To want to take baby on holiday?

[Mamaofaboy]

Just that really.

DS will be 4 months old at the end of Sept and DH & I are looking at taking him to Greece.

Pre baby we were big travellers and hope to do the same with DS but I feel like everyone is putting us off from my Mum to the bloody travel agent who are suggesting it’s ludicrous to take a 4 month baby abroad regardless, never mind in a pandemic.

I mean I know the holiday will look VERY different to our usual jaunts, but to suggest I’m putting my son at risk by sitting on an airplane for 4 hours has got me second guessing myself.

Thoughts/experiences please?

[GintyMcGinty]

Go

But find a travel agent that doesn't also think they are a health visitor.

[WTF475878237NC]

I would definitely do this outside of a pandemic but truthfully could not risk baby's health for a holiday no.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Taking a 4mo on holiday fine. Temperatures are starting to cool by then.

Personally I wouldn't take a young baby on a four/five hour flight at the moment though.... they will be the vulnerable ones as too small for masks.

[Mamaofaboy]

Thanks all - I know both DH and I really want to go and know we will make memories we will treasure forever.

I think I’m of the opinion we could have a mini break in UK and be just as likely to catch Covid - rates much higher and social distancing/mask wearing etc seems to have completely abandoned by the masses! The flight is my only area of concern but I know with the testing it’s hopefully relatively safe 🤞🏼

Silly to listen to the (very bad at their job of selling holidays) travel agent, but my Mum was shocked at the mere suggestion of it and it knocked my confidence in my FTM gut which I find it hard to trust anyway!

DS is EBF and loves the boob so I’ll hopefully placate him for the flight with them, and we won’t need to worry about bottles etc over there. When I was pregnant I remember thinking if we make it over 3 months BF we’ll celebrate with a trip overseas- naively thinking this summer will be better for travel...

I don’t want to miss out on taking family holidays forever with Covid and the way things look, it would be years til we’re at a much lower risk point!

[Mamaofaboy]

@ittakes2

From the age of six months my children have been all over the world. but I must admit I waited until six months when they had had their baby jabs plus no I would not take a 4 month old away during a pandemic unless it was to a country I knew had excellent medical help.

But my DS will have had all of his baby jabs at 16 weeks, before we are looking at travelling?

My worry is Covid - him potentially catching it and being poorly not other health issues that could happen anytime abroad.

I understand the risks on potential red lists, quarantine etc but have already looked into good insurance policies with great Covid cover.

[Bunnycat101]

I might have considered it with my first. Probably wouldn’t after my second. My first would have been ok to take on holiday - happy to sleep anywhere, quite a happy contented thing, never really sick etc. My second only slept in a darkened room in her cot and could not cope with being up past 7. She was also permanently ill for her first autumn/ winter including at least 3 stays in paeds. She’d have been a nightmare to take away. So much depends on what sort of baby you’ve got!

[Heruka]

Took DC1 to Malta at 8 months. That’s when I learned that holidays would not be the same again, for several years at least! You probably need to find that out for yourself though, and it seems lots of people have fun. For me with a non sleeper, it was horrific - utter exhaustion without any of your usual home comforts, avoiding baby getting burnt, finding food they could eat etc. A non mobile non weaned baby is easier in that respect but I’d never recommend it.

[mumofgirls07]

I have also questioned weather to take my baby away, i have decided to go for it, the end of november to lanzarote. They have very low infection rates. She will be 4months and would have had all her jabs.
For Precaution i have invested in a wind/suncover that will cover her travel buggy for in the airport. She will be slinged on the plane, So as iam breast feeding i have brought a large breathable musli cloth that attaches around your neck, so will keep this in place for most of the journey while she is sleeping. Have a great first holiday with your little one making memories, you only get this time once and the situation we are in now isn't going to change anytime soon. It is just how we have to live now.

[Doomscrolling]

It was dead easy with a baby. A lot easier than a toddler!

[TicTacHoh]

Go for it, OP! Travelling with babies is much easier than travelling with toddlers, they can eat and sleep anywhere, enjoy it!!!

[Iwonder08]

Of course you should go. Best age, much easier than with a toddler

[lovemenomore]

We went on honeymoon with our 15 week old to Mauritius and Dubai. Everyone said to leave DD at home - why?! Baby fits around our lifestyle not other way round! She's now 4 and been on more flights than most people we know!

It's easy and fun!

[KingsleyShacklebolt]

My youngest was born in the June and we took him to Portugal in the October, so 4 months. Really easy. Still breastfed so no faffing with food or formula or set meal times. Self-catering so we could put the kids to bed in the evening and watch telly or drink wine.

It's easier taking a small baby overseas than it is taking a toddler who's into everything.

[MiseryFire]

4 months will be fine, much easier than a toddler! Go and enjoy!

[Hilarias]

Took EBF DS to Italy when he was 6 months old. It was wonderful. He was doted on by everyone and loved looking around. Recommend a sling and breastfeeding during ascent / descent on flights to help with ears popping.

[Mamaofaboy]

Just an update following said trip - it was an absolute joy! If anyone stumbles across this thread thinking about a holiday I’d 10000% say go for it!

1. Breastfeeding made things SO much easier than bottle feeding would have been
   
2. All the excitement is tiring for babies, let them have extra naps!
   
3. Just relax as much as possible and have low expectations - it’s basically parenting in a different place but with the help of DH and in a beautiful location with lots of things to do!
   

Thanks all for the advice x

[PineappleWilson]

We took DD to Portugal at 4 months. We'd already booked for a July holiday when we found we were expecting her so pushed the holiday back to October half term. Make sure you have a sling - we struggled with her pushchair down little cobbled streets in old towns, but otherwise it was fine. Flew out on my knee, had a travel cot in the room, no issues. She was mixed fed so we ended up with a sterilising bag hanging off the bath tap to sterilise her bottles but that was the only faff. Oh, and the hotel staff who felt strongly we shouldn't take her in the pool because she was too little.

[Ifonlyidknownthen]

This is the exact age my youngest DC was when we took him on holiday to Spain. I was apprehensive as the youngest we had taken our DC away before was toddler age, however it was ten times easier with a 4 month old than that. They can't mess about near the pool because they can't move, they are past the crying none stop stage so you get to have meals in peace, slept most the flight as we booked early hours of the morning, etc. We made sure to take a really good sun cover for the pram and plenty of formula, nappies, sterilising solution etc, and we had a really good holiday. Go for it.

[Jimmyshoes]

EBF DS went on his first holiday when 2 months old, 2nd holiday 4 months old, 3rd holiday 4.5 months old and 4th holiday 6 months old and then covid hit. These months were the easiest to travel and holiday with compared to this September when he was almost 2.5 years old. Infant age is way easier to manage compared to trying to control a tantrumming devil toddler who would run off, try to jump in an pool, won't eat and won't sit through even a one course meal despite having an ipad with Blippi, colouring pencils, stickers you name it.

When DS was an infant, we took turns with DH to look after DS and I came back with a nice tan. This year DS being a toddler, I came back exactly the same and only was able to swim in the sea a couple of times. Go for it and enjoy your holiday.

[Marvellousmadness]

4mnths? Do it. Best time to do it
It only gets hard when they start to move 😅 but when they can't? Easy!

And they can sleep anywhere and everywhere. Babies are the best to take traveling