When was the first time you went away with LO?

[Small Flower]

Hey mummies,

We've been invited to a friends party, by then LO will be 2 months old. They live about 80 miles away and we'll be all staying (me, OH, LO and 2 x OH kids) at friends house (which we'd normally do anyway). I'm a bit of a worryer at the best of times - I've got a few pets and I worry about them as it is - lol!

Obv. I can't predict how I feel at that time - just want your opinions on how long after LO birth did you go away for the w/e?

Will I worry about leaving LO in a strange room by himself when its his bedtime, will I worry about noise waking him up - will he even be sleeping much during the night? Just wondering will I be so stressed and worry it would be pointless trying to enjoy myself at a party?

 

[kalia]

4 weeks old. We stayed with my parents in Edinburgh. We took the moses basket so she was in the same room as us and I can't answer your question about different rooms.
Different babies sleep different amounts. Ours has always enjoyed her sleep. In the last 17 hours she has been awake for 2 hours in total. She's awake about 6 hours a day. She could sleep through a party but it would depend on the noise level whether she was properly asleep or was woken from time to time and if she were being woken she would cry lots because she'd be so tired. If it will be really noisy I personally wouldn't go as it wouldn't be worth the stress if she couldn't sleep and I had to spend all night with a crying baby, hearing other people having fun and knowing that it was because of them that my baby couldn't sleep. But if it would be people talking and background music level of sound I'd give it a go.

 

[andreag]

We went to Cornwall (about 300 miles) for a week when she was 10 weeks old. she settled fine in a strange room (i took the bedding from her moses basket at home and that was when she started sleeping through. I used to expess milk every morning to freeze for when I went back to work, and I didn't want to get out of the habit as I had built up a good supply, so we gave her the expressed milk when we went to bed and she slept through until 6-7ish. it was fab. I worried too much before we went but I actually think it is easier to take a LO when they are that young than 4-5 months. They are much more aware then and so know they are in a different place. Just remebered actually we took her to my parents for the weekend at 6 weeks and that was fine too. I wouldn't woory but start writing a list of things to pack about a week before - its amazing how much stuff you need to remeber. Also, remeber to pack for yourself - I was lucky to remember a clean pair of knickers for myself after I had done LO packing!

 

[badgergirl]

We took Sprog to France at 9 weeks. Had no problems with a different room, etc, and he slept most of the 13 hours in the car.

 

[Small Flower]

Thanks for your replies girls.

Just thought, what is the youngest you got anyone to babysit? My sister lives round the corner from the party and she owes me LOTS of babysitting - lol!

Is 2 months old too young to leave with my sister for the night in a strange house LO isn't used to? Say I dropped him off at 9pm and picked him up at 7am - would that work? Or do you think thats a bit much if he is waking through the night?

 

[Bexie]

We took Phoebe up to see family when she was about 3 months old, we had been away before and she slept well, but this time she slept in their own travel cot and she was so restless that my OH moved into another room and she shared a bed with me, she slept a bit better then.

Whenever we stay elsewhere now I always take her up to the room before bed time so she is a little familar with the room and (hopefully) not so restless.

Asking you sister to babysit is up to you, it also depends on how your LO is sleeping. If they are waking 2 or 3 or more times in the night for a feed, your sister may not want to look after them. Could you ask your sister to babysit and then after the party go and stay at hers?

To encourage your baby to sleep through the night (and to encourage your sister to want to babysit) I would start a bed time routiene very early on. Phoebe first slept through when she was 9 weeks old and it was a real blessing.

Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[Sherlock]

Its really hard to say.

My LO is just 10 weeks and has only slept 8 hours through the night twice and that is in the past 2 weeks. From 10-6 and 11pm-6.30am. Other than that he still wakes for a middle of the night feed(s). We are down from 4-5 feeds a night at 7 weeks. Its been a very gradual tail off from that.

Leaving him from 9pm to 7am may well be an ask to much of both your baby and your sister. You'd have to express (or formula feed if not BF) enough for the night and hope he would settle well with a stranger each time he woke. If it were me, I'd not go for that option. I'd feel happy someone my LO's knows being in my house (my Mum) but other than that, I think my LO is still a bit young to farm out overnight to people.

I doubt your LO will mind where they fall asleep if you take him with tbh. In the evening mine goes to sleep in his basket down here, on OH's shoulder, in his cot.... thats not his proper bedtime though. His proper time we put him in his cot with the mobile on and leave him to fall asleep if not already out for the count. You'd just have to contend with checking on him often and also if BF then not drinking. And being prepared to feed him as and when during the party.

I think you just have to wait and see when your LO gets here how you cope and how he is. Then decide.

 

[Foxxi]

Fynn was 9 weeks old when we went to Lanzarore for a week over christmas!

 

[LisaJ1986]

Angel was about 2 weeks old when we went to stay at my mum's caravan for the night. She lives about 86 miles away and was a bit of a long drive for her really. I stopped off at her work coz she's moved and didn't know where she lived and it was a good job. I changed her before we left but she'd pood that much i needed to change her clothes there in the car park. She was a right mess.
Mum has a lot of spares so i didn't need to worry about moses basket and blankets.
Need a holiday but not got the funds.

 

[Red_Fairy]

my little one went to scotland at 6 weeks old (hannah) - slept the whole way there and back (about 5 hours each way by car)
and Emily went away to scotland at 3 months. Slept there and back again no problems.

Its harder traveling when they are older in my experience as hannah at 13 months old wanted entertining the whole time, didnt sleep and cried alot

 

[CoreysMummy]

My mums going to have my LO for 3 days and two nights when he is exactly 3months old, so me and OH can go away for the weekend...

If I were you, and your LO only wakes once/twice between 8pm and 7am(ish) then leave him at your sisters and pick him up the next day... once you've had a lie in.

You may feel very different once you've had your baby though... I think part of the reason I will be able to leave mine is because he cries and screams all the time due to silent reflux (or thats what hospital now think). So I need a break every so often, if he wasnt hard work like that, then I dont think Id be able to peel myself away from him, its hard as it is.

 

[mary70]

Hannah was 5 weeks old when we went to newquay for a week in a caravan and she was fine (7 hour drive)

 

[Lola's Mummy]

We went to Haven when Lola was 4 weeks old with out any problems

 

[BabyMagic]

Our LO was 4+ weeks when we flew with her to my home country (three hour flight). While there we travelled extensively (mostly by car) and it was fine.

LO didn't like travelling in a car until about six weeks (we had to stop a lot as she was crying). Where possible she slept in a bed with me as I thought that she would prefer to be close to me, and be more settled. I also used to go to bed at the same time with her, and we didn't have any issues.

When it comes to leaving your baby with your sister, it can be hard to predict if you want to do it or not. Before LO was born I thought that I would be going to spas, gym and the lot after giving birth. How wrong was I! I haven't wanted to leave LO with anyone (including OH) for more than 1.5 hour! But then I know everyone is different so you may be fine with it.

Overall, I would say that a 2 month old baby is fine to travel/ be left with others. Don't panic if you don't feel like it when she is newborn as babies change quickly and become more settled.

 

[purple13]

we took connor to my dad's at 1 month old (180 miles from home) - we stayed for 5 days and had a great time. connor just slept on us while we watched telly during the evening and came to bed with us when we went (he wouldn't sleep on his own at the time)

we went to spain on holiday at the beginning of june and again, connor was up with us (or asleep on us) til we went to bed.

i still haven't left him with anyone apart from OH and my dad. i wouldn't be able to leave him for a whole night (i'm bf-ing though). i think its v difficult to know how you'll feel about these things until your LO is here - a lot depends on how they behave as well as how you feel.

 

[Small Flower]

Thanks guys, its great hearing lots of people opinions.

I'll wait and see how we feel nearer the time, but for now its stopped me worrying and stressing about it - which is great!