Anyone took their LO on holiday abroad at 3 months?

[Sabrina]

Since we've missed out on our holiday to Greece this year OH and I are thinking of having a week away in late October. Our LO will be about 3 months old at that time. The weather won't be so hot but is likely to be about 65-70 during the day.

Has anyone been away with such a small baby? How did you get on? Would you recommend it? Any advice you can give me?

Thanks!

 

[valentine]

Hi Sabrina,

I haven't (obviously) - but I think Nicola is planning a big trip to Goa in February when her LO will be about 6 months old - she's been buying mini wet/swimsuits and sunshades etc - so she's probably the best person to ask about getting prepared.

Hopefully she'll catch this message tomorrow.

Love

Valentine xxx

 

[missac]

hiya, I have just been to bruges. we went on the euro tunnel in the car so we didn't fly, but it was excellent taking thomas around with us and going in the car meant we could take all our crap! You could go to france on the tunnel or somewhere similar. I loved it, we bought a pushchair for him so he could lie down or sit up and he slept in it at night time when we were out. He didn't really bother about the change in routine and we bottle feed so just boiled the water there. I would deffo reccommend going away!

 

[Nicola]

Hi, yeah like Valentine said, were off to India in February, LO will be just turning 6 months - as crazy as it sounds we've already bought heaps of summer clothing in 6-9 month size, we've bought all the UV swimming bits for him, little sun hats, mosquito nets, a light weight buggy as there is no chance I'm taking me nice M&P Pram with us for the airlines to ruin! We've got baby suncream (although I don't plan on letting him go in the sun better to be safe than sorry and the baby creams are far easier on their skin than the child ones and offer a higher protection too). Were taking things like disposable bibs so we don't end up with a pile of sick/dinner covered bibs that need washed when home type thing, also bought a box of Milton cold water sterilising tablets so we can pop all his little bits and pieces into a tub and keep them clean that way, never been to India before and not sure how 'clean' they consider 'clean' to be in the tourist resorts. We've bought a travel cot for him too (again with the cleanliness thing in my head I can't bear the thought of other babies/children using the hotel cots there and them not being cleaned properly between guests) we bought the Samsonite one weighing 3kg since babies don't get luggage allownace on the plane and DH and I only have 15kg each, which isn't too much when you have to cart around nappies and countless changes of vest etc!! I've bought a book on India/Goa and read the section in there on children and what we might need to bring from here. I've also got a book called "Travelling with small children" which covers babies but it's packed in a box since were moving house and all our stuff goes into storage this Friday - if you remind me in a week or two I'll dig it out and see what I can find in there to help. At least if your off to Greece you know what the country is like, plenty of people have been with children, you can read reviews online etc, India is a little less discovered so were taking all precautions really. I know on trips to Greece in the past I've seen isles of things like cotton wool, nappies, jars of food etc so you will most likely find bits you need once out there - I'm in a world of my own this morning will have a think about what else we've bought and prepared etc. Oh and check in early you get allocated the first row of seats (extra leg room ones) and the airlines tend to have a cot they can let LO sleep in during the flight if needed. You can take a car seat or small moses basket type thing onboard if you like too. These don't have to be checked in. Prams etc do have to be. Let me know if there is anything more specific you'd like to know.

 

[Sabrina]

Thank you so much Nicola that is really helpful information, and quite reassuring too. Where did you get the book from? Maybe I can do like you said and search online for some suggestions.

I agree Greece should be a bit easier as they will at least have all the baby stuff there if we do need to buy it. I know the island really well and am already familiar with the location of larger supermarkets etc where the locals go.

I suppose I'm mainly worried about the feeding, especially as I'm currently not sure if I'm bottle or breast feeding (due to ability not choice). If I do breast feed it will be easier. Do you think we should take the steriliser with us otherwise?

I was in Goa a couple of years ago for a business trip. It is a beautiful place and tourism is definitely on the increase there. Are you going to stay in a big resort? Don't forget to get your jabs and malaria tablets sorted out. Unfortunately I was quite sick after taking the tablets in the morning so I worked out to take them at night and that seemed to help sleep off the nausea.

 

[Nicola]

Honestly people make you feel nervous about travelling with young children and babies but DH and I have both travelleled all over the world and have no intention of giving that up and would love LO to have the same experiences of different places/cultures etc we have had over the years. The thought of travel doesn't bother us at all but like my Mum freaks about it because simply she doesn't go any further afield than France!!

Anyway the travelling with children book I have I acutally believe it or not picked up in Matalan for £2 - there is another one by Lonely Planet but it is rather silly really, tells you things like just pack light take one set of clothing to wear and another to wash - who's kids can survive on just 2 sets of clothing? Or it goes on and on about accidents abroad and hours in a foreign hospital because you let your kid stroke a stray dog and it got bit type thing - a lot of it is just "be sensible" stuff, i.e pack a few of your childs favourite toys or books for the journey. The second half of that book is country by country but again it's nothing you can't find out about online so really I'd avoid buying that one (Lonely Planet) but the one I did get in Matalan is really good - will dig it out once I've moved, I've no idea which box it's in right now and they are stacked floor to ceiling in the kitchen just now waiting on going into storage this Friday/Saturday.

With regards whether your breast or bottle feeding at the time this is something I thought about too. I'm not taking a steriliser just some cold water sterilising tablets and a tub! Can was spoons and teats etc in there - Boots do a cold water steriliser in a box packet http://www.boots.com/shop/product_detai ... id=1034958 which look good but only do 7 days - were going for a fortnight so would need two. In the end we just bought the milton cold water tablets. They travel well and your not worried about the steriliser breaking etc. Obviously if your still 100% breastfeeding you don't have to worry about that what so ever! My LO will be just turning 6 months then so on perhaps a breastfeed first thing or last thing at night but will most likely want some mushed up rusks or similar during the day. Were going to take some of those just add water boxes of cereals etc they can have, snack packs of rusks to mix with milk and add a mushed up banana or something - so I really wanted something to sterilise spoons/bowls etc in because I know at 6 months he'll not just want breastmilk but a few other bits during the day too since they start on small bits around 4 months.

Were staying on a medium sized resort I suppose, it's praised for cleanliness and it's service, staff, food etc so fingers crossed! Were going in February and thankfully it's not malaria season then so guides etc seem to think the anti malaria drugs are not necessary. Babies can't take them anyway so he'll be fully covered up, mosquito nets, the travel cot has nets built into it, long sleeved cool tops and hats with the little neck covers on them etc - seeing the GP on Wednesday for my 38 week check I was going to ask her about it then but DH seems to think we'll leave asking about that till after his arrival so that just now we are just concentrating on the pregnancy. Fair enough. We've got the sun creams, the insect repellants etc and baby's summer clothes as I know come Jan/Feb there will be no chance of me finding baby shorts in the shops!!