In general, doctors recommend waiting to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as early as one month for full-term babies, although most doctors recommend between three and six months. Assuming both mother and baby are healthy, you can travel when your baby is two weeks old. In some cases, you can fly even earlier, but I would recommend waiting if it's not absolutely necessary.
While you can travel with a newborn baby, including air travel, it doesn't mean you should. A lot depends on your baby's age and health. Travel before one week of age is generally not recommended and many doctors will also recommend limiting travel for several months. Being careful doesn't have to do with oxygen levels, the pressurized cabin on the plane, or the effects of high altitude.
There is no proven connection between air travel and SIDS. The pattern of waiting to travel long distances until your newborn's immune system has fully developed is possibly even more important when it comes to air travel. When it comes to how soon a newborn can travel long distances by car (more than 2 hours), the recommendation is the same as traveling by plane, when the immune system is better developed, at 2 or 3 months of age. If you have to travel and wonder when it's safe to travel with a newborn on an airplane, the recommendation is to wait until the baby's immune system is more mature.
If you are going to travel with your newborn by plane regularly and this will continue into the baby and toddler years, this Babyzen Yoyo travel stroller would be a worthwhile investment, as it is so small that it fits in the overhead compartments of the plane. The bottom line is that unless you have a well-rested driver, you should try to postpone the trip until your newborn is a little older, unless the trip is essential. I hope you are much more informed about traveling with a newborn by car and I hope that the tips for traveling with a newborn by plane will be useful to you. Whether you're traveling with a newborn by car locally, further afield, or by plane, you first need to know when it's safe to travel and how to do it.
