Travelling to Europe with an 8 month old and in laws

[CosyCheshiremumtobe]

Im currently 5 months pregnant with my first. Im lucky in that we go on holiday once a year with my in laws to a rental house in Europe for a week. My in laws are insisting me and my husband still go with them next year with our 8 month old. Im torn, I dont want to be rude but at the same time after over 6 years of going to the same place its very samey and I anxious about travelling with and 8 month old and everything else Id need to being. Any advice welcome especially from anyone whose travelled with a baby so young!

I took mine at 10 months old.

Best advice is to keep breastfeeding so you don’t have to take bottle feeding equipment and do baby led weaning so you can give finger food from your plate.

also be chilled about routines.

we had a great time and taking GPs with us meant DH and I could get a little alone time.

You'll be so happy to go with an 8 months old, especially if the grandparents will be happy to get involved with playing with / keeping an eye on the baby! It actually sounds like the perfect break with a baby.

Truly do not worry! We're a dual national family and have to travel to the middle east every 4 months, with both our children, from 10 weeks old. Absolutely fine!

Travelled across Europe by car and sometimes train when my son was a baby, on my own. You'll be fine OP. Good to start them young and presumably the grandparents will help out.

Samey is good with an 8 month old. It’s a bit like dipping your toes into a holiday without much risk. It does depend where it is though, I wouldn’t like to take and 8 month old somewhere baking hot, but that could be the uk these days!,

Don’t like the insisting bit. Is this typical of them?

Do you get to go on other breaks?

Went on holiday with gcs at 4 months and another at 7 months. Both bottle fed, villas were great, bathed them in kitchen sink. Bought cheap blow up pool for side of swimming pool which acted as playpen or paddling pool and took one of those pop up tents. Just take plenty of nappies if you’re a bit isolated and spare bottles if you’re flying ….we were delayed! Enlist in-laws for watching shifts (we loved every minute of it and I think and hope their parents did too).

God I took my kids backpacking on both maternity leaves op - they been all over the world - don’t need much just a buggy and a carrier and clothes 🤷‍♀️

however if your fed up of same holiday then don’t go -

Hmmm there is not enough info here to tell you ‘it will all be fine!’ As others have. What is the house like? Pool? Railed? Patio? Steps?

a friend took her crawler/ cruiser 9 month old to her parents villa in Italy and it was horrific… danger at every step! As everything was sharp/high/hard/unrailed… etc and has not been baby proofed. They could not relax and grandparents were very laissez faire.

having said that, if you know about the layout you’re ahead of the game in terms of knowing whether it will be relaxing and what you’ll need to take.

we took our 8 month old to my in laws in the canaries and it was fab. An apartment with no stairs and no access to the pool. It’s totally fine taking bottles so long as you have a kettle and a fridge. I did the opposite of the previous poster and mainly used pouches - easy to transport and I knew she liked them. At 8 months they usually have a lot of milk still anyway.

however, if it was me I’d let them know that if it would be a problem if you pulled out then you can’t commit. You’ve not even had
your baby yet! All babies are different and you don’t need the pressure of having committed to a holiday.

I had an ok sleeper with my first and shocking sleeper with my second and so holidays in the first couple of years with my second were not fun at all. I think you should say you’ll need to see how things go nearer the time. You can’t be expected to commit now in my view

Travelling with an 8 month old, especially if still breastfeeding, is a doddle. Ages 12 months - 3 years is the worst.

But if you just don't like this particular holiday, having a child is a good time to put your foot down. It gives you great excuses. Make new traditions.

What is the drinking water situation where you go? We avoided travelling when ours were between 6 and 12 months because of water.

Less than 6 months was fine as they were fully breastfed so feeding them was easy. Over 12 months was fine too as they could drink all the various bottled water available. But between 6 and 12 months they are starting on solids so will need water but you have to be a bit careful about bottled water as it can cause problems. (Sodium level maybe.)

Obviously not a problem if the tap water is drinkable.

We had a fantastic Greek holiday with our nine month old. We also had grandparents with us, it was a lovely time to spend together at that age. BF simplifies things greatly, and just finger food from our plates. Naps whenever they happened.

I don't know any European country where drinking water is a problem. And every supermarket has bottled water low in sodium for kids. What a strange reason not to travel.

I think this is looking for problems when there aren’t any. Bottled water will be fine if it’s what’s drunk locally. You can get refills of big bottles in lots of places, it’s treated water. You’re right that babies should bring loads of mineral water. Or if it’s a place you can boil and cool (likely in Europe) it’s fine. They don’t drink much water at that age anyway.