Flying with a newborn

[Ester Maria]

I never did it, only with toddlers and beyond, so I have a question.

 

I know that they usually request the baby to be seven days old (or even two weeks), but is that young really okay? Did anyone here actually do that with such a small child (I don't know almost anyone IRL that flew with a newborn that soon) and were things okay? I want to fly the earliest possible, which I know might depend on the doctor approval and other bureaucracy (citizenship issues mainly), but what's the youngest you flew with your babies?

[Laura Corin]

I think that Hobbes was about three or four weeks old when we took a round-the-world trip to see the grandparents. It was fine, but I was pretty exhausted. He was born in Hong Kong; at that time the HK birth certificate was issued within an hour of application, and the UK and US passports could be issued within days in the territory, so the bureaucracy was all very easy. I didn't need any form of doctor's certificate for him to fly.

 

Laura

Edited August 18, 2010 by Laura Corin

[Giraffe]

DD first flew domestically at 3 months and flew internationally at 4 months. We waited until she had a couple rounds of doctor's visits and vaccinations, and for her passport to come through. This was in 2007, when the US changed the rules for visiting Canada and Mexico, and we were in the Pacific NW at the time where EVERYONE was scrambling for passports, so it took a while.

 

I think if you can get a doctor to sign off on the health of the child and you have all the necessary documentation, you can fly fairly early. I wouldn't fly before the baby's first doctor's appointment, which was at 9 days for DD. You mention citizenship issues - that may put you into six week territory as it takes about that long for the passport to come through. You don't need a SSN, by the way (the passport application will ask for it, but for babies it's not necessary) - but you do need a birth certificate.

 

Does that help at all?

[rookie]

DS flew US to UK at three months and it was great. He just nursed and slept. I did take him to the doctor for all immunizations (up to that point) and for a general check-up/clearance before traveling (my idea/not a requirement).

[abbeyej]

We flew across the country with my sister when she was 10 days old. My own kids were a month or two old by the time we flew anywhere.

 

Honestly, my biggest concern would be *you*, the mom, rather than the baby. I'd worry about your level of exhaustion, and engorgement issues (and pressure changes), things like that. As long as baby is healthy and latching on well (vital for take-off and landing), I wouldn't worry... It's actually sort of easier to fly with a newborn than with a baby who's more than three months and more awake and aware. (Not that my babies weren't very aware for newborns -- but they'll still nestle in and sleep more at a couple of weeks than they will at a few months...)

[Ester Maria]

You mention citizenship issues - that may put you into six week territory as it takes about that long for the passport to come through. You don't need a SSN, by the way (the passport application will ask for it, but for babies it's not necessary) - but you do need a birth certificate.

Citizenship issues are something we're facing for the first time, and I'm totally clueless. We're all foreign nationals (DH, two older DDs and I - here due to DH's work), but the baby will be born in the US and I was told that we cannot get her out of the country until all the bureaucracy about citizenship and passport is solved, since she must, and will always have to, enter/exit US as a US national. I've no idea how is that going to look in practice, since *I* am not a US citizen and obviously nobody is asking me anything about this issue (not even whether I want the baby to be a US national).

 

She gets another citizenship automatically as well through the embassy, but I suppose that will complicate matters as well. So I do count with some bureaucracy issues and delays, but as I'd like to travel as soon as possible, I was wondering how do babies medically stand lengthy flights at such a tender age.

[Ester Maria]

Honestly, my biggest concern would be *you*, the mom, rather than the baby. I'd worry about your level of exhaustion, and engorgement issues (and pressure changes), things like that. As long as baby is healthy and latching on well (vital for take-off and landing), I wouldn't worry... It's actually sort of easier to fly with a newborn than with a baby who's more than three months and more awake and aware. (Not that my babies weren't very aware for newborns -- but they'll still nestle in and sleep more at a couple of weeks than they will at a few months...)

I thought about it too, actually - everybody warned me that it's possibly more dangerous for me than for the baby. I guess we'll have to see how I feel afterwards, and how the baby feels, the whole travel thing is still a bit "hypothetical" at this point because of that, since it's an intercontinental flight and all, long sitting, and I suppose bureaucracy will take some time too.

 

I have never flown with newborns before, so I'm just curious in other people's experiences. Thanks everybody for the input so far. :)

[Cera]

I flew with our first at 4 weeks and it was fine. The flights totaled 18 hours and it took me a few days to recover but she didn't seem bothered at all. I just kept her tucked in a sling away from other people.

[Melanie]

I don't know anything about the citizenship issues, but I flew with my oldest when he was ten days old. It was harder on me than it was on him.

[Laura Corin]

We're all foreign nationals (DH, two older DDs and I - here due to DH's work), but the baby will be born in the US and I was told that we cannot get her out of the country until all the bureaucracy about citizenship and passport is solved, since she must, and will always have to, enter/exit US as a US national. I've no idea how is that going to look in practice, since *I* am not a US citizen and obviously nobody is asking me anything about this issue (not even whether I want the baby to be a US national).

 

 

My boys are dual UK/US citizens. Whenever they fly between the two countries they have to carry two passports, so that they can enter each country on that country's passport. Husband once entered the UK on his US passport (he's also a dual citizen) because his UK passport was at the Chinese consulate, getting a visa put in. He was allowed into the UK but was given a good telling off and told not to do it again. I don't know how the US authorities are about this issue.

 

Laura

[EJCMom]

I flew from Washington state to Florida with my son when he was 2 weeks old. He did just fine. I nursed him during takeoff and landing because I was worried about his ears. Other than that, I just wore him and he slept the whole time. My 13 month old daughter on the other hand...she was much more challenging because we had to keep her entertained. But, my 2 week old did just fine.

[Deb in NZ]

I flew from VT to Micronesia when dd was 10 weeks old. The dr. wasn't concerned with how old dd was, but instead with how little time I had had to recover from a complicated C-Section. We did make sure dd had her first lot of shots as we were returning to live in a 3rd world country. The major problem with getting a passport for a newborn is finding a photographer who will take newborn passport photos.

 

Blessings,

[cathmom]

I have never flown with a newborn, but just wanted to say that we travelled with our second child when she was 6 weeks old. It was only an 8 hour each way drive, but it was way too much for me. I ended up getting mastitis, and because I was so out of it and tired on the trip, there were lasting negative ramifications from some things that happened with family members. I do not advise travelling with a newborn.

[Sugarfoot]

I don't know anything about the citizenship issues, but I had an emergency C-section away from home. The whole situation was awful, but I couldn't wait to get home. I was in the hospital for 6 days; DD spent 3 days in the NICU.

 

We flew home to Kansas from Florida with her when she was 5 days old. She slept in her car seat the whole trip, except for take off and landing, when I had to hold her. Our pediatrician faxed us something saying it was okay for her to fly.

 

The trip was definitely harder on me. I had to go through the airport in a wheelchair.

 

Definitely be kind to yourself and accept all offers of help!

[Pata]

My ds was 10 days old when he first flew (in country) and has been on 5 flights (domestic and international) since then (he's only 3 1/2 months old). I just nurse him during take off and landing and he's fine.

 

I agree with Laura that the hold up will most likely be paperwork. Ds was born in Thailand and we were returning to China. I took us 5 weeks to get his US passport and Chinese visa so that we could leave. You can still get the baby a passport from your home country at the same time you get the US passport. I would call your embassy and ask what the whole process is for you because it can get a tad confusing and it's different for each country. Good luck!

[justasque]

Not sure if it applies in your case, but I'd be wary of booking a flight so close to your due date. A due date is really a "due month" - 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after - so a theoretical 1 week old baby could end up being a "week before delivery" baby. Even with a scheduled induction/c-sect, minor issues can arise around birth that I would want time to address without the pressure of already-paid-for plane tickets. Is there any way you can allow a longer "baby-moon" for the two of you?

 

Also, sometimes travel goes smoothly and sometimes it does not. I've slept in more airports than I can count, changing gates every few hours, hauling our carry-ons here and there throughout the night with no idea when we'd be able to fly out of that airport. It's stressful enough alone, worse with kid(s), and I can't imagine the stress with a newborn. And whether it actually happens or not, I always feel I have to prepare for it, with food and drink and iapers and things to do and extra clothes and blanket-y pillow-y pullovers and our toothbrushes in our carry-ons. I pack assuming that I'll have to provide for all of us for at least 24 hours without help from airline staff, simply because it's happened to me that way several times. If you do travel, be sure you are prepared for whatever you may face.

 

I don't want to be negative, but I do urge you to think through the range of possibilities before making firm/expensive plans.

[Tokyomarie]

I thought about it too, actually - everybody warned me that it's possibly more dangerous for me than for the baby. I guess we'll have to see how I feel afterwards, and how the baby feels, the whole travel thing is still a bit "hypothetical" at this point because of that, since it's an intercontinental flight and all, long sitting, and I suppose bureaucracy will take some time too.

 

I have never flown with newborns before, so I'm just curious in other people's experiences. Thanks everybody for the input so far. :)

 

I made an intercontinental flight with a 7 week old baby, and, honestly, that's about the earliest post-partum I would want to make such a long flight. Taking such a flght before my body had recovered from the birth (which, despite American culture's superwoman expectations of new moms, takes about 6 weeks) would have exhausted me and set my recovery back big time. There are so many variables in mom's recovery and so much possibility for things to go "wrong" medically that I personally wouldn't take a chance on booking a flight for any earlier than 6 or 7 weeks past the due date.

 

When we did fly at 7 weeks, both baby & I did quite well. I was nursing exclusively so that made feeding the baby a snap. The hardest part was jet lag. Baby had just finally gotten into a semblance of a sleep schedule & the time difference threw us all off, but we managed.

[texasmama]

I flew with a six week old. I nursed a lot and while it wasn't the funnest trip, we made it.:001_smile:

[Mabelen]

The earliest I have flown with my babies was at 10 weeks. I personally would not attempt such a long flight until the 6 week post partum mark at least, especially an intercontinental flight like that, unless absolutely necessary.

[Ester Maria]

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.

I guess I'll have to be a bit more patient then and postpone it for some weeks (both to bureaucracy and seeing that it might not be the best idea to go as soon as possible). DH thinks so too. :(

[Caitilin]

Ester Maria,

 

When is your baby due, again? I have been thinking of you and wondering how you were doing with the pregnancy--this thread just brought it to the forefront of my mind. Hope everything proceeds beautifully!:grouphug:

[East Coast Sue]

I flew with my first dd when she was 2 weeks old. We were moving across the country for employment and we anticipated the move by asking my pediatrician if it was best to fly or drive. He said flying was absolutely fine. The ears don't have to deal with pressure changes until they are older, maybe 6 months or so. I don't remember the age, but he assured me that a young baby doesn't have issues with pressure in the ears. I was concerned about the germs, but we were fine. We even had to change planes in Newark, NJ. Yuck!

 

Have a great trip!

 

Susan

[Dinsfamily]

I never did it, only with toddlers and beyond, so I have a question.

 

I know that they usually request the baby to be seven days old (or even two weeks), but is that young really okay? Did anyone here actually do that with such a small child (I don't know almost anyone IRL that flew with a newborn that soon) and were things okay? I want to fly the earliest possible, which I know might depend on the doctor approval and other bureaucracy (citizenship issues mainly), but what's the youngest you flew with your babies?

 

Never internationally, but I've flown domestically with both of my older boys when they were two weeks old. We didn't have any trouble and it was very easy to nurse them throughout the flight.