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Original poster

Would you bring baby or leave at home?

20 replies

sarahb083 · 29/07/2021 11:27

Hello! I have a wedding in the US end of Sept, when my baby will be 8 months old. I am trying to decide whether I should go alone, or bring husband and baby. Either way, I'm going to the wedding as it's my closest childhood friend, unless Covid prevents it.

The time difference will be 5 hours so I'm concerned about the disruption to her routine. It's an 8 hour flight and the return flight is overnight, which sounds like a bit of a nightmare. If I went alone, I'd go for 3 days, but if we all went we could make a bit of a holiday out of it. I'm not worried about my husband having her for the three days, he's more than capable.

Has anyone done a trip like this with a baby? Would you do it again?

OP posts:

LuvMyBubbles · 29/07/2021 11:37

Leave at home.

Camomila · 29/07/2021 11:39

I wouldn't want to have DC in a diffeeent country from me due to Covid - I'd be scared of surprise lockdowns/new varients etc. and getting stuck.

Ughmaybenot · 29/07/2021 11:42

I personally would go as a family and make more of a holiday of it. The flights may not exactly be the most fun in the world but it’s doable for sure.
We had a cousin, his wife and six month old baby come from America for our wedding and they said that it was absolutely fine.

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mindutopia · 29/07/2021 11:42

If you have the option to do it alone, I’d do it alone. I was in a similar situation when my baby was 8 months and wouldn’t have had the option to leave him at home (bf). Unfortunately, as it turned out, we couldn’t go anyway as my passport was held up as was applying for permanent settlement in the UK so not technically allowed to travel until my case was decided.

Having traveled to US with kids, I find it takes them about 4 days to adjust and it’s not pleasant. If you could go alone, I would. Unless you and Dh really want a holiday. At the moment, with COVID, holidaying is tricky and not super fun with an 8 month old anyway. Are you all US citizens? A friend was telling me the other day that there are restrictions on travel if you haven’t had the approved vaccines (I think AZ wasn’t approved). I don’t know how accurate that is though, but I’d assume there are restrictions still on non-citizen travel, which might be an extra headache.

Original poster

sarahb083 · 29/07/2021 12:06

Thanks - mixed advice! I'm a US citizen and my husband isn't, though he had Pfizer so should be ok to get in.

Anyone else with experience?

OP posts:

KombuchaKrisis · 29/07/2021 12:08

I'd go as a family just in case you're not allowed back for whatever reason. No way would I want to be in a different country to my family at the moment.

Chipsahoy · 29/07/2021 12:45

My kids are American citizens as well as British. I’ve taken them all at various ages. The easiest was when we took one at 6 months old. I was exhausted from his weird sleep routine but he was fine. Slept and fed when he wanted.
It’s way worse coming home for jet lag I find.

Buttons294749 · 29/07/2021 12:48

I would do as a family holiday. I flew with DC this age to asia and it was fine.

With toddlers I would rather poke my eyes out!

30degreesandmeltinghere · 29/07/2021 12:49

Use this as a benchmark for future plans..
Ime take baby with you...
It's your baby!! It would prefer to be with you!

Frenchfancy · 29/07/2021 12:58

We went to Boston for a week when dd1 was a baby of 9months (many moons ago). We had a lovely time, she was still young enough to carry in a backpack. One thing was we had booked thinking she was an immobile baby, but she learnt to crawl on day 1 so the accomodation wasn't quite as perfect as we thought.

The only thing that would bother me is covid.

gogohm · 29/07/2021 13:16

I travelled long haul (west coast to U.K.) lots with mine, babies adapt better than adults I found. It's more down to whether you want a few days away or not than the logistics

ChimneyPot · 29/07/2021 13:21

I took mine to the US at 4 months, including twins, it was fine.

BertieBotts · 29/07/2021 13:30

Bring the baby. I couldn't imagine leaving my baby for 3 days at 8 months old!

Arsebucket · 29/07/2021 13:33

I’d have take my baby if it was me. She’s 10 months - I couldn’t imagine leaving her, especially as others have said, with the world the way it is now.

BackforGood · 29/07/2021 13:33

I'd have gone on my own in those circumstances.
Wrangling a baby for all those hours (it isn't just the flight - it is the wait at the airport plus getting to the airport then travel at the other end) would not be fun for me. Then of course occupying them for the duration of the wedding isn't exactly going to be relaxing.

Unless your family are near and this would be an opportunity for them to meet the baby for the first time and spend time together, I would go on my own and enjoy the wedding.

Greenmarmalade · 29/07/2021 13:34

Bring baby! Too young to be left so young IMO.

As others have said, could you risk separation for weeks/months??

Cosybelles · 29/07/2021 13:37

We'd all go and make a nice holiday out of it. 8 month old babies are still quite adaptable.

FawnFrenchieMum · 29/07/2021 13:57

I’d take the baby, I’ve always found babies travel fairly easily.
I wouldn’t want to risk being stuck away for any longer then a few days with the ever changing covid rules.

welshweasel · 29/07/2021 14:00

Unless DH really wants to go then I’d go alone. Easier, cheaper, more enjoyable. Baby will have a nice time with DH. I went away for work for a few days at a time when mine were that age and it was lovely to have a break and do something for me.

FanSpamTastic · 29/07/2021 14:17

Go as a family and have a vacation too.

Babies are much easier to travel with than toddlers!! Have done the overnight flight - it's fine.

Time difference - you get a few days of very early starts but they soon settle in. But make the vacation a couple of weeks if you can - maybe a week before the wedding and a week after? That way you will hopefully have managed to get some sleep before the big day!!!

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