Help/advice/experience/anything really!!!

[Mummaroo]

DH is going to South Africa for work in June/July for 4 weeks for work, we have been told by his work that myself and DS can also go, which is a lovely opportunity and I can't stand the thought of being with DH for a month and DS will not like it either, so we want to all go together.

However, I am also absolutely petrified as I know nothing about travelling with a baby (he's our first) and it's a long flight (11 hours). I have so many questions, I'm really hoping that some of you out there can help me!!

I'm just going to fire the questions out, here goes:

1: Do we need to take a car seat with us for taxi's etc?
2: How do I do his bottles? Do I take enough ready made cartons for the whole month or will I be able to buy them out there?
3: What about sterilising? Do I still need to sterilise when he's that age?
4: What about jabs?
5: Are we going to be ok whilst DH is at work when we're out there, or should I just stay at home, even though that will be horrible?
6: What about the heat, will it make him poorly as, let's face it, England weather isn't exactly preparing him for it is it??
7: Will he/us be able to get sleep on the plane or will it just be uncomfortable for all?
8: Will we need to take a travel cot with us?

I think that it's for now, but I'm sure I'll come up with some more Sorry if they just seem like an over paranoid, neurotic, first time mother who's worrying about too many things (because that's not me at all )

So if anybody has any advice on any of these things, or just in general about travelling long haul with a baby, or just share your experiences I would be very very grateful, thank you in advance

First of all, what age is your DS? You haven't said so far.

IME of travelling with a baby to Australia, I can't actually help with some of your qus because we had family at both ends but anyway:

1. yes unless you can pre-order a taxi with a car seat
2. no idea 3)depends how old he is
3. ask your GP
4. which part of SA is it? guideline would be - do all the houses around you have high walls, wire on the top of the fences, security gates and possibly armed guards? If so, stay in as much as possible.
5. it will be winter in SA in june/July so the heat is less likely to be problematic but IME babies adapt pretty well
6. Ask for a seat with a bassinet - again depending on his age - if he's over 12mo then it will probably be too small for him to lie in but at least you'll have somewhere else to put him other than on your lap.
7. depends on where you'll be staying - if it's a hotel, they should have travel cots available - check with them before you go.

Also, you will need to think about your flight times in terms of jetlag - I'd try to get in to SA some time in the evening so you can persuade your baby to go to sleep (again, age-dependent) - ditto for yourselves. This will help normalise your body clock asap.

HTH

Thanks, he's 6 months now, so will be 9/10months when we go.

Not sure exactly where we're going but know it's near Johannesburg.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, I'm finding that one day I'm totally relaxed and then the next I feel all stressed and scared about it all!!!

In that case you probably won't need to be sterilising stuff BUT i don't know what the water situation is like in SA, i.e. whether it all needs to be boiled or bottled.

TRy looking on the internet - google maps or streetview for the area where you'll be going - it might have some pics so you get the idea.

See if you can find a forum for expats in SA - ask them about the area you are going to.

4 weeks isn't that long you know - it would be if you were apart of course but it's not too bad. Take lots of books and craft stuff - make sure you have your laptop of course and lots of DVDs just in case you spend a lot of time indoors on your own.

We flew the first time when DS was 10mo to Australia - DS slept some of it but I don't think DH or I got much sleep at all, and that was a 24hr trip! The bassinet might be a bit small for him but if you fly BA they have an alternative seat for bigger babies, it has a sit-up and a recline position so it's pretty good. I don't know if any other airlines have it.

If you do your research well ahead of time, like you are doing, it will help to calm you down because you will know more what to expect.

here you are - British Expats in SA forum where you can ask questions.

We had our first family holiday with dd1 to S.A. She was 15 months at the time and we spent 3 weeks there. That was 6 years ago. I haven't been anywhere more child friendly since. Not even Italy.

In answer to your questions....

1. I would. I've never been impressed with hire seats offered by rental companies.
2. We took powder milk with us and I was still partially breast feeding. So, sorry, can't answer that one.
3. Strange country, strange bugs. If I was you I would still sterilise. Cold water steriliser tablets in a Tupperware container? The shops in S.A. Sell everything you would need.
4. You'll need TB as well as the other standard jabs
5. How about swimming? Playgrounds? We only had 1 day in JBerg with dd1 and I found that she wasn't interested in the Anti-Apartheid Museum, but she did like the merry go rounds at Gold Reef City. We had a guide when we were there. It may be worth you having one for the first couple of trips out until you work out where is/isn't safe to go.
6. It will be cold in June/July in JBerg. But, you could head to the coast at w/e's. Durban and north will still be warm
7. We flew at night with a bassinet when we went with dd1. We found jet lag not to be a problem. With dd2 we flew at daytime. That was a lot harder to keep her entertained.
8. We travelled a lot and found that everywhere we stayed had cots if we pre-booked.

I think it would be a lovely opportunity. The weeks may be a bit harder without your regular groups, but the trips you can do at the weekend should make up for it. And, if they don't, the food is fantastic!
6.

If you do go and plan a weekend battlefield tour, I can recommend the most family friendly lodge. Dd1 still talks about it even though we stayed there on our 2nd trip with her when she was 4.

Thank you so much for all your advice I feel better already!! I will get researching as much as I can!!

We spent 6 weeks in South Africa & Swaziland with DD when she was 13 months. Brilliant trip.

My top recommendation for Jo'burg is Bamboozi (Bamboozli? something like that) in Melville. Has a massive play structure & CHILDMINDERS who watch your kid for you while you enjoy adult conversation & a hot coffee. There's a box for tips. But actually, wherever you go (our favourite is Ocean Basket) waitstaff will whisk your child off to entertain them (dd wasn't always keen on that one). In fact, in Swaziland, she ended up in the kitchen helping peel maize!

1: We hired a carseat from the rental company, it was brand-new. But we hired from my uncle's company so maybe that makes a difference!
2: You can definitely buy formula there. Don't know about brands or anything because we were breastfeeding. BTW, disposable nappies are very expensive & the cheap own brands are rubbish (at least in our experience).
3: Don't know. I didn't sterilise anything ever
4: Standard possibly plus TB but you could make your own assessment on that one. We gave DD it because DP was working in a hospital & the risk seemed more immediate. You have to work pretty hard at picking up TB from a passing encounter, & the jab doesn't protect against multi drug resistant TB which is common in SA these days.
5: Do you mean will you be safe out & about? Obviously it depends on area, but if you take sensible precautions then yes.
6: It will not be warm in SA at that time of year. In fact it will possibly be grey & cold. But if you head to the coast - Durban/KZN - it will be a lot warmer. But still not hot.
7: It's a night flight, so your chances are good. On the way out, it left slightly after DD's bedtime & when they dimmed the lights, I put her on the boob & she fell straight asleep. On the way back the timing wasn't so great & she fussed for about 2 hours, but then fell asleep.
8: We didn't take one & did fine.

Forgot to say the water is perfectly safe in SA.