Travelling To Australia During Maternity Leave

[RachH]

I am thinking of going to Australia with a 3 month old baby to visit my father and brother. Has anyone travelled that far and spent time away with a young baby. What do I need to think about in terms of equipment at the other end and what do I need to think about when flying that sort of distance with a young baby?

In some respects you are travelling at the best time. I travelled to Australia with a 6 month old and a 2 year old. Not sure if you are planning to breastfeed but that would make things a lot easier if you are, otherwise you have to worry about taking plenty of milk, bottles and sterilising stuff. For the flight all I would think you would need for the baby is changes of clothes (and for you), nappies, wet wipes etc and perhaps a blanket.

You can hire baby equipment in Australia, everything from cots, pushchairs, car seats, in fact everything that you will need. I hired a few bits from a company in Sydney and they were great and delivered it to the place we were staying, and the equipment was in really good condition.

book a bassinet with the airline, that way you will get bulk head seats & much more room.

I travelled with a 5 week old and he slept far better than me on the flight. You will manage to find everything you need in Australia, your biggest obstacle might be the time change if your baby is in a routine by then. It usually takes them a week to adjust to the time difference. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks, that's really helpful. Useful to know there are hire companies out there for the carseat etc. I will be flying on my own - will I be able to make do with a baby carrier only for the airport/flight or do you think I'll need a pushchair for the airport bits of the journey? I'm just wondering how I manage a pushchair and my own luggage.

I actually travelled the other way - from Australia to UK - with our 12 week old baby. Made absolutely sure I had a bassinett (sp?)booked - really important (get to the airport with plenty of time to ensure you've got the one you booked). Our dd2 just ate and slept the whole way. I breastfed her during take-off and landings so it was all very easy and the flight attendants were great. Over there, you can generally buy everything you need (as long as you're not in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you know where the local hospital is and that your insurance covers the baby. Pharmacists are really helpful.