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Chrissy Teigen reveals the trials and tribulations of flying with children

Her tweets about “survival” are #relatable 

Joanna Whitehead
Tuesday 24 July 2018 10:45 BST
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Even celebs aren't immune to the challenges of flying with children
Even celebs aren't immune to the challenges of flying with children

Model and cookbook author, Chrissy Teigen, has revealed the challenges faced by many families at this time of year: flying with children can be tough.

In a series of tweets that many parents will relate to, Teigen spoke of “surviving” a 15-hour flight with her two-year-old daughter, Luna, and newborn son, Miles, who is just two months old.

Her tweets have gone viral as parents around the world recognise the difficulties travelling with kids can present.

She also tweeted of the relief she felt when she heard other people’s children crying: “I truly love hearing other kids cry because it means it’s not my own. That’s a better feeling than silence, honestly.”

Her tweets garnered sympathy from the majority of commenters, with fellow parents offering words of advice and support. One parent wrote: “Definitely nurse/feed during takeoff/landing. I found that the younger she was, the easier the flight was for my toddler. Now that she’s super active, she can be trouble to fly with.”

Another parent acknowledged the guilt parents can feel when their kids act like kids in public: “I high five my husband every time we’re in public and a crying kid isn’t one of ours. It’s a good feeling.”

Other commenters were less sympathetic, however. One said: “I really can’t stand hearing kids cry, so it’s impressive you can block it out. I once tried to have a couple of parents arrested when their toddler cried the entire flight.”

Teigen’s history of flying has not been without incident. In December last year, she live tweeted her experience of flying whilst pregnant, an event that left her open to criticism, despite established medical wisdom dictating that flying is not harmful to parent or child.

"My nose and gums are bleeding and my skin runneth over my compression socks," Teigen wrote. "Such is life when you are...pregnant on a plane."

While some airlines are reluctant to allow pregnant women to fly in their final trimester, the NHS’s advice is more balanced: "Travel during pregnancy is a concern for many women," says Sarah Reynolds, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Bedford Hospital NHS Trust. "But if your pregnancy has no complications then there's no reason why you can't travel safely, as long as you take the right precautions."

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