Please don't let the thought of your fellow passenger's pursed lips and the can't-you-keep-that-child-under-control-looks put you off flying. I can honestly say from the moment we started to travel with Rory we have been met by nothing but friendly faces.

Rory has played many games of peepo with the rows behind and across the aisles; we have been offered window seats on heavily booked flights so that Rory could look out of and clean the windows with baby wipes !; when travelling alone with him on long haul flights I have had offers of babysitting so that I can have a wash and brush up and change my clothes - an extremely tricky operation at the best of times in an aircraft toilet, let alone with a baby in your arms or a toddler at your feet.

So relax about this aspect - after all if you are unlucky enough to find yourself being "tutted" at, you can always remind people that 'we were all babies once!' And remember the chances are you will never meet 'grumpy boots' again anyway.

Too young to fly

Basically the only place you want to take your newborn baby is straight home.

Do not fly with a baby under one week old; their hearts and respiratory systems are not sufficiently developed to cope with the reduced levels of oxygen.

During the first two months of life, babies are very susceptible to infections and should really avoid all crowds. The cabin environmental control systems on modern aircraft are automatic and are designed by the manufacturer to comply with the requirements of, for example, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The aircraft manufacturer and the regulatory authority, not the airline, determine the specification. There is little that can be done to change the amount of fresh air available when flying. If you think the fresh air content is low you can ask the cabin crew if it can be increased.

However, at the end of the day you are still all going to be breathing the same re-circulated air and part of the problem is that air borne viruses can be easily picked up by others so personally I wouldn't take a baby under three months old on an aircraft. After two months of delivering constant attention, feeding and nappy changes I would be too exhausted to go anyway.

By three months though babies are pretty good candidates for travel. Babies aren't as fragile as parents sometimes fear and your baby is less likely to view travel as a disruption now than he will later on. He also can't run around yet so enjoy this period. Babies often find flying soothing and usually fall asleep listening to the hum of the engines, which by the way, disguises the sound of a baby crying very well.

There is no evidence that flying is unsafe for babies, if they are healthy. If you fly with your baby on either long or short flights, you should follow these guidelines: place your baby on the back to sleep, keep your baby cool, sit away from the smoking area on the plane and in the airport terminal, and make sure your baby takes appropriate feeds and doesn't become dehydrated. If you have specific questions about your baby, e.g. if your baby is unwell or has a cold, speak to your doctor before travelling.