Travel
There is no minimum travel age for newborns. Babies who are adopted, for example, often fly in the first days of life. Although it is true that planes can be germ fests, it is also true that babies and their parents have places to go and people to see. Some recommend that parents wait until after the baby has had his first round of shots before flying, but it's much more likely that a plane would be harboring cold germs than anything a vaccine might prevent. Parents of preemies and other babies with particular respiratory or immune challenges may want to think twice about travel. In any case, ask your pediatrician. She will probably have opinions or suggestions that you may want to take into account.
Traveling with a newborn can actually be a lot easier than traveling with a mobile baby or a toddler. If your baby is an avid nurser, he may be on the breast for a good part of the trip, which should keep him happy (you, maybe not so much). Sucking also helps babies' ears adjust to the pressure changes, so consider nursing or offering a bottle or pacifier on the way up and down. The safest place for a baby to be on the plane is strapped into his own car seat in a separate seat. But many can't — or would rather not — pay for an extra seat, especially on a short flight with a small baby. Babies under two are allowed to ride on a parent's lap... Read more advice from Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morris in Parental Advisory
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