To take a 5 month old on a girls' weekend to Paris

[Patapouf]

Has anyone done this and has tips to make it less stressful? I know the baby will get nothing out of it but I am not ready to leave him at home with DH for 2 nights just yet and I'm desperate to make the most of mat leave.

Travelling by Eurostar, probably stay in an Airbnb. Planning a bit of sightseeing but mainly mooching about, sitting in cafés and stocking up on skincare and food or maybe not having seen the value of the pound

Friends will be hands on and help as much as they can but I'm very anxious that it will be disastrous. Baby is BF (not going well), but mostly EBM so worrying about the logistics of expressing or BF out and about. I also can't imagine trying to manoeuvre a pram on the narrow pavements. I know babies live in Paris, I did too once, but I'm a worrier.

Can I make this work? How can I pack light?

I suppose my AIBU should really be how can I be less nervous about travelling with a baby?

If I were going on a girls holiday I wouldn't be very impressed if someone brought a baby along! Do the others know?

Are your friends happy for her to come? I'd make absolutely sure and if not I'd bow out gracefully and wait until she's a bit older.

If they're happy, it will be tricky but still doable I would think.

Are your friends definitely OK with baby joining them?
It really changes the dynamics of the weekend

Are your friends on board with you bringing a baby? It really changes the dynamic. Think I’d sit this one out and plan something without the baby later on.

Are you friends really up for this?

Nah .... not a good idea at all

If you took the baby the whole thing would be about you and the baby. Is that what your friends expect?

What do your friends think of the idea? I think you should be led by that.

If the aim of the weekend is to catch up with old friends, do a bit of sightseeing, eat nice food, gossip and so on, it could work.

If they fancy popping out to a posh restaurant in the evening, then on to a bar for a few drinks, then a lie-in the next day, it probably won't work.

I'd ask them.

Sounds like you have lovely friends OP. If they’re happy for baby to come along then go for it.

I’d be well pissed off if a baby came on a girls trip. Why isn’t your DH able to look after the baby? I wouldn’t want to muck in with a baby if I’d got rid of my own kids for a few days.

I'd either forget about the trip or leave ds with his dad who will cope just fine.
Its not fair on your baby or your friends.

I wouldn't go tbh,fair enough you don't want to leave your baby ,but it's not really fair to bring a baby on a " planned trip.away" I assume other children won't be going?

I’m sure your DH will cope, it’s a girls weekend not a baby weekend. I’d not be happy if someone brought a small baby, it’s quite selfish tbf

If I were your friends I would hate the idea of a baby going along.

It's a terrible idea to take a baby on a girls' weekend.

Don’t bring your baby if you feel 5 months is too soon to leave them don’t go on the trip! It’s not fair on everyone else to have a baby with them on their weekend away

Your dh must feel utterly.offended that you trust him with his own child, surely?

Depends on what the plans are really. Do the other friends know you are considering bringing your baby? Are the other friends going to want long boozy meals out? Will you want to do that with the baby? They can be quite unsettled in the evening.

What about going for one night on your own?

Don’t take a 5 month old on a shopping trip to Paris!!!!

As with PP I’d wonder what your friends really want- it may be very difficult to say no, or seem rude.

*Don't trust.

Think it’s obvious friends have told OP is welcome.

I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t enjoy it. Too much stuff needed, too much compromise around schedules and routines.

I think that it would be very unfair to inflict a small baby on your friends during a weekend away.