Going on holiday with a 5 month old- yes or no?

[KLG3101]

Hi all,

Our daughter will be 5 months old when we are planning on going on holiday. Would anyone care to give me advice on whether we should A go abroad or B stay in this country?

Concerns or for A - sterilising bottles, the heat and the plane journey

Concerns for B - can't drive too far as don't want her in her car seat too long, where would we go?, We might not feel like we'd had a holiday

Thank you!

Depends where you are thinking of going. I did both with mine - Ibizia was too hot for a 4 month old, but France was fine at 6 months. Northern Dpain at 4 months was great. UK holidays, including long drives, equally fine.

I think the heat was the only real problem.

Is your baby not a part of your family? Why would you leave a baby behind?

What do you want from your holiday? Take that as your starting point, and then plan for it around that.

I loved travelling with young children. We took two months out and travelled around South America with a 8 month old, a four year old and a six year old. I was breastfeeding so bottles weren't an issue and we travelled in a camper van so we could stop whenever and whoever we wanted. Best adventure ever.

I took DS away to lanzarote for a week when he was about 4 months old.
It was fine. However I was breastfeeding so didn't have the bottle issue. I guess if you went self catering and had a kitchen you'd be fine.
The plane was fine , he mostly slept.
We went in November so it wasn't too hot, but I did take one of those uv covers for the pram.
Honestly, it will be fine. I'm more worried about our holiday this year, ds will be 22 months so a whole different kettle of fish!

I took DD to the USA when she was 4 months old. It was fine. The flights (10 hours each) were fine, mainly because she wasn't really mobile. She happily slept or just watched what was going on. We spent some time in Arizona while there (1 day it was 40C).. DD was fine, we just spent a lot of time indoors in the AC and only used the pool when it was cooler. I was BF so can't really comment on sterilising but I am sure someone else will know. You could probably bring sterilising tablets with you?
We drove a lot on that trip also and just made sure to take breaks every 2 hours. I also sat in the back with her.

Stitch I don't think the op was planning to leave her baby behind...

My DGS had had 2 holidays in USA by the time he was 6 months old! Just remember that they do not travel light! (Visiting friends and family, although staying in mote.l) The flying with them is easy at that age, they just sleep on you.

Don't know about sterilising bottles as DGS is breastfed. `When my DC were small and used bottles it was in the dark ages and sterilising was done in liquid so I just took a tank and sterilising tablets.

The heat depends on when you are going and area you choose - July and August will probably be too hot in the Med but parts of France fine.

On the other hand a cottage or caravan in UK can be a lovely holiday

I would personally want the comfort of having my own car with me, whether that means staying in this country or ferry/tunnel to France or somewhere. I can't imagine how you would fit all the stuff you would need on a plane! But we actually once took 2 cars to Cornwall with us when ds3 was 6 months old

5 months is s great time to travel with 1 baby.

They can't move and don't eat solid food - the perfect travelling companion 😂

Microwaveable steriliser bags are good and reusable if you are sc.

We flew to Spain with 3 month old dd1 and the US with 6 month old dd2 (she only just fitted in the flight cot!)

We also did France every year in car seats but with breaks every couple of hours

Go for it 😊

Do what you want to do ... your baby will fit in. We went travelling around Greek Islands and France from when both of ours were a couple of months old. Plane journeys and ferries were absolutely fine. When they were on bottles and weaning we took sterilising tablets and a manual food grinder thing.

Our families live 4 to 5 hours car drive away from us and we would plan a couple of breaks off the motorway to stretch our legs and have a meal.
5 months is a lovely age to travel as a family as they are still quite 'portable'. Have a wonderful time whatever you decide to do!

We recently had a UK holiday with our 6th month old DD. The drive was 11 hours including regular breaks - every stop was about 45 mins, where she had a roll and kick on the floor, some bouncing on us and change & feed etc.

We stayed self catering and so took the steriliser etc with us. Her routine was quite disrupted that week, with evenings out etc but she adapted really well to the changes.

I'd think most options would be doable really.

Thank you so much everyone! Sorry if I wasn't clear, we aren't planning on leaving oh baby at home!! She is most definitely coming with us!

Sterilising tablets sound like the best option - thank you for bringing this to my attention. We would be going in July probably to Portugal if we go abroad. How did your children climatise to the heat?

We took our son at 3 months old to San Francisco so we could get married and this coming weekend he is coming to Brugge with us.

On the plan journey to San Francisco our son slept most of the time, and he is breast feed so feeding was ok

To Brugge we a Are getting a Eurostar, so traveling shouldn't be a problem

We also took him to see my parents in Cornwall Christmas from our home in Kent, journey was ok as we made regular service station

I found with just walking DS heat was fine, but staying out of the sun was more difficult, as little ones really shouldn't stay in the sun for many hours, meaning that a few hours on the beach was the limit.

Flying with a premobile baby is fine. I used to love the chance for 2 hours of cuddles and gentle snoozing. Feed going up and down to help with adjustment to pressure.

I'd suggest going self catering to somewhere secure but with balcony or terrace, so baby can go to bed and you have somewhere nice to sit/drink/read/etc but don't have to worry about baby. We found apartment better thAn hotel room for having a bit more space to crawl etc in, but at 5 months you are safe from that. do not bother with baby sunglasses I should have listened to MN

I agree with the apartment suggestion. Something with more than one room (so you can be somewhere else while the baby is sleeping in the evenings) and a little kitchen is great. We took our baby to Crete last July at 11 months. We got a villa, which was brilliant. We used mam bottles which you just stand in the microwave to sterilise but Milton tabs and a tub would also work.

Be warned - your days of travelling light are over.

We were camping with DS at that age! Easily doable. You've got over the shock of having a baby, they aren't mobile and are quite happy just to be propped up watching whatever there is to watch. Easiest time to travel plus still on milk so no worries about food! Buy or hire a good sling (Tula, Ergo, connecta or Manduca) to make the actual travelling easier. Portugal sounds nice if its not too hot. Equally we have had several lovely holidays in Uk and they've definitely felt like we've been "away", just don't expect it to be like holidays pre-baby.