Hot holiday with 4 month old?

[Shahhhh]

So we’ve just booked our first little family holiday (quite spontaneously) to Turkey next month. DS will be just over 4 months then. I follow a lot of groups from the area we’ll be visiting as I’ve been loads of times and am super familiar with the town we’ll be visiting, and they’re saying it’s hitting 42 degrees right now. Online it says the average when we will be going is around 35 degrees, so thankfully a little cooler than it is currently, but I’m suddenly worried about it being too hot and maybe just need a little reassurance/advice.

i know the usual, stay inside during hottest part of the day, shade, don’t cover pram, lots of fluids (DS is BF) etc. are there any other tips? I’m a FTM and still learning!!!

We’ll be going to Turkey by the way. I don’t know why I’m worrying as we’ve had 28 degree weather at home recently but think I’m just worried it’ll reach in the 40s when we go! I guess now is the peak of summer and we’re going in the last week of July/first week of August. Oh the joys of FTM worries!

I don’t think July is a great time to take a baby to a hot country. I would think April/May or September would be more manageable. Hopefully you have air con in your room.

I hope you have Aircon and I'd anticipate spending a fair amount of time in your room! I would also have waited until September or October, little ones can't cool themselves down like we can.

40 feels a lot, lot different than 28.
I think you'd need air conditioning, a fan system would be useless.
If you are somewhere rural with lots of shade from trees, a stone house etc, it wouldn't be too bad. A city might be a bit too much.

40 is a lot. Your baby will be feeding little and often because of the heat and that will make you hotter because of the closeness. It's likely you will spend a lot of time indoors in the air con.

However travelling with a young BF baby can be great as they are so portable! Enjoy your trip!

Take some warm clothes for the baby, if you use air conditioning babies get cold very quickly so need dressing normally for the cold.

That is really hot, could you change destination to a cooler one, canaries perhaps. When my DS was a baby, he was quite unsettled by the heat. I expect you will probably be inside with the air con for a lot of your trip. Have realistic expectations, holidays aren’t really a holiday with little ones.

You shouldn't go with a baby to a hot country. Small babies are kept indoors most of the time from what I've observed. Only coming outdoors in the evening in the very hot spells.

You will need to drink a lot. Baby will feed a lot. Keep a good eye on babies nappies to ensure plenty of wet ones.

Having baby naked as possible but a muslin between you works quite well.

Do not cover the pram with muslin/blanket as shade. The pram air will hear up significantly. Just use the shade hood on the pram.

I would aim for a long midday sleep. So you can all have some evening time when it is a little cooler. Or early starts before either gets hot.

A muslin weight sleep sack works quite well in this sort of heat for sleep.

Loose cotton outfits for baby if you are in the sun.
I'd look at a baby hat for baby as well. Bedhead is an Aussie brand but I'm sure there are others.

Its fine, babies grow up in hot countries all over the world.
we lived in Australia when mine were babies and we survived.
one thing that people often do wrong is leave the baby in the pram/maxicosi and cover it to sleep. It gets really hot in a cozy pram for them. Its better to just have them on a sunbed (covered of course with umbrellas and clothes).
Also avoid being outside at the hottest time of the day. Take them to the room to nap.
Offer more feeds than usual.
you can also use one of those water mist sprays to keep their clothes a bit moist. Just make sure its fully dry before you inside where theres aircon.
strongest sunscreen you can find and keep baby covered up.

Thank you everyone. I’m finding it’a a mix of absolutely not/yeah go for it. The temp is only supposed to be 25-35, is 40 now but not supposed to be that hot when we go. We don’t mind spending a lot of time in the room as there’s a balcony for me & my partner if LO is sleeping. I’ve had a spout of anxiety over it all but I’ve read a lot of Mumsnet threads of mums taking babies (younger than mine too!!) abroad in summer months and they’re ok, obviously just very prepared and knowing it’ll be spent keeping him cool and happy which I’m fine with. Thanks guys XXX

It wouldn't be for me. I have been to Turkey twice in August as adults and it is so hot!

If you are prepared to basically become nocturnal for your holiday go for it, but you will spend most of the daylight hours in your hotel room or an air conditioned place.

As long as you stay well hydrated and feed much more often than you do at home I think it’ll be fine.

Keep the baby in the shade, wherever is coolest - not necessarily in the pram.

Thin cotton outfits whenever they’re dressed.

Will you book a private transfer and take their car seat?

Make sure YOU are drinking loads of fluids. You need more just because it’s hot, then you need all the fluid to make all the breastmilk for your baby, which will be more than when it’s cooler. We’re probably talking 3-4L of fluids a day for you - you might well need 3L for yourself plus a full litre for your baby’s milk.

And if you feel like eating salt or sugar or fruit then go with it. When it’s hot and you’re losing lots of fluid through sweat and breastfeeding then your electrolyte balance is more fragile.

We took DD through Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia when she was 4 months.

Temps ranged between 28 - 32 but it was incredibly humid. A few days in Thailand got to mid thirties. Tailor the activities to that days temp.

My tips:

• Get a pram fan (or two). They are amazing and a lot of locals also had them.
• If you have one of those card room thermometers take it with you - it's really reassuring.
• Travel prams you can put in the overhead compartment on the plane are worth their weight in gold.
• Full length swim wear and hat and use the pool a lot.
• Accept that you and your partner will do a fair bit separately. I could go down to the bay and swim whilst DH stayed with baby in the air con room and nap or read. It was different but quite nice.
• Breast feed on the flight at take off or landing.
• If you can find accommodation with private pool then that takes some pressure off if you want a chilled afternoon with baby napping inside etc.
• We got a little pop up tent thing with mesh open sides for floor time out and about. It flattens down to the size of a dinner plate. Use it in the shade with the pram fans and you have a little air con'd pod.

I actually think 3-6 months is the easiest time to travel. Breastfeeding made things really easy. She slept most of the flight. She is now 11 months and I'd struggle to take her on a long haul flight.

I've only ever been to Istanbul, but does Turkey have mosquitos? If so take it seriously and be prepared. We were really cautious about mosquitoes and baby didn't get bitten, despite a week in a rainforest in Malaysia.

I won't lie, 40C is horrendously hot. I wouldn't want to go out in that heat, let alone take baby. But it can be done safely. However, 10C cooler would make the world of difference so if you aren't locked into the destination then maybe look at something slightly cooler.

Mosquitos!!! Isn’t even something I thought of. This is why I love Mumsnet 😂 thank you - I’ve found a newborn safe spray. Thanks for all these tips too. It calms my anxiety to know other parents have travelled to hot places with babas and it’s been ok.

it’s all booked so we can’t change unfortunately but I’ve been before many times, this time of year and it’s never hit 40 when I’ve been there so I’m hoping the worst we will experience is 35. We are going to be SO careful and take all of your tips so thank you!

Be prepared to be more nocturnal, babies are portable, be out after dark once it’s cooled a bit

I actually lived in a country that was that hot with a newborn baby, and also survived it as a newborn baby myself 😁- millions do!!

Shade, a/c, pram fan, plenty plenty plenty of drinks for you, sweet fruit and a bit more salt - you'll be fine! Baby will be fine. Don't cover the pram with a muslin, don't do too much in the middle of the day, don't attempt to go hiking with baby in a carrier etc . Be sensible, it will be fine. Have fun!

I live in a hot country and have a 10 month old baby. I hate to break it to you but the way to live with a baby in a hot country is we don't go out with him between 10am and 6pm. I take him to air con cafes or indoor soft play. If you're happy to stay in the hotel room most of the day, go for it. But I personally wouldn't do it. It will be fine just not enjoyable.

Oh and at 4 months my baby got extremely overheated very very quickly. At 10 months he doesn't do that anymore. Be careful.

This. Plus lots of time in the pool (if there is a shady part!)

Is there a reason you're going at that time of year ... ie, partner teaches or similar?

We went in early June last year and the temperatures climbed to low 40s as the week went on ... it was SO hot. We spent a lot of time in the pool/sea and shady bars. Not sure how I would have coped with a small baby.

Another person who had a baby in a country with 30-40 degree summers here..

Posters are right, it is manageable. But why do it? Maybe you will get lucky and it will be a cooler week and hurray! But if it is 30+? You'd have had a much better time on a UK beach. No flights, suitable temperature for outdoor play etc.

Even now that my son is older, I still can't take him out during the day. Kids play out in the evenings.. or go to places suitable for hot weather.

The first time I took my son back to the UK for the summer, we spent all day on a beach or walking around towns at like 19-21 degrees and it was heaven. Happy child, easy parenting, no worry about the heat or the sun, just great.

There is a difference between babies born in hot countries and babies taken to hot countries at the peak of the summer from not so hot countries like the U.K. Imagine flight delays, AC issues on transport, blasting AC in the room to only get cold in the end. Even the evening may not not manageable unless you feel you would be all energetic 4 months post partum to venture outdoors at like 10pm when it has cooled down. I would rebook to September or October - more please at weather, fewer crowds, baby is going to be a bit older

It will be fine but boring because you'll be in your hotel with the AC on most of the day, or going out to places because they have AC rather than because you actually want to go there.

It's only 35 C where I live and I keep my newborn home 10am-6pm unless we absolutely have to go out somewhere.

Pram fan is a must, sometimes we put a cool pack wrapped in a muslin in the bassinet and if needed you can use a wet muslin to cool the baby off.

The difference between babies, and adults, who live in hot countries is that they are acclimatised to the heat, unlike those from cooler countries. And even then, people spend most of the day inside - certainly in the afternoon. I'm just back from Spain with temperatures in the mid to high 30s. I had planned a few walks which I simply was unable to do because it was too hot.

What is is that you want from a holiday? Are you going to achieve that if you are more or less confined to air-conditioned indoor spaces and always being in the shade when you are able to go outside?

I would re-think if I were you, and try to rebook for cooler months.