[PurpleNess]

Get to the airport early & ask if they have a bassinet seat available, we found it wonderful flying from Perth To Melb when DS was 5 months old, I rocked him to sleep then popped him in, gave us a break!

[Sharlie2878]

I did the Brisbane to Melbourne flight on my own with my daughter when she was 11 weeks and it went really well. The carrier has to come off for security and take off and landing, I pretty much decidedthe flight was short enough that once I had her on the plane there wasn't much point putting it back on. Breastfeeding or a bottle is a great idea on take off, in my experience Qantas will give you a pillow straight away, Virgin and Jetstar you might be lucky.

I have done Brisbane to Darwin on my own as well and found when she was getting bored a quick trip up and down the aisle gave her plenty of faces/colours/things to look at and got chilled her out a bit. ON that flight the carrier is a godsend on the plane!

If you have someone with you, it is heaps easier, but amazingly people actually do offer to help if you are on your own with a baby and have a bunch of bags to deal with. Definitely don't expect a lot of help when the queue starts to get on board though, there is something about that rush to get on the steel tube that turns people a bit nasty. The main thing to remember is if you are calm the baby will be calmer, my partner and I had taken a really short flight when Georgia was 4 weeks old and I knew from that she didn't react much with the change in pressure so was pretty sure she would be fine with a boob in her mouth, which made me a lot more relaxed about the whole thing.

[hunter4]

Just a couple of other things that I've founr work when flying with the little bubs.

create a couple of little packaages with the minimum you need for changing bubs that you can take to the change room if you need to change them in flight - theres no room in the change rooms for a big nappy bag. I fing a zip lock bag with a nappy a couple of wipes and a disposable change mat worked well (or one of those nappy change wallets if you have on)

take a small bag that you'll be able to fit under your seat - the last thing you want is to have to keep getting up to get stuff out of overhead lockers.I found a bigger bag with all the extras (change of clothes just in case) that you can put up and hopefully wont need, then a smaller bag with a nappy change, dummies etc that you're more likely to need.

They normally allow families to board pretty early in the boarding process to give people time to get settled - personally I find the less time sitting in those seats the better so ignore this - however my DH is one of those that needs to be first on the plane so I send him on first with the big bag to get settled then board last with the baby and just the small bag that I throw under the seat.

Feeding or dummy on take off is good - but don't get to hung up on the idea. If bubs is asleep - or wants a feed earlier just go with the flow - babies are actually pretty good at equalising their ears and if they are having problems they will let you know and yuo can them give them a feed.

Good luck - its really pretty easy at that age.