Question re plane travel, and taking little one abroad!

[KiwiPanda]

Hello I have a bunch of questions would be brilliant if anyone can help!

We're taking DD (who will be not-quite-14 weeks) to Madrid next week. My questions are..

• I plan to bring her in the carseat which clips into the base/ legs of our travel system (clearly she's too little for the pushchair and wouldn't take cot attachement as well!). Will I have to check this in to the plane? We're flying Easyjet and have only "booked" one piece of hold baggage.

• Dumb question but what should DD wear if it's - as forecast - 22 to 25 degrees and sunny?? We're so used to wrapping her up nice and toasty I've no idea!! Just vest and babygrow?

• Does anyone have any experience on bfing in public in Spain?? Just wondering if it's same as in UK or if attitudes are different?

• We also need to get her something to sleep in as we're staying with friends who have no baby. Their spare room has two single beds as well so she can't co-sleep with me. I'm worried that a travel cot will be MASSIVE for her and freak her out! Any advice..??

Thank you - this travelling with baby lark is complicated isn't it??

Hi,

i've loads of experience of flying with baby as my Mum lives in Spain and I took my DD over there every 6-8 weeks starting when she was 10 weeks.

You'll beable to take the pushchair including carseat attachment to the steps of the plane, then simply collapse it and leave it for the baggage handlers to put in the hold. it will be waiting by the steps of the plane again when you land.

vest and baby grow sound fine as although it's warm in Spain at the moment when your in the sun, as soon as you're in the shade it is much cooler and as baby will be in the shade all the time, they will definitely need something long sleeved.

To be honest, off all the times I have been to spain and despite all the babies you see around, I have never seen anyone breast feed. I would therefore take a pashmina for maximun discretion. Sorry, don't have any direct experience as I had to bottle feed from 6 days after I was rushed back into hospital with suspected MRSA and so could no longer breastfeed.

When my DD was little (under 6 months) we used a samsonite pop up travel cot which pops up to about 50% bigger than a moses basket and even comes with a mosquito net cover. They do two sizes but we never got on with the larger one and we found the smaller one fine until DD got to about 6 months.

I'm not sure about Easyjet and your car seat - I'd ring and check just to be sure.
One thing that is useful is a car seat bag This will be too big for a stage 1 car seat but is great for keeping it clean, dry and rip free. It will obviously then be fine for the nest stage seat.

Also check that your wheels collapse down and stay closed. We find it's useful to take a strap to hold it closed to lessen the chance of it getting broken.

I've not bf in Spain, but have done in Portugal, France and Germany and have never had any problems at all.