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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To take a baby on a long-haul flight?

25 replies

nesting1 · 20/09/2017 15:57

How naive am I being.....?
We are ttc at the moment for our first dc but would love to book a few days in New York for our wedding anniversary. We are thinking about postponing booking it in case I would be post 6 months into pregnancy and not be able to fly, but if I fall pregnant straight away, would I BU to book it knowing I would have a very young baby? How young is too young?

OP posts:

PatriciaHolm · 20/09/2017 16:00

What's "very young"?

Babes in arms are very portable - DD went to Antigua at 4 months - but you have no idea how you would be feeling if they were only a month or 2 old. I was absolutely fine in just a few days, but I think I was unusual - others will tell you how they had pain, bleeding, etc for weeks -and you just won't know where on the spectrum you will be until it happens!

glastogal · 20/09/2017 16:00

I wouldn't put anything off as you don't know how long you will be TTC.. also, you can fly after 6 months of with a doctor's note!

CavoliRiscaldati · 20/09/2017 16:01

a baby is a hell of a lot easier than a toddler!

The problem is more you, you might not feel like leaving your home, you might be recovering from c-section. The travel itself is fine: feed baby at take-off and landing, book a carrycot seat with the airline, be ready to walk and cuddle a lot.

Good luck, but over-planning when you are ttc is a risky strategy, you cannot guess how long it takes to get pregnant unfortunately.

skippy67 · 20/09/2017 16:03

I took Dd to Jamaica when she was 5 months old. She was either asleep or feeding for most of the flight. So I'd say go for it.

KatharinaRosalie · 20/09/2017 16:04

well has to be old enough so you have time to get them a passport. But otherwise the younger the better, they are way more portable as newborns than when they're mobile

PinkHeart5913 · 20/09/2017 16:04

My first born went to San Francisco with me & dh at 9 weeks old for our wedding, it was fine.

Easier to fly with a tiny newborn than a wriggly toddler

MrsTerryPratchett · 20/09/2017 16:04

The problem with TTC is that anything can happen. Quick or not, preemie or late. Straightforward birth and BFing or CS and problems feeding.

I flew with DD when she was 3 months old. It's doable.

fucksakefay · 20/09/2017 16:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WindwardCircle · 20/09/2017 16:06

The first time I flew with DD she was ten weeks. Having no experience of flying with a baby I found it quite stressful, but compared to flying with an older baby who's into everything or a toddler who doesn't understand why they can't climb on the backs of the seats or crawl around on the floor it's a doddle.

If you're not ebf then it becomes slightly more complicated with having to take formula and bottles, but even then it's still the best time to fly with your child until they're old enough to watch inflight entertainment all the way.

SleepingStandingUp · 20/09/2017 16:08

Can you just hold off on booking? Put money aside on and oink then book say 4 months beofte your anniversary? I'm assuming your anniversary is nearly a year away?

It took 18 months for us to fall pregnant and he was a little early and very poorly. No amount of planning would have worked for us except last minute. Obviously the hope is you'll get pregnant first time, deliver on date, hone in 12 hours etc but you fiat don't know.

Live your life as it is not as how you hope it will be

happilyeverafta · 20/09/2017 16:11

Do it!

We took our DD on honeymoon with us to Dubai & Mauritius. She was 15weeks old - Was a doddle. Get a sky cot as you get to relax too when baby is asleep, infact DD has been on every holiday with us since so is used to flying now.

Defo easier when they aren't 'mobile' lol!

Original poster

nesting1 · 20/09/2017 16:12

Thanks for all your replies! I love a good plan and so the unknown of ttc is so difficult! If I were to conceive in the next couple of months the baby would be 3-4 months but the time we were looking to go so this seems like a good age? I suppose the best thing is to wait and see! I don't think I'd want to go that far after 6 months of pregnancy "just in case"!

Good point about passports KatharinaRosalie - I hadn't even thought of that!

OP posts:

ChocolateButton15 · 20/09/2017 16:18

I wouldn't book until you are pregnant and take the baby when it's about 6 months old or stop ttc and go asap. The baby may be too young to get their passport and visas done in time. You could also end up being too pregnant to go or have complications out there which could cost a bomb. I've been to Europe 12 weeks pregnant and 16 weeks pregnant, didn't enjoy it as much as I thought as was worried about what I could eat, getting ill, tiredness etc. Also if you go within the 1st trimester you may be too sick and tired to go sight seeing.

bedtimestories · 20/09/2017 16:21

Book it to go as soon as possible, have it as an early wedding anniversary. You never know what is round the corner. Hope everything works out for you

yecartmannew · 20/09/2017 16:30

My god daughter is half American and has been flying back and forth across the Atlantic twice a year since birth. She now has a younger sister.

It can be a bit wearing keeping a toddler entertained but they get used to it if you do it often. Babies are much more portable than toddlers anyway.

HiJenny35 · 20/09/2017 16:41

Don't stop ttc, I assumed I would fall straight away and it took 3 years both first and second time. If I'd waited i never would have done anything. You don't get that amazing of a deal for booking early with New York as it's an all round visited destination (or at least we didn't find anything that significantly cheaper when we were looking) If I was you I'd wait till 6 months before the trip and then book, that way you know the most you are going to be is 6 months.

Gumbo · 20/09/2017 16:43

I took DS on a 12-hour flight when he was 11 weeks old. I was alone with him and terrified he'd just scream endlessly; instead, he smiled at his audience everyone then slept for 10 hours!

Like everyone else says flying with young babies is easy, it's when they're older it gets harder.

5foot5 · 20/09/2017 16:46

3-4 months would be a good age as you should have had enough time to get over the birth and have got the hang of looking after a baby, established BF etc.

I flew to Sydney with DD when she was 10 months which was actually OK but it would have been even easier if she was still basically luggage as a small baby is.

As others have said - attempting it with a toddler could be a nightmare

SadieContrary · 20/09/2017 16:49

We took DD home from the Middle East back to the UK when she was 10weeks old and it was absolutely fine (7 hours)

Ttbb · 20/09/2017 16:50

The you get they are, the more they sleep, the easier it is!

Snausage · 20/09/2017 16:53

As a PP said, babies are very portable. Far more so than toddlers!

I'd book your vacation and take out comprehensive holiday insurance so that you're covered if you need to cancel .

NotQuiteJustYet · 20/09/2017 17:08

I would personally avoid flying when pregnant. I recently flew to Poland at 20 weeks pregnant for a short break for DH's birthday and I was incredibly uncomfortable. Not to mention, all the walking around when I was there had me absolutely exhausted.

Friends of ours were due to fly out to Florida and had to cancel their trip as she would have been virtually due and too pregnant to fly by that point.

Maybe book once you're expecting so you're taking your little one, or go beforehand?

bridgetreilly · 20/09/2017 17:16

Personally, I wouldn't take a baby on a flight just for a holiday.

glitterlips1 · 20/09/2017 17:23

I took an 16 month on a 14 hour flight to California and he slept for most of it. Babies are far more portable than toddlers so I would go for it.

Lenny1980 · 20/09/2017 18:44

Forget about the flight, isn't the big question what are you planning to do whilst in NYC with a young baby?!

Wait until you're pregnant and then book, and if your not pregnant a couple of months before your anniversary book anyway. Then you'll get to enjoy the city without baby in tow!

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