Anonymous wrote:I would rent an Airbnb and wait to fly until the baby receives its first round of shots. I wouldn’t fly with a week old baby. I might drive.

That would leave us stuck in an Airbnb for over a month with a newborn. I'd rather bite the bullet and get back home more quickly.

Pre-Covid, we had to figure out what to do in this situation (although slightly less distance). We opted to drive and took shifts. We did take some bathroom breaks and feeding breaks. The one thing I didn't really account for was how exhausted we would be even before we started to head home. Between the being present during the labor and taking care of our newborn in the hospital, I had been up for almost 3 days with just an hour or two of sleep. My DH got more sleep, but we were both physically and emotionally exhausted (albeit BEYOND happy). It was all pretty typical new parent exhaustion, but most new parents don't have such a long drive home from the hospital . Just something to factor in. Looking back now, I'm not sure how we made the drive back work!

I would rent an Airbnb and wait to fly until the baby receives its first round of shots. I wouldn’t fly with a week old baby. I might drive.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know that driving is safer with covid. You'd be stopping many times for gas and hotels. I'm assuming you'd be in a rental car.

Good luck, sounds like an "adventure".

Agree 100%. We are FAR from covid cautious but I wouldn’t say that driving cross county is “safer” than airplane travel.

If you fly, definitely get a seat for the baby. Turbulence is no joke. In my experience, once in the air, the baby will fall asleep in the car seat the same he or she would in a car.

Anonymous wrote:Everything in the plane, including the coffee pot, is lashed down for turbulence. Do not have an infant you went through so much to have be the exception to this. Kid goes in the carseat on a plane, always.

Congratulations!

This. I'm a frequent flyer and have seen an unrestrained older infant go airborne enough during bad turbulence that she hit her head on the light panel above the seat. Fortunately, she was ok, but it was disturbing and stressful to the mother and could have been very serious. I can't imagine that happening to a newborn.

Also, as a parent who flew frequently with my older DD when she was very young, please be prepared for delays in air travel. Take along twice the amount of diapers, formula, etc than you think you will need in a carry-on, along with a change of clothing (or at least a spare shirt) for you and your partner. I learned that lesson the hard way. Formula and diapers aren't readily available at airports.

I don't know that driving is safer with covid. You'd be stopping many times for gas and hotels. I'm assuming you'd be in a rental car.

Good luck, sounds like an "adventure".

Everything in the plane, including the coffee pot, is lashed down for turbulence. Do not have an infant you went through so much to have be the exception to this. Kid goes in the carseat on a plane, always.

Congratulations!