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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

weekend away with a 6 week old - are we totally insane?

56 replies

Anothermrssmith · 14/08/2013 20:24

We've just booked a weekend away in February at a lodge a few hours away with 14 of our friends. Our first born, who we're taking with us, will be about 6 weeks when we go!

We all grew up together in a small town and are that group of friends who despite being scattered throughout the country and not seeing each other anywhere near as often as we would like are incredibly close. As we've all gotten married the partners have been welcomed into the group as well and we love them as much as the "core group". Next year is the first 30th birthday and for the last few months, before I found out I was pregnant, we were talking about booking a massive lodge at a resort for us all to stay in for the week as a surprise for the birthday boy. We've now booked it and the only concession hubby and I have made to having a baby is that we're staying in a separate 2 person lodge instead of the big one that sleeps 16!

Everyone knows I'm pregnant and we made sure that people were happy for the baby to come with before it was booked (there's no way I'm leaving the baby with one of our mums for the weekend at that age but we're the first couple to have kids) and while I'm looking forward to it now the deposit is paid I'm starting to think of the practical side of this, ie we're going on holiday with a 6 week old! I don't really know what exactly is worrying me, the lodge is only a two hour drive away in a well known resort, I know we wont be partying as hard as the rest of them but that doesn't bother me in the slightest, there's just a bit of me that thinks it will be a disaster.

Anyone any experience/advice they can share about holidaying with a newborn that will settle my mind (or not, I want to be prepared for impending disaster as well!)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

colleysmill · 14/08/2013 20:27

We went to centre parcs with a 9 week old and 2 other families with kids.

It was absolutely fine :)

Rockchick1984 · 14/08/2013 20:29

I couldn't have done it. Is it 6 weeks after your due date, so potentially LO will only be 4 weeks old? You could still be bleeding, baby will be feeding every couple of hours if you're lucky (even if bottle feeding) and I found that all I wanted to do for the first month or 2 was hibernate and get over the shock of being a new parent! Also, newborn shouldn't be in the car seat more than an hour so you will need at least one stop on the journey. You won't be partying at all at that stage, never mind partying hard!!

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but I would prefer to be honest :)

meala · 14/08/2013 20:29

I went away with a 4 week old for a long weekends holiday. It wasn't really much different from looking after him at home at that age. I'd a good travel cot and it was fine.

DS came whatever we were up to, often in a sling asleep. We took baby bouncer, pram with carry cot and the usual baby stuff.

You should be fine.

meala · 14/08/2013 20:31

Oh, and our journey was around 2 hours so similar to yours.

thisisyesterday · 14/08/2013 20:33

nooo it'll be fine!
newborns are super-transportable, you'll have a lovely time i'm sure :)

AuntPepita · 14/08/2013 20:36

Would have been fine after dc2, not a chance with dc1.

Rosiebells · 14/08/2013 20:36

Agree, take a sling, pick a bedroom as far away from the other rooms as possible, chuck your Moses basket in the back of your car and bobs your uncle!

You'll be fine!

CheeseFondueRocks · 14/08/2013 20:38

I would have hated it with a 4-8 week old. But everyone is different and some people are fine. Just be prepared that once the baby is here you won't actually feel like going for whatever reason. Imagine your baby was a crier and kept everyone up all night etc, Also you say they will be partying. Is this going to happen in the lodge you are all staying? That bit might be problematic. As long as you, your DH and friends understand that you might not be able to make it, there's no harm in making tentative plans.

Timpani · 14/08/2013 20:40

Go for it! Be prepared for everything and be prepared to spend a long time feeding and feeling knackered but the good thing is in a shared house there'll be loads of people to help you out and you can take yourself off for naps/feed baby etc whenever!

I would have coped absolutely fine!! And the vast majority of people I know with newborns would have too!

forevergreek · 14/08/2013 20:40

It should be fine. You can do the same away as at home

Original poster

Anothermrssmith · 14/08/2013 20:44

rockchick honesty is exactly what I want. My due date is Jan 16th however I will be induced at 38 weeks as I'm diabetic, so baby will arrive right at the start of the year. Going to be away for valentines weekend so 6 weeks is really the youngest will be, depending on how things go I may be induced earlier. And my bladder isn't much better than your average 5 year olds (neither is hubbys for that matter, lol!) so I guarantee there would be at least one stop on the way baby or no baby.

It's our first baby so we've no idea what to expect, that's probably whats playing on my mind rather than anything else.

OP posts:

MrsHende · 14/08/2013 20:48

I think you plan to go right now, because as many people here have said, you'll probably go and have a grand time...but don't bank on being able to go so you don't feel bad, upset or guilty if, come the day, there is no way you want to go.

Great if you go, no biggie if you don't. And make sure your pals know that you're hoping to go but that you don't have a crystal ball!

Rosiebells · 14/08/2013 21:51

MrsHende you've hit the nail on the head there. Aim to go but just see how you feel your friends will completely understand of you decide to back out.

It's always difficult being the first one in a group of friends to have a baby.

Reiltin · 14/08/2013 21:58

We had a wedding when DD was a month. It was a weekend away and went really well. We took breaks when we needed to but were there for most of the important bits. It also gave us great confidence to be more active in general. Go for it!

sittinginthesun · 14/08/2013 22:00

I agree - plan to go, but with a get out clause if your baby turns out to be a tricky one etc.

I remember 6 weeks well... Ds1 screamed from 6am, to 10pm, only stopping to feed every hour and a half.

Ds2 was better, but was a night owl, so woke up at 2am for the day!

If you physically ok, and your friends understand that you may be asleep all day, and feeding all night, you should be fine.

Peacenquiet2 · 14/08/2013 22:01

I went to stay in a shallet when dc2 was two weeks old and it was totally fine. Go and enjoy it :-)

LondonJax · 14/08/2013 22:04

As the others have said, plan to go but don't hassle it if you have to drop out. I had DS by c-section and, unfortunately , he was born with a heart defect so had to have a procedure to open a valve in his heart when he was 14 days old. We flew from London to Scotland with him when he was 6 weeks old, hired a car and did a tour of friends up there (all with his heart consultant's blessing of course) and he was fine, as was I. I just made sure I had plenty of rest and, apart from an intense feeling of 'give my baby back' every time anyone asked for a hug and had him for a millisecond too long, I was OK emotionally too. Mind you, we packed for a military operation - because, of course, you can't find nappies, nappy rash cream, sterilising tablets (DS was bottle fed) anywhere in Scotland as everyone knows ... doh! Now he's six years old, I'm so laid back I forgot to pack his underpants last time we flew up to see family...

Play it by ear and see how you feel nearer the time.

differentagainname · 14/08/2013 22:04

I went away for a long weekend when ds1 was 4 weeks old - it was really lovely but i was with friends who had babies themselves and were v understanding. Journey time was 2 and a half hours - my advice is don't put baby straight back into car seat after feeding! All that lovely milk came straight back up again :-(.

Also agree with play it by ear - you just don't know how you are going to feel...

Catnap26 · 14/08/2013 22:08

Anothermrssmith-i really hope you read this.go go go this is the best thing you could do because it will help you to accept that your life doesn't have to stop just because you have a baby.it will be absolutely fine and probably really good for the baby to be held by others etc.i appreciate there may be some difficulties or awkward moments but it really will be fine, at that age there is very little routine for your lo so you won't be too restricted 😊 hope this helps

VinegarDrinker · 14/08/2013 22:14

DD is 6 weeks and we are off to the other side of the UK for 2 weeks in a caravan on Saturday (going by train, 5 hours ish)

Did similar with DS at the same age, he was a very high needs baby but we figured we may as well get screamed at with a different backdrop

I would mention about having your own lodge so you are not stressed about disturbing others, but I see you already thought of that.

GreatSoprendo · 14/08/2013 22:30

Definitely plan to go - you will really appreciate the adult company by 6 weeks!

Ok so you will need a quick break during the drive potentially so LO is not in the car seat too long, but that's no big deal. You may still be bleeding by then, but probably only very lightly if at all by that stage.

Think of all those extra pairs of hands ready and waiting to help out with nappy changes, pram pushing and general baby rocking!

Have a great time.

Xmasbaby11 · 14/08/2013 22:39

Plan to go, but you may not want to. Everyone will understand if you cancel at the last minute.

The journey is no issue and the baby won't know where he is as long as you have the usual bouncer, moses basket etc.

I wouldn't have wanted to at that stage, to be honest, as we were both dead tired and DD didn't go to sleep til 10. I was still napping in the day (if memory serves) and going out once to see friends was enough for me. But a couple of weeks later, I would have been ok - so it is hard to know. Some people breeze through the first 6 weeks and only then realise how tired they are.

freemanbatch · 14/08/2013 23:55

I'm taking my new baby and two other kids on holiday at February half term, baby is due December so it could be between 7 and 12 weeks old but I'm excited about it even though I'll be driving the four of us 300 miles and it will be a really long a day. We took DD1 when she was only 5 weeks old and between two parents we did just fine

the big thing really is that you want to go when it comes to it, if you don't want to you will find it hard where as if you really do you will make it work somehow

Wishihadabs · 15/08/2013 00:02

It will probably be fine. I took Ds to Spain alone at 8 weeks for a week, we went to MIL s for a weekend at 4. However 30th birthday involving drinking and late nights would not have been remotely my cup of tea at that stage.

Maryz · 15/08/2013 00:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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