Would you take a 6 week old on holiday?

[MamaFoxToBe]

I'm currently pregnant with my first baby and due in mid September. Went for a meal with the in-laws today and MIL said they've booked a caravan in North Wales for the first week of Nov and they'd love for us to join them. She said she would even watch the baby in the evening if we wanted to go off and watch the entertainment etc.

I can't imagine wanting to go away six weeks after giving birth, let alone leaving the baby that early! And surely they don't want a screaming baby spoiling their sleep while they're on holiday too 🤣 I'm just thinking it's a lot of hassle with such a new baby but she seemed really keen for us to go too even though she did say she'd understand if we said no.

Sorry, the caravan was meant to be in the equation too

(I'm welsh and love wales, going to a caravan there in July, but the I wouldn't. In your circumstances 🙂)

I shared a caravan with my parents when my youngest was 4 months old.

It was hell on earth. I was trying to BF and settle a baby, my dad wanted to watch tv in his caravan.

I now insist on separating our accommodation when we go away so that my family can still meet our needs and my parents can do their thing.

Also, a caravan in November sounds cold! (We always go camping and really love it!)

At that young age, you will still be establishing a routine, and recovering. Fingers crossed for a happy baby who doesn't suffer colic etc, but it's not a time to cut home comforts and start sharing loving space, no matter how kind the intentions.

Plenty of time for shared holidays in the future...

Yes and no.

DD had colics so up to 8 weeks was a bit of hell but managable if we knew what we wanted to do and how to do it.

But - with family in a caravan in November - absolutely not. A holiday cottage with all luxery - yes.

I went to Spain with my 6w old (bag sleeper with colic..) and nearly 2yo, and it was great. In had a planned section, and was feeling pretty great within a week, so totally back to normal by the time we went away.

I've found its definitely easier to travel when they are tiny, than when mobile or a toddler.

That was our second, but I'd have happily done it with our first as well (and we'd been on a couple of overnight stays by that time with our first).

Yes, you may still have lochia - that's what pads are for, it's just like navigating a really long period.

You may be leaving from boobs. Just make sure you pack breast pads.

The bigger issue is that you won't know how the birth will go. A very uncomplicated vaginal birth or a straightforward planned section and you may be fine. Or you could be induced 2 weeks overdue, in labour for 2 days, and have forceps followred by an emergency section, and then an infection. Then you're unlikely to be feeling up to going away a month later. Or more likely, a birth somewhere in between.

More than anything though - a caravan, with your in laws, in November. I wouldn't want to do that without a baby.

We went away when DS was 6 weeks old to a cottage in Cornwall . I just remember DH driving around all day as DS slept in the car and I could nap too. I don't think any of us really enjoyed that holiday.

I don't think a caravan in Wales in November would be much fun even without a 6 week old baby so I would probably give it a miss .

I took my first abroad when she was 5 weeks. What are you worried about?
It's the same whether you are at hebor on a holiday.

I took my 6 week old and 2 yesr old camping to a small festival in June it was horrendous. I cried my eyes out when thr reality of adding sleeping in a tent to having a newborn hit home

When your baby is 6 weeks old you will be absolutely exhausted. Not in a bad way I'm not being negative but your world will revolve entirely around your baby and sleep! You will probably be going to bed witj thr baby to try and catch up on the sleep you are missing doing night feeds.

Your mil has forgotten what a new baby behaves like. You may well be up trying to calm and settle the baby several times a night.

You will want your own bed and privacy. Nice of her to offer but I would say no

To add. We went away in a campevan for six weeks with our first when he was 4 months old and it was wonderful. Old enough to pop him in the baby bouncer and he was settled in his sleep a bit more.

Please @waterrat and others. Stop with the “you will”. OP MIGHT, or she might not. It’s your (valid) experience, but don’t project it onto others.

As someone who was back competing in their sport at 6 weeks, staying away at competitions, and felt fine, if I said definitively that OP “will be absolutely fine, it will be a breeze, you will feel superb and like you can conquer the world” I’d have my arse, rightly, handed to me.

@maddy68

I took my first abroad when she was 5 weeks. What are you worried about? It's the same whether you are at hebor on a holiday.

Hmmm warm comfy bed at home vs cold caravan with in-laws. Yeah it's a tough one..

@FTEngineerM

Sounds like in November we will get an interfering MIL post from a caravan in north wales

FTEngineerM

Sounds like in November we will get an interfering MIL post from a caravan in north wales wink

Probably 🤣

I took both of mine away at 2 weeks old (first was camping in a tent, second was in an air BnB house in winter)
Did I think it was a crazy idea? Yes, especially with the first. But we took each day one at a time, and knew we could abandon ship and come home if needed.
I actually found it nice both times😂, as I wasn't looking around the house at all the jobs that needed doing!

Maybe you could provisionally say yes, depending on how you feel at the time?

I went to Italy for a friend's wedding when did (my eldest) was 7 weeks. I took a sling so I could wear her and we just did what activities worked for us. It was fine! We didn't go out much in the evening but it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it was going to be. And that was flying, so Wales should be a doddle.

I wouldn't of been able to after my first, she was a shit sleeper and feeder and I still felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I could of easily with my second, they slept and fed fine. However I wouldn't go and stay in a caravan with the in laws with a young baby

Yes! It would be so easy at that age.

It's a very personal decision. We took away twice when she was around 2/3 weeks old. First one was a weekend in a cottage, the second time we took her camping. Lots of people thought we were mad but it wasn't that bad!

We took our first born away on holiday at 2.5 weeks and abroad at 9 weeks. All very easy and enjoyable.

But no way would I have gone on a shared caravan , and in November.

Not enough privacy, would feel too inhibited up in the night (NO sound insulation in caravans), cramped washing conditions, all squashed in.

Breastfeeding made travel a doddle, but not sure about all being squashed in in a caravan. Bottle making and sterilising would be a nightmare.

In November you can’t sit outside and relax. Might rain all the time.

Babies are often very colicky around the 6 week mark. Feeding non stop or crying in the evenings for what feels like hours. Mine didn't but friends had a colicky baby and they had a few very tough weeks.

I would simply say that it's a very kind offer but you've had very missed advice (true) from other mothers. Maybe in late spring before baby is crawling.... 😉

I have a 5 month old and can confidently say I would not have felt comfortable with this at 6 weeks pp x

I'd possibly stay in a house / hotel, but not a caravan especially at that time of year.

6 weeks was a turning point for dd1 and she had a routine and started sleeping very well.but we wouldn't have known that until it happened.

Dd2 had not read the sleep manual by that age and was also super pukey, so definitely wouldn't have wanted to be away.

We took our little girl for a holiday away at 3 weeks, stayed in a hotel for 3 days, was absolutely fine, then took her again at 8 weeks but she slept the whole night and colic had cleared up by then so was good as gold. Thing is every baby is different and you won’t know until your baby is here, don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with but just reassuring you that as long as you’re organised it really isn’t that bad taking babies away, totally depends on your baby.

Na, not a chance I would have done that with DD at that age. Shes only 16 weeks now and to be fair, I still wouldnt consider it even at this stage, and shes a good baby!
At 6 weeks post partum i was dealing with constant bleeding, episiotomy breakdown, baby who had severe reflux, numerous trips to paediatric A&E (sent by GP who refused to prescribe for her, not because we are OTT parents), and the wkrst baby blues because everything around me felt like it was going wrong.
Oh, and the sleep deprivation caused by a cluster feeding, reflux baby.
I was happiest on the sofa, with my boobs out and a baby attached to me to be honest.
I dont think i would have found a break enjoyable at all.
Everyone is different though.

We went to a holiday park when our youngest was 7 weeks. I remember the health visitor at the time said it was brave! It was actually a good holiday as we had booked an apartment rather than a caravan and at night xh took other two to the activities/arcades and I stayed in and chilled out with the baby.

My parents took me to Yugoslavia when I was 6 weeks old - many many many years ago. I had a lovely time apparently and was a big hit with everyone I met. Go for it!

We went away with family when DD was 6 days old to Ireland. In hindsight we were young and daft but it was fine. Had a straightforward birth and was up and out at the shops etc the next day. The midwife raised an eyebrow when I told her what we planned but off we went. Not sure my mother has forgiven me yet 👀