Camping with the bambino

[TheMadonnaWithTheBigBoobies]

We've become quite the camping enthusiasts in the past five years in our house and have spent most of the past summers in various fields around the country having good old fashioned scrumpy drinking wholesome fun. This year, however, we have a lovely new addition in the form of DD. We didn't really get into camping as a family until DS was 2 and am wondering what age, realistically, is it 'alright' to start taking DD with us.

(Incidentally, I had no idea this thread existed until 5 minutes ago and I'm v excited to stumble across so many like minded folk )

Not thread - topic!

I think that as soon as they stop randomly crying inconsolably at night then it is fine to take them away.

We took Ds2 at about 9 months, but I'm sure you could go earlier.

I bfed so no worries about sterilising, though if you use bottles you could use Milton.

The only other issue is keeping them warm enough at night, but with lots of layers they should be fine as longm as they're not really tiny.

I think I'd be wary of taking a baby under 6 months for that reason, bu tI'm sure someone else will be along in a minute saying that they've done it and it was fine.

Ha good point re crying! And she's bf so don't have to worry about all that either. The warmth thing does bother me - we're off to a caravan in Cornwall in August and the warmth thing is already bothering me for that! I think I'm looking at next year realistically, if we're to enjoy it :(

We took dd3 last month when she had just turned 7 months and she was absolutely brilliant. She is a great sleeper anyway, but the fresh air knocked her out and gave her an appetite (for once).

I put her in vest, sleepsuit and a velour feetie sleepsuit thingy with one cellular blanket and a hat (as she has no hair!) and she was warm enough.

She still managed to squeeze fit into the moses basket, but we've now unearthed dd1's old pop up cot and it looks like she'll fit into that for some time, despite being quite tall, for her age.

We also camped fairly near home, so that if she didn't settle it wouldn't be too much hassle to pack up and leave.

p.s. congratulations on your new dd!

We took DD2 at 14 weeks and it was fine. We snuggled her into our bed to keep her warm. Primark is good for fleecy sleep suits & Ikea have fab fleecy gro-bags.

I've just bought one of those today Boris! A nice lovely lime green one! Are they good then? Good tip about not going to far from home, espesh on the first time we venture out. All baby-friendly campsite recommendations received gratefully too - I can add them to my folder! If I can't camp yet, I can at least plan and dream about it

Yep, they're not bad, but I would recommend putting a snuggly type blanket/cot duvet underneath as the padded mattress thingy isn't as deep (iykwim) as I'd like it to be. We got ours out (after about 5 years) and it took us 10 mins to work out how to put it together, obviously we'd not kept the instructions, and 2 mins to pack away.

Not sure about baby friendly campsites, we went to one of the New Forest camps which is pretty basic, goof toilet/showers but not EHUs, playgrounds or clubs etc. It was perfect .

Where are you planning on going to?

I took dd at six weeks (when ds was 3.5) it was brilliant, she just slept all the time, every camping trip has been progressively harder since, until this year now she is three.

Thinking the peak district first time with her. We're South Manchester way so not too far at all should I need a mercy dash home at1am!

Never too early! In fact while they are still tidgy it's easier as they fit in Moses basket etc.
Try not to camp right next door to other people if there will be lots of crying in the night.

As I type DS (20weeks) is wrapped up in 50 million layers, sound asleep in his travel cot in a lovely, peaceful campsite on the Isle of Wight. We're just coming to the end of a 10 day camping expedition and it's been ace

How soon you take them depends on you and your baby. That said, there's nothing to stop you from taking the plunge except yourself [nods]

dd2 had her first camping trip age 7 mths lot's of blankets , gro bag and pop up cot , she now 3.7 mths and it's like second nature to her