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Original poster

Long haul with a baby - stupid idea?

76 replies

Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:11

DS is 15 weeks old. I have until September off work. DH and I always said that when we had children we wouldn't go abroad for a good few years. However I'm starting to wonder if that was a hasty decision. I would love a proper holiday. I am a teacher too so it would be nice to have a cheaper, off-peak holiday too!
Is this a daft idea? We were thinking the Caribbean or the Maldives. Would there be a better time to go?

OP posts:
GemmeFatale · 31/12/2018 07:20

If you can afford it, I would go. Babies are portable, toddlers are hard work.

Jojoanna · 31/12/2018 07:25

I would go for it , my niece has regularly travelled to Australia with her baby and toddler .

Onatreebyariver · 31/12/2018 07:25

Go very soon or wait until age 2+

There is a sweet spot with little babies (up to about 6m) when they’re very easy and portable to travel with.

Don’t even contemplate flying long haul with a 1 year old (I’ve done it!) it’s hard.

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Families
Shutupanddance1 · 31/12/2018 07:27

I’d go long haul (as I live abroad) but Maldives is a honeymoon destination and there would only be a few resorts open to kids?

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:27

I was expecting you to tell me not to be ridiculous.

DS will be 6 months in March. So you think as early as possible?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:29

shutup yes choices would be fewer but I have read that the child friendly ones are great.

OP posts:
Somersetlady · 31/12/2018 07:29

Easiest time to go. If you are breast feeding even easier still. All you need is you and your boobs for a happy baby on a plane.

Book it

Somersetlady · 31/12/2018 07:31

I can also recommend you Get a sheepskin liner (to keep baby cool) for a good buggy that goes on sand (we had bugaboo donkey).

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:33

somerset we have the Uppababy Vista. I suppose the sling would be too hot...

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FestiveNut · 31/12/2018 07:33

My friends who have done it all said it's not a holiday, just like being at home but hotter and without all your baby equipment and home comforts. I wouldn't bother, personally. Went to centre parcs instead!

Dimsumlosesum · 31/12/2018 07:34

Depends on the baby. My oldest never, ever. My other two would've been fine.

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:35

festive that's what I am worried about

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Johnnycomelately1 · 31/12/2018 07:35

There are actually loads of Maldives resorts that allow kids although the downside of those is obviously that there will be other kids there Grin. If you go, go before May as then it’s the rainy season till early November I’d also suggest going to a resort that doesn’t need a sea plane transfer from the airport as less hassle.

Long haul peaks in awfulness between walking and iPad compatibility IMO. Had a total horror flight with each of mine that I’m still slightly scarred by- ha ha. 6 hours of a 12 hour flight with the seatbelt sign on and a 15 mo who did not want to sit down.

We’re expats so annual long haul was somewhat unavoidable but I’m bloody glad that’s all behind me.

Snipples · 31/12/2018 07:36

Yeah I'd go. We regularly fly 8 hours with our dd and she's fine. There's always loads of babies on the flight. We took her to Zanzibar recently as well. It's a diff type of holiday obvs than pre kids but if you go with the flow it's totally manageable. I def wasn't waiting til she was 2 or 3 to go anywhere! My DD is almost 7 months.

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:37

Johnny how true re children. I'm hoping not many people would take toddlers to the Maldives...

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Johnnycomelately1 · 31/12/2018 07:39

Yeah, I’m kind of with festive’s friend on this ( didn’t really enjoy a holiday wit kids till youngest was three) but I know other people who seem to really enjoy beach holidays with little ones so I guess it’s worth a punt. I’m kind of lucky in that because we live overseas, Dorset is v exciting and exotic to my kids due to numerous farm parks, forestry commission and theme parks so we just do that I the summer.

HappyBumbleBee · 31/12/2018 07:41

I would definitely go while he's still small - mainly because it's alot easier while they're babies. Once they're up and running and you're back at work etc, time will fly! You'll be busier, juggling childcare and work - the last thing you will want to do when you have time off is plan a holiday, deal with a toddler at airports, keeping them amused or entertained on planes etc etc Wink
Don't get me wrong, you will get holidays but doing it now will be so much easier xx

Johnnycomelately1 · 31/12/2018 07:41

smipples you’d be surprised. We recently went to the Como resort and there were a fair few pre-schoolers.

Faithless12 · 31/12/2018 07:43

I’ve flown with DS when he was 9 months old and just before he turned two to the Caribbean. Both times were easy with him, the sky cots will not fit a 9 month old comfortably. So he slept on my lap on the way back and happily looked at books on the way there. If they are BF feed them during take off and landing or give them a bottle/drink if not.
The first time I carried toys and thousands of nappies. We didn’t need the amount of nappies we carried nor were toys necessary really but I’d still carry one or two.
TBH I found it easy to travel at both ages, the only thing I preferred when he was younger is that I used the car seat in the pram as we hardly used the pram except at the airport we just used a sling.

EdWinchester · 31/12/2018 07:43

We travelled long haul with ours from when they were tiny babies. It was easy, tbh. Especially when they’re small enough to go in the sky cots on the plane.

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:47

Eek you are all talking me into this!

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LastOneDancing · 31/12/2018 07:48

We had a lovely holiday with a 6 month old - admittedly only Turkey but it felt brave at the time!
Yes, it is different than holidaying as a couple, but we took it in turns to have a couple of hours sleep in the sun in the afternoon (glorious) and DS slept in the buggy at night while we went out for a meal (amazing). We spent a lot of time playing in the shade.

I'd highly recommend it.

Original poster
Mississippilessly · 31/12/2018 07:53

lastOne that sounds fab! Its definitely scary - we have only just spent the night somewhere other than home and that was daunting enough!

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malteserhound · 31/12/2018 08:05

We took DS to St Lucia aged 10 weeks. Stayed AI at a 3* resort with childcare. Got it cheap in the Virgin Holidays January sale. It was a very restful break, lolling around the pool with DS, no housework, warm ocean.

There was a very underemployed onsite nanny/ daycare service, so we used to wait DS to nap, then leave him sleeping in the daycare room while we had a game of tennis.

Flying was easy. Virgin gave us bulkhead seats with a ‘sky cot’ for DS so he wasn’t on our laps the whole way. He slept for most of the flight in both directions. It’s much easier to fly them at this age than when they’re toddlers. All flights between 6 months and 3 years were very stressful.

Ozziewozzie · 31/12/2018 08:10

All I can say is that I flew with a 6 nth old from uk to Canada. It was hideous (the flight) so bad in fact I was tempted to jump out the plane.
I could feel people eyes scorching into the back of my neck. My baby screamed, his butt exploded too, and he turbulence lights were forever on so I had to remain seated with him on my knee. Never again with a baby ever.

My gp had said give him Sudafed to make him sleepy. It did not work.