Taking a 12 day old baby on holiday ?

[Jencottage]

Desperate to get away as feel like I've been exhausted all third trimester, have a 8 year old daughter who would love a holiday, hubby coming along too. I've found an amazing deal in Sardinia, 7 nights at half term, full board and kids club for the 9 year old and golf for hubby. Me and baby could be on the beach all day chilling ! It's a 3.5 hour flight, shall I book it or is baby too young ? What would you do ?!?

Chilling on a beach with a newborn baby? There's so much wrong with this idea it's difficult to believe you've ever had a child before.

The things that spring to my mind are:
Nappies
Feeding
The sun / heat
Sand

It's almost giving me a panic attack just the idea of it.

I can’t imagine wearing a swimming costume 2 weeks after giving birth. All the pads I was wearing would not have been a great look and would have meant no swimming, which in that heat sounds horrendous. Even if you aren’t leaking, would you be wanting to swimming with stitches (I have no idea what the advice is for c section wounds, but ds had very minor surgery on his toe and we were told no swimming, I thought because if the infection risk?)
My second baby, ds, cried for prolonged periods throughout those early weeks. He was not a settled baby at all and the thought of having to deal with him screaming on a public beach would have filled me with dread. My neighbours were really sympathetic towards us, but I’m not sure ‘hotel neighbours’, who don’t know you and have paid a lot of money for their relaxing break would look upon your situation so favourably. I wouldn’t wish a screaming baby on anyone, so obviously hope you don’t get one of the very unsettled, non sleeping variety like I did, but it is always a possibility.

My dd was born on 28.04, her passport is dated 15.5 (so presumably we got it a day or two after this). This was getting the first possible registering appointment and then going straight from the registry office to the post office to send off the documents (already filled in, counter-signed etc). And this was 13 years ago, before they were quite so exacting about handing out passports...

And as an aside, i flew ryanair a couple of days ago for the first time in a long time and i was really surprised at how upright and therefore uncomfortable the seats were (we usually fly with easyjet and i don't find that with them). And i didn't have a c-section scar.

I really am all for taking a baby on holiday (my dd was 8 weeks when she went), but this sounds like there are so many reasons it could go wrong.

Also, you can't just sit out in the baking Mediterranean (or wherever) sun with a newborn. I had a summer baby and found keeping a newborn cool enough tricky even in the UK sun.

I definitely wouldn't fly. Could you book into the nearest seaside place to home then you'd just have a shorter drive?

I wouldn't, but then 12 days after my emcs I was in hospital with sepsis 🙊 I would be too scared to book anything so close to birth if I had another!

I do fully appreciate your desire to go on a holiday and to try and ‘carry on’ as normal. That’s why we booked to go away when ds3 was so tiny - we didn’t want the older kids to feel like their life had changed and we couldn’t go on our usual holiday. So going away per se isn’t madness. But as people said, you need to be prepared for other guests reactions if you end up with a crier. You just never know! We went someone we had been before and so I felt relaxed, knew what to expect, knew that kids are welcomed and worked around etc. that’s your best bet I reckon. Book it and have it to look forward to! (Watergate Bay is lovely...)

Can’t you find a lovely place in the U.K. to go to with swimming pools / golf course etc

Or go in the summer with a 8 week old. I don’t think it will be relaxing.

Tbf, lochia may not be an issue, so swimming is a maybe rather than a definite no...

Mine had pretty much finished now at 5 days, and was totally done in under 2 weeks first time round, so you may be fine. No guarantees though.

@coco123456789

I'm assuming your baby wasn't like mine and didn't cry all the time?
Because if I'd gone to stay in a luxury hotel there'd have been loads of complaints from the other guests!

This is a ridiculous idea and you're putting your baby's life and your own potentially at risk for a completely unnecessary holiday.

You've just had major surgery and your baby's immunity is not nearly developed enough to cope with it. One of you will almost definitely get ill and whilst sardinia of course will have hospitals do you really want to be in that position in a foreign unfamiliar place where I assume there will be a language barrier.

There will be other deals and other holidays, please don't be this foolish.

@Oysterbabe

Fuck. That

Just summed up the whole thread

I wouldn't even dream of getting on a plane that soon after any surgery.

I went to Florida with a 5 week old and it was fine (I had a straightforward home birth). The thought of sitting round a pool sounds lovely but in reality, given that you are having a c section, going away less than 2 weeks after the baby is born is a bit optimistic sorry. We rushed to get our baby registered and went to the passport office to cut down time and the passport was issued 9 days after he was born, add on a few days for delivery and you would be cutting it fine. That was in March too so possibly a quieter period for them. They will probably be busier now so it could take longer. I think it would be better to wait sorry!

Just no.

I know this is going back a long time to when I was born but they wouldn't let my mum fly with me until I was a few weeks old - and I think it was me rather her - I think they said to avoid until first set of injections if possible - I don't think thats unreasonable

I went away 3 weeks pp on the train with lo and nearly 8 year old. 4 hour train journey.

We didn't have much luggage as it was already there (holiday home)

I was a bit uncomfortable on the train, not too bad.

I would have a UK break.

Nannyogg - I didn’t have a crier luckily. My older 2 were great sleepers so think I was just praying it would be the same again and luckily it was. But we went to a place that although luxury, is a family hotel (and no one without kids would ever DREAM of setting foot in the place during school holidays because of all the kids!) then you know you can relax a bit!

Ffs just stay at home and enjoy your baby, this plan is madness

Also you say you are having a planned section I know a few people who have had planned sections and then due to emergencies with other people (or lack of special care availability in case the baby needed it - which it didn't in the end) they've had the section put off (only by a day or so but when you are talking flying 12 days after MAJOR surgery thats a big difference)

Don't be silly.

I'm 6 days PP and can't move; I wouldn't. I think at 12 days you'll just about be ready to go for a walk - not a holiday. Just my thoughts though.

Madness . C section and a flight and heat with a new born .. not a chance in hell .
Being “exhausted” will be the least of your troubles

I was going to say yes until I realised it's a section. No I wouldn't. You won't get insurance to cover you so you'd lose all money if anything goes wrong.

Chilling on the beach? More like constantly worrying the baby is overheating or getting dehydrated, other people looking daggers at you because s/he keeps crying, long treks back to the loos everytime the baby needs to be changed or you need to change your pad. I can't imagine anything less relaxing.