Any travelers?

Meg&Austin · January 2014

Sorry to be a lurker. Currently I am.24w pregnant and have a predicament about when our daughter will be 5 months next year and didnt know if anyone could offer advice.

Next October our friends are having a destination wedding in Cancun.we are looking at booking our trip. We would like to go. My mother has offered to watch her bc she thinks it is unsafe for a 5 month old to go to Mexico which my husband believes as well. What worries me there is leaving her for 5-7 days and still planning to be breastfeeding at the time. Or taking her and her getting sick. As my husband had said last night maybe something happening to her and she has an alergic reaction to say a bug bite etc nd us not having good medical care.

I guess im looking or insight as to whether you mommies of 5 month old couldnleave their child for that long or those that have travel experience and can give some reassurance about traveling with a child that young?

Sorry if I rambled I tried my best tonmake sense. Thanks so much for any input!

MissyCee · January 2014

I honestly don't think you're going to want to leave your 5 month baby behind for about a week, even if you weren't breastfeeding. If you're staying at a good resort/hotel in a tourist area then you'll be perfectly safe so long as common sense is used. I haven't yet traveled by plane anywhere with LO but am actually looking into a family trip to Mexico in May. I've heard people who have traveled with their babies say it wasn't as hard as they thought it would be though. General advice would be bring a couple toys they like and nurse or give a paci as you take off and land to help their ears.

mysticl · January 2014

I would not have left LO at that age. Heck, he's 16 months and I wouldn't leave him overnight now.

If you do decide to take her I encourage that you buy her a seat on the plane and take her carseat on the plane for her to sit in. This is the safest option for your child and every other passenger. It will also make things much easier for you. You can get her out of the seat when the fasten seatbelt sign is off to nurse, hold her, change diapers.

taraleanne · January 2014

If you are breastfeeding especially, I don't think you should go away for a week without her. This could reek havoc with your supply and that's a lot of milk to have to pump and store for a week away. I also agree with previous posters that you probably won't feel OK leaving him or her for a week either. Your post -baby self reality will be different than your pre-baby expectations. (and there's nothing wrong with that!)

If anything, I'd bring her with you. In fact I'm taking my LO old to Punta Cana in a few weeks. I would have also taken him at 5m too. Staying at a reputable resort, using common sense, buying appropriate insurances (cancellation, interruption and health) then all should be OK.

BelhurstBride · January 2014

There's no way I could leave my five month old for a week.

Meg&Austin · January 2014

Thanks for all the input! Im down for taking her my husband on the other hand isnt and it is a reputable resort. Rius are big chains and that is where we would be staying. He is worried about her getting sick, malaria health care all that goods. Which I get I do but I already know I wont want to leave her. Maybe lll just stay home with her and he can go!

Edit: Being first time parents I know he doesnt get it now but when the time comes I believe he would not feel like leaving her either. Right now he looks at it as I will not be able to have as much fun with such a little baby and having to be in the room a lot. The way he sees it is we might as well not go.

mysticl · January 2014

Meg&Austin said:

Thanks for all the input! Im down for taking her my husband on the other hand isnt and it is a reputable resort. Rius are big chains and that is where we would be staying. He is worried about her getting sick, malaria health care all that goods. Which I get I do but I already know I wont want to leave her. Maybe lll just stay home with her and he can go! Edit: Being first time parents I know he doesnt get it now but when the time comes I believe he would not feel like leaving her either. Right now he looks at it as I will not be able to have as much fun with such a little baby and having to be in the room a lot. The way he sees it is we might as well not go.

You're right about that first bolded sentence. As women we often become a parent much sooner then men. We carry the baby, we feel it grow, we change what we eat, what we drink, our activities, how we sleep, all for this baby we haven't even met yet. For men it isn't real yet and they think in terms of more concrete problems. So right now he's thinking of the tangible "what if she gets sick?" That's a concrete problem he can fix by not bringing her. The more emotional problem of "what if I miss her so much I just want to fly home the instant I get there?" isn't something he comprehends yet. Sometimes they need to meet the baby first to get the emotional side of it.

As for the second bolded sentence explain to him you probably wouldn't have much fun without the baby,either. You'll most likely be worried about her and if you wish to resume breastfeeding when you get home you will have to pump in accordance with her feeding schedule to maintain your supply. So that means if you go on an all day excursion you will have to lug the pump with you and find a place to pump during the day. That means setting an alarm for middle of the night feedings if she's not sleeping through the night. That could mean pumping in airports or on airplanes. Personally I would much rather nurse a baby in any of those situations than pump.

emikat · January 2014

I traveled international (Hawaii to Poland) when my LO was 3 months old. I wouldn't go without your LO if you BFing, you'd be tied to the pump and then have to decide whether to store and find a way to bring that milk back or dump it. I took my pump with me, but hardly used it because I was BFing LO the whole time. It was rough, but I enjoyed being there with my whole family and I know I couldn't have left him. Good luck!

SoCalBrandi · January 2014

My daughter is 15wks and I cannot for a minute imagine leaving her for 5-7 days! It's hard enough leaving her behind for a few hours for the occasional date night w/DH. Probably not the answer you hoped for, but you asked; I wouldn't go if I were in your shoes.

natalie202 · January 2014

Personally, I'd go and take the LO. You'll have two rounds of shots done by then, which helps with some of the more dangerous germs, and it's always been my understanding that the biggest risk in Mexico that's not nearly identical to risks here is water bourn illness. Your kid won't be eating or drinking anything, so no problem (unless you end up using formula, but you can work around that easily enough).

If your husband is absolutely opposed to bringing the little, I'd skip it, especially if you need to decide sooner rather than later. Sure, some moms might be okay with leaving their LO that long that early, but it's more likely that you won't want to go either due to feeding concerns or just for emotional reasons.

Shell24 · January 2014

My 3rd baby is just 5 months old and I still wouldn't want to leave her for a week. I consider myself an easygoing parent and I've left my older 2 while we've gone on many vacations, including out of the country but 5 months is still so little!

Meg&Austin · January 2014

Thanks for all your input ladies you really confirmed my feelings for me she will either come with or we will not go. Well just get the insurance so we can cancel and get a refund
If need be!

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