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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Is a three month old too young to go on a weekend break? Need advice.

17 replies

jeckadeck · 09/04/2011 20:46

My DH and I have been invited to a wedding later this month. DD will be three months on the weekend the wedding falls. We were planning to spend two nights in Edinburgh, where the wedding will be, flying there from London and staying in a B&B. DD is by and large a reasonably chilled baby and an OK sleeper (albeit a co-sleeper) and also is formula fed so won't need to be breastfed on the plane or anything like that, but she gets overstimulated very easily and it plays havoc with her sleep patterns. We obviously were planning to take it easy and absent ourselves from the late night festivities. But are we biting off more than we can chew and setting ourselves up for a stressful weekend followed by many days trying to resettle her when we get home? And if its not a bad idea, does anyone have any tips about settling a baby in unfamiliar circumstances and so forth?

OP posts:

Tamdin · 09/04/2011 20:56

IMO there's no such thing as too young as long as you feel comfortable. We took ds1 to a wedding in portugal around this age and it was much easier than expected. He was ebf at the time and co-slept and I don't think he cared two hoots where it happened
You can always take it in turns to spend time with the wedding party while the other babysits and then swap.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 09/04/2011 20:59

We took ds1 to Germany to visit friends when he was 12 weeks old. TBH, it was one of the easiest trips we've had since having our dc, but then again we had no routine by then really!

I would say go for it.

NotQuiteCockney · 09/04/2011 21:04

Breastfeeding works pretty well to settle a baby.

Oh, and formula feeding on the plane is a giant hassle, I think - they are cranky about carried-on liquids, how do you keep it sterile, how do you warm it up? And babies are better off sucking on takeoff and landing (to keep their ears from hurting), so what happens if they empty the bottle before then?

Tamdin · 09/04/2011 21:06

Just thought I would add. Give me travelling with a baby over a walking talking toddler any day!!! Do it now. In hindsight it's the easiest awww.mumsnet.com/baby-name-finder/girl/oliviage and we fully intend to travel as much as possible with ds2 (14weeks)

Tamdin · 09/04/2011 21:30

Sorry weird don't know why that link appeared mid sentence!

ChristinedePizan · 09/04/2011 21:32

It's waaay easier at that age. The whole world is so new to her that she won't be any more stressed by the trip than she is going to Sainsburys. All she needs is you :)

Woodlands · 09/04/2011 21:43

Much easier to travel at that age than later on, I'd say. We took DS away for a city break at 4 months and it was fine - he was BFed, coslept, and we carried him in the sling so we only needed to stick a couple of nappies in a bag and away we went. Now we are planning a holiday with him at 10 months and it is seeming like a huge endeavour - cot, high chair, toys, will the food be OK for him, etc etc etc...

Original poster

jeckadeck · 09/04/2011 21:49

Thanks for the advice: still on the fence about about this but I don't feel 100% comfortable about it -- not because I think anything bad's going to happen but because I know unfamiliarity really stresses her out and we're effectively guaranteeing ourselves a sleep-free weekend. Anyway, encouraging to know that others have done it with relative ease.

OP posts:

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 09/04/2011 22:04

I took DS1 abroad for a week when he was that age - without DH, but with my Dad.

We had done lots of weekends visiting family and friends with him before that though, and he slept in an Amby nest at home which we also took with us as his travel bed everywhere we went.

If you co-sleep then surely normality remains because you will all be sharing a bed when you're away too?

I would go for it. As others have said it only gets harder the older they get until you get to about 2.5 and start to need less in the way of equipment again.

girliefriend · 09/04/2011 22:13

I think its good to take baby to different places, helps them with socialising and I imagine it won't be as stressful as you think! I had a very eaisly over stimulated baby but still took her away for wends from 3 months and found them generally to be okay!!

If you can keep some resembalence of a routine going that helps, accept that babies cry and thats normal, accept help from friends at the wedding and try and relax and enjoy yourself!!!

Have baby will travel was my moto!!!

PatriciaHolm · 10/04/2011 00:14

Given we took DD to Paris at 2 months and Antigua at 4, I would say no, it's clearly fine! She's basically another piece of luggage at this age. They are generally (IMHO) very easy to adjust at this age and for a while yet (we did Oz and the caribbean when ours were around 0.8-1 and 2-2.3 and they adjusted far quicker than we did).

I never warmed bottles either, so one less thing to worry about. Going down on the plane is worse than up (ears adjust themselves up as it's about air going out, air has to force its way in going down so it's more painful) so keep some water/formula for then).

llareggub · 10/04/2011 00:18

My children have always slept far better when we've been way from home, so I make sure we go away often. It is s much easier when they are babies.

TheSecondComing · 10/04/2011 00:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

primigravida · 10/04/2011 09:26

We took DS on a round the world trip at age three months and it was fantastic. He was co-sleeping and didn't always sleep brilliantly but no worse than when we were at home. Small babies are much more portable than toddlers or pre-schoolers. I'd go for it.

magentastardust · 10/04/2011 14:56

you will be fine-have done it at the same age. Its easier now than it is with an 18 month old who is constantly on the go.

Probably not the best Idea to suddenly change your 3 month old baby from formula fed to breast just to settle them as someone helpfully suggested!!

Formula feeding on a plane isn't a giant hassle! Feeding your baby her bottle will just as easily settle her -its going to be a very short flight.
Airports/Airlines do not have an issue with liquids when it is baby formula/drink -they sometimes may ask you to taste a tiny amount of it -but there certainly wouldnt be a problem with taking a couple of bottles on board with you.
If you are worried about her ears -give her a dummy for taking off and landing to suck on.

If she has you and a familiar comforter/toy she will be happy .

BikeRunSki · 10/04/2011 15:11

Jet2 would not let me take bottles on board (flying LeedsBradford to Nice about 18 months ago), but we had separate formula and made it up with a bottle of Evian we bought airside (Evian is OK for babies, but most other bottled water is too salty, or so says my HV). Many airports have a Boots airside too, where you could get ready made formula cartons. You can warm it up by sticking it down your jumper!

I would much rather fly with a 3 month old than my 2 year old, but next year will have the pleasure of flying with a toddler and a baby!

dreamingofsun · 10/04/2011 18:31

if unfamiliarity makes her unsettled its all the more reason to do it or she will only get worse as she grows older. children should be familiar with lots of different situations - all part of growing up. we took our oldest away for a long weekend when he was 1 month old with a large group of people for a birthday celebration and for a weeks holiday when 3 months. the younger 2 both went on a 2 week holiday abroad when they were 6 weeks old.

they have no idea where they are

its once they start walking the problems start

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