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Original poster

Holiday with a new born

104 replies

Amimac · 20/10/2017 20:49

I'm after some advice about taking a new born abroad.

I'm due in May 2018 and my husband and I have booked to go to my sisters wedding in Majorca in June.
If I go overdue, baby will only be 10days old when we are due to fly. Anybody got any advice about potentially taking a newborn away, I just don't want to miss my sisters wedding! Is it possible or am I being foolish holding on to hope?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

user1499786242 · 20/10/2017 21:16

Well I was still walking like john Wayne at that point and could most definitely NOT have sat on a plane ......

Cutesbabasmummy · 20/10/2017 21:19

The sleep deprivation alone would make it a no for me x

StubbleTurnips · 20/10/2017 21:24

The take off and landing would literally have me leaking blood and god knows what else from my vagine at that point.

Plus you may have follow up medical appointments for you or baby post partum. I had midwives checking and scanning my nethers a couple of weeks after (suspect retained tissue), DD had scans needed at certain points.

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TheLegendOfBeans · 20/10/2017 21:24

I believe this hinges entirely on delivery.

If you have an on-time effortless and smooth delivery of baby then perhaps. I'd still think you'd be risking your postnatal health plus baby won't have had its immunisations yet, never mind psssports etc.

If you end up with tearing/episiotomy/CS it's game over. Trust me, you won't want to put yourself though all that.

The odds are stacked against this being not only achievable but enjoyable, it's just that bit too early.

ninnynono · 20/10/2017 21:38

I'd book flights and hotel that you can cancel if things don't go as planned.

i had a similar situation with my first born. Big party a flight away for family in another country. I asked for advice here and everyone said I shouldn't go. Heavy bleeding, risk of a c section, not being able to sit down, breastfeeding etc.

I gave birth 4 days late by EMCS. So hardly straightforward. Then the party date came around and my DH went on his own. However I could definitely have gone. Hardly any bleeding, still a bit sore but no problem with taking a flight. Baby would have slept all the way. I could have found a suitable dress for bfing.

I think there are definitely times where it would be impossible to fly etc. but don't rule it out on dramatic 'what ifs'. If you have to cancel last minute, so be it. But don't write it off just because there might be complications.

ninnynono · 20/10/2017 21:46

Should have said in my pose that I didn't want to go which is why I didn't and that is also a valid reason! But if you want to go I'd be looking at organizing it with the possibility of cancelling if anything happens or even if you just don't feel like going because you just gave birth.

mintich · 20/10/2017 21:53

Depending on where you live it could take a while to register the birth. It was 4 weeks before I could get a registration appointment! Passport came in a week.
Also I had a traumatic birth and could not have went on a plane at 10 days

chewiecat · 20/10/2017 22:00

Congratulations op!

It all depends on how it goes. If everything goes well, great. But a lot of unknowns, like baby may be unwell (mine had jaundice and we were only discharged from midwifery care on 25 days pp).

I had a very straight forward water birth, small 2nd degree tear and honestly I was in no shape to go anywhere for a month. I couldn't sit or wee without pain, and couldn't walk properly for awhile.

Giving birth was quite a traumatic experience for me and my mental health suffered. I felt like I was assaulted. I needed the time at home to recuperate, repair and strengthen myself again.

Also, Establishing breastfeeding was important to me and I needed support. Having a breastfeeding clinic near me which I could pop into was a lifesaver.

Also as a pp has said, baby is not vaccinated yet. I would rather not put my newborn at risk of catching diseases , especially with flights/public transport.

LoafEater · 20/10/2017 23:10

The poor little baby would be breathing in all the horrible, stale, germ ridden plane air without any vaccinations.

You will will probably still be bleeding like Niagra Falls and your lady bits will feel like raw meat.

You'll be sleep deprived and a hormonal lunatic, and you won't be able to fit into a nice dress.

It is a wonderful time really! Stay home on the sofa with your newborn and watch it on a webcam!

NorthLondonmum83 · 21/10/2017 07:05

I think it's unrealistic sadly as you can't get an 'emergency' passport for a first one so logistically would be really hard work. Also first babies are often so late - the baby may only be 15 days old! Funny thing is for me personally I was lucky with post birth recovery following crappy pregnancies and have taken both mine to visit family in Southern Europe at about two months old and loved it! Even I would baulk at the idea of three weeks though bloody hell thats still stitches and leaky boobs for most women!

eeanne · 21/10/2017 07:10

Main issue to me is passport. If you book you'll have to be OK with needing to cancel is the passport doesn't arrive on time.

Sparky888 · 21/10/2017 07:20

When our first was 10 weeks old (after an elcs) we flew to the States. The baby slept a lot so was easy in a sling. Just took planning. If you can solve the passport thing, and you feel physically ok to walk short distances, you should be fine. Airlines take a baby at 1 day old as long as you have a passport. The sleep deprivation applies for weeks anyway, so if you want to deal with the airport, it's no worse than being at home in my view. Good luck!

MyDcAreMarvel · 21/10/2017 07:23

You can't even renew a child passport in a day now that was changed years ago to stop parental abductions.
You can renew an adult passport only.

TerrifyingFeistyCupcake · 21/10/2017 07:24

I think people on here are being ridiculous I mean I'm sure if you were organised you could get everything sorted out.

It can take a month just to get a birth certificate if the registry office is backed up, and you can't apply for a passport until you have it. It's not a question of just being "organised".

Anything under 6 weeks and you have a high risk of no passport anyway. I would just skip it.

eurochick · 21/10/2017 07:24

I had a CS and would have struggled with all the airport walking required. I would also wonder about the blood clot risk as I was on clexane for this post CS and I know flying is a risk factor.

Practically I wouldn't have been able to get a passport. We couldn't even register the birth for about four weeks.

welshweasel · 21/10/2017 07:25

If you have a straightforward delivery then I think it would be possible. However, I think the likelihood of getting a passport sorted is minimal. You can't do it in a day. We couldn't get an appointment to register the birth for over a week, then had to wait for the long certificate to be sent out in the post before we could send off for the passport (which then took 6 weeks to arrive!!).

Figgygal · 21/10/2017 07:27

I can't see it happening either sorry with registration and passport and babys can't fly under 2 weeks old. That's not to mention how you might feel physically mentally and emotionally having a baby takes its toll even when you don't realise it

I fly regularly and it's easy enough with feeding at take off and landing both mine tended to sleep on flight.

NameChange30 · 21/10/2017 08:48

I also took a trip with my DS when he was 10 weeks old. But I think there is a big difference between 10 weeks and under 6 weeks in terms of practical logistics and mother's physical readiness to travel. I would not have been able to travel before 6 weeks and wouldn't have wanted to either.

fruityb · 21/10/2017 09:04

I had a EMCS and could not have flown that soon. I was healing up pretty well but walking was hard and I was still in an emotional funk at that point. Plus I was having the injections for ten days after the cs and DS hadnt been discharged from the midwife. We also couldn’t register the birth for three weeks and that was the earliest we could get there. Going away with a newborn is doable but I really wouldn’t have at that age. The bleeding alone was tough enough, as well as the rock hard tits and the post natal tears!

Changerofname987654321 · 21/10/2017 13:50

My baby was 10 days over due and we did not get out of hospital (readmitted) until she was 13 days old.

Bubblysqueak · 21/10/2017 13:56

Ds had to go back into hospital at 3 days old due to weight loss and had to stay I for 5 days. If there are any complications you won't be able to attend.

ElizabethShaw · 21/10/2017 13:58

I recently had my 3td baby and a very easy birth with no cuts or tears. Physically I could have travelled (though I bled heavily for at least two weeks!) But no way would I want to - a trip to the pub was enough for me!

2014newme · 21/10/2017 13:59

I was still in hospital then!

BubblesBuddy · 21/10/2017 14:07

I think it's an awful thing to expect a newborn to endure. Air on planes is recycled. Adults get ill from it. It's bad luck but family planning doesn't always allow for every eventuality. You will not want to be doing this when the time comes. Your baby will mean more to you than the wedding. Can't they have a party here?

WillowySnicket · 21/10/2017 14:17

Fwiw I felt 100% fine after dc1 almost right away (well, apart from the 5day blues aka sobbing my guts out the entire day) BUT it is worth thinking of c-sec, tears etc. Oh, and yy to massive leaky-like-crazy boobs. Wrap dress and loads of breast pads?! If you're ok with not feeling glam or anything then go for it.

Otoh, I also video conferenced a very very important unmissable family occasion just before dc2 was born because mentally I just could not cope with the uncertainty of due dates etc and the prospect of me giving birth in the car. That was ok too.

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