Tips on going on holiday abroad with 6 month old

[NotwhereIshouldbe]

LO is 3 months and has been a really difficult baby largely due to reflux. DH has asked if I felt ready to go on holiday as we had intended on making good use of my maternity leave. We were thinking of going in March next year when LO will be 6 months but I’m worried it’s going to be more stress then it’s worth! How do people do it? Do you have an easy baby? What about those who have difficult babies? I’m breastfeeding which should make it easier and the plan is to go somewhere in Europe to a resort so everything is in one place so we can chill for the week. Any recommendations and tips would be gratefully received! Or perhaps we should just avoid going on holiday altogether!

It will be fine.
Are you looking at a ski/winter break though? As it won't be warm in any European resort in March. You could do a city break though in Europe.

At 6 months they are very portable. Car seat easy to take if needed, can sleep in sling or pram out, and they don't need kids entertainment. So basically book somewhere where you or dh fancy.

We were thinking somewhere warm and had dreamt of Thailand when I was pregnant but I think that would be hugely ambitious as it’s such a long flight and don’t think our LO will cope. I was thinking Tenerife or somewhere like there where it might be a bit warmer!

We did a 3 weeks holiday when D.C. was 6 months and it was good. Someone said to me to do it before they were mobile and it is so true. We went far (across the Atlantic’
The flight wasn’t so bad but the jet lag was a bit.
But we coped and we have the worst sleeper ever.
Do it OP

Thailand is amazing but the heat + humidity is awful I don't think it would be a nice environment for a 6 month old! Tenerife / Lanzarote or Morocco would be nice that time of the year

Tenerife is a good idea. We did Gran Canaria in December when dd was 9mo and it was plenty warm enough. We’re heading to Lanzarote in March with dd (3) and ds (will be 8mo). Be aware that most pools in the canaries are not heated in winter months so choose carefully!

My main advice is just to try to relax a bit. They won’t sleep/nap as well as usual, DD always eats poorly on holiday too. I was quite uptight and stressed in our first hol (6mo in Portugal), she was a v pukey baby so I was always on edge, but now I know she’s a bit out of sorts on hol I don’t stress so much. Weaning wise we took ellas pouches and chose self catering so could prep actual food and have more space. Maybe take a stick blender if your so inclined!!

We stayed in a hotel with a baby at 5 months and the room we had was not big enough to accommodate a baby. We were given a standard double room where they had put a cot at the side of the bed. The cot took up pretty much all the remaining floor space and by the time we had got the pram and the suitcases in as well there was barely any space to move. It was a really uncomfortable stay. Before booking a hotel I would ask how big the rooms are and see if you can get an idea of the layout so you can see if there will be enough space for you or not. A lot of hotels offer the option of a cot but don't actually have rooms big enough to accommodate them.

We went to Morocco at the very end of March this year. It was just after the clocks went forward to BST so there wasn’t any time difference and we just kept LO on the same nap/sleep schedule. Temperature was low 20s so it was warm enough to take LO swimming without worrying about her getting too cold, but not too hot that we had to seek shade/air con in the middle of the day! We stayed at Club Med Agadir which has a crèche. Although we didn’t use the crèche, we did use the babysitting service a couple of times.

We went to Tenerife last March when our LO was very nearly six months old. It was very easy! We picked a resort on the edge of a town so we could also get out for a wander round. The weather was great, low 20s, so I managed to get a bit of a sun tan whilst DH supervised baby in the shade! LO had just started weaning so we took a few pouches and he had a nibble on some fruit and veggies from the buffet. The only thing we found hard was the fact that LO wouldn’t sleep out in his pram at night. So we would bath and put his pajamas on, then go out for an early dinner, and then back to the room where we had to sit largely in the dark, talking quietly drinking cheap cava as he was sleeping. In hindsight, I would have got a room with a balcony so we could at least have sat out there wrapped up warm.

Thank you for all the advice! @Marinetta I hadn’t thought about the limited room once a cot is in the room so I’ll bear that in mind.

@Youhavewonaprize My LO is also a very pukey baby so we’ll see how weaning goes but we might postpone it until we come back so it’s one less thing to stress about!

@Ricekrispie22 DH had talked about Agidir and I hadn’t thought about it so we will check out that resort too.

Looking at packages, there is usually a coach transfer to the hotel, do I need to bring a car seat to put in the coach? Did you bring your own prams or a specific travel one? We have a Stokke which is pretty bulky! Otherwise we might stick with our carrier. Also did you stockpile nappies to take with you or buy them when you were out there?

Take a sling.
Get a suite so there is a room for you and DH in the evening if you have a baby who goes to sleep at 7pm.

Reusable swim nappies.

Nappies: depends on where you go. If you are in a resort, take enough. If you are in a town, and fancy a supermarket or pharmacy trip, feel free to buy there.

Mine was mobile by 6 months.....

Get a cheap travel pram that is light and easy to fold. So DS can sleep while you have meals or on the beach. We gave a silver cross and I love it: took it all around the world and comes with a mosquito net cover.
You might be weaning then so take purées maybe as might be a hassle to prep food on holidays. And don’t do self catering!!

Drove to France when ds was 6 months. Ebf still. Travel cot with insect net. Cheap buggy with insect net. He could sit but not move - was perfect age!
Loved the pools and beach.
And kept a hat on!!

Your nice pram could get trashed by baggage handlers. Get a cheap fold up. I wouldn’t take a car seat for the coach. They can also get damaged in transit. Coaches are safe and might not have seat belts anyway. It’s definitely a lot easier to take them away before they’re crawling/walking. By that point they really hate the restrictions of travelling until they’re old enough to understand.

You'll have an amazing time. You're doing to same kind of routine, but in a new location..

We took a carrier (lightweight) and also bought a second hand maclaren. Genius. If you go somewhere really hot, get a lambs wool lining. Sounds crazy, but keeps them cool in hot weather (my OH is South African and we visited his home town when it was 40 degrees!) and with a lambs wool lining they didn't even get too hot! It's amazing stuff, and worth paying lots for.

swim nappies.
Don't be afraid to say you have a baby on the package. We did a Tui when our first daughter was 6 months, and I asked loads of questions. (Was it a proper cot or a travel, were there sterilisers available etc).
Blackout blind- take in case.
Go to a kiddie friendly resort. Then, if your little one is exhausted/over stimulated and they're distressed, no one will mind and people will be unbothered.
Packages are awesome when they're small. We went to Puerto Pollensa, Tenerife, South Africa, France when our daughter was under 2. She had terrible reflux, but actually, being in the maclaren wandering around different places really suited her.
Oh, and a snooze shade for the pram.

Good luck and enjoy!

Thank you for all your replies! We are due to do France next year when LO is a year old but she hates the car so I’m really hoping she will be better by then as we will be driving!

@Ricekrispie22 Were mosquitoes or sand flies an issue when you were in Agadir? I get bitten terribly so I may look at bringing a mosquito net along!

I went backpacking with my two at 5 months and 2 years. Babies travel well, especially before they are on solids, though i did relent and use disposable nappies. My eldest is autistic so not easy kids. Just go for it and remember that they adapt to you

There were less mozzies in Morocco than where I go camping in the UK. Yes there's sand flies and bees and a FEW mosquitoes on the coast and around places with stagnant water but not enough to take deet or a net.