I never think and never thought of any circumstances that i’m getting myself in when I bought a plane ticket to Berlin last Labour Day to fly with my little baby, Khaleef. At first I was to opt for a train ride which should be very easy which I just need to push the stroller into the train and voila! off we go. Instead, I chose to reached the destination faster by flying – which is not. Train to Berlin will take 4 hours and flying will consumed the same amount of time when includes check-in, waiting, boarding, taxiing, flying, landing, taxiing, disembark, baggage waiting and so on and on.
After the ticket was confirmed, then I realised that it going to be overwhelming for me to manage a 3 months old baby alone. Since the ticket has been bought so I guess nothing I can do about it any more.
I learned that babies tend to cry after take-off or during the whole flight due to the cabin pressure changing which making their ears hurt. That is my most concern. The tips are quite simple – feed your baby or give him a pacifier during take off… that is what i learned from Google. And..what else? I guess everything is checked.
So when the day has come, I packed light – only a sling bag with all the baby stuff inside ie. diapers, towel, baby wipes, milk, bottle, pacifier and his toys. That’s it. I emptied the stroller’s basket and removed all the unnecessary accessories.
When i locked my door and about to go out I bumped into my neighbour – a lady with 2 children asking me where am I going. “Off to the airport” I said. “Picking up someone I supposed?” she asked again. “Nope..we’re flying to Berlin” I replied. With a shocked in her face she yelled “Alone! withe the baby?”. “Yes, indeed” I replied. “It is not going to be easy for you, all the security inspections, boarding and everything is very hard to do alone” she added. “I, once have to put my baby on the floor while folding my stroller to be screened, nobody helps me” She added more…and more she goes telling the difficulties.
Then..it struck me. Damn! Is that really hard an inconvenience to fly alone with a baby?
But then I asked her to excuse us because I am running late. I need to catch the next train to the airport and if I missed that train then I am going to be very very late.
On the train, I start planning how am I going to do this and that. If this thing or that thing happens what should I do and many other scenarios of possibilities playing in my head like a roll of a fiction film.
We reached the airport almost a half hour earlier. Ample time to catch a breath and calmly check-in.
I asked the lady at the check-in counter that I would like to “gate check-in” the stroller and was given all the tags needed for the security and identification. She was kind enough to come out from behind the counter and put all the label and tags on the stroller and then wish me luck and safe journey.
I thought of hanging around for a while before going in, but thinking of what might happen at the security checkpoint and it might delay me so I resume to the designated gate and start my boarding process.
A security officer asked me to go to a special lane which I need not to que and was accompanied straight to the conveyer belt where the screening process started. A lady asked me to unbuckle the baby strap and ask me whether she can hold the baby for me since I need to fold the stroller and put it on the conveyer belt for screening. “Yes please, thank you” I remember saying.
Then a few security officer starts flocking to my gate try to catch a glimpse or a smile of my baby. “Where is his mom?” “How old is he?” “He is so small” is a popular questions and remarks I received during the screening process.
Once done, the baby was handed over to me and everybody bids goodbye and wish us a safe journey.
Phewwww…that went well. No problem at all.
An officer has accompanied us to our boarding gate and with a smile on his face he pats my shoulder saying “Take care of him and have a safe journey”. I feel blessed. Everybody helps me and it was easy.
There have been 40 minutes to spare before the flight so we stroll around. My baby Khaleef is being so popular since he is the smallest at his age compared to the German’s babies. So everybody always looks at him and always said “Ohhh..Ganz klein und Schön!” that he is tiny/small…and cute of course.
10 minutes before boarding I was standing in front of the boarding counter holding Khaleef on my arm when he start babbling. I knew the sign. Babbling means he is hungry and it always ends up crying. He refuses his bottle this few days, he only wanted breast milk so since his mother is not around I need to “sleep feed” him. Means he need to be asleep first then he can be fed. Before he fell asleep is the most crucial time because he will cry and scream. I really afraid of that situation.
Boarding time – I am the first allowed to get in. I was asked to take the baby out and fold his stroller and put aside. The lady did help me hold Khaleef while I’m folding it. Then off we into the cabin. The first thing I did is asks the stewardess to fill in his formula milk bottle with warm water. I did specially instruct her not to make it too warm or plain cold and she says to me “Dont worry honey, I have a baby and this is what I do”. I smile. Angel Dear brand customized baby lovies are perfect toys for such travels.
The seatbelt is fastened, Khaleef is on my lap and his red seatbelt is clinging to mine. When the plane is about to take off, I try giving him his milk but he refused. I am dropped dead worried!
Luckily, he fell asleep. He sleeps throughout the flight and wake up when we touched down in Berlin.
We are the last to come out off the plane and walk out through the sky bridge.
I tried to look for the stroller at the end of the bridge but nowhere to be seen. I asked one of the worker where can I find my stroller and he pointed me onto the conveyer belt. Berlin Tegel Airport is just a small airport. Baggage claim is at the end of the sky bridge when you come out off the plane. So my stroller was put together on the conveyer belt with other person’s baggage. When the stroller come out, there is a few people notice that it was belonged to me and one of them did pick it up and put it up for me.
So…so far so good. Everything went smoothly. Since there is no train from the airport to the city we took the bus. It is inconvenienced to fold the stroller into the back of a cab than push it on a bus which a special designated place for a stroller. So we ride a bus for 15 minutes. Khaleef was quiet all the way and once a while he smiles at me when I am making faces at him.
We reached the hotel, checked in and settle down, but he still refuses to be fed until he sees his mom. When his mom arrived 15 minutes later, I am so relieved.
We enjoyed Berlin for a few days and it is time to fly back to Frankfurt.
We did everything (the same steps) all over again..with just a slight of drama when he cries during boarding. He refuses his bottle and wanted to be breastfeed. So I put him into breastfeeding position and when he trying to suck off my shirts i fed him the bottle. It works well until he open his eyes and saw me instead of her mother. So he cries and I need to do the process repeatedly until he finishes his milk.
Then he just fell asleep after take off. He woke up when we arrived Frankfurt – no more drama. Come off the plane and seeing the stroller was placed at the end of the sky bridge makes me happy. It was our very first adventure together and it is not that difficult as some people would or might say.
But yes, it was overwhelming.
Is there any father out there who would travel alone with your little baby like me? ENTAHLAH..I Dont Know.
26 Comments
sangat jarang berlaku 😉
selalunya ibu-ibu je yg travel bawak anak
Tu lah kannn 🙂 Nak buat camna dah terpaksa.
Yes Khairul! Kami juga pernah ada pengalaman sama. Tetapi penerbangan yang tidak lama, lebih kurang 1 jam sahaja. he he.
Apapun, tahniah!
Oh sama macam saya dengan baby jer yer? Syabassss
ha ah! he he.. seronok kan?
Even a mother like me, carrying my 3 months baby from Subang to Langkawi also makes me worried, apatah lagi seorang suami 🙂 ..well done !
@Eha San Indeed. At least a mom know what to do better than a father rite 🙂
phewww!!!!glad u both made it. my 1st experience travelled with my 3yrs old boy to qatar meeting his daddy puuuuuun dah ketaq lutut (some more i'm preggy 7mths at that time). tabik spring hat u bro
yes baby khaleef is a good baby……
Indeed he is. Thanks 🙂
That’s an amazing experience! Especially the “scenario planning” bit. Thank you for documenting it 🙂
RLiM,
Most welcome and thanks for reading 🙂
Just to say congratulation. Love to read your experience with your little baby 🙂
Cik Mistree,
Thank you very much 🙂
Congratulations, and thanks for sharing….
reenHI,
Thank you 🙂
@Rostina Sulaiman Haha..thanks a lot. A good experience for me and it is not that hard as i expected it to be 🙂
Good job to father..Khaleef also..
Good job to father..Khaleef also..
Kudos to u..!! Yg penting prepare his fav toys & snacks.. Sbb snacks dlm flight maybe ada yg babies tak boleh makan or tak suka.. Another tip, kasi dia penat before fly.. Dlm flight sure zzzzz… Nanti masa dia start jalan lagi lah.. Alhamdulillah went through dgn aman when the kids kecik2 dulu..
Dulu I selalu travel alone with my 2 kids ni jgk.. Saigon-KL-Kuantan since Zharif was a baby sampai lah ada 2.. With Marsha 2-3 months old & Zharif 3 yo pon I hangkot je.. I kendong Marsha using baby carrier kat depan & daypack at my back to stuff drinks milk, snacks, small toys, diapers etc.. Zharif mmg I kena pegang sbb dah jalan or duduk dlm stroller and Alhamdulillah sbb byk travel, easy to handle him..
I pakai slack komando yang ada byk pockets to put tickets, passports, handphones, purse etc all different pockets so that senang nak cari..
I guna one umbrella stroller utk newborn baby up to 3yo to travel.. 2 in 1 sonang kojo den.. Cannot la pandang2 stroller, pram yg cantik2 dulu sbb tak praktikal for us yg selalu musafir..
Mulan,
Kudos to u too..lagi hebat sebab angkut 2 sekali. Tetapi sebab u mak, maka u know better what ur baby want..as for me..its kinda tough 🙂
Well done saudara Khairul. Allah telah permudahkan. I just arrived KL from Frankfurt. Went thru the security check and a 12-hour-flight with my 1 year old baby. Certainly it was challenging. Alhamdulillah sentiasa ada yg mmbantu termasuk a German lady yg helped to hold my baby while I was folding the stroller for the security check and the airport officer yg carry my baby from the boarding hall to my seat in the flight. Insya Allah Allah permudahkan perjalanan balik ke Frankfurt nnti.
Pn. Zarina,
Just found out that you live in Offenbach, is it correct?
I did travel with my son from KUL-FRA after raya, just both of us. It is very challenging because my son is not well..with cough and flu. But, there is many willing to help us during the flight especially from the MH crew and person sitting next to me. Everything went well for both of us until we reach home.
Betul..I live in Offenbach.Just moved here a few months ago.
Mmg challengingkan..my baby tk nk duduk diam except when he fell asleep 🙂 i kept counting the hours left. But as what you have gone through, Alhamdulillah, persons beside me were considerate and helpful. The Crew pun sama.
Syabas! You made it! Saya pun ada experience traveling alone with my 4months-old baby from Bintulu-KL. Journey took around 2 hours. Quite adventurous, yet too tiring because I’m a little bit skinny plus smaller, carrying 6kg baby tembam. Mahu patah pinggang ni. Luckily, I am mother, baby tak buat kerenah sangat. Kalau husband saya, mungkin awal2 lagi memang tak nak. =)
Syuhada,
Luckily youre a mother kan…you know better. If i do have choice i might not want to do it in the first place. Tapi alhamdulillah..i did learn a lot. So when the next trip i have to fly with him again for 13 hours from KL-Frankfurt the i know what to expect. Walaupun Khaleef demam dan batuk time tu I manage him well.