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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?

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Mrsderekshepard · 21/10/2017 14:24

Could you not book the appointment to get the birth certificate before the baby is due but leave enough time to allow for baby to be overdue?

OuchLegoHurts · 21/10/2017 14:25

Sorry but I think that's a crazy plan! Is this your first baby? I'm sure the bride and groom will completely understand why you can't go.

littleone7 · 21/10/2017 14:30

My parents took my sister and I to Corfu for a week when she was 3 weeks old. The photos were taken for her passport soon after she was born and they had no issues getting it on time or taking her on holiday at that age. I guess it all just depends on how you feel after the birth.

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NameChange30 · 21/10/2017 15:28

Mrs
"Could you not book the appointment to get the birth certificate before the baby is due but leave enough time to allow for baby to be overdue?"
If I remember rightly, we had to give DS's birth date when we booked the appointment to register his birth.

flumpybear · 21/10/2017 15:32

Recycled airplane air and new born with no vaccinations - I wouldn’t go personally

FartnissEverbeans · 22/10/2017 19:55

I was coming here to say exactly the same thing about airplanes and germs. Also, if you're bf then feeding on the plane is fine, but formula feeding when travelling is a pain in the arse (can't use plane water, need to take thermos flasks and sterile bottles etc... and you can never really anticipate how many feeds a newborn will need).

I was ok after the birth (albeit shell shocked, traumatised, torn, bleeding and hormonal). However, two weeks after the birth I came down with an agonising pelvic inflammation thing that left me practically immobile. You have to be very careful and look after yourself properly in the first few weeks.

It's a shame but there's no way I'd be going in your position.

Unihorn · 22/10/2017 20:02

Also if you did have a section there's an increased risk of DVT. I don't think adding a plane journey into the mix would be advisable. In fact many doctors may advise you to wait 6 weeks.

pilotswife · 22/10/2017 20:08

Depends on your recovery - I flew 9 hours with a 9 day old to an 80 th birthday and then 9 hours the following year with a 2 week old & a 14month old to a funeral. It wa def easier the first time despite having assistance on the second flight!
Just have everything organised prior to the birth, including babies name ! Don't plan on doing too much while you're over there. Be prepared that it just might not happen either - I put myself under no pressure to be anywhere.

Unexpectedbaby · 22/10/2017 21:02

Most of the responses on here are ridiculously negative.

If you really want to go and are willing to chance loosing the money, I would book and see how it goes.

It would rely on a lot of ifs but, if you didn't go overdue, if you had a straight forward birth, if you felt semi ok afterwards, if you got baby registered and passport in time then yeah why not. Even if one or 2 of them weren't perfect you could still do it.

I moved house for the first time a week after having DD, was out for Christmas dinner 2 days after that and didn't spend more than through the night at home for a good 2 weeks being here there and everywhere. I had a straightforward birth but a retained placenta but felt good after and although a bit sore didn't slow me down.

Just be prepared that things might not be straightforward. You might need intervention or a short hospital stay.

Maybe go for it but with an open mind so your not too disappointed if you can't at the last minute. Good luck Grin

sthitch · 22/10/2017 21:56

Not quite the same level but I went to visit family a week after having my DD, it was a 4 hour drive and at the time I felt like it was a lot of pressure and extra stress when really I should have stayed at home and relaxed. We never took a break, on the go constantly after what was a really traumatic birth - this resulted in seeing the doctor a month after the birth as had various issues with bleeding etc - one reason being doing too much. A week on from the birth, even though I was doing loads of stuff there would have been no chance I could have stood in lots of airport queues. Good luck to you if you go for it though! SmileFlowers

LostwithSawyer · 22/10/2017 23:15

You can get a child's passport in a day using the premium service. Very expensive but worth it if you need to do it.

Jugoo28 · 22/10/2017 23:27

I flew domestically when baby was two weeks, it was fine. I had a second degree tear and by that point could sit fine and I just breast feed the baby on the plane. To be fair I never ever felt like I had been hit by a bus after I had baby, I always felt fine. Hardest part was navigating the bags through the airport as I flew before my DP. We went overseas when baby was six weeks old. Birth cert took three days to sort/ Passport arrived within a week of ordering without any type of fast tracking. I think you will be fine to travel as long as the passport arrives in time and if you are happy to do an appointment to get it asap then you will be fine.

MyDcAreMarvel · 22/10/2017 23:32

Lost no you can't. Years ago you could but that's been stopped to prevent child trafficking and parental abduction.

megletthesecond · 22/10/2017 23:42

I think you're setting yourself up for a miserable time tbh. You should be taking care of yourself, a flight is the last thing your body will need.

LostwithSawyer · 23/10/2017 10:57

Must be just the week service then. That's what I did in the summer for my child. Cost a bloody fortune. But I got it back in 3 days.

Makes sense for those reasons mydc

Hoppinggreen · 23/10/2017 11:00

I probably could have flown this soon after having my son ( not my DD I was too ill) but at that point I was still very pregnant as he was 13 days late !!!

BillyAndTheSillies · 23/10/2017 11:06

We had to fly to DH’s granny’s funeral in Ireland when DS was 2 weeks old. We obviously hadn’t planned on her passing away, or for a funeral abroad.

Luckily we’d booked a registrar appointment for around 3 days after DS was born and the day we found out she had passed, booked a passport meeting for a face to face meeting with a guaranteed turn around of 7 days. The passport arrived the day we left.

It was stressful, we were shattered and had no established routine at that point. There were enough family around that he got passed around so much, DH and I would often escape upstairs for naps. I wasn’t breastfeeding so anyone could give him a bottle. Although, a party atmosphere of a wedding is a little different.

I’d say there are no guarantees right now that you’ll be able to go and hopefully your sister will understand this?

Urglewurgle · 23/10/2017 11:17

People do do it so it's not a definite no but...

The airline wont take a baby under a certain age, usually a couple of weeks.

You might not get baby a passport in time. We had to wait nearly 6 weeks for the appointment to register DD.

You might be in too much pain. There is no way I could've travelled at three weeks. It's not even so much the sitting on a plane but getting to the airport, the waiting, lugging all the bags and stuff a baby needs and then transfers at the other end . Plus I probably would've hated the heat as I was so sweaty anyway.

But like I said, I'm sure people do do it.

yikesanotherbooboo · 23/10/2017 11:47

Wait until your baby is born and see.if the practicalities if passport/ airline make it possible you might be fine. I would easily have managed this with my first, second child was miserable and I was tired but not unwell and could have made the trip, third child was born by section and was ill in hospital from week 2 so no trip possible in that occasion.

Blueskyrain · 23/10/2017 11:55

It depends on how you'd feel. I had a section but recovery was easy and I'd have been fine to fly and go on holiday at 2 weeks. Life was busy, but manageable, and we were going out for day trips etc.

Everyone is different and got don't know how you'll be. At 2 weeks I happily hosted a party for 30 people, and baked a couple of cakes for it. Other people will struggle to leave the house. Personally, unless it's going to be too expensive, I'd book your flight, and book accommodation that can be refunded on booking.com or something and see how you feel.

Blueskyrain · 23/10/2017 12:08

BTW, I only bled heavily for about 2 days, then a light period for a few more, and by 10 days it had stopped. Though even if I was still bleeding, I don't get the big deal, as you'd travel on your period...

And I bottle fed, and my milk never really came in properly anyway, so no leaking boobs either.

So from that respect it was fine. But if you want to bf, then that is more labour intensive at the beginning, your emotions are all over the place and you may be in pain. Difficult to know though.

TerrifyingFeistyCupcake · 23/10/2017 12:45

even if I was still bleeding, I don't get the big deal, as you'd travel on your period...

Most people are bleeding more than they would with a period, unlike a period you bleed more if you overdo the activity, and if you do overdo the activity and bleed too much you're at risk of developing anaemia and feeling like hammered shit.

Unihorn · 23/10/2017 12:59

I bled for 7 weeks following my EMCS. Not everyone is lucky!

PerpetualStudent · 23/10/2017 13:04

You really cannot get a 1st passport in a day. I had to fly unexpectedly when DS1 was 4 months old (family death abroad) and was only able to get his passport that day with the British Consolate (sp?) repeatedly calling the centre to authorise it and even then they were grumpy about it

AnaWinter · 23/10/2017 13:04

I wouldn’t because the baby would not have their vaccinations yet.

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