Quick poll: is it madness to take a 2 week old baby on holiday to France, driving from London to the Dordogne?

[doodling]

(I am regular I have just namechanged BTW)

Or am I being oversensitive in thinking that it is lunacy?

SIL is due in August, we had planned a big family holiday in the dordogne. SIL is due her first baby at the beginning of August and her and her dh are still planning to drive through France down to the Dordogne, for a week's holiday?

Surely these are the ramblings of a clueless first time mother to be? What about any problems that might crop up? She doesn't speak any french.

Or AIBU?

Frakkin it'll be pretty obvious that someone's just given birth, and it's not her dh!

Do you think that it is possible to get holiday health insurance when you have just given birth? Maybe worth asking a few insurance companies now.

I do think it's a big deal though. I'm not saying they shouldn't go, it's obviously up to them but it would worry me too much.

We went when DS was 11 weeks old last August. It was very hot, even with the air conditioning on in the car. We had a sunblind up at his window but this was not enough to keep out the heat of the sun blazing through for most of the journey.

We had lots of stops and because of that it took a lot longer than a normal 4/500 mile journey should take.

We did have a great holiday though

You can get insurance and I agree with Pikelit that the medical side wouldn't bother me. I have always felt as confident holidaying with the children in France as much as here in terms of if they got ill.

our kids were 2 months when we went to france. that was fairly tight as you have to get a birth certificate, then passport. Obviously she could be 14 days late. what happens about all the health visits to check baby's OK - she's just going to not bother i guess? Who's going to get the passport organised - they won't be able to do it via post as won't be time. what if she has a cesarian and has to have stitches out? all sounds a bit risky to me

A bit of French certainly helps...

There was the time DH (not good at French) explained my vomitting at the side of the morotway to the Gendarmes..."Ma femme, elle est sanglier." At least they had a good laugh. I felt so ill and to add insult to injury had just been described as a wild boar.

I wouldn't at all suggest not leaving the UK for 18+ years, you'd go insane! I merely advised looking up some useful medical French in order to prevent being described as a wild boar. Not all paramedics or doctors will speak English in France and even when they do it's not necessarily to be relied upon. Also you're just as likely to be rescued by the local fire service who may know some English, but it won't be technical/medical terminology, or assisted by gendarmes whose level of English is overall fairly dire and I would know because I get paid to test them. Neither was I saying that it wouldn't be obvious she'd given birth, of course it will be! But they might want to know things like when and whether it was an easy birth or there were complications, whether she has stitches. There's no harm in being prepared. Regardless of where I was going I would want to have at least some phrases in the local langauge to cover medical emergencies.

Besides, if you'll notice I've never said it wouldn't be doable, I just pointed out some things they will need to have thought of, such as stops and the baby being in a car seat for a long time, medical French in case of complications etc.

mumof2222boys wildboar that is hilarious. Although I guess it wasn't at the time.

6 years ago...he has NEVER been allowed to forget it! Remedial French lessons and no Asterix allowed!

Well it really depends on so many things doesn't it!? My dd screamed for hours when she was 1-5 weeks old and slept very little during the day. Hated lying flat, had to be upright all day. Feeding was a nightmare, she vomited loads everywhere all the time, the washing was endless. I felt like I had been run over by a bus, even though my labour was straighforward. No way on earth we could have done a road trip.

She, on the other hand, may have a calm baby that sleeps for hours on end, feeds like a dream and a birth that doesn't leave her feeling too beaten up. Or.....