to book a holiday with 3 month old ?

[Fibilou]

We are planning to go to a holiday cottage in Devon in the middle of May for a week to see my best friend - we've stayed in this cottage 4 times and it has normal facilites like washing machine, tumble dryer etc. It's a 4 hour drive, we have an estate car so taking baby stuff won't be a problem. Baby is due on the 24th so would be about 3.5 months old.

When I said about it to my parents you would think I was planning a round the world trip.

Am I being ridiculously naive to think that logistically it really can't be that hard to stay away in a cottage for a few days ?

Children are so portable at this age; you will regret it later, if you don't do it now.

However, make a travel list and start checking it with your friends. I have a travel list which I keep on my computer desktop. I make specific lists each time we travel, from the master list. It works well, although might seem a bit weird.

Not at all you go for it!

We took our 6 month old to Tenerife last year for 10 days and we all survived. I'll be honest it was hard work but so worth it just getting away from the usual routine and spending time together.

We just did some research before we went i.e I spoke to the SMA helpline about where they supplied milk to and also contacted pampers to see if they supplied nappies in spain (bit extreme now looking back but at the time it felt right!)

People are very helpful and accommodating when you have a small child so I'm sure you will be fine. Maybe take a nursery rhyme CD for the car to keep you all entertained. Me and husband had great fun recalling them all when we did a long drive to Scotland.

Hope you have a great time.

Older people can be a bit funny about travelling with children. Must be a generational thing. All three of my children have been on flights since 6 weeks old, the eldest we took to a wedding in Vegas at 5 months (did feel slightly like Britney wheeling her through the hotel which was also of course a casino...but all very straightforward).

Cottage in Devon should be great - enjoy! (only travel advice - avoid long flights (over 3 hours) with the moving but non-tv watching aged child).

"every single gadget, routine and High Standard along with you."

The thought of me with gadgets and routines is hilarious. The most gadgety thing I've bought for this child is a second hand breast pump from a friend !

Gemma just spotted your thing about ringing Pampers! Fantastic - just the type of thing I would have done with DC1 (without thinking...hmmm I am sure all the Spanish babies have nappies...)

We've been all over the place with our 4 month old DD, including a long weekend in Suffolk (we live in Cardiff and had a horrific 10hr journey home via the North Circular!). Basically, she goes where ever we're going

I would suggest regular breaks and to pack lots of nappies. We changed DD while she was led across my lap in the front of the car (obviously parked up) rather than use suspect A-road service station facilities, plus I'm BFing so this was also a bit more private. DD prefers to travel in a babygro as I think this is more comfortable, which you could try.

I think this age is brilliant for travelling as DD will now sleep in the car (the 10hr journey cured her hatred of the carseat!) and she's not old enough to try to get out of it. Plus, she's not mobile either so happy sat in her bouncy chair in the house and no stairgates needed. Have a lovely time.

YANBU Me, my husband and DC went on a holiday to St Lucia when DS was 16 months and DD was 7 weeks old. The dbl pushchair went on to Trinidad and despite this we had a fantastic time. We even pushed the pram (when it arrived) up to the base of a fort, then, with DS on DH's shoulders and DD strapped to my front, we climbed up to the top, then scaled a rickety ladder to look out at where the Atlantic and the caribbean seas met!

We have also been longhaul with DS when I was 7 months pregnant with DD, then again when DS was 19 months and DD was 5 months, and again when they were approx 2 1/2 and 18mths respectively. Not surprisingly they want to be 'travellers' when they are older....we have instilled in them a sense of the wider world with all it has to offer...We're planning another major trip for end of next year and am hoping to either be pregnant by then or travelling with new baby on back :0

Travelling with babies and children just takes a little more planning, and you are only staying in England so you know you can buy whatever you may suddenly need quite easily and there are hospitals and the NHS close at hand! Go and enjoy yourselves!

YANBU. Not in the slightest!It's so much easier taking holidays with little babies! A fully equipped cottage sounds lovely and you'll still have the freedom to do what you want on holiday since babies are easy to take sightseeing/out to dinner etc.

I took ds1 to France for the day when he was 5 weeks old (everyone wanted to make a fuss of him) and on a week's canal boat holiday at 4 months. Because he wasn't mobile things were incredibly straightforward. Unlike a similar boat trip a year later!

YANBU

We took DD to a remote holiday cottage in Scotland in mid March (born middle of previous Dec)
...and then it snowed...
...and then the electricity went off...
..and then it snowed more & more...we were snowed in for 4 days until a nearby farmer kindly came and dug us out.

DH had to walk 3 miles through snow to nearest village to get food (we had only taken enough for the first 2 days with us, and were expecting to go out shopping - of course no "make do" food in a holiday cottage )

We all slept in the one room with an open fire while the electricity was off to keep warm. (Luckily plenty of coal & logs)

It was "interesting" but still great fun (I was just so glad I was breastfeeding as DD got fed whatever, could have been "fun" if I'd been bottle feeding)

Hopefully your trip will be a walk in the park in comparision, at least no chance of being snowed in

YANBU - we took DS to a B&B in Wales when he was 4mo. Trust me, the baby stage is a dawdle in comparison to going on hols with a toddler!

if u feel that u can cope then I agree with the earlier comments. Baby will be fine and you can adapt anything and will probably enjoy the break and change of scenery!
I took dd2 to meet her grandparents in Australia when she was four months old cos my dad can't travel with his Parkinsons. No hubs, just dd1 who was 11. Aircrew were fab tho!

We went to Cornwall with DS when he was 12 weeks old and it was great to get away

absolutly fine, ive just booked to go to rhodes dd2 will be 5 months