Taking an 8 week old on his first holiday

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2025 12:39

It’s incredibly hot in many parts of Italy with atm with health warnings due to extreme heat being issued and many wildfires. I’m afraid that in itself would put me off. I would wait it until he’d had his jabs and the weather is less brutal
If you do go now, make sure you have fully comprehensive travel insurance and a good translation tool on your phone if you don’t speak Italian.

mamagogo1 · 13/08/2025 12:40

I flew at 7 weeks with dd, to move overseas - was fine but I was breastfeeding and cosleeping so didn’t have an equipment issue! I would definitely get specific advice on formula if that applies to you, otherwise take layers, sun shade light muslins for blankets and more clothes than you think in case of “issues” oh and plastic bags are useful for particularly dirty washing. They have babies in Italy too so you’ll be fine😁

Mulledjuice · 13/08/2025 12:41

What do you know about the place you are staying? Safe sleep space for baby etc.

Is baby breastfed? That is said to help with take-off and landing. If formula-fed you'll need to consider how you prep on the go and at your destination.

wheniwasyoungiknew · 13/08/2025 12:43

Remember you can get heatstroke from being in the shade it’s not just about sunlight. You can also get it in a hot house, it’s very dangerous

Jennalong · 13/08/2025 12:43

His routine will be put all over the place , expect him to be extremely grizzly and fractious . Tbh and you know this , there is no joy in it for him and it won't be as lovely as you think it will be .

MigGril · 13/08/2025 12:46

Unless I was travelling to meet family I'd probably wait until they have at lest had their first vaccinations. It's very easy to catch stuff at airports and on planes. Also currently the heat would be an issue as babies that age aren't supposed to be given water due to imbalance in electrolytes. Breastfed babies will want to feed all the time when it's hot. Makes you very thirsty and not able to do much.

Cinnabonswirl · 13/08/2025 12:46

Jennalong · 13/08/2025 12:43

His routine will be put all over the place , expect him to be extremely grizzly and fractious . Tbh and you know this , there is no joy in it for him and it won't be as lovely as you think it will be .

Oh bet you’re glad you asked now op 😂
I hope you have a lovely holiday and congratulations!

rubyslippers · 13/08/2025 12:46

MigGril · 13/08/2025 12:46

Unless I was travelling to meet family I'd probably wait until they have at lest had their first vaccinations. It's very easy to catch stuff at airports and on planes. Also currently the heat would be an issue as babies that age aren't supposed to be given water due to imbalance in electrolytes. Breastfed babies will want to feed all the time when it's hot. Makes you very thirsty and not able to do much.

This nails it - good advice

HostaCentral · 13/08/2025 12:49

Don't take your baby to the beach, or out during the day. Early morning, late evening, fine. You won't see any Italians out and about during the day with babies at this time of year.

It might not be the lovely holiday you are envisioning.

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2025 12:51

Mulledjuice · 13/08/2025 12:41

What do you know about the place you are staying? Safe sleep space for baby etc.

Is baby breastfed? That is said to help with take-off and landing. If formula-fed you'll need to consider how you prep on the go and at your destination.

Feeding from a bottle is equally effective on take off/landing.

MigGril · 13/08/2025 12:51

Also they will need their own passport, so you have to wait for that as well.

Some babies are easy and will sleep anywhere, others are harsh to settle. If baby isn't here yet I'd wait to see what they are like as well. It will be no fun having a screaming baby on a plane or holiday.

We took DD away for 4 days at 4 months old, in the UK though so it didn't disturb her routine. She didn't sleep well as a baby and I couldn't imagine taking her abroad at that age.

Bitzee · 13/08/2025 12:53

We went on our first holiday when DD was 10 weeks. To the south of france in August. It was lovely in all honesty, much easier than anything we did during the toddler years!

Mulledjuice · 13/08/2025 13:21

Jennalong · 13/08/2025 12:43

His routine will be put all over the place , expect him to be extremely grizzly and fractious . Tbh and you know this , there is no joy in it for him and it won't be as lovely as you think it will be .

My baby at 8 weeks would have chortled at the idea of a routine.

Mulledjuice · 13/08/2025 13:21

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2025 12:51

Feeding from a bottle is equally effective on take off/landing.

Show quote history

Ooh that's good to know, thanks

Radiatorvalves · 13/08/2025 13:32

I took DS to France at 3 months. It wasn’t hot (March) and he was fine. We went again when he was 8 months and he was a right pain! Other DS went to Asia at 7 months and he was a dream.

Good luck OP. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Original poster

Hbp12 · 13/08/2025 14:19

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2025 12:39

It’s incredibly hot in many parts of Italy with atm with health warnings due to extreme heat being issued and many wildfires. I’m afraid that in itself would put me off. I would wait it until he’d had his jabs and the weather is less brutal
If you do go now, make sure you have fully comprehensive travel insurance and a good translation tool on your phone if you don’t speak Italian.

His Nan is Italian so she would be able to translate. Family are out there at the minute so we would be meeting them there

OP posts:

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2025 14:20

Mulledjuice · 13/08/2025 13:21

Ooh that's good to know, thanks

Show quote history

Both help to prevent little ears from “popping”.

Original poster

Hbp12 · 13/08/2025 14:20

Jennalong · 13/08/2025 12:43

His routine will be put all over the place , expect him to be extremely grizzly and fractious . Tbh and you know this , there is no joy in it for him and it won't be as lovely as you think it will be .

He’s a newborn. There is no routine 😂

OP posts:

Original poster

Hbp12 · 13/08/2025 14:22

mamagogo1 · 13/08/2025 12:40

I flew at 7 weeks with dd, to move overseas - was fine but I was breastfeeding and cosleeping so didn’t have an equipment issue! I would definitely get specific advice on formula if that applies to you, otherwise take layers, sun shade light muslins for blankets and more clothes than you think in case of “issues” oh and plastic bags are useful for particularly dirty washing. They have babies in Italy too so you’ll be fine😁

Thankyou for this. I’m worried about mosquito bites as we’ve been to the site in Rome numerous times and have been bitten. We have a mosquito net and repellant that’s safe for the baby but like you say they have babies in Italy 🤣

OP posts:

Intothesunshine · 13/08/2025 14:26

Are you for real !!

Higgledypiggledy864 · 13/08/2025 14:30

Hbp12 · 13/08/2025 12:36

Looking for some advice, We are looking at taking our baby to Italy for 3 nights, he will be 8 weeks by the time we go. He hasn’t or won’t have had any of his vaccines before we fly. We’re quite nervous for how young he is but excited to be able to take him away. Is there any advice people could give to put our minds at ease? We would be taking precautions, and know he can’t be in direct sunlight etc, taking a mosquito net etc

We brought our little one home to meet family when she was 8-10 weeks and then flew to and traveled around Japan for 3 weeks in the height of their summer!
You will be absolutely fine and it will be lovely to spend time with family.

Take extra nappies for the plane, feed (boob or bottle) on take off and landing, we found a yoyo really helpful and it's ideal if baby will nap in it. We also took a baby carrier where baby also napped. We took a muslin feeding cover to provide a bit a airy shelter from the sun when out and about.
Be prepared to feed more frequently than you would here, don't give water because it's hotter, but if you're breastfeeding be prepared to drink super human amounts so that you don't get dehydrated.
You can buy travel bassinets which we found helpful on our first trip for naps and over nights.
Traveling with a tiny one is much easier than with a toddler - just remember they also have babies in Italy!!
And definitely do take a car seat if you will be cars at all - and if so, take the car seat out of the car when not using it because they can very very hot in a car in the sun.

BunniB · 13/08/2025 14:33

Especially if you’re staying with family you will be fine.

Watch out that planes can be very chilly - so keep a light blanket for the baby.

Ive never flown with a small baby but most older babies love short flights (white noise!) and they don’t always scream.

Fourteenandahalf · 13/08/2025 14:35

Sounds great. Have a lovely time.

Babyboomtastic · 13/08/2025 14:38

Jennalong · 13/08/2025 12:43

His routine will be put all over the place , expect him to be extremely grizzly and fractious . Tbh and you know this , there is no joy in it for him and it won't be as lovely as you think it will be .

What a misery guts post!

We went on holiday at 6w and it was fine. Baby was fine, it was lovely. Baby was quite colicky but it was nicer to pace her along a beach in the evenings.

It was the easiest holiday I've ever had with children.

Babyboomtastic · 13/08/2025 14:45

Just to add, sometimes the airline will let you thread the baby's lap belt through a sling so they can stay in it.

I boarded the plane with her asleep in the sling. She stayed asleep on the sling for most of the flight whilst I ate pizza and had a drink and rest. She woke on December and I fed her (breastfed) in the sling and she fell asleep by the time we landed. She was still in the sling asleep until past luggage retrieval! Our toddler on the other hand, her journey was an absolute nightmare.

So slings, feeding in slings and just going with the flow. As baby won't be in a bedtime routine, there's no reason you can't go out for ice cream at 10pm, with a tiny baby. Best time to travel!!