Ilisa is right, it's safer to have the child in the carseat during takeoff and landing. As far as those of you who are horrified at the idea of someone actually feeding their infant the way nature intended--grow up!! A breastpump is not a perfect alternative--expressed breastmilk will spoil just like regular formula and it would also need to be warmed up before feeding--hard on a plane. In addition, if a woman is breastfeeding that milk is coming out at the appointed time--if not through the baby eating than through leaking. And before you say she could pump in the bathroom--get real! Do you really want someone in an airplane bathroom for 20 minutes to a half hour? Again, grow up and don't look if it bothers you!

ilsa, I have met and seen many women who militantly breastfeed. What do I mean? They basically expose themselves whenever and wherever they want to in the guise of nursing a baby. Fortunately, however, they are in the minority. Most nursing women are considerate enough to do so discretely.

paul, be sure also to bring along tylenol to alleviate any discomfort the changing airpressure might bring.

Where are these so-called militant breastfeeders? Where can you find them? Why do I always miss out on these things?

I can't believe the level of immaturity here! I nursed my kids everywhere when we were traveling, but did so discreetly. If you know what you're doing, believe me, no one around you will even know that you're nursing, and they certainly won't see a single millimeter of breast, god forbid!

I still can't imagine why it would be so horrifying to some people if mom accidently exposed herself while nursing anyway. There are some people with serious issues out there.

Please do not remove the child from the carrier at anytime during the flight if possible. You never know when turbulence is going to hit and your child could be seriously injured.

xxx, and just how would you feed a breastfed child if they were strapped into a car seat? That might take for some interesting contortions on the mom's part....

I'm just wondering why parents subject newborns to the ear problems that are unavoidable when flying. Sucking doesn't help the baby any more than chewing gum or yawning helps older kids or adults.

Mom, I'm sorry to say, you're wrong. Sucking does help alleviate earaches when flying. Would you like to disagree with medical facts?

Nina: I am a FA with a major airline and I stated please do not remove the child from the carrier if possible. I didn't say don't do it at all. The reason I state this is because we hit are pockets quite frequently and not only does crew get injured, but passengers not properly buckled in also get hurt. An infant cannot help itself nor can the parent if the plane drops or lurches do to turbulent air. I was only stating that for the safety of both the infant.

Thanks for the helpful advice. I will check with United about the car seat and whether it will present a problem. It is a new Graco one so I expect it will be ok. We know she is safer in the carseat which is why we bought a seat for her on the plane. As far as breastfeeding, no need for advice on that issue.

Smartermom: How do you KNOW? There ARE NO "medical facts", except maybe that ANY infant is more COMFORTABLE in their own bed that in a baby seat for 4 HOURS on a jetliner or while taking off or landing. So, there! And, what the heck does "helps alleviate" mean to a screaming infant?

Enough of this already!

Put the baby in the damn seat and FLY!

Oops, I mean, put the baby in the damn car seat, give the pilot a breathalyzer test, and FLY!

ME
You are an imbecile. The rapid changes in air pressure, particularly during ascent & descent, can cause a vacuum in the middle ear creating a blocked sensation. Many travelers find this sensation annoying, but for some travelers ear discomfort becomes ear pain. If your ears feel blocked when flying, you need to equalize the air pressure in the ear.

This can be accomplished by swallowing which activates the muscle that opens your Eustachian tube causing your ears to "pop".
When flying with a baby keep them awake during ascent & descent and make sure they are sucking on a bottle or pacifier to keep them swallowing. Otherwise, it's very likely you'll have a crying baby on your lap.

Is this still too hard for you to understand? And by the way, in case you don't know too, an imbecile means an idiot. Yes, that's you. Capish?