3 month old at Christmas - would you travel 100 mins to stay over with family?

[Pinkcase]

It appears DH and I have somewhat differing views… if you had a 3 month old at Christmas, (born via CS), would you have (or been able to have) travelled 1 hr 45 min to stay over with family at Christmas?

Or, should they come to us rather than we go to them?

Dh and I drove 471 miles with a 2 month old. Just pulled over every few hours to breastfeed.

We regularly travelled 4-5 hours with kids from a few months old. This was late 70s so little in car entertainment except taking it in turns to sing nursery rhymes and later endless games of I Spy. Dog in the car as well, never had a problem. They seemed to get lulled by the car noise so no crying, usually fell asleep. Much easier when they’re small.

Yes 3 months old is fine, 3 weeks - not so much.

Hell no.

We did have a 3 month old at xmas but also we have stayed home as a nuclear family every year since the oldest was born.

It was just me and mam growing up and was awesome.

DH family did 1 year on (visiting family) 1 year off with (staying home just them) and he hated the visiting family years... said he felt they where dragged out, couldn't enjoy their presents, forced to act in certain ways to be polite to company and stuck entertaining their younger cousins they had nothing in common with.

Frankly every group xmas with mixed family groups I have been too (which was all my teen years) has been miserable. I couldn't wait to have kids and recreate the nice little relaxed family xmas of being just us.

Yes, of course. We traveled ten hours to see family (broken up, with breaks...). Dd v portable at that stage!!

Absolutely wouldn't do it. Also wouldn't want to set a new tradition to see GPs every Christmas or get into the 'taking turns' malarkey.

I did 5.5 hours with my 3mo for her 1st Christmas. It was easier than going now she’s a toddler

I'd have been happy to travel when DS was the same age but decided to just both sides and it was lovely, so much fun and felt that much more special for DS' first Christmas.

Don’t host with a 3 month old!!
i did (she was 5m in fact) and it all ended in tears! Only mine I shall add.

2 hours in car is fine, travelling to family is easier than hosting. Or spend it with your own little family.

I absolutely wouldn't have wanted to do this, I had third degree tears after childbirth and didn't feel right physically for a while after. My boy was 1 month old at Christmas last year and there was no doubt that I wanted to stay in the comfort of my own home where I didn't even have to get dressed if I didn't want to, and feel obligated to talk to people who would've undoubtedly been asking a million questions about the little one. I would've found that absolutely exhausting. Depending on how many people were at the house as well I wouldn't have wanted my baby to be passed around (or expected to) at such a young age!

Yes make the most of others cooking and a small portable baby. With our first I had unplanned C-section not easy but at 6weeks we did 900miles in a weeks campervan trip visiting relatives. Baby who didn’t sleep well at home was a dream & because I was breastfeeding it was one of the easiest trips we ever did with her, as she wasn’t walking or talking just sleep, fed, change and baby carrier walks.

I don't see why not. I drove my 4 year old and 3 months old almost 300 miles for Christmas with my family and this was over 30 years ago.

Absolutely, hosting is exhausting and I absolutely hate it!

Much better to be looked after by someone else. They'll fuss over the baby and leave you in peace to sleep etc.

I travelled that distance for Xmas the day after giving birth. I didn't have CS but was absolutely shattered. I just gave dd to the doting grandparents and just went to bed!

This
This
Absolutely this.

Much easier at that age.
We went up to my parents for Christmas when dd1 was 7 weeks old. We didn't have a car so went by train, with 2 changes and taking a good few hours.

It was far easier than the next year when she was crawling, and they came to us that year.

I did a longer journey with a 2 1/2 month old too and it was fine.

I travelled 3.5 hours, and then a further 2, with a 2-3 week old. It was Christmas. And NEW BABY!

I hadn't had a section, mind (was still limping, but could sit in a car no problem).

I would have. Its not far and young babies are very portable.

No and No.

No driving, no hosting, unless visitors stay in a Travel Tavern at that stage.

I've been there, c section and all.

They come to you. Decent people travel the distance and realise a new mum needs all the help she can get, which includes not travelling in winter, post section, with a three month old child!!

At Christmas you'll get every Tom, Dick, and Harry prodding and breathing on the baby.
Pass the parcel

I think only you know your own limits/ comfort zone OP. We travelled 150 miles with our 7 week old son for Christmas. It felt fine staying with my parents, but when we went to stay with my in-laws I felt uncomfortable and on edge. Was called "Daisy" throughout the visit because I couldn't breastfeed so had to use a pump. I know my in-laws meant it in a jokey way but it broke my heart. I spent that half of the trip really wishing I was at home.

Where would you be staying and do you think you'd feel happy/ supported there? Those are the big Qs I'd ask myself rather than baby's age/distance x

I would and did.

I travelled over 3000 miles with a 7 week old after an EMCS to be there for my mums significant birthday.

Babies are extremely portable.

Much easier than trying to do it the following year when they're 15 months old

I did exactly this when both my first and 2nd were 3 months….we travelled 4.5 hrs ….definately worth it for us

Yeah I travelled 150 miles with a 6 week old to stay with family at Christmas.
If family have the space to host then why not?