Am I mad to consider this with a newborn?

[Planningatrip]

We’re wondering if it’s going to be feasible to go up to Scotland to see family this Christmas, and make a little weekend out of it perhaps and potter round the Christmas markets. If we did this we would be staying in a hotel/AirBnb for 2 or 3 nights and so would need to drive up in order to fit our pram and travel cot in. It’s a 3 hour drive, so we’d obviously have to stop several times.

Our baby could be anywhere between 5 and 8 weeks old, depending on when she’s born.

Naively I’m thinking this could actually be the easiest age. Yes we’ll be tired, but we’ll be tired wherever we are. Planning on breastfeeding so hopefully shouldn’t have to worry about bottles and the likes.

AIBU to think about it? Do I need a reality check?

No, I went to my parents in Ireland from Scotland at New Year with a newborn. As long as you plan your journey well beforehand. You can do it. You'll be made more than welcome and we love babies 👶 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ❤️

I would do it.
When DS2 was approx 5 weeks we did a long weekend caravan break at a lovely site and to be honest I still hadn't recovered fully and therefore felt a bit rubbish but the fact I could wander about at my own leisure, stop off and drink coffee, have lunch etc did take my mind off it. Plus it also meant I had 4 days with no visitors to my home so had some peace

Emergency c section on my first and stayed in a hotel for 4 nights when she was 6 weeks old. Had a lovely time.

Depends I think on how your baby is as they are all different. I had a c section with 3rd child, and breast feeding was easy, I took him
Anywhere as milk on tap! We went to canaries when he was 3 months old ,I'd no bottles or steralising stuff to take. Fed him on beach and he slept in pushchair.
At 8 weeks ,if you are feeling yourself ..and baby feeding ok...i can't see a problem. 🤞🥂

I think it's impossible to know until you've met your baby and you know what the birth was like. I've had 3 babies and each one has been so different with my most recent baby being premature with a NICU stay and ongoing health concerns so if you book anything make sure it's flexible

Go at Easter instead. Hinestly Christmas with a new born will be magical at home. Let everyone come to you.

Good luck x

I could have done it with both mine as both my births were fine with healing and recovery and also
my son was a text book baby, slept like an angel and ate every 3 hours (bottle fed,) oh and also took a dummy so would have been a doddle.. but I’m a very chilled laid back mum/person this wouldn't faze me at all. sleep in the car (take pillows and duvet) and take stops every hour, 3 hour is nothing.. Also where in Scotland? (I’m central)

I say go for it, we drove Southampton - Liverpool when baby was 8 weeks. It was meant to take 4 hours but with stops and traffic it took 8 and she slept the whole way.

She’s now 2 and I wouldn’t dare do that trip 😂 so much easier when they are little. Lots of frequent stops to stretch and for milk x

Totally doable and I would! You can be tired anywhere is my opinion.
Check your pram can be used for over night sleep, that’ll save on a travel cot also being packed ☺️

Have only read first few pages so probably been mentioned but if going in a car get good breakdown cover - breaking down in remote areas in pitch black freezing December. That won’t be good.
The train would be easier in some ways as don’t need to stop to feed and both of you will be less tired but then there’s cancellations left right and centre.
In all honesty yes I could have travelled that far if needed 5-8 weeks after no problem but I wouldn’t do it for pleasure just out of necessity ie a sick relative. For your first Christmas time I’d honestly stay local, don’t stress yourself out, book a trip less than an hour away for markets etc. and build up to a holiday. As you’ve probably heard every single birth is completely different

I will say... I had my first baby 3 years ago and it is definitely harder than you think. Everyone tried to tell you but you don't realise until they are here. I planned on breastfeeding and know many mums who planned on it but couldn't stick to it for whatever reason so ended up bottle feeding. You need to think about these things: 1. You may not end up breastfeeding meaning you have to make up bottles for the journey 2. You may have a c section meaning you will be healing for months 3. You may have a long hospital stay ( I know someone who needed to stay in for 6 weeks) 4. Baby has to be taken out for 15 mins at a time every 30 mins. 5. My baby hated a car seat and screamed whenever she was put in, turned red and threw up whenever i drove her around so i stopped doing it 6. Possible post natal depression will make you not want to do anything 7.You will be exhausted and no doubt won't want to travel all that way doing all those things when you're surviving on 3 hours sleep a night.

Sorry if I've been blunt but just want you to have a heads up

💯 doable. I live away from where I’m from. Have always travelled with babies/ young children. Start young they get used to it. I had 3 under 5 & my youngest first holiday at 6 months was the Caribbean. You can make it work, plan ahead & don’t be worried. Worst case scenario you have to make a few stops on the journey. Hopefully baby might even sleep through the entire thing! Good luck 😊

I didn't realise there was a limit to how long a baby was in a car seat. Back in the day we secured their carry cot on the back seat and they slept (or not) lying down.
Given you have the space to do so, is this no longer an option?

You can only really decide after the baby is born. The baby may be able to settle, and tolerate change, but will you?

Do you think that by 8 weeks your baby, who hopefully will have adapted to your usual family routine, would accept a sudden change?

Wouldn't it be best to speak to your midwife and health visitor? If by Christmas the baby is not 6 weeks old, would you go without having your post natal check?

I have 3 children of my own, if I could answer with my frame of mine now I'd say do it, I took my two eldest at 2 and 6 months to Edinburgh one February for a few nights which was hectic and not much fun because my eldest wanted to run around a lot my youngest was teething just nightmare. I think a newborn would be easier really if you just didn't make really solid crazy plans. But if you asked me just after I'd had my first I'd have laughed you out of my house just because of the sheer levels of exhaustion and how you can't really comprehend that until you have had your first baby, your body is still getting used to everything. Really hard to know. I'd book somewhere that has free cancellation and not commit fully to things and just play it by ear , it might be that you really feel like you are up for it! And Edinburgh is just beautiful if I could live there in another life I will ♥️

Frame of Mind!*

Haven’t read the full thread, but just wanted to say in case nobody else has that you can buy flat car bassinets that fit into the isofix and are great - we did London to Cornwall with a six week old in one of these and it was great, meant we didn’t need to stop nearly as often.

I don't blame you for thinking about it. I personally wouldn't plan a trip like that just yet. I know my child was born 5 weeks early and was kept in hospital for a week. He's perfectly fine but you just don't know how and when the birth will happen. I lost a bit of blood after it too so it took a few weeks to feel right again and adjust to being a new mum!. Christmas is a cold time for a newborn to be travelling too.. You could make a loose plan for the months after maybe? You're probably getting excited now and are looking forward to seeing family with the new arrival!! :) A huge congrats by the way!! :)

Sorry about all the same replies 🙄 But I'm newish to this and the first two replies said "Fix the errors before you post " So I thought they weren't going to be posted 😂

I'm a very relaxed mum of 4 and think this is probably over ambitious. Assuming everything goes OK (good birth, good latch, good partner, easy journey, coping with fatigue of the 6-8 week crying peak).... What about the weather? Won't it be snowing or frosty? In outdoor markets? It's some skill to latch a baby with 4 inches of pramsuit with its little bobble head (note: special breastfeeding top helps, as does a small travel stool so u can sit ANYWHERE). If it was the middle of summer, gosh it's so much easier. My first was a January baby (also premie, which is why temp occurs to me I guess), so I breastfed in the snow at times, but she was older, and I was never too far from base.

Like other say, don't fully commit

People have babies in much snowier frostier countries than Scotland you know

And why would a baby in a sling need a thick pramsuit? I wouldn't want to be pushing a pram round a crowded market. I had 2 winter babies. In sling underneath my coat and with my body heat they were plenty warm enough in sleep suits and a hat

Very do-able. In fact, you'll be glad you made the plan come the time. So nice to get out of the house during those early days when there's a lot of sleeping being done (by the baby - not you!). Breasfeeding makes getting around far less complicated. Packing will be the hard part so get ahead of it if you can.

If all goes well with birth you should be fine. I travelled to Australia for my brothers wedding with 5 week old without any issues that couldn’t be overcome. I did have to start supplementing breastfeeding with bottles partway through the trip, but I just bought the bits I needed there. I had a 5 year old with me, so that helped. Babies are very portable! Just take your time, enjoy bathing in family love and pottering gently around Christmas markets sounds lovely😊

I think unless your baby has had a really hard time, stayed in hosp etc then I don’t see why not. We moved house when DS was 7 weeks old as I said upthread - he was also a failure to thrive as undiagnosed tongue tie (despite me asking everyone I could! We moved and local expert sorted it within a week), mega feeding issues and I had had a 3C tear.

Not sure if this is a joke or not??? 😅 but no this is no longer an option. Carseats have isofixes for safe positioning, seat belt hooks to be strapped in securely, straps to strap the child in securely, hard outer casings to reduce the impact in a car crash.... a carry cot doesn't! Yes I grew up in a time where 5 kids squeezed into the back of the car and drove the length of the country to go on holidays, but roads are far more dangerous now, cars are travelling at much higher speeds, so car sear safety has become a huge thing!