Anyone been camping with a 7/8 wk old baby?

[Gillyan]

Friends have asked if we want to go camping in Aug Bank Hol and baby will be about 8 wks by then. I'm not planning on breastfeeding ( although will try ) and don't know how I'll cope with sterilising etc..

Anyone been brave and done this??

i did with young baby, yes, and he was absolutely fine - he loved it - and all was well but i personally found i was not quite physically ready. i found it quite uncomfortable - too soon after birth - but everyone is different. if you were breastfeeding i must say it would make it a lot easier.

Did it with dd when she was 6 weeks. I was breastfeeding which made things a bit easier, but the sterilising should be perfectly straightforward, just use a cold water steriliser with tablets rather than one which uses steam.

I did rather paranoidly take a room thermometer with me and the first night I kept waking up to check it Now I am a mother of two of course I know that babies do not actually die if the air temperature drops below 12 degrees c

We have lots of friends who have done it, too.

Hell on earth if you're bottlefeeding, I would say. I did it - but bf. Easy Peasy.

(another good reason for breastfeeding!)

6-8 wks after you give birth, you may still be bleeding, so I personally wouldn't want to be camping so soon. But I have stayed in tent with a young baby and agree that it is a lot easier when you are b/feeding or using bottles, as the solid food thing is a bit more problematic, you just need more kit for washing up, mashing, spooning, bibs, somewhere to sit them, muslins to clean up etc etc.

We did it at about 8 weeks in a two man tent, and it was honestly fab. I was breastfeeding, so nothing to sterilise, which I'm sure made it a lot easier. Don't go if it's going to be mega hot though, that could be miserable.

seeker, cold water sterilisation is fine, so long as your baby will drink cold milk (use cartons) - think trying to warm the milk might really kill any enjoyment! But when mine was 6 weeks, I didn't even like putting them on carpeted floor so prob wouldn't have coped in a tent!!

I have camped while bf a youngish baby (but not that young) and it was fine, and also while ff an older baby and that was a drag. It was very hot though. I think eight weeks probably a bit young but it depends on circumstances and how you cope with it.

If you have to warm the milk you will just have to get your dh a very flashy camping stove so he is keen to light it up all the time. One of those petrol ones that makes a noise like an aeroplane taking off.

I don't think they had cold water sterilization when mine were babies!

I wouldn't camp - ever - even if I didn't have an 8 week old baby!

You will be in need of sleep, comfort and spoiling when you have a weeny baby, not spending a long weekend in a campsite (shudder)

Yes-for 4 days when ds was 8 weeks. Was breastfeeding and had him in travel cot withchanging table on top (so didn't have to wash him in shower block).

If you do end up bottle feeding you can buy steri-bottles -awful for the environment as you throw away after each use but great to save hassle/sterilising. Also ready made milk.

We had a great time, and actually it can be easier when they are not crawling/toddling etc. Good luck.

Thanks for all the advice!

I have a 3 yr old too.

Starting to feel I may be mad and would never ever of considered it with DD but I'm a lot more laid back now. I forgot about cold water sterilisers.

DD refused to drink cold milk as I'd always warmed it up and was thinking of not warming it this time as my friend didn't with hers and it seemed so much easier.

My milk didn't come in last time for 9 days as I had a traumatic birth so I had to give up on BF but I agree it would be easier this time if I could.

I'm having a planned section this time too so yes 8 wks maybe a bit soon for airbeds...just desperate to get away at some point and as baby due end of June we're not going to book anything and a couple of days in a feild sounds tempting. My friend who has invited me is 6 wks ahead of me and she is going to Eurocamp with about a 6 wk old!!! She really is super chilled and I think I want to be like her...reality may dawn on me though!

Thanks for your advice guys!

Breastfeeding is a doddle in a tent, and I've done it with a 2-mth old for a fortnight. If bottle-feeding, DO NOT spill Milton on your tent fabric... unless you like the camouflage bleached streaky look.

We washed the baby in a spare washing up bowl.

(Have also been camping with a 7-mth bump, which is not to be recommended.)

Gillyan - my DS is 8wo, elcs... and I am ready to go camping now! Just waiting for the warmth though (I do NOT do cold camping )
However- don't drive too far away- that way you can leg it for home if you need to.
It will be your 3yo raising hell, not your newb I'll wager

Thanks guys!

If your DH and friends are ready to cook, and tidy away etc and all (all?!?!) you have to worry about is yourself and 2 dc, then go for it!

It will be much, much easier if you're bf but if you've ff before then you'll know the ropes.

We went away for a week in a campervan last year when ds2 was 7 weeks old and had a great time

We went camping when DD was 10 weeks. DD would only take expressed breastmilk, so I had to pack the pump, bottles, steriliser etc. We used those cold water tabs to sterilise everything. DD slept so so well, all that fresh air knocked her out completely at night (except for the twice nightly feeding). She slept in a pop-up Samsonite cot which we place on top of a Therm-a-rest. We added extra blankets too but it was quite warm in the 3 man tiny tent. Now we have a much bigger palatial camping abode!
Enjoy and have fun!

My aunt and uncle took my cousin camping at 2 weeks at easter . It was fine apparently.