Please help me decide at what age it's best to...

[mckenzie]

travel to Australia to see my sister and her family.

We were planning on going at christmas this year with DS who would then be 3 and a half but I am now pregnant with No 2 due late february.

I say we should go asap after the birth and because of DH's work committments, that would mean mid June.
I think this would be good because hopefully I'll still be breastfeeding, not yet weaning, baby will be very portable and sleep quite a lot still.

Dh thinks we'll have to take too much stuff with us ie car seat, carry cot etc and that it will really restrict us when we get there with what we can do thats touristy.
We'll be staying with my sister who has 2 children (14 and 10) and who is a childrens nurse so no problems with help with the baby etc.

What would you do? Indeed, what have you done maybe and recommend works well?

Thanks in advance for any tips and advice.

Your sister should be able to borrow big items for you so you wouldn't have to take too much - the 1st stage car seat can be checked into the hold. You could take a sling for carrying the baby round the airport so wouldn't need a buggy.

I thought you couldn't do air travel after 28 weeks or is that just old hat now?

We've already agreed the chrismas is not an option as I'll be too far gone to be comfortable on my own sofa probably without being stuck in a plane seat for 24 hours. But the choice is whether we go while baby no 2 is very young or wait until after the crawling/starting to walk stage which means I dont get to see my sister for years! (she went in July 03)

If your eldest is four when you travel that will be no problem. I have taken a 2 yr old, 4 yr old and 5.5 yr old. The baby should be the yongest possible IMO, bearing in mind current advice about traveling so far when they are too young. I'm sure a few years back, there was a recommendation that babies under 6 months shouldn't fly long haul.

went to oz to see my sister when dd1 was 11 months so a bit older than yours. she loved the journey cos she could see the whole plane from her bassinet, and they could see her! (cue lots of tummy showing etc.)

also there will usually be at least one member of cabin crew that loves babies.. so you can spend some time amusing ds1

my sis has no kids but was able to organise renting a travel cot and car seat in melbourne. i'm sure these companies exist everywhere.

also, a tip from friends - if you fly over singapore you can visit the airport hotel in transit and go swimming. yippee!

We are flying to oz in Nov with a 28 month old and a 7 month old. The 28 month old is going to be a flower girl at my cousins wedding. We are flying Singapore Airlines, lots of recommendations from Mumsnet and friends. If you can wait until December I'll post how I have got on.

thanks everybody and yes please Joanne69, I'll wait and see how you get on! Good luck.

I would definitely take the earlier option, when your second one is small. I've done a lot of travel this year with my two ( nearly two and nearly four) and its the younger one that causes all the problems -- he always wants to jump about and can't sit still for more than a minute. The older one is quite happy to watch movies and of course has a small degree of logic and can be bribed...

Would definitely go when baby is still small. Will become very difficult for such a long flight if baby is in too much of a routine with sleeps etc in cot. Also what would you not need to take by waiting a bit? Ages before baby can do without pushchair - at least while its 3/4 months it will be comparitively light to carry.

keep them coming guys please. I'm going to print this off tonight and show to DH. He thought Mumsnet was brilliant when we were after advice re an earlier quandry.