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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

How soon can I go on holiday with a newborn?

25 replies

TinCan · 20/02/2006 13:08

Is 2 months old too early to take a baby on holiday? I am desperate for a holiday and considering Greece in June - baby will be about 2 months old. I'm planning to stay in a 5* resort so all necessities will be at hand, but am I crazy to plan something that soon after baby arrives?

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 20/02/2006 13:09

Is it your first?

You may very well not feel like going on holiday so soon - or you might.

Book a last-minute deal when the baby's here.

1980cat · 20/02/2006 13:13

We took Dd away at six weeks, only for a couple of days but she was fine. We took her away again at two and half months for week to Spain and there were no problems. Would you be going alone or will you be going with someone else (other than the baby of course)?

Original poster

TinCan · 20/02/2006 13:16

Husband will be going as well. It is our first, but we are avid and experienced travellers and are hoping the new arrival shares our passion! We have already booked hotel, which is refundable if we cancel and will wait until a few weeks after baby's arrival before we book flights.

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 20/02/2006 13:17

Sounds like you've thought of everything - enjoy it!

SarahAndMegan · 20/02/2006 13:20

I agree with hunkermunker, book it last minute, then at least you know how ur feeling about it all, and you'll save some pennies 2!!! My Dd is now 14 weeks and we haven't taken her away yet, but thats just due to timing and money! not because we didn't want to!
I would have quite happily gone away at 2 months. I think if your comfortable with how things are going when baby's born and feel you can cope with delays/hot weather/ etc then go for it! Just remember it won't be like the holidays you had before you had a little one!!!
At least if you book it last minute, you won't be losing out on money like you might if you book in advance, and also what if baby comes late?!! would be even younger, and you might not feel ready!! I think it's entirely up to you and how you feel you're coping with baby, not whether baby is too young or old.

SarahAndMegan · 20/02/2006 13:22

Sorry added my opinion a bit late there didn't I?!! Not very quick at this typing business!!

Original poster

TinCan · 20/02/2006 13:23

Great advice, thanks. Just wanted to be sure I wouldn't put baby in jeopardy or be seen as a complete nutter for travelling that soon.

OP posts:

Blu · 20/02/2006 13:25

You'll be fine.
We went away for a few days when DS was 2 weeks, and then took him to Greece (to a basic apartment in a village on a small island a ferry trip away from the airport) when he was 9 weeks. All absolutely fine. He was breastfed, which I thought made everything extremely simple for travelling. Just get the birth certificate and passport asap. And a lightweight lie-flat buggy (such as maclaren) with a shade-a-babe .

Tommy · 20/02/2006 13:27

apparently I was taken on a family camping holiday when I was about 6 weeks old (and no disposables nappies in those days ) I was number 5 child - I think my parents must have been mad.....

Mercy · 20/02/2006 13:27

Seems perfectly possible to me.

My only concern would be the weather. Friends of mine went to Greece with their 4 month old dd and she really suffered in the heat.

1980cat · 20/02/2006 13:36

As long as there is someone else to help with the massive ammount of hand baggage you need. I've just got home from Tunisia this morning with a 2year old I think Dp nearly broke his back carring all the stuff from the plane to the baggage reclaim. I was carrying tired half naked child wrapped in airplane blanket as she had been sick all over her clothes. Have to say the staff on the plane were great about it and brought us towles and wipes and stopped the in-flight trolley till we were cleaned up. We decided to get her changed in to her warm clothes before we left rather than disturbing her during the flight so she arrived in Glasgow, 4 deg C, wearing a strappy dress and no socks.
They are better travellers when they are tiny as long as they have food and are comfy they are content.
Greeks (and other holiday makers) are also great with babies we went when Dd was ten months and kept getting little presents for her

blueteddy · 20/02/2006 13:40

Message withdrawn

LIZS · 20/02/2006 13:42

Agree that heat/sun would be the biggest issue but if you are b'feeding then you won't have to worry about offering water and can just feed as and when. Even then you may find holidaying with such a young baby restrictive, but if all you want to do is be somewhere warm and sit on a balcony then it would probably be fine.

mrspink27 · 20/02/2006 13:45

just another cautionary note! you may have a c section! in which case trundling cases and babies and pushchairs etc might be a bit much!

we were all booked up to go to Greece 6 weeks after due date of dd2, no reason to think that lovely homebirth as had for dd1 wouldnt happen again! anyway ended up having an em section and had to cancel! bit different cos we had ferry crossings etc and a dd of 2 to cope with ,

but just worth a thought.

Eulalia · 20/02/2006 18:41

We took our 9 week old baby on holiday last October and it worked out fine. Was more tiring due to our other two kids than the baby! I had a quite unexpected C/S but recovered very quickly from it and so felt fine to go on the beach etc. At 9 weeks he was just getting over that newborn windy stage and slept a lot when we went out in the evenings for drinks/meals.

I wouldn't plan going away much earlier than about 2 months though... so if you went very late then baby could be two weeks younger.

Oh yes and don't forget to get a passport. We got one when ds was a week old so we had plenty of time for it to arrive before we went away. Also when we booked our flights for our son he wasn't even born but that wasn't a problem.

Azure · 21/02/2006 19:59

We took DS2 to Spain when he was 8 weeks and it was fine - much better than when we took DS1 abroad for the first time at 12 months. DS2 was breastfed, which made it a lot easier, and we bought nappies there (apart from the first 2 day's worth). I had a c-section (planned) but was fully recovered. Personally I would go somewhere nearer than Greece in June, but that's just because it's awkward holding a baby on a flight (unless you can get a skycot on Greek flights).

swedishmum · 21/02/2006 20:14

I'd agree with waiting for arrival of baby but would definitely go. So says mad woman who did NY at 5 weeks with no. 4 and Eurodisney (while dh was working) with 6 week no.3! Just watch the heat - took no 4 to Bahamas at 5 months and spent most of my time inside. Switzerland at 2.5 months a breeze - heat was the only issue for me (but we did have some good late evening swims).

longwaytogo · 21/02/2006 20:55

yep took ds no 4 child to france at 8 weeks. GP did injections few days before we went which wasnt great as eve before we left he developed temp and rash and although our GP was perfectly happy to let us go the oncall GP said we were risking taking such a young baby out of the country. He was fine. BF so much easier to cope with no sterilising etc

Original poster

TinCan · 22/02/2006 14:56

Thanks - I'm soooo looking forward to a holiday abroad and you have all helped put my mind at ease about my plans.

OP posts:

Prufrock · 22/02/2006 15:06

I took 8 week old ds and 2 year old dd to Spain after a c-section and was fine. I did have my Mum and sister with me, but tbh they weren't a great help with anything but toddler amusement. Bf makes it a lot simpler - though it's worth rethinking your swimwear wardrobe to consider ease/discretion (if it matters to you) of access Make sure you remember to take a pop up UV tent and a sunshade for the buggy as you can't let a baby that young out in the sun, or use any creams.
If you are in an area that may be bug infested it is well worth getting a ladybuzz (I think) - it's a ladybird device that emits a noise to scare away bugs - because again you can't use chemicals near the baby

LipstickMum · 22/02/2006 15:23

We took both our dd's away when they were 4 weeks old. We flew to Germany with them to see relatives. It was fine, but next time I'm not going to plan a holiday so early I don't think. Those early weeks are so tiring and everything is so new. I've never been to Greece, but I'm thinking it may be absolutely boiling and you may spend 2 weeks in your hotel room trying to cool baby down and avoiding all direct sun!

Blackduck · 22/02/2006 15:27

Took ds at 3 months to Portugal....only downside was the heat!

beejay · 22/02/2006 16:08

Also I think it helps to lower expectations of a holiday by a peg or ten.
It won't be relaxing in the same way that pre-baby holidays are relaxing... chances of lie-ins, long sunbathing sessions, drunken evenings are likely to be pretty slim.
It will be a change of environment though which is often nice. Also the Greeks are super-friendly to kids (which makes a change from England!)

aggie1985 · 20/01/2020 20:33

Advice please. I am due early June, we have a family holiday booked for mid of July 11 of us. Baby will be around 6 weeks and I will need a c section, would you still go? We are going to a basic hotel no air con, going to fuerteventura 4 hour flight xx

SJaneS48 · 23/01/2020 16:58

Truthfully I’d wait and see how you feel @aggie1985 and how the baby is! I took eldest DD at 6 months to the Caribbean & the main problem was trying to keep her out of the heat! Youngest DD was pretty sickly and we didn’t take her away until she was 12 months old. If you are well and you have an easy going healthy baby and go well prepared for heat dodging, great! If not, there is always next year.

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