travelling with a new born

[BelleMairead2]

Hi everyone, I'm not sure where to put this post but I am hoping someone will help. I am due in mid June and have a wedding to attend in Ireland end of July (i am UK based) This is my first baby and I am just concerned about traveling with a new born! I will be travelling with my husband, parents, 3 sisters and brother so will have a lot of support. Is there anything I need to consider, am I just being a wimp? Thanks!

The first thing you need to consider is that you may well go 2 weeks overdue so you could be travelling with a 3 week old. You will need a passport, is 3 weeks enough time to get one?

All being well you should be discharged from the midwife at day 10 but you may still be sore and bleeding and trying to establish breastfeeding. You will need to stop every 2 hrs to feed and change baby otherwise you can affect your milk supply.

It's doable but I wouldn't commit to it.

Also, if you are planing to fly. Is there a minimum age that the airline will accept? I think it Is 2 weeks.

We flew to eastern Europe when my eldest was 10 weeks, and went camping for a week when she was six weeks. It's totally doable, as long as you can as the others say, get the passport sorted. It's a lot easier than travelling with a toddler - he or shell will probably sleep, and if they don't, flights to Ireland are like 45 minutes long so it won't; be any worse than a car trip. Mine breastfed and slept - easy as. On a flight that short you might not even need to change the baby on-board.

If you're bf then it would be much easier (newborns feed little and often and l would think impossible to travel with)

But l would think very hard about it. This is the time ime that you need familiarity and everything where you want/need it.

We went to Ireland when dd1 was 12 weeks. She was bf so no problem there but it nearly did my head in when my 'routine' was distributed and nothing was where l had left it!

I'd but the tickets but not commit to going. I found the first few weeks incredibly hard establishing feeding etc and could barely leave the house let alone the country. It's great that you have lots of good support around you though so that will help.

As well as practical stuff like passport, don't underestimate the changes that your body will still be going through eg. Much higher risk for DVT in the 6 weeks post birth so keep moving and check with your midwives if aspirin/heparin recommended for the days around a long journey.

If you are Irish living in the UK- like me- it takes 6 weeks to get the baby an Irish passport. A UK passport is 3 weeks.

You don't need a passport to fly to Northern Ireland, so you could fly to Belfast and drive if getting a passport is too difficult.

I flew to NI when DD was 3 weeks old. It was a piece of cake. I carried her through the airport in a sling with a backpack containing nappies wipes and a change of clothes as hand luggage. Breastfed upon take off. No problems whatsoever. It's much more difficult doing the journey with a wriggly toddler :)

Would a ferry be easier? Take your own car loaded with your own things? I haven't done the crossing though so no idea what it's like. It might make it easier on your body esp re flying re DVT.

But the passport will be the main thing. I assume you need to get a birth certificate first?? We had to wait a month for an appointment for our local births/deaths/marriages offices (London) before they issued a birth certificate let alone a passport. But you may be able to get a passport with just the info the hospital give you - I have no idea.

I think recycled cabin air with a newborn would worry me more pre immunisations and when they are so little, all the coughs, colds etc flying about.

You don't need a passport to go from the UK to Ireland by ferry.

The baby needs some kind of ID though - most kinds that adults use like drivers licence etc aren't applicable

No, I've never been asked for any id travelling by ferry between Britain and Ireland. At most a birth cert for the baby would be all that's needed.

Personally I would have struggled massively with this at 4 weeks post partum with my first (could have done it with 2 or 3).

My first question would be whether you could afford to lose the money if you cancelled at the last minute? If losing this trip would mean losing the chance to travel over a couple of months later, I wouldn't risk it.

If you can afford the money, it's a finer balance. You may find you are physically not well enough. You may find it's all over whelming and you don't enjoy the experience. You may be fine and really have fun being swooned over.

If you plan on bfing, bear in mind that other people can't really help that much. They can do nappies, take the baby for the odd walk. They can't deal with the very frequent feedings and the sleep deprivation for you.

Also bear in mind that what people manage after 3 months or so doesn't tell you much about a possible month old baby. A world of changes happen in that period.

I did a 7h journey with an 11 day old. It was fine, MUCH easier than with a toddler! If you're bf take a pillow so you can prop yourself up to feed. Use a sling. Everyone else can look after your stuff

It's so easy travelling with a newborn! They are dopey little things and everyone jumps up to help when they see such a tiny baby in my experience. Just make sure you have the official travel docs sorted. Otherwise, a few hints:

• make your hand luggage a backpack so your arms are free for baby. Not a massive one as you want it at your feet on the plane so you can grab muslins and wipes, or gid forbid a change of clothes for baby after an airplane poonami! easily as needed.

-bring some antibaccy hand gel and wipes. I am very against their use in general but for a newborn and touching dirty airplane arm rests etc. It's no harm to have the peace of mind that you can keep your hands clean while travelling. Baby will be too small to be grabbing and licking things yet.

• bring your buggy to the gate, whack your backpack on your back and carry baby onto plane. They will deliver your buggy on the other side but baby can nap in it while you shop/eat etc at the airport.

• breastfeeding us easiest but you don't know yet if that will work out. If bottle feeding. Bring ready 3-4 mini cartons and 2 clean, sterilised bottles. That will get you there I would think. I've a flask with shell that becomes a bottle warmer (tommee tippee) that is very handy. You prob won't be permitted to bring it filled through security but bring it empty then fill with boiling water at Cafe or on plane. You can use this to warm ready made formula.

You will fine it especially easy with family to help!

Good luck and enjoy the wedding.