Travelling abroad long haul with a baby 3 months old.

[Mama2be26]

Hi I'm currently pregnant with my first child.
Myself and the other half have planned a holiday towards the end of the year for his birthday but the baby will be around 3 months when we travel factoring in time for jabs etc. Has anyone got any tips travelling to Mexico/ caribbean or Dubai with a baby this age for 2 weeks. We both would like all inclusive but we're wondering if an apartment set up will be best. Also the plan is to combine breastfeeding and formula. So what would this look like in terms of travelling with formula?
I see most airlines allow 2 big items do we take a pram and a travel cot due to risk of sids or is a pram and carseat more important?
All tips and advise regarding travelling will be appreciated as this will determine where we book. TIA

Do you have to go then? I had a c section and wouldn’t have wanted to fly long haul at 3 months post partum.

The last thing you will be wanting to do is go on that holiday. You could still be up multiple times at night and you will need to sterilise bottles and equipment. Babies also have their 8 and 12 week injections. These could be a bit later and the child can be extremely fuzzy and not themselves afterwards.

I took my kids away at that age and it was fine. Not a problem so go for it!

Not a problem at all IF you fully breastfeed (assuming no health complications). Much more complicated with bottles!!
I really would do my best to not bottle feed under these circumstances- you might have to, but in terms of travelling breastfeeding is so much easier.

We flew to Australia when DS was around that age. The baby won’t likely fit in any bassinet by 3 months so be prepared for him or her to be on your knee for the duration of the flight. We were extremely lucky that both legs from Dubai and Perth and back we had a row of 3 to ourselves. You think it will be ok having them on your knee but the reality is very different.

I flew long haul with dd 3 months after a C-section and it was fine.

I was breastfeeding and it made travelling so much easier. I think I would have struggled if we used formula but that might be partly because we were backpacking rather than staying at a resort in one location.

Go for it! Easier at this age than toddlers. Don’t overthink at this stage. Babies change so quickly so you’ll probably make a decision the day of travel what to take. Examples: your baby may not sleep in their cot, only in the pushchair or cosleeping (absolutely appreciate you may not think you’ll do this). Baby may not take a bottle so formula won’t be a consideration (mine did take a bottle and then stopped). FWIW I would use the hotel cot and take your own sheets then take car seat and pram.

My two are 2.5 and 4.5 now so we’re out of the pushchair stage and don’t plan to take one when we travel in August. We’re considering taking the Ergobaby Omni 360 as a back up as it’s rated to 40lb that may be an option.

Depending on airline baby may have their own luggage allowance, you can always use it for an extra item and then combine yours are your partners bag with baby’s things. Also baby changing bag is separate to hand luggage allowance.

Hmmm we did an AI in Mexico when our baby was 8 months and I remember thinking this would have been easier if he was 3 months! For a couple of reasons: at 3 months they pretty much sleep/feed/have tummy time and play time on their backs so I thought feeding by the pool then relaxing whilst DH pushed him off for a nap sounded lovely! Ours was crawling at 8 months so even sitting by the pool/on the beach was exhausting.
Plus at 3 months ours would sleep in the pram (or attached to my boob) while we had dinner, but by 8 months needed a ‘bedtime’ and got really cranky/wound up if we stretched it too late.

Practically:
You won’t need an apartment, as baby should be sleeping in the same room as you at 3 months anyway
Have you bought a pram yet? If not, choose one that is approved for overnight sleeping and this can double up as a cot.
Take your own car seat if Mexico! The state of the things to hire in Mexico was dire and absolutely nowhere near our safety standards.
I can’t speak for the other places you mention, but making up formula safely for a baby that small in Mexico would have made me quite nervous tbh. Wasn’t an issue for us as EBF. That may be me being overly anxious though!

I agree. I would have been fine doing this at three months but only because I was EBF so would never have to worry about baby getting hungry or dehydrated and how I would make up a bottle.

It would only have worked for me as quite an active holiday though. Out and about walking round towns and visiting places so the baby will sleep on the go. Trying to lie around on sun loungers completely in the shade and hope the baby naps would have been a stress inducing nightmare.

I can’t imagine the stress of trying to sterilise baby bottles and keep a baby cool and hydrated in the heat. It would tip me over the edge. Can you bring the holiday forward and go before baby arrives?

Unless baby is especially big they should fit in a bassinet still at such a young age. Most are suitable until at least 6 months, DS just about fitted in one still at 11 months and he isn’t small for his age.

OP I wonder if it would be best to book something last minute when you’ve actually had baby? You might adapt to things really well and be up for a trip or at 3 months you might just be in a fog of sleeplessness and want to delay it. Certainly breastfeeding would make things much easier and I’d be more reluctant to travel with a young FF baby and deal with all the faff of trying to make and sterilise bottles abroad. But we are all different and you’ll only know how you feel once you’re in the moment.

I flew at 7 weeks which was fine as long as you are breastfeeding, i would not have wanted to be faffing about with bottles on a 10 hour flight. Another consideration if you are mixed feeding is safe water, far better to be exclusively breastfeeding for travel, you can always introduce bottles when you return. As far as location, I would not visit any country where vaccines are recommended, or anti malarials of course. I’d choose somewhere with a good hospital and make sure you have good insurance, always better to be safe. The travel but, flying should be fine especially with 2 of you, I flew alone without a problem

As far as sleeping, my DD’s slept in the bassinet attachment to the pram until 6 months, that saves luggage.

Sounds like a nightmare to me. Having a baby is wonderful but difficult, and the last thing I’d want is to be thousands of miles away in a random country. The baby will be probably be keeping you up half the night, and you’ll still be getting to grips with being parents. I would wait and book this after you have the baby, just to see if you still want to go.

A couple I know went on a long-haul trip with their eight-month-old; they had been booked it before the birth. They had a crap time and wished they hadn’t booked it, and admitted they hadn’t known what it was like to have a baby. (No one really knows until they have one). Unless it’s a trip to visit family, it’s not something I’d do.

Perfectly doable. I did longhaul with both of my DC as newborns.

Be sure you book the bulkhead seats so you can have the bassinet. When we did baby flights (13 years ago!) BA also had baby bouncer type seats they could strap there if you’ve outgrown the bassinet. It is not nice for anyone if you don’t get these seats. I would schedule flights based on this availability over almost anything else.

You can’t buy a ticket for the baby until born, but you can book your seats and call the airline to add baby after birth. I think we called the airline to book our seats and told them we’d need the baby seat and they may have put a note on our reservation to not move us from the bulkhead.

You can often order ready made baby milk to pick up airside so you don’t have to faff with making up powdered on an airplane. Bring a lot of sterilised bottles for the plane so you don’t have to wash there. Breastfeed if possible because it’s easier. Flight attendants were always lovely about the babies. Stick a tin of powder in your luggage. AI over apartment - you don’t need the space at that age and you don’t want to cook.

I wouldn’t bother with a travel cot. Hotels usually have them if you ask and baby will be small enough to sleep in a pram.

It will not be a big sightseeing holiday - you will be tired, jet lag with babies isn’t especially fun. But if you just go with whatever the baby does (let’s face it, you aren’t sleeping regular hours anyway with a newborn), it’s fine. To properly get over jet lag, it takes about an hour a day. Just don’t have expectations higher than hanging around the pool all day. Get a room with a balcony/patio so you can sit there if you have to take the baby back to the room.

It is doable. I did it with two babies with no regrets. Key things are very low expectations, a lot of prep work, and a go with the flow attitude. If you like a lot of control or routines, it will NOT be fun. But if you just want to sit in the sun or by a pool whenever the baby is agreeable, it’ll be fine.

Just don’t have expectations higher than hanging around the pool all day.
I think the opposite. Hanging around the pool all day is least likely to be doable. Getting out and about and walking round places to see and museums etc to visit is a better idea. Likely to mean more naps achieved and less worrying about finding shade.

Fair enough! I just remember being tired and wanting to sit! 🤣

I was more thinking of big excursions rather than an easy walk to a museum or around town. My kids had a tendency to get fussy whenever we decided to do something that required commitment of money or time and wasting said time and money.

It totally depends of the strain of baby you get.
At 3 months, DS1 was sleeping in 1-2 hour blocks at night, and screaming 50% of the time he was awake. It would have been a nightmare holiday.

DS2 woke once or twice a night and lay on the floor and gurgled if I needed to deal with his brother. Just him would have been fine.

Can you wait until baby is here and you have a passport, and book something last minuite when you know what you feel upto?

Why are you even thinking of this?

We had a lovely holiday when DC1 was 3 months. Way easier when they are bigger and mobile. But BF, so no faff with bottles. Later I always just bought ready made formula locally, but that may not work if baby is on special formula and won't tolerate changing.

All Inclusive would be my preference, you don't need to sit in the room when baby sleeps like with toddlers, tiny baby will just nap in the pram. Hotels provide travel cots.
Also consider time difference - rather from your own perspective, at that age baby's sleeping is likely to be all over the place anyway.

Because it's not that outlandish to do so? It's a bit naive to assume it will all be fine but it's just as silly to assume it's a crazy idea and will be a nightmare.

I would have been able to have a perfectly nice holiday at three months and enjoyed it.

I did long haul after a c-section when baby was 3.5 months. I breastfed only so no faff with bottles or anything. He was great and slept and nursed the whole way. The airline gave us the bassinet thing to use we hadn't requested it. He wasn't an easy baby but breastfeeding seemed to be the thing that kept him calm for the flight.

Thanks for all the tips and constructive advice, I will look more into things and book all being well once baby is here.

I flew from Oz to the UK with a 9 week old, it wasn't the most fun experience but we survived. I was breastfeeding, which makes it easier, I can't imagine trying to make up bottles on a long flight, although I am sure people have. It's definitely doable, but agree with others who said wait and see how you feel after the birth before booking anything.

Think this all depends on the baby. My first cried for 6 months straight and I struggled to even go to the shops. My second has been much easier so probably could've taken her on a plane. However I like to stay on home ground when they are so tiny , I especially if they haven't had all their vaccines. It's personal choice and lots of people DO travel with a baby this young. Maybe wait till your baby is here and then book?
can't advise on the formula as not formula fed but my friend said you can do a collection from most boots at the airport which is really helpful and then take ready made formula with you on the plane x