Travel with a newborn

[Sunshine288]

Hi all,

We have a family holiday to the Scilly Isles booked mid September, it’s been booked for about a year (before I was pregnant)

I’m due end of July, so if baby comes on due date will be about 6 weeks, or if I am overdue could only be 4 weeks old!

Am I completely mad to still be considering going? This is our first so not really sure what to expect. To get to the Scillies it’s a 5 hour drive down to Cornwall then it’s a 20 min plane over to the islands. We’re thinking of driving down a day or two early and maybe stopping overnight somewhere to break up the 5 hour drive?

Obviously if things don’t go to plan like I have to have an emergency c section, we probably wouldn’t go. But planning a natural birth and hoping I will have recovered (ish) by then and we’ll be in enough of a routine to feel up to it. Or am I completely wrong? 😂

Any experiences/advice welcome!

I had a section and was up and about walking in the park on day 3 - I felt great. I’d say it’s so much easier to travel with a newborn, we did a lot of trips. You don’t need much stuff at all! Just break up the driving which you’ll do anyway as you’ll need to feed and change nappies. You’ll have a lovely time. Also they won’t really have a routine so they can tag along to everything you do. Make the most of dinner out, it’s a breeze when they are little. Now we only go out for lunch with a toddler as they’re in bed by 1930!!

Ah thank you @Krakenes that was the reassurance I needed!!

Oh definitely go! The Scillies are fabulous, it's where we honeymooned, I wouldn't miss out.

I had an emergency section and at 4 weeks was feeling pretty much back to normal (and at 6 weeks was feeling totally recovered), so I'd not let that stop you. It'll be tiring with a newborn, but life with a newborn is tiring anyway so having it be tiring somewhere lovely, especially if you'll have helpful family with you, seems like a plan to me. And I agree with @Krakenes, evenings out at restaurants are easier with a newborn than a toddler!

Not holiday but my parents live in Western Europe. DD was 2 weeks late; we went to visit for 2 weeks (6hr+ drive; I drove as DP doesn't have a license; + 2hr ferry). It was fine. We stopped and built in plenty of breaks. I'd definitely go. We ate out lots too - DD was EBF and bizarrely slept really well in restaurants (at home was another story...)

I went to Cornwall with DC2 aged 8 weeks, it is a 7 hour drive without stops on a quiet day, much longer in August. I also had an almost 3 year old and lots of people felt I was mad. It was fine especially as the baby was so portable and happy to be in the carrycot or sling all the time.

Thanks all for your replies!! Good to know I’m not crazy for still wanting to go ☺️

If baby is younger than 1 month you need to be especially careful about time in the car seat, only 30 min max at a time. I’d still be careful after that and make sure you have a good fit in he car seat.

I don’t think I would have enjoyed going away much at that point as it felt like we spent all day feeding, sleeping (on me), nappy change and repeat and was getting much sleep at night. We were still trying to establish breastfeeding after a tongue tie was cut and I was advised to pump after every feed which also took a lot of time. So any problems with breastfeeding and it wouldn’t be a great time to go away but everything might also go smoothly and it might be fine (or you might not be planning to breastfeed anyway).

Babies under 6 weeks should only be a car seat for 30 mins at a time due to oxygen deprivation in car seats. It’s not choice I would make.

It may be worth looking for a lay flat car seat for the long drive.

Lullaby trust says 2 hours.

I'd have been fine I think (2nd was harder recovery but I was still riding a bike 2.5 weeks later) but the car seat issue would still be an issue regardless. 30mins to 2 hours, also I think it would depend on the fit of the car seat, I've seen some really slumped babies

www.madeformums.com/news/the-2-hour-car-seat-rule-what-you-need-to-know/

Is it an option for you to get the train part or most of the way? Then you can have baby out of the car seat.

It's definitely 30min, don't take the risk

Can I jump on to ask at what age the 30 min/2 hour rule stops applying?

Btw I think it's 30 min at a time, and a max of 2 hours in 24 hours for a newborn, so I would definitely be getting the train to Cornwall (&in fact think we will also do this fairly early on, but waiting to see how things are going before booking - assuming as long as we have a lie flat pram any length of train journey is ok)