Travelling with a 5 month old good or bad idea?

[beccalaw]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice. I'm due to have my first baby in Dec (so excited!) so in May baby will be around 5 months. My partner is desperate to go to Jamaica in May for his best friends wedding but I am a little worried about how the baby would be on the flight and I am hoping to be breastfeeding so I would love some advice about how people might have coped with travelling and breastfeeding before?! Obviously there would be a lot of family around and we would be staying on the resort only so this would be nice. But I'm still having doubts about if this would work with a small baby?! Help! Thankyou!!!!

[Smarshian]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I have a December baby! She is just 6 months now. I'd say you will be fine. I worried about it myself but as long as you are prepared you'll be fine. We haven't booked a holiday until September but now realise an earlier one wouldn't have been an issue at all. Go and enjoy!

[SeatOfMyPants]

Perfectly manageable I'd say as the baby probably won't be mobile, will still spend quite a bit of time feeding and sleeping. Not necessarily easy, but definitely doable! Go for it! Having lots of hands around will mean you get a nice break too once you're there.

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

That's a pretty easy age to travel with a baby, particularly if they're breastfeed. Have a wonderful trip!

[WowserBowser]

I think it depends on the baby. At 5 months it would have been absolutely fine with DD. She would have just slept and fed and just lay there. We took her at 7 months to Spain and she was brill. But now at 8 months she just wants everything and wants to be roaming free so it would be harder.

[eurochick]

The travel won't be too bad, but what about jabs? Will she need extra immunisations before travelling?

[beccalaw]

Ahh thanks guys that's really helpful and reassuring! I'm almost convinced we can do it! Haha. I'm not sure about jabs I need to check with a doctor for some advice really before we book! Thanks again! :D

[SatsumasAndFrazzles]

I travelled to the Caribbean with my five month old, an eight hour flight I think. It was totally fine, and as others say it is much easier than when they are mobile and maybe even easier if you are breastfeeding. I'd recommend having a compact sling in your hand luggage, the walk from the plane to baggage reclaim was pretty long when carrying a squirmy baby. Make sure you are feeding him/her at take off and landing to help with their ears (a dummy would also work if you use one). It's easy enough to do with seat belts on.

[InDubiousBattle]

5 months would be the best time to travel imo. I wish we'd done it! My dc are 2 and 3.5 and going anywhere is a pita. The idea of a long, hell even a short haul flight would be a nightmare. Toddlers move and tantrum and need entertaining and whine about the sky being blue (I do adore my kids really!)5 month olds just feed, poo, gurgle and be cute!

[DeliciouslyHella]

Perfect time to travel! We took DD to America when she was 5 months old (turned 6 months while we were there). She couldn't crawl, was easily entertained and was starting to have first tastes of food so was easy to feed. We look back on that holiday wistfully now that she's a toddler...

[stuckinny]

I'd say go for it. Babies are easy to travel with. I took DS to my parents in the U.K. (I live in the US) on my own when he was 4 months, 7 months and 9 months.
There is a disabled toilet that has a changing table on most planes.

My only tip would be to choose your flight times wisely. It might be more time effective to take a red eye but remember that you probably won't sleep so will be exhausted upon arrival. I found it easier to travel during the day then we could both go to bed once we arrive.

[MrsY87]

Best time to travel in my opinion as they still don't need much entertainment and can't move!
We took DD to bali when she was 5.5 months, she slept and fed virtually the whole way both there and back (both night flights). Take a sling, change of clothes for everyone, and make sure you reserve a bassinet position on the plane as then you have somewhere to put baby down!
I'm now 30 weeks with no2 and trying to persuade DH we should go and see my sister in Bali again early next year before this one is more aware and on the move!
Go for it and have fun!!

[Topsyloulou]

5 months is the ideal time to fly. We took DS on an 11 hour flight to South Africa when he was 5 months. He slept virtually the whole way there in the bassinet & only woke up as the sun was rising & in his eyes. We took his gro bag & a specific babygro for sleeping so he could go to bed as such.

He was on formula so meant we had to take plenty of cartons & sterile bottles as we had a 4 hour car journey the other end but it was all fine.

Just make sure you take a full change of clothes for all of you. DS had a poonami just as the seatbelt sign went on at take off & we hit turbulence once we were in the air so I had to sit with him leaking poo into my jeans for over an hour. He & DP both had full clean outfits, I only had a clean top so had to sit in poo stained & smelling clothes for the entire flight & drive home!

Definitely recommend taking a sling for round the airport. We took DS's car seat on the pram wheels to the plane door but couldn't collect it until baggage collection the other end. We then put the pushchair seat in the hold bags as we were doing a lot of driving & needed the car seat as well as the pushchair.