Taking 5.5 month on holiday

[OEB]

So, it’s early days yet but just found out we’re pregnant. Baby will be due Feb 2024, we have a family wedding in Cyprus in august 2024. Baby should be 5.5/6 months by then.

Has anyone took a small baby away before? Any tips/hints? If it wasn’t for a wedding we probably would have cancelled but can’t do that.

Im going to try BF but not sure if we still will be at that point.

Also is it easier to take a pushchair or pram so the baby can lie flat ?

thanks

We found 6 months a great age to go on holiday - no real need to worry about food but you can try some weaning if you like, could sit in a high chair, small enough to have in the sling for long walks and entertained by everything! Our baby was breastfed which made that element easy.

Our hotel had a big enough bathroom so we could put the cot in there for the first part of the night, otherwise we'd just be sitting in a dark room with a baby, so I'd think about your evenings if you have any choices with the accomodation - I'd go for a balcony room for instance.

Haven't been yet but this is what I've done to prepare with my baby who will be near the same age as yours when we go!

• bought a mamas and papas lie flat pushchair for around £110 I think it was. I'll reverse the footmuff from my egg to give a bit of extra padding to the base

-bought a Nuby rapid cool to prepare bottles on the go and have the formula pots ready. Milton sterilising fluid/tabs for bottles. I'm booking a place with a kitchenette thing so I can have the ability to clean bottles properly but you'll make do.

-research where you're staying and where the local supermarket is. I'll have a Lidl close by me so I know I can get the same nappies I use at home there. Bring the swimming nappies cos they're expensive. Bring tubs of formula too if FF (I use aptamil so I won't get it there)

-travel insurance obvs

-flying - feed baby on take off and landing for their Ear pressure. I'm going to bring a baby carrier for the airport part for ease and give away the pushchair at the steps.

• Amazon orders - a pram fan, a snoozeshade or similar, I have a pram parasol too, will probably get a baby uv tent for the beach. Everyone recommends the full cover swimsuits for UV protection also.

Ah I’m so sad - I misread the title as “taking a 5.5 month holiday” and thought you were off on the trip of a lifetime!

Babies are brilliant travellers - go for it.

Greece in August will be roasting so my tips are:

• find out the timetable of the wedding as early as possible - presumably it will not be in the heat of the day outdoors
• also find out if any other babies are going and is there a cool indoor space the babies can go to for a chill out
• my babies loved being in the sling/carrier - might be good for the ceremony itself
• take a spare packable dress for yourself for the big day - in case baby vomits on you
• i would go with a full-recline pushchair that can be tilted almost perfectly flat, with a parasol and a fan. Hopefully your baby may be sitting up at 6 months (mine were).
• breasfeeding is very convenient on the plane but bottlefeeding if handy if you want to hand off the baby to a doting relative! so either way is a win.

We went at 10 months last time and it was fine, he was onto eating proper food etc and had cut down on the milk except morning and night but I did say I wouldn’t go during the weaning stage so I’d avoid just over 6 months until about 9 but I think the time you’re going will be fine. We’ve booked to take our second away at 4 months for that reason. They also sleep a lot at that stage and I found even with my 10 month old that the heat meant he slept pretty much the whole day! We took a travel buggy that lies flat so no carrycot needed. Once they’re past the initial first couple of months I think a travel buggy is fine as they outgrow a carrycot by then anyway. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is the milk situation. I’m planning to express and bottle feed but don’t know if il still be going by then or not. I have thought probably on the plane it would be easier to feed myself than trying to make up formula but during the day on holiday having to feed every few hours is going to be a bit of a pain! 😅

Good age tbh to take on holiday. If FF take it with you - I preordered and picked it up in boots after security lol. You can get nappies etc everywhere but can be more expensive. Milton tabs for sterilising - I took a tub with me and was easy enough. Found a buggy was fine as it laid flat - definitely get a little fan/parasol . Feed baby when taking off/landing as helps with ears.

Also take a carrier too for the airport, we didn’t get our pram back until we’d walked miles and spent an hour in the security queue. Really don’t know how we’d of managed it if we hadn’t taken the baby carrier

Good age tbh to take on holiday. If FF take it with you - I preordered and picked it up in boots after security lol. You can get nappies etc everywhere but can be more expensive. Milton tabs for sterilising - I took a tub with me and was easy enough. Found a buggy was fine as it laid flat - definitely get a little fan/parasol . Feed baby when taking off/landing as helps with ears.

I've taken mine away from about 3 months old.
For me it was much easier to be BF less concerned about water issues and sterilisation. Depending on where your staying some places can hire baby kits though.

We got a travel buggy which lies flat and is suitable from very young as we found it easier. There are a few suitable from very young and a good pram fan is a must. We took our carseat with us as we had a hire car.

Suntan lotion is supposed to be from 6 months but we got a mineral one mustela factor 50 which is suitable for under 6 months.
You keep them out of the sun at all times but reality is if you take them in the pool etc they will have sun on hands.

I don't see caring for a baby as any different in our case our sons slept better when away due to the heat!

I took my now 2 year old on holiday at 5 months and it was probably the easiest stage to go!

By this point I did combination feeding and it was easy enough to sterilise bottles with Milton tablets I also took a little travel bottle filled with washing up liquid and bottle brush.

A lie flat travel pushchair is fine to take rather than pram.

I would recommend a snooze shade to help baby nap I still use mine now for toddler:
https://www.snoozeshade.com/collections/pram-buggy-sun-shades/products/snoozeshade-original-universal-pram-sun-shade?variant=32235206148193

Also ordered nappies, swim nappies and formula milk to pick up from boots at the airport so doesn’t add to baggage allowance

I was very stressed about it at the time but found when we went it was actually a lot easier than I imagined and had a great time!

Thanks everyone for you tips! There will be loads of children there and a few babies. Also with it being a family wedding (brother in law) there will be plenty of family there to help. I’ll keep this post in mind and fingers crossed all goes well. Thanks again .

Iv just taken 7 month old away. So easy all baby did was sit in the pram looking around or sleep because she couldn't roll or crawl. Easiest time to go! If you do formula feed do a click and collect at the airport.

5-10m is a breeze.
You dont even need much stuff. I got some bubbles at that was a huge hit but you do not need any toys the world is amazing enough... zips, flip lid, seat tray, safety belt all madly fascinating.
If your baby is on the bigger side take a yoyo or leclerk pram for ease.

Also the airline staff have been SO nice whenever i have flown. Ryanair & easyjet staff were just THE nicest/kindest.

We found the flights were fine but one tip is try to time feeds and nappy changes so you dont change it on the plane. Baby change table is Tiny!!!