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 ?!?

I couldn't think of anything worse

Whooping cough
Chicken pox
Measles
Bronchiolitis / RSV
Risk of blood clots for you

No chance at all

What if something goes wrong with your section? What if your baby is unwell and needs to stay in hospital? One of my twins spent two months in nicu, the other was in for 17 days and sitting in nicu all day after a section was not fun.

No way would an insurer cover you. What would happen if you developed an infection while away?

I am with the majority insane to even consider it. Book something now for summer so you have something to look forward to

We travelled 3 hours to stay with PILs when DS1 was 10 days old. I'd had a ventouse birth. It was a stupid decision tbh. We thought we'd have a relaxing Christmas but it was far from it. The best place to be with a newborn is at home.

So many reasons not to do this, but for me the biggest reason is just how difficult it will be to keep a newborn comfortable in that heat. There is no way the locals would be putting a newborn on the beach (even covered).

I did longhaul with DS2 at three weeks. We barely got the passport on time and we applied for it the day we got the birth certificate, the day after we left the hospital.

It was doable. He slept loads. But I wouldn't have done it after a c-section. And I was going home to family so had lots of support waiting for me at the other end and familiarity with the area and availability of services. I wouldn't have gone on holiday.

Aeroplanes use recycled air, this carries a higher risk of germs. So I wouldn't take a baby that young, on an aeroplane. Perhaps wait for the jabs? Also, you don't know how you're or the baby is going to feel. Every time feels different. For example my second child screamed all of the time because of reflux. Imagine dealing with that on the flight and holiday. Good luck, I hope it all goes well for you.

Crazy plan.

Spend the money on childcare/domestic help/ having food delivered.

You may end up losing your holiday- what if there are medical complications with you or baby?
I can't see any insurance company paying out is these circumstances.

The insurance issue when you are recovering from a C Section will be an issue.

A C section is a significant operation. I read once that they cut through 7 different layers of muscle, all of which have to be repaired and then heal.

You won’t be able to lift anything so getting kids and luggage through an airport will be hell.

I am fairly bold about travel and after a protracted ventouse resolved labour, took us on holiday (me driving) 2.5 weeks later, and flew to an island (then further boat trip) at 9 weeks.

But that was one b/f child , no toddler to wrangle, and no operation to recover from.

So: somewhere lovely and relaxing you can drive to in the UK and hope for good weather, or wait til you know you are OK, and you are ‘signed off’ from your CS.

What happens if your c section gets pushed back?

I have had two c sections..both planned.

DS1 - C section date booked. My waters broke a week earlier and had to have an emergency c section.

DS2 - C section date booked. The day before the date, I got called in to have checks done etc..they pushed my c section back a week. The hospital was so busy, a lot of ladies needing emergency c sections, ladies showing signs of the babies coming before mine..

Your date is no way a guaranteed date of when you will give birth..

And you don't know how you will feel, if everything goes to plan once the baby is here.

DS1 I wanted the whole world to see, my beautiful, perfect baby!

DS2 I couldn't of been any more opposite!
I wanted to keep my beautiful, perfect little baby all to myself! I felt this overwhelming need to want to keep him wrapped up in our little bubble and not share him with the world!

My hormones and emotions, couldn't of been any more different!

You don't know how you will feel until your baby is here?!

You won't be clear to fly until 4-6 weeks after a C-section. You won't be able to adopt the brace position in an emergency, quite apart from the risk of something going wrong with the wound.

So it's a non-starter I'm afraid @Jencottage

Well with an unvaccinated baby and the clot risk for you this could easily kill you both. So no, don't book it.

Probably fine for the baby, but not for you. You may be in pain, suffering complications, and totally exhausted.

Can your dh take dd on holiday, or would that leave no one to look after you? (I don't know whether you have other family near.)

I had a c section last year, absolutely no way would I even contemplate doing this.

I flew with two of my sons when each was just a few days old. They were both delivered by section too. BUT we were returning home from hospital, live in a very rural area and both me and the boys were signed as fit to fly by my city midwives.

I can't imagine preparing for a holiday post c-section though .

What is it with some people desperate to prove that having a baby is ‘no dig deal’ physically?

You’d be an actual idiot to do this and you know it.

Good god no! Fuck that for a laugh.

I’ve got an 11 week old so the super newborn stage is fresh in the memory.

I didn’t have a section so not sure on that but whilst I recovered very quickly from the birth there’s no chance I’d have wanted to go abroad.

We’ve booked to go to Valencia when he’s 5 months though.

No, the clotting risk of DVT is much too high for you and you would be very uncomfortable on the plane even if it was safe. Also the beach is much too hot for a baby, it was hard some days to manage UK heat at home under a fan last summer with a baby a few months older.

What about booking a week in your nearest Center parcs or equivalent, then your DD and DH can get out playing while you and the baby relax. If you can't go for a day or so because of medical appointments then they could go on their own and then drive back to collect you. (Sorry if anyone already suggested this, I'm being lazy and not RTFT.)

I think it's a lovely fantasy - sitting on the beach relaxing with a cuddly newborn, DC happy in kids club................

In reality it is madness to even think about travelling so soon after a c section!

I flew with two of my sons when each was just a few days old.

A few days. I can't imagine being let on a plane after a C Section when they were so tiny, also how did you manage to sort passports so quickly?

Can I also say the first few weeks are something you’ll never get back. It’s such an amazing time don’t waste it rushing to get them registered then stressing about a passport and whatever else.

I'm not in any way shape or form a worrier, and was up and about v quickly after my csection. But there is absolutely no way on earth that I would being going on holiday abroad 12 days later.

UK yes, if you need any medical attention it's there and you're only a car journey away from home, but abroad, absolutely not.

This feels like v much an each to their own type of situation. I had a planned section last November for my first. All went text book and I was back running after 7 weeks. However, at 12 days post section the last thing I would've felt like doing was going away on holiday. The tiredness of the final trimester was nothing compared to the absolute exhaustion of the first 8 weeks with a newborn, plus the scar pain, bleeding, feeling fat and yukky etc. I took comfort from having my home comforts at that time. But that's just me, you might be different so go with your instinct.

I really wouldn't. I went on holiday 2 months after a c-section and that was a nightmare.