Traveling with a Newborn

kittykitchn

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I was thinking about this during the ridiculous insomnia. I have friends and family in London and various other places, but don't drive. I'd like to keep some independence after she's born, but is it possible to travel that far by myself with a newborn?

Feeding wouldn't be an issue if I'm breastfeeding I suppose, but what if I bottle feed? And what about nappy changes? Where would she sleep if I can't bring a travelcot/basket with me? I could bring the pram and carrycot but traveling through the underground with that is unthinkable!

I hope this doesn't sound daft. I suppose people must do it all the time (I used to see babies being carried around by backpackers whilst we were travelling afterall!), but the thought is super scary and I don't want to do anything wrong
 
We ff and we used to take the oremade bottles with is, then ask for hot water to warm it. Easy peasy. Nappy changes on your knee is easy with a newborn and sleeping... If you stay with them maybe they found borrow a travel cot or you could co sleep.

I personally never did it but it can be done. You can get sterility begs and tablets for cleaning bottles too, or our MAM bottles sterilise on their own in the microwave
 
We ff and we used to take the oremade bottles with is, then ask for hot water to warm it. Easy peasy. Nappy changes on your knee is easy with a newborn and sleeping... If you stay with them maybe they found borrow a travel cot or you could co sleep.

I personally never did it but it can be done. You can get sterility begs and tablets for cleaning bottles too, or our MAM bottles sterilise on their own in the microwave

I don't even know how long home made bottles are okay for - argh! I usually travel by coach, and I'm not sure warming them would be an option... I have images of changing a dirty nappy whilst sitting next to someone too lol
 
Il be travelling to Scotland by car in july and baby will be maybe 4 weeks old. Babies are not allowed to sit in a car seat for more than two hours at a time. It should take us 12 hours but it's now going to take 18 hours so we can stop every two and get her out and feed and change. I'm hoping to breast feed but iv got a bottle set already just incase I can't. In the set is a bottle warmer. If need be il heat it at a station and of she not hungry il leave it in the warmer bag. I'm guessing she will need feed every 2-3 hours so hoping that would keel it hot till she needs it.
I think you can travel you just need to make sure you got everything and there's ways of doing everything I. E changing and feeding. X
 
I have a electric bottle warmer you could plug it in on a coach. Bottles last the day so make how many you will need or use the bottles with the powder in the top then you can make it as you need them x
 
I travelled a lot with my son he went abroad when he was 7 weeks old & we drove from London to Edinburgh when he just a few months old.
Bottles were never an issue he never had them warmed up he always had them at room temp. I just used to take pre filled bottles of water and the powdered milk separately in the little containers. If your breastfeeding then no issue at all like you said.
I literally hate baby changing rooms they are so stinky and just give me hives just thinking about them. I changed his nappy a lot (and still do) either in his pram, in the car, in the summer just on the grass if we were out in the park. On holiday abroad there were never any facilities so I even did it on the chairs in the restaurants (just the wee ones). On the plane I waited for the women sitting in our row of seats to go to the loo and changed it on the seats.

The underground would be a pain I would try and use buses where you can if you have your pram with you. As for sleeping I just co slept a lot with him anywhere but I did but a 2nd travel bassinet. On the 4hour plane journey and then 2 hour bus journey he would just sleep on me or my husband. Honestly it's pretty easy the younger they are.

Xxx
 
Carrying in a sling I reckon, I wish I had done this! My little one just fed so ever infrequently that it was hard but when he was a couple of months I flew abroad on my own with him. It's possible!
I think a fold able buggy is easier for transport than a pram system, although I have done both and a pram still is doable even on an airport there's people willing to help you carry the pram up and down the stairs!

Best things are is to find some cheap disposable mats, so you could put them on changing tables in public.. Tbh I would easily change a baby these days on a bench if I had to or on the seats of the train.. Unless it was a poop.. But then still you can get scented nappy bags! baby poo when they're younger is not as mingin as toddler poop or baby poop when they start to eat solids!

You could get a scarf for some privacy to feed in public and if you end up FF you'd be able to even buy ready milk on the go or take some with you.. Or pre prepare (I never really did powdered milk myself)

When my little one was little and not bothered being in his pram for a while, I used to go shopping and walk everywhere.. Especially before he was moving.. It was fab! The little inconveniences (Like he just done a poo as you're queuing up to pay for a top!)will look very little as well once they don't want to sit in the pram anymore and they want to run about and stuff or they get stressed cause they want to get out because they don't want to sit in the pram and chill.. When he was younger as well he was more interested in pram toys too nowadays I give him apple slices or his harold helicopter to keep him content while we nip to the shops!

And I think if you keep doing it frequently you and little one will get used to just doing it!
 
Guidelines now are that formula bottles should be made as they're needed and used within 2 hours or discarded. They should also be made up with hot water to sterilise the formula. I know lots of people still make bottles up for the day and warm them but I'm too scared so stick with the guidelines lol! I use the Tommee Tippee bottle warmer flask - I fill it with boiling water and take out bottles of cooled boiled water and an empty bottle. To make a feed I pour a couple of ounces of hot water from the flask into the empty bottle and add the powder (as others have said you can buy containers so you can pre measure this at home) and mix, I then top up with cooled boiled water. Ready made cartons are also great when out and about but this does get expensive. If you can though, breastfeeding is much easier I used to just drape a Muslin over my shoulder to cover up x
 
My sil let them give her boiled water in a restaurant when he was due a feed or you can just use ready milk cartons.. It has to be disregarded after two hours once it's mixed or opened in case of ready milk and you'd be surprised in how many places you can get freshly boiled water these days!
 
If you travel by train you can wear the baby in a sling, but on a coach babies are supposed to travel in a car seat IIRC like they would in a car. It might be worth checking into before you booked a ticket.
If you travel by coach they can fold your pram up and put it in the luggage bit. Same with a travel cot or carrycot/mosesbasket etc

I have traveled by public transport with my kids and had weekends away. I co slept (even with the eldest who I didn't co sleep with full time at home, we did on weekends away etc rather than lugging a travel cot).

Definitely get to grips with a sling and at least take it with you if you are going to london as it'll be far easier on the underground, and even above ground, streets tend to be busy and slings are easier than trying to get a pram through crowds.
Breastfeeding is definitely the way to go LOL, definitely a lot easier.
But, if not, you'll easily be able to buy formula in places like London and anywhere in the UK.
You can get cartons of ready made formula so you only have to take bottles with you.
If you are staying with friends or family you can sterilise bottles etc by boiling them in a pan for 10 minutes, so no need to worry about taking a steriliser.

Most B&Bs or hotels have kettles in the room too for making tea and coffee so you could still make powdered bottles up safely.
Also with my eldest when we went on weekend breaks I would sterilise the bottles, put them together (with the lids on), and then before making a feed up I just boiled a fresh kettle and filled the bottle with the teat 'upside down' so it sat in the hot water. Then 5-10 minutes later empty it and make the feed up with the rest of the water in the kettle (still hot) and this was fine.
To save on space if you are only going to be there a few days you could take a few ready-made cartons with you (or buy them there). If you are there a week or two you could buy a tin of formula when you get there rather than taking it with you.
 
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We ff and we used to take the oremade bottles with is, then ask for hot water to warm it. Easy peasy. Nappy changes on your knee is easy with a newborn and sleeping... If you stay with them maybe they found borrow a travel cot or you could co sleep.

I personally never did it but it can be done. You can get sterility begs and tablets for cleaning bottles too, or our MAM bottles sterilise on their own in the microwave

I don't even know how long home made bottles are okay for - argh! I usually travel by coach, and I'm not sure warming them would be an option... I have images of changing a dirty nappy whilst sitting next to someone too lol
By premade I mean the ones you buy premade.
 
I traveled with my first just the two of us all the time. I think she'd been on 20 plane flights by the time she was 18 months old! It's a breeze, BUT she was an easy baby. My second had colic and it would have been very stressful traveling with him. So a lot depends on baby's personality.

A sling, diapers, and your boobs will be more than enough!
 

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