When Is It Safe For A Baby To Fly?

As somebody who has kids, and also a family that lives abroad who were eager to meet my child, it was necessary for me to travel with a newborn on more than one occasion. While it wasn’t an ideal scenario, I made the best of it.

Some parents have safety concerns in regards to traveling with a young child and as a parent, I did have similar worries.

This article will be looking at what age you can travel with baby on an airplane and some other information that you might find useful.

Some parents have safety concerns in regards to traveling with a young child and as a parent, I did have similar worries.

This article will be looking at what age you can travel with baby on an airplane and some other information that you might find useful.

As long as your child has no health complications and the airline says it is OK, you can fly with your baby from 7 days and onwards.

Your doctor might usually recommend that your baby is between 3-6 months before you travel but usually, this is not necessary. It does depend on a few factors like where you are going, your own personal opinion on the matter and so on.

Let’s delve into this topic a little deeper including some awesome tips from a mom that should make your journey with little one somewhat easier.

My experience traveling with a newborn

As mentioned previous, I needed to travel with my baby when he was very young and I worried about it. He had no health issues and after consulting my doctor and explaining the situation, he advised me that it should be fine.

I actually traveled by plane with my child when he was just two weeks old.

I worried in the lead-up but it went as smooth as could be – he actually slept for the majority of the two-hour flight and there was just the smallest of whimpers that escaped during take-off!

I made sure that I was prepared and you should definitely do that too when traveling with a baby. I think being organized for the journey ahead is really important and I will be discussing that in further detail later.

Consider safety and check with your doctor

Safety is, of course, the number one priority when you are traveling with an extremely young baby.

Traveling by plane is actually one of the safest methods you can use but if in doubt, don’t do it. There are a couple of things that might be of concern because the baby’s bodies are much more fragile than ours.

The reason why some doctors say you shouldn’t take a baby on a plane until they are 3 months old is that their immune system isn’t very strong until that age.

If they are sharing a plane with somebody who has the flu or anything condition, it’s likely that they may pick it up.

Check with your doctor about whether it is OK for your baby to travel and also whether it is safe for you to travel so soon after delivery.

In terms of seating, the safest way to fasten your baby into an airplane is with a CRS, which is a child safety restraint system. This is a hard-backed child safety seat that is approved for flying.

All airlines allow this but you will usually need to let them know beforehand if you are going to be using one. Failing a CRS, airlines will also offer you an infant seat-belt, which clips onto your seat-belt as the baby sits on your lap during the entirety of the flight.

What you use depends on personal preference and don’t be afraid to do your research before you come up with a decision.

Have a checklist of things to take

Of course, when you are traveling with your child, you need to make sure that you are as prepared as possible.

Try and take a diaper bag that has different compartments but is also really easy to get into.

Make sure that you store this bag on the overhead compartment or somewhere else that is easy to get to during your flight.

You don’t want to over-pack this bag but you also want to make sure that you have the essentials that young baby will need during a flight. These items include the following.

Documents. Your baby needs their own passport and sometimes other documents in order to travel. If super young, it might be a good idea to get your doctor to write a note saying that it is fine for the little one to travel by plane.
Food and drink (probably just milk depending on the age of your child.) Make sure that you have enough to keep your baby satisfied during the flight, also consider the wait time at the airport before and afterward.
Diapers and wipes. Again make sure you have enough, it is always better to have too much than not enough of these.

A stroller. You will usually not be charged extra to put a stroller into storage on the plane but make sure you check any restrictions of the airline that you are using.

Air pressure can be a problem

Probably one of the biggest concerns with newborns but not something that was a problem for me personally is the air pressure within the cabin. It can cause the baby pain, usually in the ears.

The condition of the air in the aircraft will also be very dry. With that in mind, it is important to keep your little one hydrated during the journey.

These are two small details that some people fail to consider when they take a small child on a plane.

Check airline rules and restrictions

All airlines have different rules and restrictions regarding traveling with a baby. Some airlines allow you to board before anyone else if you have a baby under two years old. This can be a relief and from personal experience, this helped me get everything sorted out in my seat without any stress.

In terms of diaper changing, while all planes have to change tables in the toilets – these are not the most comfortable and spacious to use but needs must.

There are definitely pros and cons to flying with a young baby so you need to weigh these up and do whatever is right for you.

You should be able to find most rules and restrictions on the official website of the airline that you are flying with but if you have any other concerns, give customer care a ring and they should be able to answer any queries that you may have.

Flying with a baby is free or almost free

One reason why many people decide to take a small child on a plane rather than any other method of transport is that it is free or almost free, depending on the airline.

Tickets can often be crazy high to travel so to have this benefit when your child is yang. Make the most of the free airplane travel with your baby before they turn two.

Avoid long-haul flights

When you are traveling with a young baby, the shorter the flight, the better.

If you have to go somewhere that is some distance away, you really need to consider if that is possible with a baby. It is going to be extremely hard work, and it is likely going to make your baby very cranky too.

On a long-haul flight, think of how many times you will be going back and fore to the toilets to change your baby, how many times you will have to keep reaching into the changing bag and how loud your baby is going to get when he/she is upset.

These are all things that will generally make for a really stressful flight and that is why it is best to stick to short-haul (3 hours and under.)

Just relax

If you are stressed, your baby is going to be stressed, which won’t be good news for you or anybody else on the flight. Even a small child will pick up on your unease in this kind of situation.

Being organized should help calm your stress which means a happier baby too. If you need anything during flight, don’t be afraid to call the stewardess over and ask.

Other than staying as calm as possible, there isn’t much to do to prepare for a flight with a baby. So just keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article and general guide have helped you discover more about traveling with a baby.

There are things to be considered and planned, but that is the same as anything in life. Could things go wrong? Yes, but you can say that for pretty much any method of travel.

Check everything with your airline, be prepared and everything should go fine. Don’t over-complicate things during your first trip with baby, I was so worried but there really was no need to be.

I put this guide together, mom to mom (or mom to dad), to help the process go a little bit easier for you.

When Is It Safe For A Baby To Fly?