would you fly with an unvaccinated 2 month old? - Page 2

[LianneM]

I agree that it would be the best time to go DS was still spending a ton of time in the sling at that point, and it was awesome - he'd nurse, sleep, whatever, he was happy. I wouldn't have even thought about vaxing b/c of flying.

[DahliaRW]

I travel with my unvaxed (other than one series which I regret) ds all the time. Airplanes and all. I think with a 2mo as long as you are breastfeeding I would go.

[liam's mom]

i have flown with both my kids before they had any vaxes (we selectively vax and delay until ~9m). in fact, i flew w/my youngest when he was six weeks.

[alegna]

Under no condition would I consider leaving a baby that young.

-Angela

[dancebaraka]

Another vote for...
skip the vax and enjoy your trip.

[rachelmarie]

And yet another vote for skip the vaxing (makes no sense to do so) and go - if you *really* feel you need to be there.

Having said that, I wouldn't go. But that's just me. Any of my good friends would COMPLETELY understand that - I'm sure your's will, too, if you choose to not go.

Also - another vote here for it being an absolutely AWFUL idea to pump and be away from babe that long. Bad, bad idea. Either take the baby or don't go at all.

Good luck either way!

[trmpetplaya]

My daughter's not vaxed at all and we've flown four times with her. The first time she was four months and it was a breeze. She just slept the whole time. WAY nicer than when she was 13 months and was awake and wanting to run around the whole time...

I'd go and not worry about the vaccines. It wouldn't have even crossed my mind to worry about that. Especially if you're nursing you have nothing to worry about. Anything your dc gets will be fought by antibodies in your milk whether you get sick or not.

If you're not breastfeeding then I wouldn't go - especially after vaccinating. Overwhelm the immune system with vaccines and then again with flying... doesn't sound like a good idea to me - ffing or not. If you're breastfeeding then go ahead and go if you really want to and don't worry about it!

love and peace.

[4lilfarmers]

i flew with an unvaxed three mo old... i was nervous about the germs and all but in retrospect...i think he was probably the best set for flying then (as i exclusively bf)... it was when he was crawling and walking age that we was touching EVERYTHING and getting exposed more.

i'd fly. just bathe them when you get where you are going and you could load yourself up with immune booster (vit and echinacea) that your babe will get in the breastmilk.

[happymammaof3]

Originally Posted by alegna

Under no condition would I consider leaving a baby that young.

-Angela

:

[momuveight2B]

Your doctor is giving the correct advice for ff babies. If you are breastfeeding you don't need to worry. Baby is benefitting from your immune system.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by momuveight2B

Your doctor is giving the correct advice for ff babies. If you are breastfeeding you don't need to worry. Baby is benefitting from your immune system.

Well, except even for a ff baby one round of vaxes isn't going to do much good....

-Angela

[JanB]

Yeah -- even if you are doing the full vax schedule at the recommended times, a 2-month-old simply doesn't have that many vaxes in its system yet, whether formula-fed or breastfed. And honestly my concern about flying wasn't the diseases that you can be vaccinated for, it was your standard cold viruses, RSV, etc. I think it can be done, it just personally would make me nervous and I'd be extra cautious about keeping my baby close to me.

This whole vax thing just seems like a total red herring to me. It is like the least on my list of concerns when flying with an infant!

Oh, and from someone who's been there, done that: If you do decide to make the trip, and you can afford the cost, I'd consider paying for the extra seat, even if you fly alone. First of all, even if the baby nurses in your lap the entire time, it's nice to have the extra elbow room, particularly if, like with my first baby at that age, you can only nurse in the football hold. Also I liked knowing that in the case of extreme turbulence I could buckle my infant into the carseat. But that's just me, and as always your mileage may vary.

[amyleigh33]

Yes -- I will be doing so in August to visit my family back home.

[frenchie]

Originally Posted by tofutti

..........or would you get a few vaccines JUST to fly?

or would you just skip the whole thing?

i am SO TORN. my oldest and dearest friend is getting married, and i am IN the wedding. the babe will be (depending on when he pops out)...7 to 11 weeks old.

my doc (who is totally open about us NOT vaxing) said if i get on a plane, its like a giant petri dish ... and doing it with an un-vaxe'd babe is a bad idea.

so
1. i could get the vax's and go.
2. i could skip the vax's, go anyway and take the risks
3. i could cancel the whole trip
4. i could pump a bunch of milk, leave the baby with DH and go for 2 days. (but is that too young for bottle feeding and would that dry up my milk?)

i am leaning toward "not going" because what a huge stress on a little infant. right?

but my friend might never forgive me. (well, i know she would, but she would be so sad )

any advice?!

deb

I would fly before I'd drive, because it's safer. I think as long as you're nursing your baby, he/she will have a nice strong immunity to any airborn illnesses that are commonly found on a plane...the flu I think is the most common. I don't know that I'd fly with a 7 week old though...11 weeks is still pushing it. That though, is about my own comfort. I'm sure your baby will travel just fine at that age.

[PerennialMom]

Originally Posted by alegna

: Why would you vax? What would you be worried about catching that the vaxes might help with? Only thing I can think of is pertussis and one dose is almost no good at all.

I wouldn't vax. I'd go. I'd not give the topic another thought....

-Angela

Totally agree.

[PerennialMom]

If you're going to pay more, like a PP mentioned, don't buy and extra seat, go first class and get an extra roomy, comfy chair. Be first on and first off and get a nice meal in the process! I did this when I was pregnant with my third and now I'll never fly coach again!

[hippy mum]

I think I'd go. And get a real pretty sling or make one to wear too Who will watch the baby during the ceremony? Will he be nearby in case he needs you or can you wear him?
As far as flying-I don't like to but have with ds when he was both 6m and 20m. Ebf and he still got a double ear infection and some weird diarhea virus the first time. So it's always a possibility that baby could catch something-you too. I got the extra seats both times too. With an 11 week old, I think I still would because I think it's safer during turbulence to strap them in, but if you don't you could prob tag the car seat and see if it would fit overhead or under your chair. Whatever you do don't check it though. Sometimes there's an extra seat empty and you can ask to move there. Oh, I would never leave a baby that young either.

[tofutti]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

what good advice, thank you

last night i asked the doula who teaches my hypnobirthing class and she said what so many of you have said: as long as you are breastfeeding, the baby will have all of your immunity to stuff. she said no problem.

and since we DON'T want to vax (and then, selectively) until way later in life (DH wasn't til he was a year old, this is our goal) ... not that it would do much good at two months old anyway (i have since learned...) so doing it to take a trip seems silly.

BUT BUT BUT


THE CONS OF GOING:

UNO: i agree with the few of you who said the GERM/YUK factor is a biggie. those stories about ear infections and diareeah were not even things i had thought of. and since this is (obviously, from my questions) our first baby .... yeah, we're gonna be big freaks about stuff and probably much more overprotective than we would with a second or third kid .... so maybe our OWN discomfort with the whole thing makes this trip JUST NOT WORTH IT.

DOS: i am expected to be a bridesmaid!? having never breastfed a baby ... what if the baby needs to eat and i am standing up there for 30 minutes in some awful dress ... how long could i make the baby wait to eat? i don't know much about breastfeeding but that sounds like a nightmare in the works. gaah.

TRES: dh is very supportive and would be wearing the baby while i was occupied with the wedding junk. but of course, great as he is, dh can't breastfeed. and i don't know if i will have introduced a bottle that young...and messing with a pump?! i wasn't counting on that either, until i had to, for work.

Um, (hee hee) FOUR: babies that young get sick anyway, and flying with a sick baby would not be happening......so i am not the ideal bridesmaid no matter what, if i have to pull out at the last minute, right?!

ay caramba. i guess i need to call my poor friend.

you all are better than dear abby

thank you!

deb

[alegna]

Originally Posted by tofutti

THE CONS OF GOING:

UNO: i agree with the few of you who said the GERM/YUK factor is a biggie. those stories about ear infections and diareeah were not even things i had thought of. and since this is (obviously, from my questions) our first baby .... yeah, we're gonna be big freaks about stuff and probably much more overprotective than we would with a second or third kid .... so maybe our OWN discomfort with the whole thing makes this trip JUST NOT WORTH IT.

DOS: i am expected to be a bridesmaid!? having never breastfed a baby ... what if the baby needs to eat and i am standing up there for 30 minutes in some awful dress ... how long could i make the baby wait to eat? i don't know much about breastfeeding but that sounds like a nightmare in the works. gaah.

TRES: dh is very supportive and would be wearing the baby while i was occupied with the wedding junk. but of course, great as he is, dh can't breastfeed. and i don't know if i will have introduced a bottle that young...and messing with a pump?! i wasn't counting on that either, until i had to, for work.

Um, (hee hee) FOUR: babies that young get sick anyway, and flying with a sick baby would not be happening......so i am not the ideal bridesmaid no matter what, if i have to pull out at the last minute, right?!

1. Germs. Do you usually get sick when you fly? I don't. I don't worry about it.

2. I'm going to be a bridesmaid with a baby around the same age. Honestly just do what you have to do. The ceremony itself is usually short. If you need to step out, step out. Let your friend know ahead of time that you'll do what you need to do. If she's a good friend, she'll understand.

3. I wouldn't pump. I'd plan to keep baby close and nurse.

4. Actually no. Babies that young usually DON'T get sick. Still getting tons of mom's immunities and all that.



-Angela

[flowers]

Oh mama!

Please stop worrying your cute little mama butt and start envisioning yourself as SUPER MAMA! Of course crazy things will happen but it is a baby and everyone understands that and I found when I stop worrying pretty much everyone around me is there to helpful and be supportive.

I would definitely go and keep baby slinged in airport...great age to fly!

I would have a talk with your friend about what some possible situations might be. Like you having to very descreetly and quietly leave the front to nurse your babe and be back in no time. I would encourage baby to nurse before the ceremony and have dh sling the babe during the ceremony. You two could make a secret signal if the babe is not going to make it without nursing and you could just quietly slip away. Just picture the best scenario...things have a way of working out when you let them!

I would get or make a special sling so you can look oh so sassy and special wearing baby for the day and you will overhear everyone saying... "What a great idea...she looks so great...what a great mom...she is having such a great time...lucky baby!"

probably stuff a lot of wipies in the sling pocket jic

Good luck mama! You rock!