Please help me work out what my 6MO baby will need on holiday!

[Bellyrub1980]

I have a 2 MO and when she is 6 MO we are going to Italy to stay in a villa for 2 weeks.

We have friends who are going to drive over there a month before us and are happy to take some od the bigger items like a buggy and high chair. And then we will bring the stuff that can be packed in a suitcase.

The problem is, I've never cared for a 6 month old! At the moment I'm just working stuff out as she grows older.... So I'm finding it hard working out what she will need so far in advance!

So what does a 6MO baby need in a hot country?

Any help much appreciated :)

Also, at 6 months, a monitor should come in handy, as they may sleep through the first part of the evening and you can go and enjoy a glass of wine with the grown ups. Ours had a nightlight on it which was handy for night feeds.

Took my dd to florida at 7 mths, i can't stress how much i over packed!

Apps are your friend.
Baby monitor app (round orange icon with a dummy) will link two phones, one will start to ring the other if the baby cries for more than 20 seconds (you can set it to diff times) and even takes a pic of the baby and sends it. Only recommend this option if you've got unlimited abroad plan!
White noise app? My dd loves hers still.
Travel cot will be useful, but will be hugely bulky, have you seen the blow up cots? Not sure if they will be suitable for a 6 month old tho.
Plenty of sunscreen, test it on baby before you leave!
Hats. Many many hats.
I would say that I have often found inflatables for children much much cheaper on the continent in the supermarkets. (Ball, lilo, armbands and ring for €8!!) But at that age I didn't feel comfortable leaving her out my arms in the pool, so wouldn't have used them anyway. Also, if you have a chunky, make sure her legs actually fit through the holes of the seat float thing! The embarrassment of trying to squash her thighs into it poolside will never leave me!
I had stopped sterilising at this point. I felt that if she was licking the floor and chewing all sorts, then there was no point.
The nappies and wipes I would buy out there personally, it will save a lot of room.
I took our car seat. We were allowed three extra baby items with Virgin. Check with your airline.
Baby grows for the plane. Much easier than faffing with separates I found.
Repellent from boots and make sure they are baby safe, no deet.
Like pp said, don't bother with bowls, plates, maybe just take a few spoons in your nappy bag?
Plenty of snacks for plane. It's still so new and exciting at that age.

Have a good time!

As a practical point, take both the pushchair and the sling to the airport with you. Once you're in the boarding lounge, take the baby out of the pushchair and pop her into the sling & fold your pushchair. You can then avoid the "everyone trying to fold their pushchair at the same time" chaos and just walk calmly by, dropping your pushchair off as you go. At the other end, put your baby back in the sling to carry her through security etc as there are often a lot of queues and you don't get the pushchair until you get your luggage.

If you get to choose your seat and you're bf'ing, I found a window seat with DD's preferred boob on the window side preferable as it was the most supportive position for feeding in.

Yes to taking a monitor. You can then sit on the terrace in the evening.
Sippy cup in hand luggage. Bib. Wouldn't worry about other weaning stuff. Feed on your lap unless villa has a high chair or you have a little clip on one.

Travel cot if villa can't supply.

Baby wetsuit thingy. The pool will be cold for her.

I have a travel high chair which screws onto the table, but it isn't suitable for all tables, so be aware of this.

Mosquitos -kiddicare used to sell a mosquito repellent in the shape of a ladybird. Battery powered.

If using formula, I personally always bought the local equivalent abroad, but my kids weren't fussy. I would recommend calling your milk manufacturer to find the name of their equivalent local brand. This was how I would find what milk to get, but would be worth doing for emergencies even if you plan to take formula with you.

Oh yes. If ffing I would send some bottles and sterilising tablets and tins with your mates.

Then car seat and travel cot are the bulky items to consider

We didn't, but a blackout blind would be good for naps if babe is used to darkness... we brought an inflatable ring thingy for the pool but opposite problem, our littly was too tiny and couldn't see out! Is op checking all this great advice?

I never bothered putting my babies in the pool at that age! They dont miss it and it's extra work many mozzie repellents aren't safe under a year but you could use a giant muslin over the top of a travel cot ( ours has mesh sides so still plenty of air going in ). Can also use repellent on the bedding where they won't touch or eat it to keep mozzies away. Or buy some plug in repellers while you are there to keep them out of the room. Similarly citronella candles or mozzie coils outside.

If you have friends driving I would send them with a portable high chair and travel cot. Not essential but if they're happy to take them will make your life easier and you wouldn't want to take them with you on a plane. I've always taken some kind of pram with my children under two on plane as is always free and somewhere handy to restrain them or give them a nap at airport. I use a cheapie easy to fold one rather than my mountain buggy as more convenient and not bothered if it gets damaged in transit!

The best holiday toy for us has been the stacking cups, entertainment in and out of water but tbh at six months none of my babies have really "played" with anything so toys mostly a waste of time!

Haha zzz. To be fair I have a lot of pics of dc1 in the pool with us at that age but by dc3 I was really bored with the faffing about. We now have our own pool and it isn't until dc3 was about 15 months, shouting water and shaking pool gate before I let her in the pool and she was independent enough to splash around by herself with armbands on and really enjoy the water ! But I'm a mean mummy!

Yy to stacking cups! I brought some star shaped ones from asda for about two quid with small holes in the bottom, dd loved watching me stack and knocking them down, and watching the water pour through the small holes! Brilliant toy!

If the baby is only just 6 months I'd actually postpone weaning until your home.

Calpol/nurofen would be a good idea, no fun trying to find medicine in a foreign language.

You can put insect repellant on a sun hat, but get a hat which ties under the chin so the baby doesn't pull it off and suck it.

Travel cot is essential unless you co-sleep and something to transport the baby (pram/sling) also a car seat if you will be using the car.

I can't think of anything else essential, have a lovely holiday :)

Can someone explain to me how the sterilisation bags work? Is the chemical that sterilises them already in the bag or do you still need the Milton tablets?
Do you just gather everything you need for 24 hours, fill up the bag, wait, take out the stuff and pour away the water/throw out the bag??
How many bottles/teats etc would they hold?

Sorry for all the questions...I'm a bit clueless about going away with 5mo

Steriliser bags - the microwave ones I've used -
Wash bottle etc and put in bag
Pour in water (either line on bag or use bottle to measure)
Close bag
Put in microwave for however many minutes it says.

Sorry, posted too soon. The m/w steriliser bags I've used only do 1 bottle at a time.