Traveling with an infant
 

My husband and I have always been one to take a few big trips every year. This year I got pregnant and we had to cancel a few. We're now wondering....what's the youngest age that you would suggest that we hold off traveling until? Our little one will be born on 1/12 and we were thinking of heading (flying) to Seattle this summer. (We're in SC, so this is across the country!)

Thanks for any input!

we waited till our son was 14 months before we did our first vacation, but that was our own comfort level.
i know people who started traveling again with children as young as 6 months and were fine with that. god bless them! (we wanted to but didn't have the courage).
the only thing i'd recommend is a direct/non-stop flight (the amount of baby things you'll have to carry will be ridiculous enough!).
good luck.

Don't hold off at all; the younger they are, the more portable they are. Traveling with a toddler is MUCH harder than traveling with an infant.

I took my daugher camping when she wa 6 weeks old, and she in turn has flown from RI to DC to visit relatives 3 or 4 times in the 9 months since her child was born.

Just take plenty of diapers and clothes (including a change for Mom) and snacks (including formula if you're not nursing) and you'll be fine.

After a 3 month maternity leave, and right before heading back to work, we took our 3 month old to Vancouver from L.A.. The only 2 problems we encountered were: (1) he was still breast feeding and was not happy with a bottle during the one evening we hired a baby sitter; and (2) you cannot even go into a hotel bar with a baby -- the laws in Brit. Columbia are strict! We did find the perfect umbrella stroller -- very hard to find for that age at that time, which helped a lot, along with what was then called a snuggly (this was 14 years ago!).

At 13 months, we flew to Paris, then took the train to Italy. Again, no problem (and he could walk and run by then), but finding the right stroller that will be small enough to drag around and with wheels that could maneuver cobble stone streets was key. Of course, he remembers nothing of either of these trips, but he had lots of fun chasing pigeons in St. Mark's square, looking at the fountains, and playing in the many parks.

Planning well in advance is key, and making certain the hotels have cribs or other suitable bedding.

Our daughter is now 19 months old. She first traveled (to the beach) @ 6 weeks. She has flown 4X to date. Paris @ 8 months. New Orleans @ 1 year. We go to Key West in 2 weeks & Germany/Austria in April. The sooner, the better.

My daugther is now 5 months old. We took her to Chicago at 5 WEEKS old and we are planning a trip to New Orleans when she'll be 6 months old. I highly recommend it, she's a high need baby and it was still a pleasure travelling with her.

We drove on a 3,000 miles vacation when our first born was only 7 months old. We went on a long camping trip when our 2nd was only 5 months old.

My DS and DIL flew from SC to California with there 5 month old and had no problems. They are going to fly out again when he's 8 1/2 months old...that might be a different story...LOL!

Utahtea

At four weeks, I took my son (w/o dad) to a family reunion in New Mexico. At six weeks, he accompanied me and dad to St. Kitts in the Caribbean where I was working. He was fine every step of the way -- but it was a bit hairy for me to be working, traveling, and taking care of an infant that I was breastfeeding. You need to gauge your own personal barometer as to what you can handle. Also, you have to be prepared to deal with people who do not at all want to be around infants (esp. on a plane) -- and for the people who do, even some who will take him/her off your hands simply for the thrill of holding an infant. These people, strangers at the time, I still recall with great nostalgia. It was a blessing.

After those trips, I don't think we went on another plane trip for the rest of that year. But my son still loves to fly.

Thanks for all of the replies. They're extremely helpful and it's nice to know that we won't have to stop traveling for a few years due to the baby's age!

On a different (but related) note....my husband has tossed out the idea of Yosemite vs. Seattle this summer. If we do Yosemite, I'd think that we'd have to toss the stroller and use a backpack, yes? What about Seattle? The same? Would one destination be easier/better than the other? Anyone been to either or both? (OR should I start a new post for this?)

Thanks again!

I'm grinning at the idea of baby with head sticking out of the backpack. Surely you are thinking of an infant carrier that mounts on your back. They are wonderful, especially in crowds where strollers are difficult to manuever. By all means, get one -- and get one of the slings too. With infants they are good for moms who are breastfeeding (nothing worse than dealing with baby bottles on a trip). Look for a used one in a consignment shop -- you won't use it for long.

Whether you go to a park or a city, strollers are great to have as those carriers become cumbersome for the parent of choice. In addition to the carrier, get an inexpensive umbrella stroller to have with you at all times. They take up very little room in cars and are good for naps.

I think you need to post again for Yosemite vs. Seattle. Include the question of kids.

LOL! Yes, I'm thinking of the infant carriers....the type that you wear as a backpack. I do have one of the slings, but I am thinking that he'll be too big for that....he'll be over 9lbs when he's born. (Yikes!) The head sticking out of a bookbag backpack is a cute picture though! haha

Thanks for your help! As suggested, I'm going to try posting as a Yosemite vs. Seattle w/ kids.

Suggest you talk to your pediatrician to get the latest advice on making your baby comfortable during air pressure changes. Ten years ago, the advice I got was to prep baby with Benadryl an hour before the flight and then make sure baby was sucking on a pacifier during takeoff.

From my experience with my two little ones, a big turning point is around 8 months, when they start to crawl and explore their environment. Before that, babies don't know what they're missing by being strapped in a car seat, but when they're mobile they WANT TO MOVE and being confined can be traumatic: for the kid, the parents, and everyone within earshot. I'd absolutely go this summer before your little one gets "wheels." Congratulations--babies are the best!