wimping out over holiday

[ionesmum]

Every autumn dh and I have a week in the Cotswolds, we go racing at Cheltenham, go for country walks, have pub lunches etc. Now that we have dd I can't face going even though I really need a holiday. I know it's only up the M40 but it's the thought of all the stuff we'd need (baby food, milk, steriliser, blender, buggy etc. etc.) that is putting me off. Also, if we want to spend the day at the races how is dd going to have her naps? I don't want to disrupt her and spend all of the holiday having sleepless nights. We usually stay in a cottage that we know well but don't have anything booked atm so could stay in a hotel. My mum has just gone to Stow for the weekend and I am green with envy. I feel like such a wimp when everyone here seems to be flying round the world, but I'd appreciate some advice and encouragement. Many thanks!

[Ghosty]

Inga - you lucky thing! Have a lovely time - Cape Town is beautiful!

[inga]

Ionesmum,I felt the same as you. I wanted to surprise my mom in Cape Town, South Africa for her birthday next week, but I was terrified of upsetting his routine, coping with feeds (formula) and preparing solids on my own (dad is not coming). We had never even been out socially with babe. Then we went to a Cloumbian Christening 2 weeks ago-very noisy with about 100 people. Babe slept and fed through it all right on schedule-amazing. I then booked tickets to Cape Town for the 2 of us and we leave in a week! Go for it-you'll be surprised how babies just slot into their schedules (I've been told by loads of experienced parents!)

[ionesmum]

Marina Your posts are so nice. I haven't actually rung up yet, today's been a bit hectic with dd but will tomorrow.

Tissy, thanks for the reassurance!

[Tissy]

ionesmum, our dd is roughly the same age as yours (8 mos) and we have just been away for a few days. Although we have been away before, that was when dd was very young,totally breastfed and not bothered where she slept! Now its entirely different!! We stayed in my dad's cottage, although he wasn't there, and took jars/ packets of food. She slept in a travel cot borrowed for the occasion. Routine, such as it is, went completely out of the window, she slept in the car/ pushchair during the day, but nights were a little more disturbed than usual(? due to waking in unfamiliar surroundings). There was absolutely no problem getting back into the routine once we were back home. I would go for it- although you may not be quite as rested as if you'd stayed at home, the change will do you good!

[Marina]

I hope you did make that call! When ds was about your age I can remember being awestruck by someone from my postnatal group who did just what you are hoping: a week at the races with her very small baby. I know it is scary to contemplate, that first break away, but they had the best time and we were all green with envy when they got back. Her ds slept a lot in the sling in the Autumn sunshine and the fuss that was made of him when he was awake was unbelievable - all those sentimental old bookies...
I won't repeat the fab tips you've had here but it sounds to me like the three of you deserve that break.

[ionesmum]

Thank you sooo much for all the advice and encouragement. I think it will do us all good to get away for a few days. I will print this off and use it whilst shopping/packing!

[janh]

ionesmum, I was going to suggest a backpack too - ours used to sleep better in that than in the buggy - I think the walking motion rocks them off and keeps them asleep. (If she's heavy though I hope you and your DH have strong backs!)

Hope you have a really great time! You'll be doing this a lot as she gets older - take a deep breath and jump in!

[LIZS]

ionesmum,

Please just go for it. Make a list of the essentials and I suspect you will be surprised how little you could get away with. At the end of the day it won't really matter if you forget something because there will be shops nearby wherever you go.

We first went away with ds aged 5 months to Devon to stay in a cottage. He was an angel and slept either in car or pushchair during the day. Babies constantly surprise you as to how adaptable they can be and it did not affect him when we returned home. I have to confess that our car was ladened down though!!

If you stay in a hotel either check there will be a kettle or take your own travel kettle (cheap in Argos) which we have found indispensible. Also the disposable sterilising bags from Mothercare are really good (hang them over the bath or shower taps). Even if they provide cot/bedlinen take your own blanket as they more often provide duvets.

Make that call and enjoy the break !! You will feel so much more confident having done it once.

LizS

[SueDonim]

You'll really appreciate a break once you've made the effort, Ionesmum, so go for it! You're getting organised already because you've started to make a list of what you need to take.

I'm sure your DD will sleep in a buggy or maybe a sling - all that fresh air should make her nice and sleepy. I prefer to take a cottage, so I'm not bound by someone else's routines as in an hotel. Have a good time - I'd love a break in the Cotswolds myself!

[Ghosty]

Ionesmum, I totally understand where you are coming from! I couldn't even go to a supermarket with DS until he was 4 months! When he was 12 weeks old I decided to go and see a friend who lived 30 minutes away by car. I hit a traffic jam for 5 minutes and turned back in panic!
The only place I would go to overnight was my mum's house!
Our first holiday was when ds was 20 months when we drove to France for 4 days. I was a wreck getting ready to go - our car was groaning under the weight of all the paraphernalia, I worried about how he would sleep and where and when he would sleep - nightmare.
BUT, it was when we got back that I realised that it was the best thing we had done. We survived and even had a nice time despite the fact that DS threw up for most of the long weekend! At some point you have to take the plunge and go away. You will probably surprise yourself and enjoy it - I did! You CAN keep to dd's routine when on holiday and you will get her back to it really quicky when you get home! HTH

[SofiaAmes]

If the cottage has a microwave, you could get those "disposable" microwave sterilizing bags. I've seen them at JOhn Lewis and other baby stores. They fit a couple of bottles and each bag is good for 10 sterilizing sessions. I forget how old your dd is, but could you put her in a backpack for the country walks. I agree with what everyone else has said: don't worry too much about the nap times and try to stick to normal bed time. Bring familiar bed toys/sheets/pillows and bedtime books so that her sleep isn't disrupted. Definite go for the cottage. And ask, they may have some of the stuff you need there. When ds was still on mush I brought the mouli with me everywhere and it really wasn't too big a deal. Go and enjoy!!! You'll probably find the worst part of the trip is the traffic on the m40.

[ionesmum]

Thanks so much for so many tips, good advice and reassurance. I think I'll ring and see if there's a vacancy on Monday!

[musica]

We found some really good bags for holiday - they each have a sterilising tablet in, and you just fill with water to the mark on the bag, and put up to 4 bottles in for half an hour or so and hang the bag up somewhere (over the bath is quite a good idea!!!). We got ours from Mothercare - don't know if they still do them, but it saved lugging all the sterilising equipment with us. As Emsiwill and Lucy have both said, you could also use the disposable ones. And remember, Cheltenham isn't the wilderness - you can always buy anything vital you forget!!! Our ds was always really good at sleeping in the buggy, particularly if out in the open - I guess if they're tired then they sleep!

Hope you have a really good time! Having a baby is a really good excuse I think for doing lots of kiddie activities and visits that you maybe wouldn't do as an adult but would enjoy just as much as them!

[Lucy123]

ionesmum - I have a 4 m.o. dd and understand entirely. However as we live in Spain we do act like we're on holiday all the time! My dd is now accustomed to sleeping in her pram in the day, so that's not a problem (thinking of drilling a hole in it so I can put the mobile on it at night though! ) - can you get yours used to sleeping in something other than a cot in the day? Also as it's a holiday, (and as emieswill suggests) why not give up on your normal bottles/food for a week and use disposables / pre-mixed formula / jars of baby food. It won't do her any harm for a week. And of course remember you can sterilise bottles by boiling them which can make things easier (as it goes I now only rinse things out with boiling water now - I think you can sterilise too much). Go and have a good time!

[emsiewill]

ionesmum, I think you should go. I bet you'll be really surprised how easy it is once you get there. How much stuff do you have to take, and how much can you get when you arrive? Would you consider those disposable bottles, or the premade? presterilised? ones (sorry, it's a while since I was immersed in the baby stuff) If it was me, I would definately stay in the cottage, rather than a hotel - my experience of sharing hotel rooms with my children are not great - especially if you are in a fairly fixed routine, what are you supposed to do when they're in bed?
As to how do you have days out - will your dd not sleep in her buggy? And maybe you will be surprised, and find that when you're somewhere different, she will be happy to be out of her routine for a while. I've always found that my 2 are fine when we're away from home - if they missed a nap or something, it was usually because we were doing something interesting, so they didn't tend to get grouchy. The only thing I always try to do (although as they're getting older, it's not so vital) is keep their bedtime routine the same - even if it's at a different time.
I think you need and deserve a holiday, and it's a really good idea to go somewhere you're familiar with, so you're not having to deal with the anxiety of "where are the shops/restaurants etc"
HTH