When would/have you emigrated with a newborn?

[2beautifulgalsandabean]

We are/ were planning on emigrating to the US may next year, everything was set in place, tickets booked, just waiting to send off readiness for interview letter (for the visa, as only valid for 6 months) But evrything else is in place.
Then Just last week i found out i am pregnant with DC3. Which we are very excited about and was kind of planned, but we had been trying for a while.
So now babe will be due 10 days after we are suppose to leave. We will be changing the flights,this is not a problem. As i want to give birth in the UK. But how long after due date would you re-book the flights.
We were thinking about 6 weeks?
I know a baby can fly after 7 days, however i think this will be too early.
With DD1 i was 4 days overdue and DD2 7 days.
So if we allow the 10 days after due date when they would induce me. The baby would at the youngest be 4 weeks old?
What do you think, too young? If so when would you fly with a newborn?
We want to leave as soon as possible but also don't want to take any risks.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

How long does it take to get a first passport?

I wouldn't have emigrated with a first newborn, I would've been too clueless. You're on number 3 now so I'm sure you know what you are doing!

[serenity]

Which bit are you worried about? Flying with a newborn or coping in a new country with a newborn?

My SIL emigrated when her DD was 2 weeks, but she was emigrating to a country where her parents were originally from, so she was familiar with it and had relatives there to support her.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

A friend of mine did it when hers was 8 weeks, need to factor in passport.

[AuldAlliance]

I flew long-distance for job interviews with DS when he was 6 weeks old. It was fine, though he did spend a lot of the time BFing and I think he thought he was in milk heaven! Much easier than with a boisterous toddler, really.
I'd agree that the actual flight is maybe less of an issue than the settling into a new country with a tiny baby.

[Themasterandmargaritas]

I flew from the UK back home to Africa when dc 1 was 2 weeks old and dc 2 was 10 days old, both after a CS. You can get a passport on the spot if you book an appointment in person with the passport office as soon as the baby is born (at least you could 4 years ago, the system may have changed since?).It was fine and actually very straightforward so I would say the flying bit is actually the least of your worries.

We emigrated to Kenya when dc3 was 6 months old and that also went fine, but dh had been here and set up all the time consuming frustrating stuff in advance. All we had to do was negotiate a politically unstable and violent country and furnish an empty house. The former was the easier part

[2beautifulgalsandabean]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

DH is from the US and we are moving in with his parents intially and and he has a lot of family close by. So not worried about not knowing anyone settling in etc.
More worried about the baby flying, will be breast feeding so one less thing to think about.
We will have to get a US passport for the Babe and from past experience there are pretty quick at dispatch once have been to London to sort it out. You have to book appt 3 months in advance, so will do that and fingers crossed.
It is going to involve 2 flights of around 7 hours each!!!! with hopefully a week stopover with another relative in between each flight.
So everyone thinks flying with a 4-6 week old is do-able?

[AuldAlliance]

My flight was 12 hours. DS slept a lot, when he wasn't feeding (!)
I reckon 7 hours should be fine, especially with a week between the two flights.

[Buda]

I moved from Vietnam when 6 months PG with DS and went to Dublin to have him. Moved to Bulgaria with him when he was 7 weeks.

[PavlovtheCat]

4 weeks +, absolutely fine. He will eat/sleep most of the way.

[VanillaPumpkin]

The easiest flight I have ever had with children was the one from Cyprus to the UK (5 hrs) when dd2 was 2 weeks old. I breast fed her and cuddled her the whole way. Was a blissful love in .
DD1 was 4 months for her first flight and apart from the fact I was on my own and so stressed because of that, it was a piece of cake.
Good Luck. Four to six weeks will be perfect .

[chloeb2002]

I flew to the uk from aus with dd when she was 6 weeks old.. passport was the biggest nightmare it ended up being flewn to the airport to be collected at customs... stress.
she flew fine but if i was planning it again i would ensure you can move flights re arrange plans at teh last minute as anything can happen, not being doom and gloom as ds who is now nearly five months still isnt even allowed to fly short haul because of some congential concerns about pressure in his brain. so yes that would be highly unlikely but these things happen so be sure to plan around any eventuality you can... sorry to be doom and gloom, and im sure dc will be totally fine. but it could be alot of stress and money if things dont go perfectly