Booked holiday abroad for 6 weeks after birth - am I mad?

[TigerJoy]

I'm having a c section, logic was I'd be able to swim. Get some autumn sun in October.

We're going to DH's place of birth in Italy, so it won't be too hot or a long flight. I'd like his family and friends to meet the baby.

But now I'm wondering- can the baby sleep in a hotel cot which probably has an old mattress? Or should we bring our own travel cot? And our own car seat if we decide not to rent a car?

This is our first, we don't have a clue. I know I have a lot of time to plan, I'm just wondering what we should consider.

It's a cancellable flight in case we're struggling too much to travel or baby/I am not doing so well after birth.

Aside from the issue of getting the passport in time, I'd say go for it OP. We loved travelling with DS when he was tiny (we went away for the first time when he was 9 weeks). I BF and it was so easy. Also had lots of help from family who were thrilled to see him.

Will your travel insurance cover you - probably the most important question of all!!

I took my baby to America at 9 weeks and have some learning from that. The flight was ok - although she was sick on me on both journeys and I hadn't packed myself spare clothes. We hired a car and the baby seat they gave us was not for for purpose so we had to go and buy one. So a bit of a stressful start! We took our big pram with a bassinet she could sleep in at night.
For the passport we got an appointment and drive to Liverpool to get it printed on the day.

I would also be concerned about this,
But at 6 weeks all babies need is to be with you and ime actually need a lot less 'things' than you expect so I actually don't think it matters where you are as long's they have you

I can’t advise on the section but travelling with a 6 week old was fine for me. You will have a car seat anyway so definitely bring that. We had a Moses basket for the baby to sleep in. It went in my suitcase and I just packed clothes in and around it. Dh was working in Europe so we waited till dcs 6 week check and then I either flew or took the train every other weekend. I had a sling for walking through airports though, and that might be impossible post c section.

presumably baby won't have had vaccinations until 8 weeks?

I remember the paediatrician told me NOT to take DS on a plane until he'd had his first round of vaccinations.

Other than the practicalities of getting baby's passport sorted you should really consider if you will actually be up for travelling yourself by then. If you really want to breast feed you might still be getting the hang of it at 6 weeks as it can take a while for you and baby to really get to grips with what you are doing - and feeding in public is so different to doing it at home where you can just stripe off if you need to. Plus will baby have had their first set of jabs before you go? I wouldn't want to take my young infant abroad without out some vaccine cover.

Honestly, I'd push it back a couple of weeks until baby is 10/12 weeks old just to feel more comfortable as a new mum. Feels like you will be putting a lot of pressure on yourself to bounce back into being fully active etc when you should be taking time to enjoy the fourth trimester and getting used to being a family.

DD2 was four months old when we went on holiday to Portugal, and even then I was a bit stressed about getting a passport in time and so on. Six weeks does sound ambitious, but it is possible.

I was still heavily bleeding at 6 weeks & dealing with a reoccurring infection in my scar. I would definitely not have been up for a holiday.

You can get pushchairs that have a bassinet that's suitable for overnight and I would take the car seat too or I would just buy a cheap Moses basket type thing out there.

If the arrangements are able to be cancelled or changed then maybe that's the best of all worlds.

This. I have a holiday booked for September when my baby will be three months old and I'm already panicking about getting all of the correct documentation in time. I don't think I'd risk 6 weeks.

I think this is really, really ambitious on several fronts. I would have thought more around the 3mo mark if all is going well.

I think it’s much easier to look after a baby in a warm country surrounded by family.

I wouldn’t even consider taking a tiny unvaccinated baby abroad. Not a chance. As others have said so many variables.

After my first I was still wandering around in a haze of feeds, nappies, sleepless nights, crying baby, me crying, shock, disbelief, panic, etc. No way could I have done what you are planning.

I took my little one on holiday to Domican Republic at 7 weeks old. We took a travel bassinet.
It was so easy they are still very sleepy at that age so she slept the whole flight so no issues on the plane.
I breast fed so plenty of milk and didn't have to worry about taking formula.
If you are not breast feeding make sure you take plenty of the brand you use in powder form as they don't have the same as us always. Plus take pre mixed ones that you can buy on the plane saves faffing trying to mix them up.

I however did not have a c section so that may be your only hurdle. You won't know how you physically feel until baby is here everyone is different so don't put pressure on yourself to be up and about as normal.

I've had three c sections and physically it would have been fine for me to go on holiday but it will depend on your baby. You might have a snuggly sleepy baby or a screamy unsettled one. I've had both and no way would I have enjoyed a holiday with my first child. The passport will be an issue I'd imagine and i would hate to put myself under pressure with a newborn to be sorting a passport

Nope I wouldn’t. Wouldn’t take a six week old on a plane in a million years. Personally six weeks in I was in the height of newborn issues ‘bleeding cracked open nipples from breastfeeding, taking painkillers for infections, no sleep for weeks on end, just the constant worry about the baby. Worrying about every nappy, are they hot? Is that a rash? Just been puked on, should I feed them again, as they’ve sicked up their last feed. Taking a pram, car seats, all the other shit on the plane. Nope. Nope. Nope.

After c section number one there is no way we would have managed a holiday abroad at 6 weeks. I was still bleeding, in a lot of pain and getting no sleep. Possibly after c section number 2 but I don't think waiting a couple of months is probably better.

You may struggle to get the passport anyway.

I'd wait until the baby is born and see how you feel. My first section had complications and we'd have had to cancel a holiday at 6 weeks.

I did this at 6 weeks to go to a special family event. I also had a two year old.

It was DH’s family and he pulled out all the stops to help. We took a carry cot and DS slept in that. DSIL had car seat.

But I’d had a vaginal birth (although stitches) and felt ok. Baby and I slept a lot. It was fine.

Totally agree with this post @IOYOYO.

For me having a flight booked 6 weeks after birth would have made an already stressful time even more stressful with that countdown on my mind.

Breastfeeding can be very hard to get going - talking as a Mum of 2 who had issues with first baby and an absolute nightmare with the second although did go on to breastfeed both of them for a year 🥳 and now a breastfeeding support volunteer.

You would need a new mattress for the hotel - you can check in your own travel cot and car seat I think? Do any of the family have a suitable car seat you could borrow? Also you can use carry cot on the pram but that would need checking in too, worth checking with your airline.

As others have said you may not be able to swim and you shouldn't use tampons. Depending on your age the blood thinning injections are 10 days or 6 weeks (over 35) after a section now (I think) although as you're starting them early I don't know if this will affect the length of time you have to do them for.

I was just about getting out to the shops by myself after 6 weeks - first c section I was in agonising pain, second section I was a lot better much more quickly but it is impossible to know.

Baby might be up every hour of the night so being abroad, in a hotel without your creature comforts might be really hard. I used a lot of cushions when I was feeding to start with - feeding out and about and on a plane is totally doable but I wouldn't haven't been able to do it at 6 weeks until I was a lot more practised! And noone wants a screaming hungry baby on a plane.

Saying that, you might have a super easy baby who takes to breast feeding like a dream and it will all fine and lovely to go and see family. For me, the thought stresses me out even now and my kids are 5 & 1!!! I'd say don't put too much pressure on yourself to do what everyone else thinks you should do - you need to focus on you, your baby and your partner for those first few weeks and get used to your new normal. Definitely have it as a real possibility in your mind that the flights will be cancelled, let everybody know this and don't feel bad if you end up not going, or rearranging for a few months time.

Also to note - baby shouldn't go swimming until they've at least had their first round of jabs - I believe but check that with your midwife.

Good luck!
Xxx

i did it - just to Ireland - wish i'd waited a few more weeks honestly! i felt like a different person 2 weeks later!

I didn't end up having a passport for her on time so we lost our flights and we had to go by rail & Ferry -(flights were Ryanair and they insist on passports)

Both our passports were gone too as we had to send them with the passport application!

Also the birth certificate was gone so i had to order an emergency copy to come in time for our trip - it was all super stressful tbh!

with the cot i never even thought to not just use the hotel one - mattress and all - i just threw in my own sheets

However when we took her travelling in Japan - cots are not standard in hotels so we bought this one for 50£

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7074486?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=ixwliqrri&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:20378155429%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:11612333360135912043%7Cdvc:c%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9046004&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20378155429&utm_term=7074486&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5rGuBhCnARIsAN11vgTrEx7YzziUZMDHg6dRfxuVl2qLQDlZENgSLnoiafUVuss4OcPhbn0aArSQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

And we just took it with us easy enough to travel with

Personally, this would worry me, as your baby won't have had any jabs by this point.

How long after your planned c section are you booked on a plane?