Going abroad with 10 week old - easy?

[Gorran]

Trying to decide whether to do Cornwall in the summer for a couple of weeks (mixture of Fowey Hall and a cottage) or somewhere like Pollensa (short flight and nice and easy holiday) - we also have 2 other children who will be 6 and 9.

The earliest I took the others abroad was 11 months. I just keep thinking of the amount of nappies and paraphernalia we'll need for a 10week old!

I had to cancel our uk holiday which was 12 weeks after my due date ;- c section problem.

but I couldn't have flown either.

sorry probably isnt helpful.

Did lots of trips with babies, and younger than that. You don't need lots of "paraphernalia", do you? I just used to put a plastic bag in my small back pack. It contained 2 or 3 nappies and little plastic nappy bags, v small travel changing pad, pack wipes. Then pop baby in sling and you can take them anywhere. The holiday place will prob supply a travel cot.

I will be having a section this time so maybe that's a consideration. The other two were ok but you never know.

I guess I mean packs of nappies, formula if bfeeding doesn't work out, bottles, sterilising stuff?

If you are planning to breastfeed, and there is another adult to do stuff with the other children, then 10 weeks is actually a pretty easy age to travel. Mine both went to Australia for the first time at around 14 weeks (from Japan, so about an 8-hour flight) and it was much easier at that stage than when they were crawling/toddling. Apart from nappies they don't really need that much at that age. I don't know what you would need for ff but it must be possible to cut it down to a minimum?

Going somewhere with predictable sunshine and access to a pool is probably going to be much more relaxing than a UK holiday when you have to juggle the needs of a tiny baby and older children - I've spent too many Cornish/Welsh holidays hiding in a beach tent in pouring rain or trying to find something to do to get out of the house on the third wet day running...

I went abroad on holiday when DD was 12 weeks and older DCs were 4 and 3 years. It was fairly easy, as babeis that age stay put! Certainly easier to travel with than the other DCs who were into everything and found it hard to sit still!

We hired a villa with a pool, which was nice and straight forward, and great because the baby could be asleep inside while I sat by the pool!

I wouldn't say it was the most relaxing holiday I have ever had, as you don't get to sit for long with 3 kids under 5, but it certainly wasn't difficult, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Thanks exexpat - yes, my H will be with us and he's a very hands on dad so no worries on that score. And you're right with regard to the weather. I might even do something I've never fancied and book a Thomson hotel with lots of stuff for the children so I know my elder two will be entertained - and they love all that stuff, they just have mean parents who have never indulged it;-)

With regard to the paraphernalia, I just bought most things I need out there (we went to Lanzarote). I phoned the helpline of the formula milk brand I was using, and they advised me of the alternatives out there, and also which brands of bottled water to use.
I took a few bottles, and a microwavable sterilizer,which didn't take up much space.

I also bought nappies out there, they were reasonably priced, and perfectly good.

I took dd3 away at 13 weeks, I found it fine. We go to Ibiza. I formula feed, so brought formula but I ended up buying a local one which we had no bother with.

I bought nappies/wipes there so didn't bring them & I used microwave steriliser bags.

I took my DD1 away when she was 8 weeks and it was farily easy. I had a c-section too.

You wont need to take 2 weeks worth of nappies as wherever you go you can buy them. I breastfed so I didn't have to worry about forumula but the easiest way to sterilise is with Milton tablets in a plastic box.

Babaies are much easier to travel with at that age than when they get older.

We've decided on a villa on a complex in Portugal now, thanks all for your help and advice. It'll be fun, I'm sure.

I took DS1 to Tenerife when he was 10 weeks and DS2 to Cyprus when he was also 10 weeks and had lovely holidays. I found it a great time to gravel because the nights were pretty much sorted and they still slept a lot in the day. We did a waterpark day in Cyprus and got a shady base for the pram and took it in turns to do the big slides with DS1. I took a bouncy chair with me, with a metal frame and took it to be bits for the journey and rebuilt it there. I then bounced it in the shade as I sat on the sun lounger. I actually found holidays when they were mobile and crawling a lot harder.

DS was a bit older (4 1/2m) but when we went away after I had stopped breastfeeding it wasn't too much of a hassle. A couple of tubs of powder, stocked up on some cartons at the airport, some bottles, travel kettle and milton sterilising tablets. I bought a cheap washing up bowl and used that for sterilising bottles.

He slept a lot in the pushchair by the pool and we managed to still get out and about with a few day trips. Had DD 6yo with us too. The parents running after toddlers seemed to be having a much harder time than us!

Just make sure you get their passport asap. My ten-week-old was only 8 weeks old by the time she was a fortnight late. We went straight from registering her to the post office to check and send her already completed and countersigned passport application with her brand new birth certificate.

Yes it is easy - much much easier than a toddler. That said mine where a bit older. I pre ordered baby milk from the the boots at the airport and picked up the pre prepared cartons at the boots airside (so not counted in luggage allowance). Obviously a lot more expensive that formula but much more convenient and no risk of baby getting sick through the change in water.

If you are going long haul make sure you pre book the bulk head seats (which can have a baby cot attached to the bulk head) otherwise the babe is in arms the whole journey.

Took our dd on a skiing holiday (family wedding) when she was 15 weeks. Took a pack of nappies, but distributed them around the case - it had a zipped lining between the outer and inner, so filled it up - felt like a drug nappy runner! I bought more nappies there. Bought a couple of cartons of milk at Boots for on the plane, just in case. I had also done a bottle and had to taste it for customs!

I was mainly breast feeding, with a little forumula, to top up before bed, so took that, with one of those measuring containers with lids. I took a small plastic ice cream tub and sterilising tablets, so filled that with water and kept a spare bottle/teats in, rinsing before I used them in the bathroom. I needed a kettle, which the hotel supplied.

Apart from my usual nappy bag, it was easy, she wasn't moving around, was happy to be snuggled in a pushchair. I even got to ski, although it was tough on my boobs!

Went again 8 weeks later and was just starting her on solids, took some dehydrated rice and got a couple of purées there. Again, bought nappies, they are much the same and it is interesting looking around the supermarkets! (I'm sad!)

If tyou want to take the little ones on holiday ...I have 2 apartments in Marbella and a lakeside lodge and static caravan in the Cotswolds...All fully equipped for babies and small children...2 travel cots, 2 high chairs, sterilizer, toys, changing mats, potty.....I have a few dates left available for rental...and flights to Spain are not bad at the moment.