4 month old holiday checklist

Pete.g

We are going on our first family holiday next month with our 4month old little girl.

Now, we want it to be a nice experience without to much stress.

To make it easier I'd like to hear people's experiences and will take any help or advice given.

We'd also like to compile a checklist of things we need to take for the baby and things that should be left at home.

Thanks for the help,

Pete.

davidlizard

A lot depends on where you are going, how you are getting there, and whether you are going as part of a package or independently (i.e. what help and facilities are available).

We first flew (to Athens, then on to an island via ferry, independent travel) with our 5 month old a couple of years back, and #2 will be 6 months old when we go that way again in September. We had no problems whatsoever.

We decided to take enough nappies/wipes for the flight (and assuming delays and disasters). When we got there, she went in a sling whilst her pushchair was used to ferry the backpacks!. She slept in a pop up travel cot (keeps mossies out). The Greeks have babies who eat food and use nappies, so we bought the rest out there rather than lug it all with us. Self catering makes it easier to knock food up such as baby rice if you are weaning.

For the beach, we stuck her in a UV protection sun suit and hat, and had a beach tent. And plenty of baby sun block.

daveyjp

Travel cot - a pop up one, or tent type are light and compact. Ours is a Little Life, another make is Nomad check e-bay.

Bottles (assuming not breast fed) and formula.

Sterilising tablets - use boiled water and a saucepan to sterilise bottles.

Nappies to last a few days (changing bag does not form part of your luggage allowance - you can get loads of gear in one!).

Car seat and pushchair.

A few vests and clothes - roll clothes up, they take very little space this way.

All our daughter's gear, including a travel tent type cot goes in a small sports bag.

A few toys.

Sorted!

curtlyb

Nobody has mentioned the two most important, in my opinion essential, things for travelling with this age group...... Patience and a Sense of Humour, both those will make your holiday a far more enjoyable experience.

Enjoy :cool:

Rachie_B

these are fab http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000JFN7GU
or http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0013KC3II/sr=1-10/qid=1210262048/ref=sr_1_10/026-8832047-3182861?ie=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42864041&mcb=core

used both when travelling with my youngest son a few yrs ago

these are good when used with cartons of formula for the flight etc http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0013MV134/sr=1-5/qid=1210262125/ref=sr_1_5/026-8832047-3182861?ie=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=44555031&mcb=core

a good sunshade on the buggy / pushchair as babies under 6 months shouldnt be in the sun at all

Pete.g

Hi sorry I've been a while replying. Thanks for all the tips.

We are going to Tenerife on the 15th of June for a week. Our little girl will be a little over 4months. I'll be getting a travel cot as the more I think about it the more I dont like the idea of a cot supplied by the hotel.

There are still a few things that I'm a bit unsure of though.

We plan to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel as we are staying at Playa Parasio which is a little further up the coast than the usual places and we dont want to get caught on a coach while it drops people off her there and everywhere. What we'd like to know is the safety aspect of using taxi's with baby. I realise it's unlikely they have child seats.

I did'nt realise that a changing bag did'nt count towards your weight limit, is it classed as your hand luggage? Also I'm told that a pram is not taken into account is this true also? We are thinking of taking out normal pram/buggy which is a quinny buzz it's fairly lightweight and folds up easily, with possibly our maxi cosi carseat (which fits into the mountings of the buggy), would this be advisable? We cant really take a travel buggy as these are rated at 6months +.

Sorry to go on a bit but I'm not wanting any nasty little surprises, we want it to run as smoothly as possible.

Thanks,

Pete.

beautifulgorgeous_2

Dont think about weaning her until you get back (not sure of the current age guidelines) If you take the buggy with the carseat then you can use it in the taxi.

naranja

Don't know if mossies will be a problem at the time of year you are going but as she is too young for the usual mossie preventative sprays take some lavender oil and dab it on her cot sheets or a hanky in her buggy.You could also buy a net to put over her cot on a night.

System

How about calpol, always on my list!

We are flying with easyjet in june and we need to take 3 boster seats with us, i emailed them and they confirmed with this reply

"I am happy to confirm that pushchairs, prams, car seats and travel cots do not form part of your baggage allowance and therefore are carried for free. However, we do not offer a separate baggage allowance for infants.

Pushchairs, buggies, car seats and travel cots can be taken right up to the aircraft, where they will be taken by cabin crew and stored in the hold. However, if it would be easier for you, you can check it in with your baggage at check-in. Full sized, non-collapsible prams cannot be accepted for travel.

At some of our airports you may have to pick up your pushchair from baggage reclaim so please ask the Cabin Crew about your pushchair on arrival at your destination. They will be able to advise you on what happens at this airport."

Please check with your own airline but i assume similar rules apply
Have a good time

across

1.)we used to put a very large pack of nappies straight into the hold with thomsonfly as long as you allow enough weight allowance for the object it was easier than unpacking them all over your suitcase and so easy it just came round the belt with the case with a tag on it!
2.)we had an easy time bottle feeding with throw away bottles for every feed and cartons of ready made milk for every feed (dont know if theres restrictions now on milk) it was more costly but a real holiday not having to wash/steralise bottles and make up feeds from powder for a week i could make a bottle up anywhere really quick as she wanted it and warmed it using a thermos flask/carrafe baby milk warmer (white small flask with beaker on it £10)from boots!
3.) pack KoolnSooth cool strips they are great they are blue gel filled little strips for forehead come in foil sachets so cool when you open them just stick on forehead if child has temperature easier than messing with wet flannel as they dont fall off or move about and get temp straight down!
have a lovely time!
4.) teddy will love to go too! dont need any other toys as when you get there bucket/spade/watering can toys become bathtoys!!
5.) i tried disposable bibs too! they were alright not brill but did trick for on holiday! less work as YOU are on HOLIDAY so enjoy any easy way you can and the extra costs you would spend if they were older on icecreams,drinks meals,sweets,rides etc so it just different costs at different stages !!!!!
6.)never taken a travel cot sounds far too much trouble very clumsy clutter to take if you know there is a cot in room there has always been a decent cot where ive been(Thomson)cant see why you need one if youve booked a baby in? the hospitals dont throw away a mattress everytime a baby goes home from hospital and put a new one in so whats the difference? it is hard enough travelling with luggage/buggy/baby but to lug a travelcot seems crazy when youve paid for what will be a perfectly good cot when you get there if its not complain youve got the pram until they change it and they always tend to help straight away if its a leading operator.

MrsE_2

Pete.g wrote: »

We plan to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel as we are staying at Playa Parasio which is a little further up the coast than the usual places and we dont want to get caught on a coach while it drops people off her there and everywhere. What we'd like to know is the safety aspect of using taxi's with baby. I realise it's unlikely they have child seats.
6months +..

I've stayed there:D

At the Oasis Parasio, where are you staying?

The airport isn't that far from the resort, you would go through Americas first, but its only a few miles past.