Yes, one can always fly or travel with a newborn baby but that does not mean that they should fly or travel with a newborn baby.
So, when the question pops up that how soon can you travel with a newborn, and then according to most doctors ideally it should not be before the baby is of 6 months. It is even better if they are a year old or more.
But even if one wants to travel before that (in many cases there is a compulsion to fly or travel with the baby) then the parents have to keep certain things in mind.
When one is flying with the baby, they have to check the specific airlines with which they should be travelling. Some airlines had guidelines and they do not allow younger babies to fly and that includes newborn babies who are born a week or two before. In case of emergencies, the parents need to produce a medical certificate and let them know that the baby is authorised to fly. But that should not be done unless if there is any emergency.
When one is flying with a plane they should know that the oxygen levels are lower in the pressured cabins or due to the effects of high altitude. So, it is always advised that one should not fly with younger infants because being exposed to larger groups of people and there is a high chance that they get infected and sick. Travelling through the airport and in an airplane and then going through the crowds will always expose a child to a lot of viral diseases and other infections and it can be a major issue when one is thinking of the safety of a baby.
Also vaccine preventable diseases are an issue in this age and when a baby is travelling early there is a high possibility that they are not vaccinated yet and so they are not fully protected against the germs.
On the other hand, travelling can be very stressful for both the mother and the newborn baby if the flight gets delayed or cancelled. In fact one needs to carry a lot of things when they are travelling with the newborn baby like diapers, clothes, bottles and other things.
So, until and unless it is very essential one should definitely drop the idea of travelling with a baby till they becomes a bit older and with a proper immunity system. So the answer to when can an infant travel is definitely not before 6 months.
But again if one is determined to fly with an infant then they should:
- Bring some help with them.
- Take the paediatricians opinion before flying.
- Get a nonstop flight to travel.
- Take a flight in the off peak time.
- Get ready for any kind of emergencies.
Some may think that travelling by a train or a bus can be a better idea but that is also not true because they will be exposed to crowds there too.