Traveling with a Newborn

[laughinplace199]

Wheelchair and Boppy. Great suggestions. All the flights are direct on purpose. We also have the Moby wrap. We have a stroller and car seat that will go with us and get gate checked.

I would not gate check the car seat - too much risk of damage.

 

[indygirl99]

Wheelchair and Boppy. Great suggestions. All the flights are direct on purpose. We also have the Moby wrap. We have a stroller and car seat that will go with us and get gate checked.

I work in Newborn ICU so my first thought is don't travel BUT I'm not the parent so won't make that decision for you.

I recommend the Moby over the Ergo the first 3 months as it is easier to tell if little one is mispositioned in the Moby.

Nursing frequently will be your best friend for the flights and airport.

One thing that no one has mentioned yet is you need to be moving frequently, as in every half hour in the airport and on the plane, as you are at more risk of blood clots. All of us should move frequently on planes but you even more so.

It would also help if you could get compression hose to wear for the flights to help with blood return in your legs. Got to keep mommy healthy.

Also I agree with the drink frequently suggestion. It is easy to get dehydrated in flight and getting a headache will just make the normal tiredness of being a new mommy multiplied.

 

[Imagineer2Be]

I would not gate check the car seat - too much risk of damage.

Ok, so if I do not gate check it, how do I get it to Ohio/ NY?

 

[Imagineer2Be]

I would not gate check the car seat - too much risk of damage.

Ok, so if I do not gate check it, how do I get it to Ohio/ NY?

 

[abdmom]

I would not gate check the car seat - too much risk of damage.

I've taken car seats on over 100 flights. Never had one damaged. Take the car seat.

 

[SarahandPaul]

There's lots of negative responses here, but you didn't ask for mom opinions, but rather advice! We took our 4 month old on a Disney cruise to coincide with my maternity leave! I had a very easy delivery and could have easily flown to visit family just a few weeks post partum. I would recommend that if you are struggling at all with breastfeeding, that you poke a few formula samples and a bottle or two. Stress of travel coupled with breastfeeding can be a recipe for disaster. Of course, you won't know that until after baby's arrivals but if you register at Enfamil, they will send you free samples prior to baby's arrival. Also, we traveled with the baby in the carseat and click in stroller frame. With Southwest, if the flight is not full, they will give you the extra seat for your infant. We got that for 2 of our 4 flights. Enjoy every minute!

 

[minkydog]

OP, even if you have travel insurance, it typically doesn't cover "we changed our minds", so you may want to double-check what reasons are covered for cancelling.

This needs to be in big, bold letters! This sounds like an expensive trip with a whole lot of "possibilities" up in the air.

My DH has stage 4 lung disease, so we always buy the trip insurance. We never know when our plans my be changed due to illness. Until this year, we had never had to use the trip insurance.

Last October, DHs health had gotten pretty stable and we made plans to go to Alaska on a cruise in June 2014. So excited! We were stoked. And then DH began having some worrisome symptoms. I paid off the cruise at 10am on March 24 and at 11am we were sitting in DHs cardiologists office receiving the most astonishingly bad news of our lives--DH needed open heart surgery. Flying to Alaska was out of the question. We came home from the doctor and immediately started jumping through the very numerous hoops it takes to activate the trip insurance. It took about 4 months to finally get it all cleared up and get our money back.

OP, Be sure you know EXACTLY what your trip insurance covers. It really isn't as simple as telling them that your plans changed.

 

[leebee]

We flew from San Francisco to Boston with DD when she was 5 weeks old. I had a terrible labor and delivery, and ended up with a separated pelvis. Travel was a challenge, mostly because of ME, not DD! Some things I remember (DD is now 21, it's been a few years…)

Take plenty of wipes and diapers. Also take 2 changes of clothes for the baby and one for yourself. I found the one-piece sleeper-suits to be best for DD. We also took her blankie, a receiving blanket, a sweater, and a hat for her- airplanes can get chilly. I will second the recommendation of compression socks for you, to help prevent blood clots in your legs. Also dress in layers, so you can bundle up/strip down to acclimate your body temp- nursing is hot work! Gotta take care of Mom!

If your airplane has rows that have 3 seats in them, reserve the window for yourself and the aisle for your DH. Unless it's a full flight, most folks won't choose/book a middle seat, which will leave you a little extra space in flight, as you'll have that spare seat. If someone is assigned that seat, I bet 99.9999% of the time, they will happily swap your DH's aisle seat for their middle seat, and you and DH can sit next to each other. (A United flight attendant recommended that if the seating is 5-across, we reserve the #2 and #4 seats- NOBODY wants that middle #3 seat!)

I second reserving the window seat for yourself. Not only is there more privacy for nursing, but you won't have to worry about someone bumping into your baby's head as s/he lies in your arms.

I nursed DD, but she also took breast milk from a bottle, and would also drink formula. It's not safe (microbiologically) to travel with milk in a bottle unless you can keep it cold, but it might be helpful to teach your baby to drink formula. When traveling, sometimes it just isn't feasible to breast feed (traveling down the highway at rush hour or when there's no safe place to stop), or you might have milk issues (stress, dehydration can effect your production) and you don't want a hungry baby. I always packed a can of dry formula (or put "enough" in a ziplock), an empty bottle, and made formula using bottled water if we needed it while traveling.

Can you ship the pack-n-play or whatever it is that you are taking with you for baby's bed? It'll make your luggage lighter. Also, many of the "baby/child care equipment" catalogs market a heavy-duty car seat carrier. We had one for DD's carseat, and in over 4 years of air travel, her carseat was NEVER damaged by the airlines (and the carrier was big enough so that when DD was potty training, we could put her potty in the "lap" of the car seat and zip them both up together. This was good for good for going to and from the airport, as she had a specific "travel" car seat, and we'd stow the potty in the carrier when using the car seat on the plane).

We always used an umbrella stroller when we traveled. Yes, I know, babies seem to "slump" in them, but they are small, lightweight, and easy to handle. This was SO much easier to deal with than the full-sized stroller, and we only really needed it for the airport.

Nurse during take off and landing. You might need a small pillow (maybe 6" by 12") for behind your back as you will need to sort-of lean forward to maintain a nursing position, but it's so much better for the baby's ears if you can keep him/her sucking to offset the pressure changes. (or use a bottle if your baby will take one)

Good luck. Hopefully your baby will arrive on schedule and your travel plans will all work out. Stay hydrated, get plenty of rest before travel (you sleep when baby sleeps, the housework and laundry will wait for you), and make sure your DH knows he'll need to manage all the carry-ons, luggage, etc., because YOU will have your hands (and arms, and heart) FULL!

 

[linda0706]

I flew with my 3 week old infant. It was not difficult. Difficult is flying with a 9 month old

AMEN! I flew with a 4-week old. It was SO much easier than when she was a bit older. I fed her on takeoff to help her ears, then she slept for most of the flight till I fed her again upon descent.

 

[pigletgirl]

First of all, congratulations on your new baby!

Just some thoughts I had while reading your post:
1. Nursing is hard! It may seem like he/she will just latch on and it'll be all hunky dory but in reality both mama and baby have to learn. Because you are travelling so soon after birth I would definitely bring a bottle! (or a few of them in case of a delay!) My milk didn't come in until day 3 and I struggled in the beginning with my supply, so do have a back up!

2. Invest in a really good wrap/carrier. I found it to be quite easy to nurse with it and be discreet. I didn't need to use a blanket.

3. Purchase a seat for your baby! Bring his/her seat with you on the airplane. You will be so glad you did.

4. Bring his/her birth certificate. Airlines have restrictions on how young a child can fly (10 days, I think? Be sure to check with your airline) so have proof in case they ask. They will not go by word of mouth.

5. Bring extra supplies for you in your carry on! Pads, breast pads, Tylenol, etc. The post partum period is no fun and I can't imagine not having anything with me to take care of myself in that regard. Also, have at least 2 outfits for baby in case of a blow out. They do happen at the worst times.

Take care and have a good trip!

 

[elaine amj]

You sound like you are putting a lot of thought into how to make this travel as manageable as possible. Keep your expectations on the low side and be prepared to roll with the punches. I don't find travel particularly intimidating and I too would travel with a small baby if the circumstances required me to do so. It's not ideal, as you have said - but it can be done.

I like the wheelchair in the airport idea - conserve your energy wherever possible.

Babywearing is great (keeps the germs away too). Just make sure both you and your husband practice it a lot. I found doing it in front of a mirror most helpful.

Like a PP pointed out, nursing isn't always as easy as it sounds. With my first, I skipped all the nursing chapters in my pile of baby books thinking, "it's natural - how hard can it be?". I soon found out - I had a difficult time with my first. After nursing my first for 10 months I thought my 2nd would be a breeze. I struggled even more with him - it was practically a disaster (thankfully I found the right help and nursed him for 16 months). Anyway, in a circumstance like yours, I would have a bottle and formula as a backup.

Hope your trip goes great!

 

[Happy Snowman]

I'd make reservations at a hotel near each airport just in case there is bad weather. You can cancel them last minute if they are not needed but I wouldn't want to be stuck overnight in an airport with a newborn.

What trip insurance did you buy that had "changed your mind" coverage? Most trip insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions, which your pregnancy obviously is.

 

[laughinplace199]

Ok, so if I do not gate check it, how do I get it to Ohio/ NY?

I know it's expensive, but can you buy a ticket for the baby? We always bought tickets for our babies when we travelled and we used the car seat on the plane. I've had cup holders and other things broken off my gate checked strollers, so I'd never gate check a car seat.

 

[WDWDancer]

http://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Above is a good article about why you should always purchase a seat for your child and never gate check the car seat. "Car Seat for The Littles" is a great facebook group that has certified car seat techs; I have an 11 month old and have learned so much just reading through it.

Do not forget nipple cream if you are planning on breastfeeding - also have you checked to make sure the infant will be allowed to visit your grandmother? I know some care centers around here have age restrictions during cold/flu season's. Another thing to be aware that I have not seen mentioned is your hormones; around 2 - 4 weeks is when I was really hit hard. The slightest things could set me off; I had mood swings, cried at commercials, and just generally did not want to be around people....just something to be aware of

 

[WDWJDS]

All new Moms are exhausted( I am talking the first couple weeks when you are up every 2-3 hours until schedule kicks in) Show me one that isn't To begin nursing, a quiet serene atmosphere is needed being in airports, different homes etc is hectic for a two week old baby

Actually ALL new moms are not exhausted. I'll show you one that wasn't ....me. I had a c-section, and nursed exclusively. I woke up every 2 1/2 hours to nurse and slept in between. I was on maternity leave, she was my only child so I had plenty of time to nap both day and night. I took her to a wedding when she was three weeks old and we went away for a long weekend when she was 7 weeks old. No problem at all.

And for the record, I have worked with literally thousands of brand new moms. Most are exhausted, but not all! Many people have issues with breastfeeding, but not ALL. And nope, quiet serene atmospheres are nice, but not NEEDED.

I didn't mean to go too off topic. I just wanted to reassure the OP that being an exhausted new mom is not an ABSOLUTE. Probable, yup. Definite, nope.

 

[PlaneJoy1]

Haven't seen it specifically mentioned, but definitely could have missed it.

Some airlines require infants to be 2 weeks old before flying. You likely need to check with your airline of choice to find out. There have been families denied boarding because of the age of their infant.

 

[NewRVLady]

when we arrived in NY earlier this month there was a Mom with a one year old. her car seat was in a zippered soft carrier-checked.
She told us that carrier was necessary or seat would get messed up-Baby was in umbrella stroller that was gate checked. she got her pull suitcase, grabbed the HUGE carseat-the carrier had handles-like a backpack.
She swung that carseat ON HER BACK and proceeded out the airport-we were astonished!

(And before I get bashed -DH has major back problems now and could not help her-I was carrying extra because of it)

 

[hcox31]

Policies may be different here (Canada) but for flying domestically does your infant need a passport? Here they do I believe, even for domestic flights. Would you even have enough time to get a passport if it's needed?

 

[hcox31]

Policies may be different here (Canada) but for flying domestically does your infant need a passport? Here they do I believe, even for domestic flights. Would you even have enough time to get a passport if it's needed?

I stand corrected by Google. It looks like a birth certificate is needed by airlines for proof of age

 

[Hisgirl]

Lots of good, not so good, bad, interesting, excellent advice. In other words...this is a decision to be made best based on the advice of your baby's doctor and you. Please read this short article.: http://pediatrics.about.com/od/fever/a/0707_baby_fever.htm

It appears that a fever in a newborn under 3 months is seen as pretty serious and will require a septic workup.

Your baby will be exposed to not only the plane crowd, but all of your family members. And this will be during cold and flu season. Each person has to make their own decision about what level of risk you are willing to expose your infant to. Personally, I would stay in and not expose my baby to that many people and settle for a skype call...but that's me.