Preemies
Preemies traveling
When did you first travel with your preemie (actual and adjusted age)? How long was the flight? What did you do to prevent sickness?
DH's family lives in Italy and we want to go over there for xmas/new year's, but I am worried about the air and ppl in the airplane for 7 hours, plus we have to take 3 separate flights to get there. It might be too much for DD...she will be 5.5 mos actual and 3 mos adjusted. Our pedi said it depends on if she gets the shots for RSV, but even then I am slightly concerned. We have to get the tix soon, and I just don't know if it's a good idea or not.
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Re: Preemies traveling
I think most pedis would tell you not to go. My DH's family lives in Canada. We always go visit in January. This year we've informed we won't be flying anywhere until DD is year old and it is summer time. DH will probably go visit alone at Christmas.
I was actually going to wait until he was 1 years old. I am just protective. We took a 2 1/2 hour trip to the inlaws over Labor Day weekend, and that was long enough--luckily he just slept the entire way and we did not have to worry about a diaper change or feeing until we got to the inlaws.
We took a 4 hour car ride to see my dad and his family when Evan was.....around 2 months adjusted, so 6 months old. It was NOT fun, and we swore we wouldn't do it again for a long while. He was still on oxygen/monitor at that time, he was a high needs baby and we kept having to stop, and the 4 hour drive turned into like 6-7. We were incredibly exhausted, and it just wasn't worth it.
As for an airplane ride. wouldn't even enter my mind as a possiblitiy during RSV/influenza season. DH's mom and dad live in Texas and were begging us to come down there for christmas. The answer was a firm NO. That's just us though, everyone has to decide for themselves what's best for their family.
what time of year did you go?
Thanks everyone! This is kind of but kind of not a hard decision...I think we may just wait until the summer to go.
We actually got the go ahead to fly with LO to Florida this coming January. We asked the pedi back in July because we always book early, and he basically told us that we can't put LO in a bubble and she needs to have some exposure to germs. He's not really concerned, but she will also be 10 months actual (7.5 months adjusted) when we go away, so that might have something to do with it. He also said that due to when she was born the RSV shots may not be necessary.
Bottom line, if you aren't comfortable taking the trip with LO, then hold off until RSV season is over...otherwise you will be constantly worried and won't enjoy yourself.
We did a road trip from Portland to Sacramento when DS was 5 weeks adjusted... ended up taking 15 hrs each way and it was pretty rough (especially at first), but we all survived. He was touched and held by way more people than I was comfortable with, we stayed in a hotel where we couldn't sanitize the bottles, and even had to change him once on a bathroom floor (which nearly gave me a heart attack).... he didn't get sick and as a bonus DH and I are WAY more comfortable with him than we would have been. It pushed us into areas far outside our comfort zone that I don't think we would have gone to until he was a year old
Btw, where in Italy are your inlaws? DH's family is from Milan, but we do every other Christmas there and luckily it was last year for us
Cool! They are from Sardegna..the island to the west of the mainland
i flew from OH to FL with my preemies when they were 5 months actual / 2 months adjusted. my pedi ok'd it, and i also called to get the ok from the neo at the NICU they were for 3 months.
they were up-to-date on all of their shots and perfectly healthy. my sister and i both held them the entire time. they slept the whole flight down and back; they did great. GL!
they were up-to-date on all of their shots and perfectly healthy. my sister and i both held them the entire time. they slept the whole flight down and back; they did great. GL!
ETA: that was in may. i wouldn't set foot on an airplane in the middle of RSV season, which is why we are driving from OH to NY this winter.