Hello all. My husband and I are weeks away from the delivery of our first child. She’ll be born in another state and we’ll obviously be traveling for her birth. I was wondering what everyone’s recommendations would be for the best type of carrier to bring her on the plane. She’ll be less than a week old at the time. I’ve searched the sub and see a lot of posts about baby wearing on planes, but the ages are usually a few months old to older. I know it isn’t ideal to be on a plane this young but our situation leaves us limited choice. I want to be sure her head is supported and she’s comfortable while also being covered so she’s not too exposed to others. The flight is scheduled to be a little over 3 hours.
Thanks for the help. I’ve been doing my research but there’s so much info out there, it becomes stressful to narrow down what’s best.
I didn’t fly with mine as a newborn (earliest was 3 months) but we’ve flown a lot. I loved my stretchy wrap when he was smaller. You can carry baby in a carrier on to the plane and off the plane but all flights I have been on made me take baby out of the carrier for take off and landing (both stretchy wrap and buckle carrier). With a stretchy wrap it’s easier to put baby in and out in your seat without undoing everything. I am US based so can’t speak for international airlines.
for newborns i loved my solly wrap. i avoided using it for a while because it looked complicated to use but once i figured it out i loved it. they also make structured wrap style carriers (wildbird makes one, i havent tried it but my SIL likes it). we also had the ergobaby embrace which we used til 3ish months. i also have a chunker so the ergobaby embrace may not work for smaller babies (my LO was 8lbs when he was born)
Thank you! I’ve heard very positive things about the Solly wrap. I’ll check out wild bird too! Our baby is 6lbs now with a few weeks left so not sure how she’ll be size wise for the ergobaby
The Wildbird one is terribly designed and will not adjust very well. I would not rely on it to fit a teeny tiny newborn safely. A stretchy wrap will be your best bet here, definitely skip the Wildbird.
if its helpful, i was told my baby was in the 50th percentile (def not 50% when he was born, haha). but its about another 1/2 lb a week on average til baby is born!
I also had a solly and loved it! But agreed on practicing using it with a baby doll or large stuffed animal! Took me a while to get the right fit but once I did it was amazing
I know you are asking about baby wearing, but if it is possible financially, I would consider buying baby a ticket so they can ride in their car seat. I only recommend this because baby is soooo new, and depending on their size they may not safely fit in a wrap yet. That way you can also pull the sun cover down and protect them physically from coughing/droplets while not compromising airway.
This also really depends on babys temperament. My daughter loved her car seat, but my son screamed like it was murdering him. Lol so that is another wild card to consider. But you can always hold them with a sheer muslin blanket on the plane covering them if they want to be held, but can put them back in the seat for safe loading/unloading.
I flew with my son by myself for a 3 ish hour flight when he was 3 months old. I pushed him in his car seat/stroller threw the airport, then gate checked those and used a Moby wrap on the flight. It worked really well. Also congrats!
seconding this! my dad's best friend & his dad were both pilots and told my parents the safest way to travel with a baby is in a carseat so I plan on always doing the same! they'd both seen some scary things in turbulence
Also, whenever I took my baby with a stroller through security there was a priority lane we got to go through while in a carrier I never got priority. What I do now is maneuver in and out of the carrier into the travel stroller to get through quickly but with a newborn it would be fastest in the car seat/stroller set up
Thank you for the recommendation. That was the original plan but sadly there were no additional seats available. We’re flying first class so the flight attendants have fewer people to serve in case we need bottles warmed and we don’t need to fight as much for a bathroom as needed. The cabin is full though 😕. The travel aspect has definitely gotten me a bit stressed because of all the variables.
I flew first class with my infant and it made such a difference!! It sounds like there will be 2 of you traveling with the baby right? So at least you will be able to pass the baby back and forth as needed. I'm sure you have read this in your research but make sure to feed baby during take off and landing. The sucking will pop their ears and prevent them from hurting. I'm happy to answer any other questions you may have! You got this :)
Stretchy wrap, ring sling, woven wraps or ergo embrace (edit: or any of the buckle options in the album of newborn fits in the wiki safety). Stretchy wrap and ergo embrace are only good for up to 15 pounds. Woven wraps and ring slings are good until toddlerhood. The embrace may not fit baby yet depending on how small they are but the other options will all fit.
I just wanted to mention head support comes from a good fit on the wearers body and the carrier should not come higher than the nape of babies neck or it can be a breathing risk. Same with stretchy wraps, that if you choose to tuck the head the carrier is not suppose to stop before babies ear. I am going to like the automod safety. It’s worth a read through.
I will also say my brain did not work for like 2 months after baby was born so I would take this time to practice with the carrier. Look at some safety content like the babywearing.ot (she has some great highlight reels) or Greta culbreath on YouTube has a newborn she has been wearing in a lot of different options lately.
Oh just adding that some of the buckle carriers in the newborn fit album won’t fit most babies until they are a monthish so it could be a risk to get one of those and planning to use it on the plane right away.
Airway Safety & How to Position Baby Ergonomically
Baby should always be worn high on your chest, with the top of their head resting on your collarbones. Their head should be uncovered and free from fabric and headrests. Their legs should be in a spread squat position with knees higher than their bottom, and their spine should gently curve outward. The carrier should mimic how you naturally hold baby on your chest. Don't forget to do a pelvic tuck once baby is situated.
This is a quick video of the safety checklist you'll want to run through when putting baby into any carrier or wrap. There's an acronym to remember, TICKS.
Unfortunately, some carriers don't include very good instructions (or include dated or dangerous instructions that can potentially be a hazard for baby's airway). The TICKS of babywearing (referenced above) should take precedence over the manufacturer's instructions. The most important thing to remember is that your human baby must have access to fresh air at all times. They cannot have their head swaddled in fabric, or their mouth or nose obstructed. Seeing the top of their head down in a carrier, or a sliver of their face between wrap passes is not good enough. It's also crucial that you don't world face in any stretchy wraps or stretch carriers, despite some brands recklessly recommending it. Baby can sag and slump, and the fabric can end up cutting into their neck or even choke them.
World facing (where baby is facing forward away from your body) is never necessary. If you feel it's a feature you want it's important that your baby is developed enough for that position. They must be at minimum tripod sitting, but ideally sitting unassisted without support. They need to be developed enough to hold open their own airway. Forward facing a newborn who can't support their own head, or forward facing a sleeping baby of any age, is a positional asphyxiation hazard. Most manufacturers recommend limiting wear sessions in this position to ~20 minutes, as it's very awkward for baby's hips and spine, as well as your spine. It's also important to use a big bulky carrier with lots of padding to cushion that awkward position, like an Ergobaby. You do not want a carrier where baby hangs from their crotch with zero hip support. Here's a more detailed article on world facing.
You can certainly cover baby's body but please don't cover her head (at most, you can tuck just the back of her head into the shoulder pass of a stretchy wrap. Your best bets for a very fresh newborn will be wraps (woven or stretchy) or a ring sling.
Some very fresh newborns will fit into newborn-oriented buckle carriers (like ergo embrace) but it's not guaranteed. Neko tiny might be an exception, I think it even fits some preemies.
Thank you! Don’t worry, absolutely won’t completely cover her head to avoid breathing issues, just want to provide as much protection as possible while being safe.
I’ll check out the wraps like you recommended. Thank you again!
This is a great overview on how carriers should fit, same goes for stretchy wraps. Head support comes from a good, snug fit, not from any fabric pinning the head in place and thereby risking airways being open. (We see a lot of unsafe babywearing in this sub, lots of times it’s about the head being too covered. There really shouldn’t be anything past the nape of the neck)
Airway Safety & How to Position Baby Ergonomically
Baby should always be worn high on your chest, with the top of their head resting on your collarbones. Their head should be uncovered and free from fabric and headrests. Their legs should be in a spread squat position with knees higher than their bottom, and their spine should gently curve outward. The carrier should mimic how you naturally hold baby on your chest. Don't forget to do a pelvic tuck once baby is situated.
This is a quick video of the safety checklist you'll want to run through when putting baby into any carrier or wrap. There's an acronym to remember, TICKS.
Unfortunately, some carriers don't include very good instructions (or include dated or dangerous instructions that can potentially be a hazard for baby's airway). The TICKS of babywearing (referenced above) should take precedence over the manufacturer's instructions. The most important thing to remember is that your human baby must have access to fresh air at all times. They cannot have their head swaddled in fabric, or their mouth or nose obstructed. Seeing the top of their head down in a carrier, or a sliver of their face between wrap passes is not good enough. It's also crucial that you don't world face in any stretchy wraps or stretch carriers, despite some brands recklessly recommending it. Baby can sag and slump, and the fabric can end up cutting into their neck or even choke them.
World facing (where baby is facing forward away from your body) is never necessary. If you feel it's a feature you want it's important that your baby is developed enough for that position. They must be at minimum tripod sitting, but ideally sitting unassisted without support. They need to be developed enough to hold open their own airway. Forward facing a newborn who can't support their own head, or forward facing a sleeping baby of any age, is a positional asphyxiation hazard. Most manufacturers recommend limiting wear sessions in this position to ~20 minutes, as it's very awkward for baby's hips and spine, as well as your spine. It's also important to use a big bulky carrier with lots of padding to cushion that awkward position, like an Ergobaby. You do not want a carrier where baby hangs from their crotch with zero hip support. Here's a more detailed article on world facing.
I’d 100% get a stretchy wrap for this! You can tie it put baby in, take baby out for takeoff, put baby back in all without rewrapping it!
Other things to consider, will YOU be cleared for flying that early? I’d maybe get 2 stretch wraps because I don’t know if I’d have been able to hold my baby on a plane for 3 hours only 1 week post partum. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d have been able to SIT on a plane that early!
Sounds good on the wrap. We’re a gay couple so neither will be post partum, making things easier. No worries about flying that early either, all a part of the process
Congratulations! In that case totally up to you if you have 1 wrap or 2 then! You’ll likely have to decided which one of you does take off and landing ahead of time. A pacifier will help babies ears with the pressure change during take off and landing!
I liked a stretchy wrap at that stage. As others have said, you’ll still need to support their head, especially when walking. Carriers aren’t truly hands free until they’re a bit older.
I used the solly baby and really liked it. It took me a few days to really get the hang of it. Start practicing when baby arrives and post fit checks before your flight.
I would honestly just take pictures and post them here. As a NICU nurse and babywearing lover I can tell you none of my coworkers know much of anything about safety and adjustments.
Just know no matter what carrier you get you will be supporting her head with your hand because babies this young don’t have the neck strength to support their heads. Solly is probably your safest bet.
Thank you for posting this. When others posted it, I assumed it was by request of the doctor, not an airline specific rule. Turns out the airline we’re taking is one that doesn’t allow less than 7 days old so we had to change flights. Our agency didn’t tell us that so I appreciate you stranger!
I'm so glad you looked into it!!!! I was actually worried about an Internet stranger 😂😂😂 like I was thinking about this for a long time hoping you'd see my comment because I know how much that would absolutely SUCKKKKKKK if you got to thr airport only to be told the baby couldn't fly.
Right! Coordinating this travel around a birth which can happen any time is already stressful enough and that’s not even considering the lack of sleep 😂
Everyone saying stretchy wrap and yes I agree. I had a moby and used it up until recently my baby is too big now. But I was using the stretchy wrap starting at 2 weeks old and he loved it the whole time. It really brings them close to your body and I think they end up falling asleep most of the time since they’re regulated with your breathing and warmth.
I only used a stretchy wrap that small. I think it would work well for a flight. It’s been a very rough cold & flu season for our LO. Best of luck. Hoping all stay healthy.
I’d also practice beforehand: look for a babywearing expert in your town, or friends who know how to use stretchy wraps, or get a doll and post a fit pick in this sub
First class! Nice! I haven’t flown w my baby yet, but we chose to fly business instead of getting three economy/premium economy seats (baby will be 6 months). Maybe it won’t do much for safety, but I figure for comfort, would be the same. Your baby is gonna wanna be held, more than be in a car seat. I think? Actually maybe at that very young age, they don’t care. I can’t even remember lol and it was less than 4 months ago!
But anyway, stretchy wrap, fully reclined seat in first, baby will probably sleep away! Monitor the airways! You can probably release the arm parts and just have baby chest sleeping during the flight, maybe just keep the torso wrap in place
I've personally never felt comfortable having a lap infant and have always bought a seat. You never know what turbulence will be like and I also don't trust the car seat to be handled appropriately as luggage. I did wear my son through the airport though. The earliest we flew was at 3 months. With my current baby, the wrap has been the most comfortable but the ergo embrace is easiest to get off and on. Both don't have metal so you can leave it on through TSA, which is a big bonus.
When he was really little, we used a stretchy wrap, but for the plane, the absolute best thing is frankly two airplane neck pillows with a little snaps on the ends.
Once the adult settle in, you just snapped the two neck pillows together, and the baby can settle in the hollow in the middle and it will support them in your lap (or the empty seat right next to you if you’re fortunate enough to have one).
We actually ended up using the car seat and strapping it into the next seat on the plane. After doing some research from others mentioning it, we thought it would be safer.
22
u/Squeakersquirrel Mar 11 '26
I didn’t fly with mine as a newborn (earliest was 3 months) but we’ve flown a lot. I loved my stretchy wrap when he was smaller. You can carry baby in a carrier on to the plane and off the plane but all flights I have been on made me take baby out of the carrier for take off and landing (both stretchy wrap and buckle carrier). With a stretchy wrap it’s easier to put baby in and out in your seat without undoing everything. I am US based so can’t speak for international airlines.