. here ya go auntie/uncle/grandma, put the kid to bed while we go out to dinner and pound neon colored fruity drinks until we pass out on the beach).

That and Steinlager? Fuck that shit. My last trip to Kauai I got fucking hooked on this magic in a bottle:



Buy a case, but I'll only charge one bottle for the advice.

edit: works well for teething too.

Originally Posted by commonlaw

Thought about starting a new thread but I figured tech talk needed to retain a modicum of respect.

Anyone have tips on travelling with an infant? Mine will be nearly 10 months when I take her back to Hawaii for a business/vacation trip. The trip just materialized so I am just now thinking about all the stuff I need to do to prepare.

Flight suggestions (I REALLY don't want to be the guy with THAT kid.)?
Travel on the Island. Do rental companies have car seats?
Items that a newbie might normally forget to bring?

I know people do this all the time but it is kinda daunting.

i am curious as well since we are heading out to CA in November with our little man who will be 13 months.

i personally would not count on the rental car to have a car seat, I would rather have my own. I know they have little rolley carts for convertable seats which i hear are awesome

There's a nappy,or diaper for los americanos,bin put out by a company called tommy tippee called sangenic that is fantastic.Once they're in,zero stench.
Refills are a bit dear but less funk is worth paying for!
Oh and congrats op your life is about to lurch off in a completely unexpected direction.

Fevers.

She is sitting at 103 currently, feels hot as hell but is still moderately interested in tit and is only moderately more lethargic than normal. Gave her some tylenol about an hour ago and she is sleeping now. Going to check on her in another hour unless she stirs before then.

I know there are no hard and fast rules, as the internet has proven, while I feverishly (ha) search for guidance. She's my first and she's never been sick and now I know what it feels like to be pretty damn helpless.

Anyone have a good rule of thumb for fevers or home remedies? Have her in a well-circulated room, not too many clothes, dosed up for the first time in her life and just standing by. Due to the relatively late hour, I may not get responses but even delayed input would be appreciated for inevitably similar situations and to add to the body of good info in here.

call your pediatrician's or family-practice's office. they probably have somebody on-call. you'll either speak to a receptionist at a call center or will go through an automated pager system. you're going to need to tell them which manner you're taking temperature. the behavioral information is important, too.

i'm signing off now for sleep, good luck.

Thanks bodywhomper. Gonna call now. She is at 104 now.

so what's the news?

too late for you now, but our drs. (through kaiser fucking permanente) told us to call the advice nurse if our guy got to 101. one thing they said NOT to do is to try to cool off a feverish baby with cool damp rags or anything like that on the skin. they said it's a lot easier for a baby to manage the heat of a fever than it is to reheat once they start losing body temperature, in part due to the high ratio of surface area to mass.

i have to say that pediatrics through kaiser has been a lot better than the care i get through them.

good luck.

Originally Posted by spook

so what's the news?

too late for you now, but our drs. (through kaiser fucking permanente) told us to call the advice nurse if our guy got to 101. one thing they said NOT to do is to try to cool off a feverish baby with cool damp rags or anything like that on the skin. they said it's a lot easier for a baby to manage the heat of a fever than it is to reheat once they start losing body temperature, in part due to the high ratio of surface area to mass.

i have to say that pediatrics through kaiser has been a lot better than the care i get through them.

good luck.

Thanks for the advice. Our nurse told us something similar. They were very helpful but unless the kid's eyes are rolling back in their head or they are above 104, they admit you are in the "feel it out" land. Ultimately, it came down to external behavior for us. She was still really responsive and eating, albeit it very hot. So, we just kept giving her tylenol and motrin, interspersed periodically and havent slept for a day. She is down to 101 now and seems happy, so we are just going to keep doing the same.

What really freaks you out is that you cant be sure with these thermometers. I tested it on myself afetr getting a reading of 103 for her last night. My temperature said 95.4, which means I should be close to going to the hospital too (which didnt seem too weird since I felt like such shit due to a bug). So, either I was at a decent range and she was at near 105-7, or she was merely high and I was frigid.

I watched the entire first season of ALF last night.

my wife and i have very little confidence in the 4+ thermometers that we have at home, especially when using them on our younger kids.

is it one of those IR ones where you point at them?

those things need to be aimed at the temporal arteries as different locations give different temps
the butts the best way