Villa abroad.... 4 month old.. bad idea??

[Emmastone123]

Can anyone offer advice for travelling (on a plane for about 4 hrs each way) and staying in a villa with a 4 month old? For one week.

My family are booking a trip away when baby would be 4 months. I am still pregnant. I'm unsure. It would be our own accommodation in a very large, lovely villa with own pool etc.

Can anyone offer advice? Is it too early? I feel it is... but feel pressure to go on holiday. I also feel like a weirdo booking a holiday now. Baby is still in my belly! I've had an awful pregnancy - so worry I'll still be unwell. Also (touch wood) what if the baby has some issues? Surely it's silly to book before baby is born.

Can anyone offer advice on staying in a villa with a baby at this age. Is it easy/hard? Is packing a nightmare? Etc.

Many thanks x

We went to a villa when DD was 5 months, with an 8 hour flight. Much easier than a hotel. It partly depends where it is.

We did with dd1. I was very unsure but DH really wanted to go. With hindsight it was great, loads of on hand babysitters. Dd too little to be wandering about. Villa had a cot so all took were nappies and bottles.

I went abroad to a villa when my youngest was 4 months - he was born in June and we went in October.

It is really easy! Just like being at home - separate rooms for babies to sleep in while the rest of the family do other stuff, you talk about "family" as if there are other adults going which makes it even easier as you'll have help. I was breastfeeding exclusively at 4 months so no sterilising, bottles, formula faff. Wipes I think we took a couple of packs with us as they're not readily available overseas, nappies we took a small pack and bought more there. It really was very, very easy and much easier than travelling with a grumpy toddler who is mobile.

Thanks very much. There will be 4 adults in total including myself (although not sure I can quite call DH an adult sometimes.. ) . I just have no idea what it would be like! My sister went to a hotel with her baby son when he was 4 months and it was a nightmare but I can imagine villa being very different!

Yes, it will be totally fine. And baby not yet crawling is much easier pool safety wise and sunscreen wise. The heat can be hard work with little one but I did Spain villa in a heatwave with a 6 mth old, 2 yr old and 3 yr old so that was quite hard work. Pool will likely be too cold for little one but everything else great!

We went to a villa when DD1 was 4 months. It was about a 2 hour flight and she was fine (we had prevoiusly done a 1 hour flight with her to visit family). We enjoyed it although obviosuly had to be careful in the sun. Her sleep did regress slighly (she had just started sleeping though at home with a feed as we were going to bed), but it was fine. We went well prepared . We did not book too far in advance though. I think i would have felt a bit strange about that.

I think it will be fine but I'd avoid the really hot months personally. I'd choose somewhere with no more than 30 minute drive to a hospital and bring a good thermometer and Calpol in case.

If for example you let child gets a chest infection and breathing difficulties like my son has had 4 times , I would want to know I have access to a hospital that's not too far.

I meant 20 min drive not 30

Make sure there's plenty of solid shade by the pool so you're not stuck inside whilst everyone enjoys the pool time (bitter experience). Other than that, it's an easy age. We sat a paddling pool of water in the sun until it was warm enough to sit DS in, then let him splash in it in the shade.

We went to Florida for a villa holiday when our second was 10 weeks old - it was fab!