Flying in a week - new here

[jzinky]

Hi all,

I am new here. I am flying home in a week. Flying for the first time with my 14 month old son. I was feeling really confident about flying this time around, even though I am phonic about it. That is, was feeling ok til today. I kinda had a panic attack wondering if we should have bought the baby his own seat. We didn't. I bought something called a Baby B'Air that straps the baby to my lap and my seat belt. It looks great, and I feel confident in it. Oh I dunno. I guess I am relapsing a bit. I thought I was doing well and then it all reared up this morning. Sigh.

Reading this board has helped me a bit and I wanted to say thanks.

Scared, jzinky

[MadScientist]

First off, :welcome

As for your feelings of guilt about not having a seat for your baby, I can tell you that you've already done more than 99% of the mothers with babies I've seen on flights. Most just hold them in their laps if they can. A child that young couldn't be expected to remain strapped down in a chair during flight. I think you're doing the right thing and you'll also be able to distract yourself from your fear by focussing more on the child.

Have a good flight!

[WillFlyToDisney2]

Your baby's flight vest is FAA approved so rest assured that you are doing a very smart thing by purchasing that product.

I agree with Ken, try to focus on the baby to distract yourself from the fears. Go meet the pilots before takeoff - it makes me feel better to meet the "drivers"!

:)
Kelley

[Passenger Mark]

Howdy!

And welcome aboard! :welcome Great to have you here!

I agree with Ken, You have done far more than most parents I know, or have seen on planes. That is to be admired!

As for having (renewed) anxiety... That is fairly common among us Fearful Flyers. Especially if it has been a while since our last flight.

My experience is that you will do fine, once you are on your way. The pre-flight anxiety is the worse!

Main thing is that you have come in, and seeking help. Keep asking away!

Mark

[Jeff California]

Hello and welcome!

If you post your tracking info on the tracking part of the forums, I can track your flight and when you get home, you can see all the details.

Baby B-air? Sounds like a great device! Not only do you save the money of an extra seat, you also get to give the baby bonding comfort during the whole flight; safely.

You will be home and fine before you know it;)

Again, welcome to a great group of friends. Happy to have you here.

Jeff

[beaugest]

Let me also add my welcome.:wave
I'm usually more nervous flying with my kids than by myself. It's that intense sense of responsibility for someone we love so much. Amazing how those little ones change everything.
It sounds like you are being quite thoughtful about it all. As other folks have said it might help to have some distractions for both you and your child. (Keeping my kids sitting was always a major distraction in itself for me).
If you have specific concerns you may want to post them on the "Captain Ray" part. It is so helpful to have the concerns about planes addressed by Ray and the other pilots on this board. I'm glad you found your way here and posted.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it when people tracked my flight for me. It was nice to think about it while on the plane and fun to read when we landed. Monica

[spleisher]

Hello and Welcome,

I'm sure you will find that there is a wealth of information on this board to assist you. As A pilot, I can answer your aviation-realted questions. There are other pilots here on the board, as as well as other fearful flyers.. people from all walks of life really. The key thing is that you are here. Hng in there. You'll be just fine!

Scott

[xiknal]

Here's some good info about the Baby B'air:

/www.inventiveparent.com/babybair.htm (https://www.inventiveparent.com/babybair.htm)

It looks like an excellent and versatile solution. You made a good decision.:)

Please don't hesitate to share what you're feeling as your flight approaches. No matter what it is, someone here is just like you and there's a lot of solid support available here. Thanks for joining us!

Barb :tiphat

[noflyingfan]

I hear that fearful flyer parents who take their kids on flights are often too busy to be scared. Kids demand a lot of attention (and they're so darn cute...when they're yours) that you'll probably be playing with him, feeding him and keeping him quiet that you won't even notice anything scary.

But definitely meet the pilot. Very key.

[jzinky]

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH! WHAT A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE! Thank you so much for all your kind and inspiring words! I am going to be ok, I know, but it is sooooo wonderful to have a place to really talk about my anxieties! Thank you again!

I will post my flight info and skip around reading!

Happy Monday everyone!

Best, Julie:bigplane

[spleisher]

Aww shucks... don't mention it.. we're happy to do it! :blush