Safe Luxury

is it safe for a baby to travel by air at only 2 weeks old???

ok, i am due to give birth on the 30th of october, and i have been in UK for 4 yrs as a student, my visa is due to expire on the 30th Nov, is it safe for the baby to fly at such an early age (i said 2 weeks assuming that the baby will be a bit late then expected )?? My baby will be a uk citizen as her dad is, but it doesn't change my status, and in order for me to stay here, my husband has to have a permanent job and a good income which he doesn't have now (he recently went bankrupt) so the home office will not take my application into consideration. I have decided to go back home until he gets what the home office asks from him to get (which is going to be really hard for him and me, as he will be far from his baby for an unknown period of time) is there anything i can do to legally extend my stay until my baby gets her jabs and is in the appropriate age to fly? thanks for all answers xx

Public Comments

1. A baby can fly from 24 hours old! It's just to make sure the pressure in their head is ok to fly, and that's normally fine by a few hours old, but the legal age is 24 hours i think :) x
2. I flew back and forth from the US to Japan from the time I was 18 days old. The only reason I didn't go earlier is because the flights were booked! Now I am 27, and I turned out just fine (my sister says a little weird, but that is what sisters are for!)
3. There are some dangers in flying so young, including weak immune system and immature eardrums/tubes. Breastfeeding can protect against some of the immune dangers and any sucking during takeoff and landing can protect the ears some too. Still maybe you could find a pediatrician who agreed it was dangerous to vouch for your need to stay.
4. i just flew with my one month old and he was fine. just make sure you have everything you need in a diaper bag for him/her. including extra clothes.. that is one thing i forgot and i accidently spilled some ice tea on him and he was a bit wet luckily i had a blanket to wrap him in. everyone was really helpful in the airport and my son slept almost the whole time. they say to give them a pacifier or bottle to suck on so there ears will pop. i had one just incase but he didnt seem to need it. and the best part is he didnt even get sick thank goodness which is really what i was worried about the most.
5. when i flew with my 3 month old baby there was a woman next to us with a 3 week old baby - our flight was pretty long too - about 11hrs - both our babies were fine - slept most of the time in the plane bassinets. yours should be fine too - just check with doctors and keep baby warm on the plane! good luck!