Travelling with a new born-first time mum

[Graciestew17]

Hi this is my first post, so please bare with me....

I've recently discovered I'm pregnant and my mind is spinning with all sorts of things which I'm sure is normal.

One thing I need to make my mind up is whether to go to a family wedding in Greece next year, it's all booked and deposits paid.
All being well the baby will be at least 4 weeks old, do you guys think I'm being ridiculous even contemplating going so soon after giving birth?..

Obviously if there was any complications etc I wouldn't go.

I've read on here ppl opinions of flying with young ones but not as young as I'm planning on taking and then there's the emotions and lack of sleep and everything else....

Please advise my heads in a spin :(

Absolutely fine assuming you're both well - and no reason to think you wouldn't be.
Babies are portable - Young babies doubly so... You'll believe me when you start contemplating travelling with a toddler!

If you plan to breastfeed that will be much much easier than formula, but nothing in insurmountable.

Slings will be your friend so I would get to a sling meet and find something that's perfect for both of you - my preference would be not to take a buggy, but a buggy isn't difficult with flying either.

If you need a section then you should be extra careful about DVT, but it's a relatively short flight and DVT is a consideration after any birth.

Carry on I say! Curious what the general feeling will be

When you say 4 weeks old, does this take into account the possibility of being overdue?

I don't think it's ridculous, but there would be quite a few practicalities to take care of, as well as your own wellbeing.

I think you would have enough time to get a birth certificate and passport, but only if you got on the case as soon as the baby was born (we didn't get DD's birth certificate for weeks as couldn't decide what to name her!)

I'm pretty sure I wasn't well enough to travel so soon after giving birth but we did do a self catering holiday in the uk when DD was 8w, and then went abroad when she was 16w (to Greece, funnily enough!)

Cancel.

Apart from the fact that if your baby is 2 weeks late they will only be two weeks old, you cannot get them a passport (potentially) ) in that time as you can't get a passport until you register the birth.

See what you can get back from the travel agent. You won't feel like going and it will put a lot of unnecessary pressure on your first weeks. Honestly, just no. A wedding down the road would be stressful enough at that stage.

Meant to add - when ds2 was born the earliest appointment available to register his birth wasn't until he was 5 weeks old.

Wow. Each to their own, but there's no way I personally would be considering travelling at this time.

When my DS was 4 weeks old, I was very happy, but getting NO sleep, still getting to grips with breastfeeding (it's almost a round-the-clock thing, they can be on and off you nearly all day long at that age), and was still sore down below and recovering from feeling very ill and feverish from bad episiotomy which had become infected. I don't think I even left the house until around this age and I only went as far as the local garden centre!

I think you sound like you want to go so you should go for it but bear in mind that you may not want to / be able to go once the baby arrives. Make sure you can get your money back if you do have to cancel.

Lots of people will tell you you won't want to go which may indeed be the case but you never know. I do a lot travelling with my dd and people always look horrified and wonder how I manage. But I want to go so I make it happen.

Yea I've taken into account a few weeks for being overdue..

I know I'm being overly optimistic and basing my thinking on a good birth and everything being fine.

I've thought about slings and will be giving breast feeding a go...

There will be lots of family and friends to give me a hand when I'm out there so hoping I can "battle through" the tiredness.
As you can read I have no idea what's heading my way!! Eeeeek!

Really interesting to read people's different views.

Thanks guys :)

Yes, cancel now.

First babies are often late.

Even if baby arrives early or on time you will have a hard time getting a passport in time.

You are right that you'll be having emotions, lack of sleep, etc.

You will also be bleeding like you wouldn't believe possible.

Your baby won't have had any vaccinations.

You might have trouble breastfeeding.

Do you have very strong body confidence? If it is anything short of totally rock solid, I predict... You will cry when you try to find something to wear for the wedding. You will cry when you see the photos. You will cry when everyone else is on the beach and you feel horrific. You will cry when you realise your breast milk has made two big wet patches on your top and you are in a nice restaurant with family and you can't hide it.

In summary, you are unlikely to have a good time. It won't make for happy memories.

Everyone will understand if you don't go.

Perhaps arrange to Skype them so you can be virtually at the wedding.

Assuming you have allowed for lateness so baby could be more like 2 months and this is a minimum. ...

Yes, I could have with DC2 or 3.

With no 1. No way. Barely knew which way was up!

Gracie - I must be as mad as you! We are planning very similar - close friends wedding in Croatia with baby around 1 month. First time parents (so maybe crazy) but flights only cost £150 for us both and we had booked an apartment we can cancel so wouldn't lose too much if we needed to. My parents are going to come with us to help. And we have plans in place for passport. My mum travelled with my brother at 6 weeks so I'm hoping her experience will help.
Fingers crossed!

There will be lots of family and friends to give me a hand

They can't help with breastfeeding every 2.5hrs for 30 mins or the 3 nappy changes at 1am, 4am and 7am that always seemed to come with night feeds for my DC.

They'll all have opinions on the right way to do things. Mostly contradictory. You will feel judged. You might even be judged looking at you MIL and old aunties By the end of the week you might want to kill them all. Or hide in your hotel room crying.

I travelled long haul with DC3 at 4 months old. I would not have done it with a younger baby. It was DC3 so I was an expert by then. It was bloody well hard enough as it was.

Assuming you're not having a C Section (and frankly who knows), and that you won't be traveling in the height of the Greek summer, the main thing that would put me off is that the baby won't have had its vaccinations. I wouldn't take the risk. Whose wedding is it?

Also, you may be one of those mums who wants to kill anyone who tries to take the baby out of your sight. DC3 I would have loved passing him around. DC1 I'd have throttled them. So 'help ' may not be helpful.

Start by getting some facts about flying with very small babies and risks of flying after delivery (let alone c section) - guess midwife might know? Also facts about how realistic it would be to get passport. No point in debating too much if it's not do-able.

Like someone else I could definitely have done this with my second. Not with first - it was such a shock to the system. Looking at it I don't think they were that different newborns, it was the breastfeeding was tricky to master first time round. Second time was fine, plus I fed lying down and coslept so wasn't that tired. I am now 5 months on!!! A planned section second time meant I hadn't had the 3 exhausting days in hospital before baby number 2 was born.

With regards to how you will feel about yourself and how you'll look I think there are some very negative comments. Choose a lovely dress beforehand that allows for feeding (and won't show milk leaks too obviously!) and still having a big tummy, take plenty of breast pads and anticipate that you'll still be bleeding.

We went to a local wedding with a four week old, I felt great and baby was easy. I'd say going to a function like this with a baby much older than around 8 weeks is more challenging as they are less portable and more awake and noisy!

Hopefully your relatives will want to help you rest.

I'm inherently a bit lazy so probably wouldn't even contemplate sorting out the practicalities of this sort of trip so you're a step ahead of me.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I went on a uk holiday when my baby was 2 weeks 3 days old. He and I were fine, lots of family around to hold the baby, lovely. We packed half the house so might have struggled on a plane but you'll manage!

Newborn babies don't actually require much stuff!
(Although Huffle I too would have packed half the house )

It's fine

We took ds2 backpacking for 2 months when he was 10 weeks!

Look at the babyzen yoyo 0+ now if you haven't bought a pram. It folds to hand luggage size and a nice place to lay baby down to sleep when you your abroad

I travelled alone six weeks pp (for work) with dc1 it went pretty well. It was about 12hrs door to door including a few hrs drive just the two of us.
By then he was ff and in a buggy (bf and sling wasn't his thing ) but that small they are light and mostly asleep anyway.
Yourself you may be bleeding but you may not, I stopped completely by 3 weeks pp and heavy bleeding stopped a few days pp. Just be prepared you may have to cancel and hope for the best anyway.

Thanks lilipot15 :)
I'm going to have a longgg list of questions for the midwife!

Not really bothered (at the moment ) how I look, still currently working out and plan to through the duration so as long as I can live in maxi dresses Al be fine :)

It's a close cousins wedding and they would totally understand if we cancelled, I will explore all advice in detail and look into insurances.

Who knows in a few months time I could have completly made my mind up to cancel...

Wow artandco well impressed with the backpacking go you!! And thanks for the buggy advice too.

Us woman can handle anthing right?! Sounds like you mastered it Winchester high five!

It was our easiest trip. We had eldest also who was 18 months. Vietnam for 2 months. Dh had eldest in sling, I had smaller baby. And the freedom for us to travel anywhere as they were so portable.

Now 4 and 5 it's actually harder as they are beyond carrying age , yet little legs still so need to set up rest breaks every hour or so on holidays

I took my 6 week old to a friend's wedding right at the top of Norway which involved 2 flights. I just got right on it with sorting out passport etc & booked the flight before the birth with his ticket just called 'baby' then changed it after the birth to his real name.
It was a mission as travelling with friends & breastfeeding but actually they came in handy at 2am when they were partying & my breast pump broke & they fixed it! Just made sure I wore clothes than were easy to breast feed in.
I actually think it was the easiest time to travel, even with the 24 daylight & Norwegians don't believe in black out blinds. Took a Babybjorn & buggy & used travel cots when there.