Holiday with 6 week old, any tips or advice please?

[jessi]

We are soon to be going away with our newborn and I wondered if anyone had any advice about anything I should take? Also has anyone tried these pop up travel cot things that are for newborns? I don't know whether to buy one or not as they are quite expensive. Finally can we take a car seat, pushchair and a moses basket on our flight or is that too much baggage?
Many thanks

jessi, are you hiring a car? If so you don't need the car seat as they will provide one. Are you staying in a hotel or with friends? Most hotels will provide cots so you won't need the pop up one, most villas/holiday cottages do too.

You can take a buggy on the flight, but beware, some airports make you check the buggy with your bags so you then have to carry the baby around with you for 2 hours (ok if 6 weeks, not if 11 months like mine!) Heathrow lets you take them to the plane.

If the babe is still in a moses basket why not just take that instead of a pop up cot? You could pack it with clothes and then put it in a big holdall and check it. Believe me the last thing you want before your flight is to be wandering around the airport with a moses basket, car seat and buggy plus hand luggage, remember lots of airports don't let you take trollies through to airside.

Good luck!

We used to take our dd on board in her car seat, that way if there is a spare seat you have somewhere to put the baby during the flight without having to keep her on your lap. It depends on the length of flight, where you are travelling to, whether you hire a car (I would not rely on a car hire firm to provide a suitable car seat in good condition at that age) and what sort of accommodation as to what else you might need. I would suggest hiring or borrowing as much equipment as possible.

Remember to keep a full change of clothes for the baby in your hand luggage, also at least one more nappy than you expect to use. We tend to check in as much as possible and keep hand luggage to a minimum. You could check the pushchair in with the hold luggage if you have a front carrier for example and this keeps your hands free.

Thanks for the info, we are staying at a friends house so no cots, and will be taking her car seat. My worry is that our moses basket is a very rigid one, it won't fold in any way. What with that, dd, ds, pushchair,car seat, luggage plus me and dh how are we all going to fit into taxi the other end? We are going to Spain so it will be hot I imagine. Also should I give dd water while we are there, my HV's have conflicting advice as to whether I should?
Also wondering if anyones got a pop up cot thingy I could hire from them??
Thanks again.

Try boiling Evian or another low sodium bottled water. I would def give water if it is hot.

Unless breastfeeding, in which case just drink the extra water yourself and make sure she doesn't go too long between feeds.

At a pinch, your newborn could sleep in a drawer/cardboard box as long as it was adequately padded - maybe your friends have something suitable?

Breastfed babies don't need water when it is hot, just lots of feeds. As bobthebaby said, make sure you don't get dehydrated.

Just a thought - can the baby not sleep in the push chair? Does it lie flat?

a couple of thoughts - do your friends know anyone locally they can borrow a travel cot from? Or alternatively, do you know anyone with a small baby who you could share the cost of a pop-up cot with? I agree they are expensive for the amount of use one baby would get out of them.
Failing that I think the drawer idea is not a bad one....

You can use a folded out suitcase for a cot - know someone who did that.

Don't take the moses basket! It sounds a nightmare to carry or check in. Agree with Mears, drawer or pushchair as long as it lies flat - which it should do for a six week old. Personally I'd take her in a front carrier, as then your hands will be free at the airport. Ask your airline about where you check in your car seat and pushchair - I've always taken the pushchair to the gate. You may well find that your car seat can't be fitted in a Spanish taxi as they may not have rear seat belts. Not sure how modern they are now.

Biggest tip - feed her on takeoff and landing to prevent ear pain.

Also, if you and dh and ds can manage to cut your packing down to the bare minimum it will make your lives so much easier. And presumably if you are staying with friends you can do laundry there.

Take the absolute minimum with you - having to lug stuff round only adds to the stress of travelling with little ones.

Don't bother with the moses basket or the idea of a pop up cot - just improvise with something when you get there - i agree with the others, just use the pram if suitable or drawer would be good.

Thank you all so much for your top tips! Wish I had read them earlier as I have now got the pop up cot from JoJoMaman, cost £30 but I suppose I could always start a hire service after our holiday! Love the idea of using a drawer or a suitcase lol. They haven't got any drawers there unfortunately but may assess the suitcase before we go and send the pop up thingy back if I can. Pushchair unfortunately dosen't go completely flat. Thanks again, I knew this was the best place to ask!

Thank you all so much for your top tips! Wish I had read them earlier as I have now got the pop up cot from JoJoMaman, cost £30 but I suppose I could always start a hire service after our holiday! Love the idea of using a drawer or a suitcase lol. They haven't got any drawers there unfortunately but may assess the suitcase before we go and send the pop up thingy back if I can. Pushchair unfortunately dosen't go completely flat. Thanks again, I knew this was the best place to ask!

Thank you all so much for your top tips! Wish I had read them earlier as I have now got the pop up cot from JoJoMaman, cost £30 but I suppose I could always start a hire service after our holiday! Love the idea of using a drawer or a suitcase lol. They haven't got any drawers there unfortunately but may assess the suitcase before we go and send the pop up thingy back if I can. Pushchair unfortunately dosen't go completely flat. Thanks again, I knew this was the best place to ask!