We have friends coming to visit us during Labor Day. Their daughter will be 14 months then. They would prefer not to drive. However, if they fly, we'll need a car seat for them. I assume they can't bring one on the plane b/c they're already bringing a Pack N Play and a bunch of other stuff (we're not setting up our nursery until October).
Is there anywhere we can rent one? We don't know anyone who can lend us one.
We'd buy one early for Ladybug, but I think that a 14-month-old is probably too big for a rear-facing infant seat.
Thanks in advance for the helpful advice.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
They should be able to take their car seat on board the plane with them, since a 14 month old must have its own seat. You're right about rear facing car seats...too small.
Alternately, if they just can't bring their own seat, call your local fire department and ask them about car seat resources in your area. They should have a good list of places you can rent or borrow a seat for a period of time.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Confirm with them that they are not bringing one -- many people do. And when the flight is not full, you can even use it.
You could buy a convertible car seat, which is good birth through 40 pounds.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
I'll speak with the wife - so far it's been the husbands who've been talking and (with these guys) that always leads to confusion. But what else can you expect when an economist speaks with a philosopher?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
A plan for world domination?
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Probably more like world confusion.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
We took our car seat on the plane for Ryan. We even found a bag with wheels for it to tote it though airport in.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
I second the convertible car seat idea if they aren't bringing their own. I would definately purchase one if we hadn't already been given an infant car seat. I probably will once baby is big enough to move out of the one we have, with the new booster seat laws in effect here.
space opera
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
No matter what they're bringing, they are allowed to bring a car seat and check it at the gate. Same with strollers. It's not an issue. Ever. Airline regulations.
(At least, within the U.S. International flights can be irritating about that, especially in France.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, and children under 2 years are not required to have their own seat, although if a seat is reserved for them they must sit in a car seat(seats are available at half what you paid for it for children under 2.) But if they're not reserving a seat for the child, I recommend Baby B'air for peace of mind with a "lap child".
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
I'll definitely look into the convertable car seat.
And I'm getting a Baby B'air before we ever fly with Ladybug. What a great invention!
Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
Looks like a great product. The only question I have though is why does is say to thread the parent's seatbelt through after takeoff? Most accidents happen during takeoff or landing don't they? Looks like a good solution to just holding them though.
Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
Duh it answers my question in the Q&A section.
(reminds self to read more and type less)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
They are trying to get it approved for takeoff/landing.
Personally, I've always been allowed to use it during takeoff and landing, no problems.
We encountered turbulence on my last flight, and boy was I glad we had that when the sleeping baby slipped out of my grasp when we hit a big bump!
Posted by R. Ann Dryden (Member # 8186) on :
My daughter is fifteen months old so I may look into that, as we are traveling to Scotland next week. We did not buy a seat for her, since we figured that she would probably be pretty fussy and want to be held most of the time.
Speaking of fussy babies on planes, anyone have any advice? Normally our daughter is very calm and well-behaved, but she gets upset if she's in a car seat for more than about 20 minutes, so I imagine that flying over 5,000 miles will probably get to her.
Any suggestions for toys or activities, or tranquilizers for a one-year old?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I don't suppose she is nursing? Because that is the one thing that almost-always worked on my babies when flying.
Does she take a pacifier? Have a favorite stuffed animal or other snugly? Favorite snack, especially one that's a rare treat?
If you're worried, you might want to have a chat with your pediatrician about bringing Benadryl along just in case. I know some people who (on the advice of their pediatrician) dose their babies before any long flight with it. That makes me personally a bit uncomfortable, but I have brought it with me on occasion just in case. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Portable DVD player. Baby Bach and Baby Beethoven. I'm not a huge fan of movies/tv for kids that young, but I allow it on occasion, and it works like a charm.
Posted by CT (Member # 8342) on :
You might want to try the Benedryl before the big day, if you decide you might use it for the flight. On some kids, it has the opposite effect -- wires them up rathen than makes them sleepy. Good to know in advance.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yup. Of course, some kids, like me, it does one some of the time and the other some of the time...
Posted by Roseauthor (Member # 148) on :
Drugging a child for convenience? Something just sounds wrong with this. For motion sickness, try something as ginger root grated and added to a juice. Works great and natural. IF the child still has a bottle it's advisible to use it during take off and landing.. keeps the ears from backing up.. or even a sippy cup if the child is at that level now. That will stop a lot of crying babies if people would realize that the baby's ears feel the same pressure as the adults... but they don't know what to do with it!
Bring some animal crackers, try to teach them the 'the lion says? ..... etc. Makes it fun, and they get a treat. My daughter loved paper, crayons, pencils at a year. 3D shape puzzles. Anything interactive is great! A small bowl (ziplock) with cherrios, and red liquorish (sting type).. the child can make a cherrio necklace.. then eat it.
Anything that keeps them busy while not disturbing the neighboring passengers.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
*makes notes*
Cheerio necklace on string licorice... Animal crackers (she loves those)... Remember to pack sippy cup full of juice in on-plane bag (already on list, just have to remember)... Hairbrush and bag of barettes and ponytail holders (she loves having her hair done)... DVD player and DVDs as mentioned above (must remember to charge travel battery)... Make sure to adjust Baby B'air ahead of time for ease at airport... Remember to put Eucerin in small diaper bag...
All right, I think that's everything! We're going on the plane on Tuesday. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, and Mrs. M, we had to get a convertible car seat because Ems outgrew the carrier in length long before she hit 1 year and 20 lbs. My aunt was sweet enough to buy us the Alpha Omega Elite, which is wonderful. It is easy to adjust, easy to use, and Emma really seems comfy in it. It did take up a lot of room rear-facing, and we had to use additional padding to make it recline right on our bucket seats (we have a Corolla), but we love that it will go up to 100 lbs. as a belt-positioning booster if we have a kid who needs that, that it had high length and weight limits as a rear-facing seat, and the comfort and features she enjoys using it as a front-facing seat. It has armrests, and a nap pillow, and all kinds of cool features.
Like I said, we like it, although I'd recommend a carrier seat for the first few months just because it's so big, and because a carrier is so darned convenient.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
Ooh, I just got one of those. I second the endorsement. It also is not all that expensive, as far as carseats go.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
quote: Perhaps the single most compelling statistic about car seats in the NHTSA manual was this one: ''They are 54 percent effective in reducing deaths for children ages 1 to 4 in passenger cars.''
But 54 percent effective compared with what? The answer, it turns out, is this: Compared with a child's riding completely unrestrained. There is another mode of restraint, meanwhile, that doesn't cost $200 or require a four-day course to master: seat belts.
For babies and young toddlers, there's nothing safer than a carseat. But for the older tykes, it doesn't seem as if there's much, if any, gain in safety when compared with seat belts.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That's not true, though. The car seat recommendations are made when looking at injury statistics for children and seeing problems in kids just using safety belts. Children under 8 years or 80 lbs. who ride without a booster seat are much more likely to have head, neck, and abdominal injuries than those who use one correctly, last time I read up on it. If death is all you're looking at, you're missing a big chunk of car-crash related injuries.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:You might want to try the Benedryl before the big day, if you decide you might use it for the flight. On some kids, it has the opposite effect -- wires them up rathen than makes them sleepy. Good to know in advance.
2 Benadryls will always wire me up. It's a very unpleasant feeling.
1 will sometimes make me drowsy, sometimes wire me up, but not as much as 2.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Ketchupqueen: The actual paper addresses your issues. Unfortunately, there isn't enough real world data (actual crashes, not lab data) to either prove or disprove the claims of car seat industry. The lab data using child dummies doesn't prove it either - in somce cases car seats and booster seats.
The main problem with car seats is that over 80% of them are improperly installed, making them quite dangerous to the children riding in them. Even if the lab results show that a properly installed carseat helps save children from injury or death, this doesn't help the 80% who aren't in safe carseats.
Of course, I'm not a parent, so I haven't researched this all that closely. And I certainly wouldn't fault any parent from using a car seat - as long as they have a professional check it out to make sure it's in correctly (I think I've heard about local police stations having "car seat safety" days where you can stop by and have your car seat inspected.).
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That's why there are car seat installation checks available through almost every city in the US. Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I could totally be a professional car seat installer. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
She installed ours! I'll vouch for her! Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Thanks for the great tips, y'all. It turns out that they're driving for many other reasons, so I don't have to worry about it yet.
BTW, I'm well aware about the need to have car seats installed properly. I plan to have mine checked at the police or fire station before the baby is born.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Jhai, one of the problems with adult seat belts on small children is where the belt crosses the child. A properly installed booster seat makes sure the belt crosses where it should and not somewhere like the neck.
Mrs.M, you don't need this now, but for anyone else taking a car seat on the plane, make sure and ask to be let on the plane early to get the seat installed. Other passengers will not appreciate your devotion to your child when your butt is blocking the aisle for 5 or 10 minutes while you cuss at the stupid plane manufacturers who very obviously designed their seats NOT to be compatible with child car seats. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
They usually call for passengers with small children first. Take advantage of it. And if you're flying alone with the baby and the flight attendant offers to take the baby (and looks trustworthy), take advantage of it. You're probably not going to get to go to the bathroom for the rest of the flight otherwise.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
And make sure the carseat has been approved by the FAA. Not all of them are.
I just checked the available seats on the flights we're taking tomorrow, and it looks like Emma may be able to use an actual seat. *gets husband to take carseat out of car so she can remove the base so it will fit in an airplane seat*
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Good luck with that, it's in there pretty tight. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Eh, LATCH is pretty easy to deal with. And the base itself is really easy to get on and off, and removing it took off 4 inches, so it will hopefully just fit in an airline seat. *crosses fingers*
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
From the above link:
quote: Check the width of your CRS. While airline seats vary in width, a CRS no wider than 16" should fit in most coach seats. Even if the armrests are moved out of the way, a CRS wider than 16" is unlikely to fit properly into the frame of the aircraft seat.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I love you dear. Hope you and Ems have a safe flight today.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's just 15 1/2" at the bottom; however, it's a wee bit wider up above. *bites nails*
Oh, well, if it doesn't fit, that's what the Baby B'air is for.
And thank you. We're going to miss you!
Maybe we can come out at Christmas... *plots*
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
quote: Eh, LATCH is pretty easy to deal with.
Are you making the assumption that the plane seat is equipped with latch or have you called? Of the 4 Delta planes I was on in March, none of them had LATCH. I was told some planes have them, but most don't.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
No. I was saying even though Boon installed our seat REALLY tight, LATCH made it fairly easy to un- and re-install.
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for a one-year old?
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We're going to miss you! ![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)