Dear Sarah,
Having ventured cross-country with each of my three children at this age, I can tell you it is doable. When it comes to traveling with a young infant, I will tell you that there are both practical and medical aspects to take into consideration.
One of the most important considerations is how much you really want (or need) to travel with your two-month-old. While infants this age can be a bit easier in the sense that they sleep more and often could care less where it is they sleep, it is the rare parent who can actually say that they are well-rested two months after a new addition to the family.
Traveling with a two month old can also take a lot of extra advance planning, from feeding (regardless of whether you're breastfeeding or bottle-feeding) to the clothes and diapers you'll need to have on hand. Keeping up with leaky diapers at home is a big enough task for some parents that the thought of dealing with soiled clothes and frequent diaper changes on an airplane cross-country is not a welcome one.
As for your baby's health, it depends both on your mode of travel and how long you will be traveling. Taking a young infant out into crowded public places does increase the likelihood that she will be exposed to a viral illness. This applies especially to airplanes, where the circulated air can spread respiratory viruses throughout the plane.
At this age, the common cold can be more than just an annoyance since a simple snotty nose can interfere with a baby's ability to sleep, breath, and eat comfortably. The fevers, which often accompany viral illnesses, also need to be taken more seriously at this age. See Fever: Zero to Four Months.
If you do choose to travel, especially if you will be gone for a while, you should talk in advance with your pediatrician or other appropriate healthcare provider about where you will be traveling, since it is very important to both get your child immunized on time. Also make sure you have someone to contact where you are headed in the event that your baby requires medical attention.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
