Please tell me about your abroad experience with newborns

[loveactuallyisallaround]

Contemplating taking 3/4 month old baby abroad for a wedding but wondering if I am totally insane.

I'm questioning everything from how the flight will be, will I be able to take the pram, what if baby doesn't take to breastfeeding and I have to FF.... how will I sterilise bottles?!

Will it completely disrupt her routine? - will she even be in a routine by then?!

(I'm going to be a FTM... little clueless over here!)

Now I'm sure there are many parents who have taken small babies abroad and had a wonderful time so I'd love to hear about your experiences and if you've got any tips please let me know so I can decide whether to get booked on or not 😊

Thanks xx

Babies are fairly portable, far easier to travel with than small children.

Had no problems at all - could take extra luggage, DDs prank top doubled as her cot at that age but we could've taken a travel cot as extra for free.
Took formula & steriliser within the luggage.
It was easier the younger she was, tbh.

We went away when DS was just 5 months - it was really pretty easy and I'm a massive worrier. I think if I can do it, anyone can

Did you make your formula with boiled bottled water or boiled tap water?

Depends where you are going (I breastfed so don't know)

You can get sterilising tablets as well to make it easier

BFing makes the whole thing much easier. No worries about delays (we were delayed 8 hours!). I did transatlantic with DD at 3 months without DH. Although we did stay with family.

Did you make your formula with boiled bottled water or boiled tap water?

Bright. Both are wrong! Read up if you plan to FF. HOT water. The issue is the formula not the water. The hot water kills bugs in the formula.

Also, bottled water can be 'salty' so watch that.

Reading up and some articles say it's not recommended to put sun screen on a child younger than 6 months, others say it's fine... what did you guys do?

Thanks for the advice so far 😃

Babies shouldn’t be in the sun, so keep the baby in the shade. If it’s a quick trip cartons of liquid formula might be easier. Boobs easier still.

Flew long-haul with DS at 4 months. Easier than when he was mobile.
Try to get a bassinet (need to book early) so you have more space, for all the stuff you will be carrying for you both. Make sure you have changes of clothing for yourself as well as baby because the changes in pressure may lead to sudden explosive nappy filling. You can’t get out of your seat or have the baby in the bassinet for changes if there’s turbulence or during takeoff and landing.
I found it tiring but enjoyed the change of scene.
People were very helpful and understanding.

Took my 4 month old to California for 72 hours to go to my sister's last minute wedding. DH stayed home with older children. I breastfed, which is easier than formula especially travelling through security at airports.

Flight was fine. Had a bassinet and a soft structured baby carrier. Checked the buggy at the gate and picked up at the gate on arrival.

Jetlag was only bad the first night. Was up maybe 2 hours. Just let him sleep when he wanted.

As for the beach, we just brought a small baby tent for shade and a place to sleep. Keeps out sand and bugs. Not necessary but nice to have. You just need shade really and a towel. No sunblock, especially on hands as those go on their eyes and mouth. It stings bad if in the eyes.

What I found nicest about taking my 3 month old abroad for a wedding was that all of DH's family wanted to hold him, which gave me loads of time to do things like sit and chat, go for an undisturbed pee, drink my tea while it was hot, etc.

I took my 2 month old to the south of France, great holiday and we really enjoyed it!
Our buggy is a carry-on but you could can gate check your pram. A sling can also be handy for airports.
Our accommodation had a microwave and our Mam bottles didn’t require a separate steriliser. You could also use Milton tablets.
We took an extra suitcase to use ready made cartons only. But if you take powder then you use hot water for bottles: tap boiled if it’s safe, if not bottled but it should be distilled or a mineral water brand ok for babies e.g. Evian. Take plenty of formula in your hand luggage in case of delays. It’s fine to take as much as you need for the journey through security even if it’s liquid and over 100ml.
Nappies/wipes over pack for the journey but I only ever pack enough for the first day and stock up for the week on arrival.
I did use sunscreen where the parasol didn’t fully cover her feet in the pram and so she could cool down in the pool. We used a baby specific one, can’t remember what brand.

Hey! I took DS to Australia, NZ and Indonesia for nearly six weeks when he was 3 months old and to Mexico for three weeks at five months old, and he was a formula fed preemie.

Flights (we had nine total) were fine, even the 16 hour one. He slept. Get a bassinet seat if possible.

Formula was fine. I brought enough for the whole trip just in case I couldn't find it or he didn't like the brand. I brought four bottles and washed them in the tap water, then boiled a kettle and filled them full of boiling water, turned the nipples upside down into the bottle and poured water in the nipple as well and left for five minutes. I boiled bottled water and let it cool for his bottles, then before each feed I boiled some and poured over the formula to kill any bacteria, then mixed with the pre boiled cooled water. Even in rural Mexico DS didn't get sick.

If you're breastfeeding, even easier. But if you're bottle feeding, it's not an issue. I got the hang of it quickly, ten minutes a day faff.

I brought a sling carrier for DS and left the pushchair and car seat at home but would depend what kind of country you're going to. NZ I rented a car and car seat there. Australia I used public transport. Indonesia you can't install car seats so I just held DS or wore him in the sling. DS loved traveling and only got fussy when we got home, I honestly believe because he was bored when we returned.

I did all this completely solo with my precious first born, back in November/December 2018 and January 2019 so recent advice. You'll be fine!

Also, you can gate check the pram no problem.

I put sunscreen on DS as it wasn't possible to be out of the sun 24/7 and he's no worse for wear

Just to mention that if using bottled water, it really shouldn't be mineral water like Evian....it can damage their kidneys. It should be spring or filtered water etc and should be boiled as it's not sterile.

You can absolutely use Evian to make bottles confused
www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/can-i-use-bottled-water-to-make-up-baby-formula-infant-formula/
Evian is well under the recommended levels of sodium and sulphate. It’s of course not the only brand that’s ok but it’s one that’s fairly easy to find. You are correct that you can’t just use any mineral water brand though and that you boil it and make bottles with hot water!

All really sound helpful advice! Fingers crossed little one takes to the breast, but it's good to know if she doesn't there are other options available. I think if I do end up FF, I'll take the more expensive ready made bottles for the actual wedding day for ease but it would be too costly for the entire week.

I obviously wouldn't leave her in the sun, to be honest I am not really a sun worshiper (terrible burner!) so I'm mostly in the shade myself but still put cream on so I would have with her too... will keep looking into this.

I'm hoping to still hear some more experiences 😃😃

@Rtmhwales wow that sounds amazing! Your LO is very lucky 😃 thanks so much for all of your tips! It's great to hear that it's doable... I saw the midwife today and there is talk of inducing me so LO actually might be closer to 4 months which I can't imagine will make a whole lot of difference but the bigger she is the better I guess!

Taking formula abroad is a bit of a pain but doable. I took 10 days worth of the readymade stuff when I had an older baby as I just couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of making up bottles. It was an expensive way to do it but all of the bottles made it intact and it made life a lot easier. Like others have said you do have to check which bottled waters are ok if you’re going somewhere with dubious water. The main thing if you’re going to make it up with powder is making sure you’ve got access to a kettle- depends where you’re staying as not all hotels do provide as standard. We also took a cold water steriliser with us. Breastfeeding would be easier still if it works for you.

My DD had been to 6 different countries by the time she was 6 months old, the first was at 5 weeks old.
She has SEN (didnt know at the time) so for various issues, was mainly fed pumped milk with FF top ups. I packed ready made cartons for the flights and just poured them into the bottles that I'd cleaned at home. Bear in mind, the country we were living in really didn't do sterilising so I was completely oblivious to what they recommend in the UK.
I know they used to sell microwave sterilising bags which could help if you want something small to pack.

I used a sling at the airport and used a folding lie flat pushchair (McLaren) plus took the car seat. I never had an issue checking these in. As she got older, I took the pushchair to the gate.

Routine wise, bah, that went out the window...but it didn't take long to re-establish one once home.

I used to pack a few board books, a teether, some cloth books and some changes of clothes (plus spare top for me) as hand luggage. Change the baby just before you get on the flight into a babygro, its so much easier for dealing with nappy changes on the plane.

I also took a dummy for clearing of ears on flights...she never used it, but it was back up!

Enjoy your trip, it will be fun!

Sterilising bags for microwave...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microwave-Steriliser-Max-Strength-Soothers/dp/B072LB5MYT/ref=sr11_3?keywords=steralising+bags&qid=1552075486&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I've never bottle-fed, but a small breastfed baby is extremely portable and much easier to travel with than an older baby or a toddler. All you need is a sling and they just snuggle and sleep on you. We took a soft carrycot which we carried as hand luggage as baby was not in a cot yet (only 6wks).

Our youngest was 7 weeks when we went long haul to Oregon. I BF, he was brilliant, however he was a very sleepy baby.

Now we're doing long haul in to Africa in July. Not sure how it will go as he'll be 3y.