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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Is it a good/bad idea to travel with a 2.5 months old?
Hi all, DH and I are expecting our first baby in July. The extended family has planned a big vacation for the first week of October - it'll involve a 6 hour plane ride and a 7 day cruise. The cruise has port calls every day, but are all in major cities where we can rent a car. Having never traveled with a newborn before, I'm just wondering what people's general thoughts are?
Re: Is it a good/bad idea to travel with a 2.5 months old?
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place.
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace.
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,
It all revolves around you.
This.
From Cruise critic-
Baby Onboard?
First and foremost, check the minimum age required to sail. It varies from as young as 12 weeks (Disney Cruise Line) to 6 months (Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean). In addition, some vary the minimum age, as do Cunard, NCL and Princess Cruises, from 6 to 12 months, depending on itinerary.
For years, Disney Cruise Line was tops for babies, offering full-service themed nurseries at sea (for kids ages 12 weeks to 3 years), complete with oodles of toys and special one-way porthole windows allowing parents to peek at their children. But Royal Caribbean has come on strong, offering an equally enticing Royal Babies and Tots Nursery. These fully-staffed venues (currently on Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, though plans are to add them fleetwide) are stocked with Fisher-Price and Crayola gear and offer a drop-off option as well as designated "Free-Play Time," during which parents can use the facility with children.
It seems the cruise might be the problem.
For the rest, I agree with ECB; we have traveled a lot since our DS was shy of 2 months. He was on a schedule, though we would move it a bit so he could feed some on take off and landing (thus preventing the ear issues). The challenge for me was that I was pumping exclusively, so pumping on a plane (or on a long car ride) was not my idea of fun... but... it was doable!
At two and a half months, both of my kids were in full colic mode, screaming without cessation for three/four hours every evening and again in the middle of the night. I was a wreck from lack of sleep and the constant screaming, as well as how everyone had advice and help and criticism for how bad I was doing as a mother and what else I should be trying to make.that.kid.shut.up. Your cruise sounds to me like a living nightmare; stuck in a teeny cabin with a screaming infant while your neighbors on either side of you HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTEE you for this.
We took our 2 month old to Florida last February. She slept the entire flight (multiple plane changes, about 8 hours in travel there and back) and was pretty much the easiest traveler ever. We're going back in March (she'll be 15 months), and I can guarantee it won't be as easy. I'd go and not worry. I worried the whole two weeks leading up to the trip and she turned out to be fine.
Also - you can gate-check the car seat and stroller (if you aren't using the seat on the plane), which was really handy. Walked out into the terminal and there was the seat and stroller frame all ready to go for us.
True. Unless they have colic.
Sorry Lurker coming out to play
You also need to see if the baby will need a passport and hope and pray you can get it in time.
This. We were planning on going on a similar vacation at the end of May, but Carnival Cruiseline does not allow infants under 6 months...
Traveling with a baby - YES.
Cruising with a baby - NO.
Ensure that the cruise line you want will take the baby in the first place. Then dont forget you need all of the proper documentation. Yes, if you do a closed loop cruise, you wont need anything but your drivers license and birth certificate (even baby needs one), but if there is an emergency and you need to fly back home you MUST have a birth certificate.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
I don't have children yet but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable booking everything for that kind of trip before knowing what being a new-mom is like. Is it even safe for a 2.5 month old to be around so many new germs/strangers in an enclosed plane? (Genuine question, I have no idea.)
For myself personally, I'd pass the trip up. For the expenses I wouldn't want to gamble with feeling too exhausted to enjoy everything and I think I'd want a solid amount of time adjusting to the new lifestyle in general. If it was a road trip to the beach to share a house with everyone it would be different--I just know I'd be stressed out the entire trip from the flight to the cruise. But that's just me; I know a lot of people who wouldn't be concerned about that aspect.
Re: the passport, assuming the cash isn't a problem, it was super easy. DS had a passport at 1.5 months (we paid the expedited just in case the "regular" one took longer than the 2 weeks they said it would since we had already booked the flights). We did make sure he had all recommended vaccines (he got them a bit earlier than the "2 month" recommendations at 6 weeks to give ourselves a week and some time frame in case he had a reaction to the vaccines before our travel)... just in case.
My first thought was that the cruise may not accept babies that young. So that's the first thing to check (sounds like you're on it).
The second thing to check would be all the documentation you'd need and make sure it's possible.
As far as traveling itself, there's simply no way to know either way. Both my babies were angels (we traveled w/ both at that age...14 hour drive and then in a cabin). But, like I said, they both were very laid back at that age, happy to be held by anyone, sleeping through the night, eating/napping on a regular but flexible scheduled. It was a breeze. BUT, if your baby is of the more challenging variety, it may be very difficult for you and not exactly a wonderful vacation.
But, on the flip side, my older son is now 2 1/2 and he'd be really difficult to travel with. So if you're thinking of traveling now vs. when he's a toddler, I'd go with newborn.
This. DS was in full colic mode when we drove 12+ hours to visit family in NY. He was not easy to travel with. He screamed all the time. People thought we were exaggerating about him screaming, but after seeing him, they admitted we were not! If your question was about visiting family, I'd say go for it. But I wouldn't suggest taking a vacation where you are going to affect a lot of other people who may not share your family's patience for your child.
We took DD to Bermuda at 10 weeks. She slept most of the time. I just wore her in the Moby and did some sight seeing. You will need a passport, but they are not hard to get. We had no issues and did it in the regular time frame.
I am not sure about the cruise. Others seem to know more about that than I do.