Hiya

[phleb]

am i being silly for not wanting to go on holiday with baby? We are due our annual holiday, but because we have never been with a newborn baby, i am reluctant...what do i do about sleeping arrangements i.e cot? i don't want to use one of the hotel cots, although its 5 star hotel, the cots have been used by other children and i don't feel that is hygienic. Would you take your own, and what kind would you take? thanks. We going abroad if i agree.

Overall, if you have been away with a newborn, what would you pack? thanks

[craft1948]

Was your baby not put into a cot at the maternity hospital?

[ummmm]

I wouldn't go this soon. I would leave it until later in the year.

[stewey]

Phleb, my definition of a holiday is that you go somewhere different in order to experience something different and enjoy the experience as it is completely different from your everyday life. Surely, I would think, taking along a young baby is not going to accomplish this: your thoughts and activities are going to be concentrated on the care of him/her. Wait a little longer for the trip...By the way, congratulations.

[bhg481]

Well I think you're being silly - babies are a sight tougher than most people give them credit for. If they were that delicate the human race would have died out years ago.
If you're that worried, get a travel cot and take it with you.

[pixie373]

How old will your baby be? I've always gone anyway, whatever the age of the youngest, but if you think you'll just feel stressed by it, it won't be much of a holiday...

[4getmenot]

Take a travel cot. Its great you have an annual holiday, me and my partner have never been on hols

[boxtops]

I agree with the travel cot suggestion. I see no reason not to use a hotel cot, but it obviously worries you. Is your worry because it's a baby using someone else's mattress? The adults and other children are also using mattresses slept in by other people!

[ummmm]

The baby is just over a month old I believe?

I still wouldn't go with a young baby. I would wait until they are at least sitting up.

[boxtops]

If I were going to do it, I think I'd go local, not abroad, with Polly still so tiny.

[Ratty2E]

I wouldn't want to go abroad with a baby so young, I can't see how it would be a holiday. I would wait until they are at least sitting up and eating normal food. Why not use the time to do day trips instead.

[Sqad]

Going on holiday with a newborn baby?.....you must be mad.

The baby won't appreciate it, you will be clobbered with "baby gear" and quite likely will be a pain in the @rse to people on the plane and the hotel.

[Brinjal]

So much easier to deal with a baby in your own home environment. I didn't take mine abroad until they were getting on for about a year old. Then was only to visit granny in NZ so was still in a home environment with them.

[DTCwordfan]

In the States, they recommend that you don't even take them out and about for the first 3 weeks, never mind annual hols. Both ours were about 8 months before they flew....take a travel cot/Moses basket if you are going by car - and load a lot into the basket (the pampers, rash creams, your boob gear, bath stuff, clothes to help save on space.

[shaneystar2]

I had to stay in a hotel with a toddler and a six week old baby for two weeks through no choice of my own ( husbands work etc) and then get them onto a flight home alone .It was hell on earth .Stay at home :)

[phleb]

The holiday will take place in mid July, that is if i agree to go, which at this moment in time is a definite no!

[jno]

jno jnr flew with us to Tenerife at 6 weeks and had no problem. Take some disinfectant wipes to clean the cot if you feel worried about it, but there's never going to be a "right" time to start letting him sleep in other beds, so you might as well do it sooner as later.

Babies are quite hardy creatures. When we went on driving holidays we used to stash a travel cot in the back of the car; that was for convenience rather than hygiene. It might be worth thinking about if you're getting there by car, though.