Traveling with a Newborn

[Imagineer2Be]

Call me crazy, but my husband and I plan to fly with our baby over Christmas. The baby is due December 4, 2014. The reasons behind it are very much our own and specific to our situation. In case you are interested in the why we did this:

1) My grandmother was in a horrible accident the day after Valentine's Day and is now a quadriplegic. If she is ever going to meet the baby, I need to bring it to her and soon. She is going downhill fast. This was the main driver for wanting to travel.
2) My husband just started with his company in March, so he doesn't qualify for FMLA time off to help me or have vacation time to travel at another time.
3) Both of our families live in states far away (we live in Texas, my parents are in Ohio, his are in New York). They don't visit very often. He gets two weeks paid off over the holidays making it easy for us to spend quality time with them.
4) My husbands parents and brother have their own slew of health issues that have kept them from traveling. His mom hopes to be well enough to come down in March.

We are flying to Cincinnati and the staying a week and the to New York for a week. We have trip insurance just in case something goes wrong.

Now that you have the why, here is my question for all the parents out there:

What do you need to have to get through the first month? Specifically regarding packing for the plane.

 

[SLP958]

Oh gracious....where to begin.

If this is your first baby I would really wait to see how things go before committing to a plane trip so early. Babies don't go by plans.

 

[JanaDee]

Call me crazy, but my husband and I plan to fly with our baby over Christmas. The baby is due December 4, 2014. The reasons behind it are very much our own and specific to our situation. In case you are interested in the why we did this:

1) My grandmother was in a horrible accident the day after Valentine's Day and is now a quadriplegic. If she is ever going to meet the baby, I need to bring it to her and soon. She is going downhill fast. This was the main driver for wanting to travel.
2) My husband just started with his company in March, so he doesn't qualify for FMLA time off to help me or have vacation time to travel at another time.
3) Both of our families live in states far away (we live in Texas, my parents are in Ohio, his are in New York). They don't visit very often. He gets two weeks paid off over the holidays making it easy for us to spend quality time with them.
4) My husbands parents and brother have their own slew of health issues that have kept them from traveling. His mom hopes to be well enough to come down in March.

We are flying to Cincinnati and the staying a week and the to New York for a week. We have trip insurance just in case something goes wrong.

Now that you have the why, here is my question for all the parents out there:

What do you need to have to get through the first month? Specifically regarding packing for the plane.

No way would I take a newborn on a plane at the height of flu season. Driving would be much safer health wise for the baby.

 

[tripletsmama]

The youngest I traveled with was 12 weeks. It was easy. Traveling with toddlers is much more difficult! If you're planning to breastfeed, that simplifies things an extra step as you don't need to pack bottles, formula, etc. I recommend a baby carrier. That way the baby is strapped to your chest when you check in, go through security, and walk to the gate. Your hands are free and baby is safe. They do an extra security measure if you leave baby strapped to your chest as you go through the scanner. If I'm remembering correctly, they just rubbed something over my hands. Get to the airport early and take things as they come. You'll have plenty of time and won't be stressed. When you're taking off and landing, feed the baby. It helps with their ears.

 

[lsyorke]

Oh gracious....where to begin.

If this is your first baby I would really wait to see how things go before committing to a plane trip so early. Babies don't go by plans.

Couldn't have said it better. Babies have a tendency to not go along with the best laid plans. DS was colicky and screamed for the first few months of his life...not something you want to subject others to on a plane.

 

[mjkacmom]

My first was 10 days late, and honestly, I always hated those first four weeks, because I was deliriously exhausted! The first was the worst, because I had no idea I would be THAT tired. With the others, at least I knew what I was in for.

 

[ebradley23]

We had to fly with our son when he was 4 weeks old due to my grandmother's death. Honestly, looking back, it was the easiest time to travel. If you are planning to nurse, you really don't have to worry about much except diapers. Bring enough for the flight. Buy the rest once you are there. We had a suitcase large enough to fit a broken down rock n play for him to sleep in. It was easier to travel with than a pack and play.

I wore him in a carrier through the airport and on the plane. They will make you take your baby out during takeoff and landing, but the rest of the time he was attached to me. It was cold and flu season (January), so I was a little paranoid about hand washing and ISO hand sanitizer. I also made sure the air was off overhead.

My biggest advice is to not stress. If your baby cries, don't worry about the passengers around you. They can get over it. Trying to comfort your baby while being stressed about others just makes it worse. If you need to stand to bounce your baby, then stand and bounce (as long as the fasten seatbelt sign is off). I did, and I got complete understanding from everyone.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We had planned to fly with DD over Christmas--which was 2 weeks after she was due, and the doctor said she would be early and we would be fine. She was born December 26--totally foiled that plan
So, do be aware that you might be travelling with a younger infant (and a more sore you) than you are currently anticipating--and if something happens and you need an emergency C-section, etc you could have a longer recovery time than anticipated as well.

All of that said, we flew with DD at 4 weeks and it was a piece of cake.
Most newborns sleep a lot. I nursed her exclusively, so did not have to worry about taking bottles or snacks, etc (but, if you do nurse, be sure you drink a LOT of water when travelling).

We traveled often with both kids in the first few months of their lives and the things I took were:

twice as many diapers as we "should" need for the time frame

at least two full changes of clothes for baby

at least one extra shirt for each adult

several burp cloths

receiving blankest to use almost like big spill cloths to lay over our laps while holding baby in flight

No way would I take a newborn on a plane at the height of flu season. Driving would be much safer health wise for the baby.

I tend to disagree. The likelihood of a a car accident on a long drive, during winter, with heavy traffic at peak holiday travel times is high enough that injury from a wreck is probably a bigger concern than that of increased exposure to infection of being on an airplane (especially given that the baby would still be exposed to lots of people at restroom/diaper change stops, stops for food breaks, etc on the drive.

 

[Imagineer2Be]

We had planned to fly with DD over Christmas--which was 2 weeks after she was due, and the doctor said she would be early and we would be fine. She was born December 26--totally foiled that plan So, do be aware that you might be travelling with a younger infant (and a more sore you) than you are currently anticipating--and if something happens and you need an emergency C-section, etc you could have a longer recovery time than anticipated as well. All of that said, we flew with DD at 4 weeks and it was a piece of cake. Most newborns sleep a lot. I nursed her exclusively, so did not have to worry about taking bottles or snacks, etc (but, if you do nurse, be sure you drink a LOT of water when travelling). We traveled often with both kids in the first few months of their lives and the things I took were: twice as many diapers as we "should" need for the time frame at least two full changes of clothes for baby at least one extra shirt for each adult several burp cloths receiving blankest to use almost like big spill cloths to lay over our laps while holding baby in flight I tend to disagree. The likelihood of a a car accident on a long drive, during winter, with heavy traffic at peak holiday travel times is high enough that injury from a wreck is probably a bigger concern than that of increased exposure to infection of being on an airplane (especially given that the baby would still be exposed to lots of people at restroom/diaper change stops, stops for food breaks, etc on the drive.

Yep. This is why we have trip insurance. We have 15 days after the due date before the trip, but if ANY of us are not OK we can and will cancel. I plan to nurse so bottle are not needed. We have a pack and play or bassinet at both locations so we don't need to pack that.

Current packing list suggestions:
Baby carrier (we have the ergobaby and infant insert)
Twice as many diapers and wipes as needed
2-3 changes of clothes for baby
1 extra outfit for mom and dad
Receiving blankets
Rock and Play (we can collapse it) and vibrates so we hope it is comforting.

 

[LJSquishy]

What if baby is 2 weeks late? That, coupled with your recovery in the hospital (if you are choosing a hospital birth) might cut things too close. That's assuming there are no complications.

I would be concerned about the air pressure changes on a newborn's ears. I'd also worry about passengers with the flu or other bug, and now Ebola.

I understand your reasons for wanting to fly with your newborn, but I don't think it's wise.

 

[Pamlur]

My question is, will you have a little bit of help at each destination, so you can get some rest between flights? I would advise a pacifier or a little bit of expressed breast milk in a bottle for takeoff and landing, for the pressure change. Get the baby accustomed to the pacifier or bottle nipple, a little bit at a time, so there won't be the problem of refusal at the critical moment.

OP has trip insurance, so what she needs is some advice for a positive outcome.

 

[ebradley23]

What if baby is 2 weeks late? That, coupled with your recovery in the hospital (if you are choosing a hospital birth) might cut things too close. That's assuming there are no complications. I would be concerned about the air pressure changes on a newborn's ears. I'd also worry about passengers with the flu or other bug, and now Ebola. I understand your reasons for wanting to fly with your newborn, but I don't think it's wise.

Ebola?!?! Really?!?! OP - I also recommend not letting anyone vomit, bleed or put any other bodily fluids on your child. :/

 

[Crunchy Yogurt]

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

If you are breastfeeding, it will be a piece of cake. No fuss, no muss. Nurse on demand. Baby will most likely sleep.

Your biggest hurdle will be that you will be a tired mom, as your body will still be repairing. Make sure hubby is on board to help you with everything and anything.

As for germs, I really don't think they will be an issue. Newborns have a good immune system, contrary to what most believe. I can't imagine at three weeks old your baby won't already be on his 10th trip to the grocery store.

We never waited to travel with our children/take them out in public. I was so starving for Thai after my second baby, we stopped at our favorite restaurant on the way home from the hospital. And that was with a C-Section.

Good luck! You can do it!

 

[ebradley23]

Practice nursing with a cover. I hadn't had to nurse in public prior to my flight, so I was a bit of a mess trying to use my cover in that small space. I also recommend getting the window seat to allow privacy when nursing. It made it so I only flashed my husband when I was still a bumbling fool while nursing.

Oh, and I second a change of shirt for yourself. My son proceeded to spit up right down my cleavage as we walked through the X-ray machine at the airport. I was using a burp cloth between my breasts while my DH gathered our stuff. To make matters worse Bill Belamy was standing there watching. He had performed a show in out town the night before. I just hope I'm part of his act, since I had to be embarrassed in front of a semi-famous person.

 

[SLP958]

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

If you are breastfeeding, it will be a piece of cake. No fuss, no muss. Nurse on demand. Baby will most likely sleep.

Your biggest hurdle will be that you will be a tired mom, as your body will still be repairing. Make sure hubby is on board to help you with everything and anything.

As for germs, I really don't think they will be an issue. Newborns have a good immune system, contrary to what most believe. I can't imagine at three weeks old your baby won't already be on his 10th trip to the grocery store.

We never waited to travel with our children/take them out in public. I was so starving for Thai after my second baby, we stopped at our favorite restaurant on the way home from the hospital. And that was with a C-Section.

Good luck! You can do it!

Ok, newborns have a good immune system? I don't think so.
My youngest is 2 so I haven't been out of the baby game that long.
The doc advised us to keep her at home 6 weeks because she was born in the middle of RSV/flu season.
DS 7 was hospitalized 3 times by 3 mo old due to RSV complications.

I would recommend a talk with the pediatrician before making these plans.

 

[Crunchy Yogurt]

Ok, newborns have a good immune system? I don't think so.
My youngest is 2 so I haven't been out of the baby game that long.
The doc advised us to keep her at home 6 weeks because she was born in the middle of RSV/flu season.
DS 7 was hospitalized 3 times by 3 mo old due to RSV complications.

I would recommend a talk with the pediatrician before making these plans.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140921145104.htm

"We found that babies have an in-built anti-bacterial defense mechanism that works differently to adults, but nevertheless may be effective in protecting them"

But, yes, talk to your pediatrician. Ours was very supportive of our decision to take our babies out and about from day one. Of course, use common sense, as you would for yourself as far as protection from germs.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Don't blame your reasons for wanting to travel--but I would concur it isn't a good idea via the chosen method.

Where are you starting and where are you headed? I would think driving is best if this is a must do.

I am due in March and my oldest is headed to Colorado one month later. I'm sending dad instead of me as baby could be anywhere from 3-6 weeks old (if all goes normal). It just isn't prudent.

I say this as someone who took 2 of my infants to Disney at 6 weeks old. But we lived very close and it wasn't cold and flu season.

Also--you have no way of knowing how you would feel.

 

[JanaDee]

I tend to disagree. The likelihood of a a car accident on a long drive, during winter, with heavy traffic at peak holiday travel times is high enough that injury from a wreck is probably a bigger concern than that of increased exposure to infection of being on an airplane (especially given that the baby would still be exposed to lots of people at restroom/diaper change stops, stops for food breaks, etc on the drive.

As always, YMMV. I would not make the choice to travel on a plane with a newborn that could be anywhere from 10 days-4 weeks old.

The reality of a baby is often much different than what a first-time mother thinks it will be.

I understand the reasons for wanting to fly, but I don't think it is smart.

 

[barkley]

I wouldn't go overboard trying to think of everything you'll need-if something comes up there will be stores you can go to.

that said-as far as basics (wipes/diapers) maybe you could ask whomever you're staying with to purchase them there (send them size/brand, reimburse when you arrive) so they have them at the ready when you arrive (if staying at a hotel-you could purchase/mail to hotel-or see if a local store does delivery).

for the plane travel-just in case of delays, triple the amount you think you would need for the amount of hours you plan to be at the airport, on the plane, traveling to/from the airport. the only 'must have' I remember from this point in time was mylicon drops for gas (I had one who had colic). you can check with your pediatrician to see if they have a suggested list.

speaking of pediatricians-take the time NOW to review the health insurance that will cover the baby. ours didn't cover anything out of state unless it was an "emergency"-and their definition wasn't what I would have considered one as a new parent. trip insurance can carry exclusions, and I seem to remember when my kiddos were little and we had to do a claim on a trip-the trip insurance did a review of their med records to ensure that they hadn't received treatment for what they were treated for on vacation. with newborns it's not uncommon that they are tied to mom's coverage for the first 30 days-so make sure that the trip insurance doesn't have any exclusions pertaining to your pregnancy. if you've got insurance that will cover the baby out of state-check to see if you have to go to specific medical groups/providers, and maybe go ahead and note where the closest ones are to where you will be staying (better to know and not need vs. need and be stressing to find).

 

[JanaDee]

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.