If you’re itching to visit far-flung friends and relatives with your new baby, or if being housebound as a new mom is making you want to get out of town, like now, there’s no hard-and-fast rule about when you’re allowed to fly. How soon you travel after giving birth is really up to how you’re feeling. Some new moms feel almost like their old selves within a few days, while others are still having aches and pains for a while afterward. If you get a c-section, you’ll likely be in the longer-recovery category.
You should check with your OB to make sure it’s okay to travel if you’ve had any complications, but it’s even more important that you get the go-ahead from baby’s pediatrician. That’s because baby’s immune system is still developing, and there’s a high risk of him catching something harmful in those early months.
Keep in mind, if you do hop a flight soon after delivery, there’s a high risk for blood clots that’s associated with pregnancy—and it persists for six to eight weeks postpartum. So take extra care to drink lots of water and to get up and walk around often during a long flight. Wearing special support hose to promote circulation can also help.
Updated November 2016
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