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Camping

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Original poster

Camping with 10 week old in August

16 replies

silversixpence · 29/03/2015 13:54

Just wondering if this is going to be a good idea or not? We have camped a few times and will go to a site about 1.5 hours from home. Thinking of going towards the end of August (third week or so) by which time baby Should be 10 weeks (8 weeks if very overdue!). Plan to go for 2-3 nights.

Would like to camp at least once this summer if possible so hoping for positive stories!

OP posts:

stubbornstains · 29/03/2015 14:02

I don't know, but I'm sure we'll be doing this too (baby due on 31st May, and I would feel a bit mean depriving my 5 year old of any camping this summer). I think it will be much, much easier than going camping in a year's time!

I should imagine that the only problems will be temperature related (unless you formula feed, in which case sterilising bottles could also be a bit faffy). Maybe take a thermometer? I'm planning to get a pop up sun tent, as we also spend a lot of time on the beach.

FWIW, I went camping loads with DS when he was a baby, but he was born in February, so a bit older. I don't recall any problems whatsoever (apart from accidentally burning him on the camping cooker after boiling water to give him a bath ).

Muchtoomuchtodo · 29/03/2015 20:29

Ds2 was born at the start of June. He camped at a month old (cheated and hired a camper van), then again for a couple of long weekends in August.

I bf him so that was faff free. We just used to wrap him up as the temperature dropped in the evening. We took his bouncy chair and he would happily bob about in there for the evening inbetween feeds as we relaxed.

The sites that we chose had great bathroom facilities including family rooms or at least a sink big enough to bath him in.

As long as you take plenty of layers for him it'll be fun!

colleysmill · 30/03/2015 22:06

We took ds2 who was totally ff camping at 6 weeks in our campervan so if you do end up ff feeding then my top tips are:

Coldwater sterilzer (our microwave one doubled up and it lived outside the van - replaced the water daily direct from the nearby drinking tap)
Enough bottles for the day, night and early morning feed - we took 7 or 8 think and made enough up each morning - saves on washing up and just general time and faff
Flask to instantly produce water to heat night and early morning bottle - life saver
Sterilizer tablets you don't need to rinse (ie named brand and ignore the cheapness of buy bottled fluid - takes up too much space)
I was going to take ready made formula but unfortunately ds had other ideas and couldn't tolerate normal formula

We had ehu (it was April) and the fan heater was essential although you're going in August the nights might still be nippy.

Good luck!!

MrsPnut · 30/03/2015 22:08

Camping with a small baby is much easier because they stay put, camping once they are mobile is a nightmare.

Plenty of layers, and if you are using bottles - the equipment to sterilise them or disposible bottles.

sanfairyanne · 30/03/2015 22:15

we were fine

the rest of the campsite didnt look too happy

Wolfiefan · 30/03/2015 22:17

Sorry. Yes. Please do think of other campers. Tents don't stop noise travelling. (I know I will get roasted for saying this but I don't want to be awake all night when my kids are woken by screaming baby.)

momb · 30/03/2015 22:19

I second what the others have said. You'll be fine but it's impossible to not spoil others' experience because at that age there will be regular night noise.

Flipchart · 30/03/2015 22:21

As long as you are wild camping or have a few acres to yourself then fine.
Noise travels at night!

stubbornstains · 30/03/2015 22:24

Thing is, when camping:

Small babies cry in the middle of the night
Bigger babies/ toddlers do high pitched screaming at 5.30am/ tantrums at any time
Larger children get together in gangs and scream their heads off all through the day and pretty late into the evening
Adults get pissed and end up shouting their heads off at 2am.

stubbornstains · 30/03/2015 22:27

Actually, of all the groups just mentioned, I think the only one that hasn't caused me extreme irritation is small babies! They might be noisy, but compared to a bunch of fuckwits playing Foo Fighters at top volume and singing along drunkenly, they are nothing, I tell you. Nothing .

perfectlybroken · 30/03/2015 22:33

We did this with ds2 about same age. No probs, just take a warm clothes for them. A fleece onsie is good. As he was right next to me he didn't cry as I fed him before he got to crying stage.

stubbornstains · 30/03/2015 22:36

Yes, DS1 was never a night time crier either....a few gurgles would wake me up, he had a feed and would go straight back to sleep...so no complaints there. please let this one be the same, please please

colleysmill · 30/03/2015 22:40

I have to say more people were moaning about the man snoring in tent x than ds crying when we went - we were up like a cat on hot bricks when he did wake up

MissWimpyDimple · 31/03/2015 23:38

I think small babies crying is fine as long as you tend to them! That sort of noise is less annoying than snoring/teenagers/older toddlers etc.

unless you are happy to leave the baby to cry, which is what our lovely tent neighbours did

FrozenAteMyDaughter · 01/04/2015 10:19

Please don't worry about night noise. Your baby will really not be the only noise waking people up on the site and, by and large, babies crying (particualrly that young) just doesn't carry that far.

People who are easily woken generally take earplugs camping anyway, mainly becuase of the snoring that tends to go on outside (or often in) their tents (I certainly do after being caught out once or twice this way).

When i have woken up to hear a baby crying I have mainly been releived it isn't me who has to get up to tend to them, and then felt very sorry for the parents. Everyone I know has been the same.

DD, having been a fantastic camper as a baby, once had a full blown night terror when we were at Eweleaze. It sounded to us like she would have woken the dead and nothing we could do could calm her down. We ended up carrying her miles across the site to the car park where she promptly fell asleep in her car seat, and we spent an uncomfortable night in the front seats. We apologised profusely to our neighbours, who were the friends we were camping with, and several of them swore they hadn't heard a thing. Those that had had easily gone back to sleep and most importantly none of the children had woken.

So honestly don't worry about that side of it.

As others have said, warmth is the main thing at that age and a little pop up baby tent like the Littlelife Arc 2 or this sort of thing: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LittleLife-pop-up-Compact-Travel-Bed-mattress-to-12-months-MAKE-A-BEST-OFFER-/201312034298?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2edf21ddfa, can be a good idea. Lots of layers and an all in one fleece suit (especially if it has a hood) will keep a baby warm usually and if worst comes to worst, you can always pull them in with you (assuming you aren't co-sleeping anyway).

zebrapig · 01/04/2015 10:53

We're taking our DD on her first camping trip in May when she'll be 9.5 weeks. Can't decide if we're mad or not but as it's for a friend's wedding we have little choice! I'm really looking forward to it and figure it will be easier whilst she's tiny. Need to buy a new tent beforehand though as there's no room for her in the bedroom in our current one.

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