Or just nuts to consider taking two month old to East Africa? (long)

[LadyThompson]

Ok, should say first that I know nothing much about babies yet and I'm falling on your mercy, and want your honest advice. Please note - at the moment I am tending more to the notion of not going!

Having my first child last week in Nov this year. Have the opportunity to go to a country in East Africa (a stable one) in early Feb - a good friend is a diplomat there, and a sports team I run is going out there as he is hosting a tour for us.

I would stay with my diplomat friend and his wife in their house, and not with the rest of the team, though I would of course see them. The area is not malarial (you only need malarial tabs if you go up country, which I wouldn't be doing). Further point is I would have to go alone - DP sadly working away from home in the week between January and March.

I envisage just having a lovely rest in a beautiful country with my new baby, and seeing a bit of my much loved friends too, but is it all too much/too risky to subject a little baby to (ie a long haul flight?) and too much pressure to put on myself not too long after the birth (which is going to be a CS?) Am I being hopelessly naive in thinking I could carry all the stuff we'd need for a week myself? If there is the least chance I am putting my baby in jeopardy I won't go, though I will of course also be seeking medical advice and won't decide until last minute.

[MmeLindt]

Watch out for the biometric passport regulations if you take the photo yourself. There is a company that does it online, you upload a photo and they resize it to the measurements required and post you the finished photo. I am not sure of the name of the company, I saw it here on MN a month or two ago

[Themasterandmargaritas]

LadyThompson, I am in Nairobi and would say without yet having read the thread, do come out. I have been living in Africa on and off for 10 years and all three of my dc have been here from 2 weeks old after me having a CS with never a problem, either with them or me.

If you are staying with diplomat friends then you will be in a good secure area, with staff to help, good levels of hygiene, access to good and well prepared food and doctors/hospitals should you need them. You will have plenty of time and willing helpers to enable you to put your feet up a bit.

Now I am away to read the rest of this thread properly, but if you need any more advice about visiting the area don't hesitate to ask.

[Themasterandmargaritas]

Now I've read the thread properly I am back to say:

Where in Tz? If in Dar then it will be hot in Feb, but all the houses have a/c so sleeping at night and nap times is easy.

If in Arusha then it will be like Nairobi, fresh, hot in the sun, cool in the shade, early morning and early evening.

Flights are direct from Lon to Dar with a brief stop en route at Arusha. They are mostly overnight flights and at two months old is just the best time to travel on a night flight with a baby. The baby will sleep very easily.

Vaccinations: Yellow fever is only necessary from 9 months old, Hep A from a year and Typhoid from 2 years old (I have a 14 mth old!) Otherwise the baby has your natural immunity for the first 6 months of his life.

Both Dar and Arusha have pretty good medical facilities, your diplomat friends will have all the details.

Good nappies you can get easily here in Nairobi, so probably not too bad in Dar/Arusha. Formula is very expensive and the range is not the same as in the UK so if the baby is bottle fed, then I would advise you to bring your own formula.

Post CS recovery is different for everyone, like VS I am a quick recoverer and by 2 months am pretty much back to normal. Taking the babies at 2 weeks 1 to Dar and 1 to Cameroon was tiring but do-able and I was glad to be back in my spacious house with lots of help

Equipment, a car seat and sling should be all you need as I am certain your friends will be able to beg steal and borrow from one of their many friends, its always a close knit community in these places and everyone is always willing to help.

And to settle an argument, February in Kenya this year was pretty warm, around 25 degrees in the daytime, but at the moment tis blardy cold, I have the fire going!

[LadyThompson]

Themasterandmargaritas, that is is tremendously helpful - thank you very much indeed. Particularly about the vaccinations, which I was fretting about. It's Dar actually, but yes, the house has mega-airconditioning as you say, and the garden is shady!

I am envious of you in Nairobi, I love Africa (the skies!) but haven't actually been to Kenya. I think that assuming that the baby is ok, and I have made a decent recovery, and it's not going cause DP's hair to fall out with worry (quite a few ifs, I realise), I want to come out if possible...We'd also go to Zanzibar for a couple of days but that's just a short hop from Dar on the plane as I am sure you know. Enjoy sitting by the far, I've got to say, it's really not good here today - grey, looks like rain...

[ib]

Ooohhh, where in Zanzibar are you going (comes over all emotional at memory of AMAZING holiday there (pre ds!))

[LadyThompson]

Well, probably just Stone Town but I'm fortunate to have been a couple of times to Zanzibar (with said friends) and I've also stayed on the North East coast. Which.was.paradise.....

[Themasterandmargaritas]

LadyThompson, if you are in Dar, then make sure you take plenty of mossie repellant for you and for the baby, they are viscious and there have been a few malaria outbreaks on the peninsula in recent times. We use Mosiguard, available from travelpharm.com. Its totally natural and the kids version is fine to use on babies. Dd was taken to Dar, where we lived at the time, at 2 weeks old and thrived . My one rule would be, baby in bed and under a net from 7pm to 7am if possible as peak biting and transmission hours are 9pm to 4am. And long sleeved pyjamas at night.

Other than that you should have a ball, if you can convince dh

I'm just popping off to Mombasa in the morning for a couple of weeks of true warmth. Feel free to email me if you need any further advice - stephensonkuk at yahoo dot co dot uk

[LadyThompson]

Thanks TMAM! Have a blast in Mombasa...and I may well come back and bug you in a few months...

[Themasterandmargaritas]

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

[MrsBadger]

NB if the baby doesn't cooperate with sleeping 7-7 [hollow laugh], consider cosleeping so you don't have to leave your (netted) bed to get to her