Going on holiday with a 4.5 month old - what's essential and what have you learned from experience is not worth taking?

[BettyFriedan]

So I'm thinking pushchair fairly essential (we're going on holiday in the West country)
But what about a proper changing mat as opposed to the thin one I have in my nappy bag?
The baby gym keeps DD amused for a long time - so is it worth taking that?

So in brief - what would you not venture down the M4 without - and what would you say is a complete waste of time and space taking!

I would say your holiday will be a lot better if you don't take the baby

at CD.

We went on holiday with 3.5m old dd a couple of years ago... i remember taking her baby gym; it was invaluable. And obviously took buggy. Didn't worry about travel cot (but there was one provided), but did take bedding (iirc she was just in sleeping bag at the time).

I wouldn't worry about changing mat tbh - I remember using spare towel and washing it if needed. And stuff like nappies/wipes/suncream etc we took the minimum and bought what we needed there.

Have a great time!

Don't need a proper changing mat. I wouldn't even take the gym - I'd use a blanket so that you can take her outside and put her under a tree and buy her a new ball or something.

A pop up tent for the beach is essential if you're going to be hanging out there - my DS slept in his and I bf him in there.

Make the most of the fact that small babies don't need very much - my DS is like Paris Hilton now he's two!

We took our baby gym when we went to Spain when our DS was 2.5 months. We thought it would be a waste of time but after 2 days of travelling via a ferry and hotel he was ridiculously grouchy, we popped him under his gym and it was bliss...well once we'd opened the wine

I wouldn't bother with the changing mat or extra supplies of anything you can buy there. Use a towel to change them on and make sure you have at least one sun lotion/hat etc.

We went away to the tiniest of the Channel Islands when DS1 was 4 months old and, having checked that the house had a microwave, I duly packed the steam steriliser. When we got there, sure enough there was a microwave which wouldn't work at all. No option of buying even the cheapest £35 one as we were on tiny island with no Currys, Comet or similar. Resorted to boiling up all the bottles, teats, collars and lids in the biggest pan I could find. I stood there night after night with these vast cauldrons bubbling away.

I wouldn't suggest deliberately going away without a steriliser for a bottle fed baby, but it just goes to show that it is possible to manage without!

at CD

and yes bluebump shd have pointed out I will be leaving all the Early Learning Centre child development toys behind to make way for vats of wine...

we took ds to france when he was 4 months old - bit different as we went with friends who had older kids so there was built in entertainment (and therefore no need for baby gym).
do you have a sling? if you do and you like it i'd take that rather tahn pushchair. takes a hell of a lot less space.

I went away for a week when DD was 4.5 months, baby gym was brilliant, as was a bumbo if you have room.

Not sure if you are bf or ff, if you need bottles, decide if you want to take sterlising equipment etc. But often best not to make assumptions, I took sterlising bags that go in a microwave, unfortunately it needed a microwave with a rotating plate, and where we were didn't have one so we had to dash out and the only sterliser I cold find was the largest (and expensive) Avent one.

or you could take serilising tablets

I'm away at mo ith a two month old. Just brought the very basics with me. Sling no pushchair. Would normally boil thingd if I had to while away but here theyre prone to powercuts