If you want to be a travelling mum, it’s inevitable that you will at some point need to do a plane flight. Here is my experience of our first long haul (2 hours) flight!!!

5 days before christmas we set off for our first snow holiday to Austria. Arlos first time abroad, first time on a plane and his first taste of the snow (quite literally as he eats everything in his path). Also it was my first time back on a snowboard since becoming a mum.

With the grandparents in tow and a small lorry load of luggage, off we set! Who would have thought that a small baby would need SO MUCH STUFF. But for someone who goes through at least 3 outfit changes in a day, I guess it was essential!

Now let me start by saying that I found flying with a baby very stressful!!!!! But i’m sure its not the same for all mothers/ babies, especially those lovely sleepy babies!! So much admiration for these mums that fly solo across the world with children!!! Before the flight I had grand plans that we would all go backpacking around Australia………hmmmmm

Active babies just don’t like to sit still, be cuddled or be confined! I was supposed to keep this little safety belt nicely across his waist but the only thing that was good for was chewing. He kept trying to jump onto the floor, crawl down the aisle, rock climb the seat in front. Oh a new favourite game……pull passengers hair (in his defence, it was lovely hair). Then he started screaming, screaming and screaming. I was THAT PERSON on the plane with the screaming baby!! I just couldnt control him!!! So I figured the only way to keep him calm and quiet was to feed him. He was full to the brim with milk but I still kept going “You will keep my boob in your mouth”. Then like a scene from the Exorsist EVERYTHING came back up. Drenched. Poor lad, now the feeling of guilt set in that I was some kind of Feeder!!

He finally fell asleep 10 mins before landing (on the boob of course), and there was no way I was going to wake him up. So we waited until everyone had got off the plane and then I wrapped him in a blanket and and came down the stairs of the plane. All of the passengers from the flight were waiting on the bus and cheered, clapped and even offered a “awwwwww”.Thank god they didn’t all hate me. For a brief moment I felt like Kate Middleton as I glided down the steps………but then I picked out a piece of regurgitated carrot from my hair and I was swiftly bought back down to reality!!

Yesssss, I spotted another mother and baby on the bus, maybe we could cry together???!! “How did your baby sleep?” I asked……”Aw he slept the whole way”. WHAT???!! Oh dear, next time Arlo, next time……..he does need to get used to flying if we are going to travel the world together!

However, our next trip to Europe we are seriously considering driving!!!