...to think it's possible to go on holiday with a 6/7 month old?

[naranciata]

Expecting DC1 in April. Friend getting married in India in November and has invited me, DH and baby to be. I am very keen to go and have wanted to go to India for years and years. DH is trepidacious (understandably) but he's naturally much more risk averse than I am. I think it will be hard and scary but mainly an adventure. DH is Googling stats on road traffic accidents in India and saying I should go on my own.

Can I have your experiences of holidaying with small babies?

i live a 3.5 hour flight away from india so i have visited many many times.

i wouldn't go with a small baby.

you'll need to take a car seat - and even then you'll be lucky if the car is ok to strap it in.

driving is horrendous you have never seen anything like it. you can't push a pushchair anywhere so will have to carry them.

and whenever you go it will be hot hot hot.

I travelled in Malaysia when my baby was that age and we lived a few months in Tanzania when he was 10 months.

I think if breastfeeding it's a very good time to travel - nothing to take, portable etc. You could bring food from home if you want as baby will not be eating much if anything by then if you wait the recommended time to wean around 6 months ish.

My baby did need hep b injections and to take anti malarials for Tanzania.

I'd also check what access to healthcare you would have - presumably you know people out there if it's for a wedding? Or someone with contacts at least.

I think people are imagining op travelling as locals do in to inner Delhi or something. The wedding is probably somewhere touristy like goa and travelling on a booked package with a reputable uk company providing proper transfers coaches etc.

Hi, I've just come back from visiting Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam with my baby who was 6 months old when we left, now 7 months. It has to absolutely be your (and husband's) informed decision based on your own level of risk aversion, as a PP said on here you'll get people who wouldn't dream of it and those who are not worried. I did a lot of research before we booked - I rang and had a consultation with our travel nurse (who btw said general advice is no tropical travel til over 1 which we obviously ignored!), depending on what country you are from (not sure if you are in the U.K.?) and there are unlikely to be any licensed travel vaccinations for the baby. So I got fully vaccinated and kept to exclusive breastfeeding until after the trip. Baby carrier was an essential, we used it tons (plus learn how to breastfeed while baby is in it). As someone else has said, you do not usually need to top up with water if breastfeeding, if not able to breastfeed you can use bottled water just need to check the mineral contents (and be familiar with the chemical names of the elements in case label is difficult to understand). Research modes of transport, locations of modern facility English speaking hospitals (not clinics where you would primarily be directed to if asking locally for a doctor). And get a good quality mosquito repellent - there are lots of natural ones but the NHS advice for over 6 months is one containing DEET or picaridin, even if taking anti malarial there is still dengue, zika etc to consider. Saying all that, we had an amazing time and I'd do it again in a second! x

It was a long time ago but I'm sure I had jabs and tablets to take for India can you whilst breast feeding?
First passports take a while too. Finallly it's a pretty long flight - if you're ok with all that go for it with a sling or something fir your arms.

I think more research is needed. I travelled with a baby and with a toddler whilst pregnant but in Europe, big cities and easy access to everything I needed. It's hard but going in with the right preparation will help .

Maybe try Lonely planet ?

Also I suggest reposting your question and specify India not holiday as you will be more likely to get an experienced response.

we went to Corfu with 6week old dd, ensure you have loads of nappies/botty cream - if you're ill, take some baby powered milk, so someone else can look after baby, was told by midwife to wrap baby in clean towel if hot. Ensure everyone that holds dbaby, has clean hands - take sterile hand-clean in your bag - And, have a lovely time x

I took my 2 year old, 30 years ago. We traveled round India for 3 months before moving on through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, US and home. I made sure she was still breast feeding and took a bottle of Milton to sterilize the environment. We only ate food we had seen cooked or in restaurants where food was cooked from fresh, didn't eat ice cream or salad and neither of us got sick at all. It was an amazing experience and I've been back a few times since.

I took 6 months old to India. I should probably add that DH is Indian. Unfortunately we couldn't get DS vaccinated as they don't do travel vaccines for such a small babies. They do it from 1 year old. He was fine for most of the trip but at the end of it temperature rised unexpectedly and he got sick. Dehydrated. Had to take him to hospital. Got some medicine and was fine. Just last week we came back from another trip to India. My DC is 15 months now.This trip was much better but again little bit of sickness by the end even though he had all the vaccines. Temperature was about 30 degrees but very humid. There was no problem with long flights, he slept quite a lot thanks to white noise and vibrations of flight. In India they don't really use car seats for kids so you'll have to take yours and even then when rent a car/taxi you need to make sure they have seat belts at the back (lots of cars don't). And it's truth about the pushchair. You won't be able to use it on most of the sidewalks/outside. We take stroller as it's very useful at the airport (you can take it all the way to the plane). Been to India 7 times: twice with DS (at 6 months and 15 months) so if you have any specific questions feel free to message me.

I took DD1 to NZ at 9 weeks - and to Singapore and Korea with DD2 it was fine. I wouldn't however take a baby to India - depending on where you go it could be ok but I've been to India a few times and am waiting for my kids to be 10+ before I take them - the pollution and the freneticness of the cities is too much for me with littlees

Babies are so portable and we travelled extensively but I would not travel to India with such a small baby esp as it's not here yet and you don't know what your baby is going to be like. Yes we all intended to breastfeed but lots more than people will ever admit can't. What if you're trying to sterilise water and bottles (bottled water often is far too mineral rich for babies and should not be confused with boiled tap water) You could have a fussy baby who will only sleep in their own cot or when Jupiter is aligned with mars. The baby could be a hot baby and struggle with heat, they might have reflux and be a nightmare on a long plane journey. If you really want to go I would really wait til the baby is here before deciding. Plus if your husband is against it you need to pay attention to that. They baby will be just as much his.

I have travelled to many places with my children at a very young age. Europe when 5 or 6 weeks old, and ventured further when they were little older. Asian destinations etc and Dubai / Oz at 12mths, was still BF at that stage too, and had no problems travelling at all.
However...I would be slightly cautious travelling to India at a young age. My ex company had a large office there, and anyone who travelled there on business, was invariably ill!

Hi,

we got married in Nepal 10 years ago and our brother/sister in law came from Denmark with a 6 months old. we had a big house and family to help and it was just fine as the baby was breastfed. As a mum you'll only need to be careful about what you eat in case you get sick and a clean place to stay (nice hotel instead of a hostel) and you'll be fine.

Wife is half Indian and decided not to bring our 1 year old when she last visited. She is quite risk averse, something not unrelated to her being a GP. She was not happy to bring him before he was fully immunised and also not keen to expose him at that age to d and v even though India has very good health care.

To some degree, you can't quite know how it will be, because it will all be a learning experience for you, with first baby, and you also don't know what sort of little person your baby will be.

In my experience, the first challenge is routine. My babies have always been happiest with a very gentle, responsive routine which underpins everything, and does take precedence over anything else. In time of course this changes, but at six months I think it's still very important. Otherwise they get upset - a different environment, not the same bed/bed clothes, not the same smells, not the same temperature - even just the journey to start with - all of this can upset them. And if they're upset, it will be bad for you.

And if the baby got ill, that would be terrible. Would the baby need vaccinations for going? You should perhaps check (and check at what stage of his/her own vaccination schedule he/she will be on).

To be honest, I would feel slightly worried about such a trip - so far, and such a different and, to some extent, unknown environment. Having said that, I also wouldn't want to go on my own and leave my baby at home (literally couldn't have done that - especially when breastfeeding).

I'd wait until the baby is born and see how things go, and how you are. Then I'd make a decision, later. I wouldn't be forced into anything. It's not the end of the Earth if you don't go. And I wouldn't take the potential challenges of the trip lightly. (I feel exhausted just hearing about it!)

All mothers have their own way. You will know better when you know yourself and your husband as parents, and when you know your baby.
For example, my youngest simply couldn't - could not - be in a baby car seat for more than about two minutes without wailing and thrashing. She hated it. She was a super baby and almost never got upset, so I listened to her on this one and avoided subjecting her to it. She couldn't tell me in words but she sure did her best to show me how she was feeling! : )

There's time for everything, but some things can't be rushed. I probably wouldn't risk it.

No way, I wouldn't. So much could go wrong, but also it would be so stressful just worrying about EVERYTHING!
My dd crawled at 6 months and laughed in the face of slings etc so not the easiest age.
Plus I have had a 9 year old on a drip because of D&V and it sure ain't pretty. And that's on one of London's best hospitals.