Author Topic: travel with 10 week old  (Read 1667 times)

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Offline Inara

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travel with 10 week old
« on: September 21, 2009, 15:16:33 pm »
I would like to go spend a few days with my parents around my birthday, which I have typically done every year.  It's a 5-hour drive, and my daughter would be 10 weeks old.  I have no idea how it might go, so I'm asking: is that likely to be miserable for all of us?  Is it better to skip it this year, or would it be OK vis-a-vis both the drive, and spending a few days in a strange place?  For background, I could bring her bassinet so that she'd be sleeping in her usual location.  She sleeps well at night, and not at all well during the day (short naps).  I definitely plan to go to my folks at Christmas, when she'd be 20 weeks, so I thought that this might be a good "test run".  My birthday not being a major holiday, if we felt we needed to leave early it wouldn't be so disappointing to me or my family.  Sane/insane?  Or is this one of those things where you really don't know until you try it?

Offline Mashi

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Re: travel with 10 week old
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2009, 17:09:02 pm »
To me, ten weeks is an ideal age for this kind of thing.  She's probably not used to her surroundings well enough that it will bother her for sleeping, and you can do the drive during nap times with some stops to get her out of the carseat for feeds and movement and changes.  I say do it, you will be glad you did!

Offline buttonbaby

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Re: travel with 10 week old
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2009, 20:31:46 pm »
I think you don’t know until you try as every LO is different ...my LO is now 2 but my parents/friends I grew up with etc live 4 hours away and from when DD was 5 weeks old I have traveled every few months to spent a weekend with them. At first DD slept the whole way (I had to stop to take her out of car seat as maximum of 2 hours in car seat-even a 5 mins stop is enough...usually needed a nappy change a few times anyway but when very young she fall straight back to sleep). Then as she got older it got a little harder..but always found a short break and a nappy change and bottle if due did the trick and we could set off again. When possible I planned my trip for when someone else was taking the same journey & could join me so I would have company/help. As she got older and before she could have snacks/read books play with toys(with buttons or the palstic books with buttons), watch DVDs, I did schedule lots of short stops & sometimes had to add in a few extra ones. I also played music cds in the car and would sing to her & have a calming one (the one also used for wind-down @ home for when she was due to sleep). I’m in Ireland so the car could be cold..a little heat helped her sleep but too much and she got upset so had to be really aware of that. also got some car toys that just required a quick wind up or press of a button...such as music boxes and this one..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiny-Love-652-Coast-Wonder/dp/B000E81I4A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby&qid=1253561852&sr=8-1 (meant for older children but I'd make sure it was turned on and keep the steering wheel remote on the front seat so I could just press a button for each sound/song  This one kept her the happiest as well as a fifi music box) When I looked this up I see there are lots of car toys for babies available I didn’t know about.
.I would keep them all on the front seat for emergencies. I also brought any things she found comforting..blankie, her winnie the pooh and her dody & maybe even a white noise cd/machine. All this really helped.
When they are young I know they sleep a lot and will def need some naps during a 5 hour journey but I think planning to travel during naps (esp as they get older and need less) really really helps as passes some of the journey for them stopping them from getting bored…once or twice when DD was older & napping once I traveled after the nap to get her home for bed and it was a diaster so now always make sure I’m ready by her mid-day nap.
Basically as long as you know it maybe longer than a regular trips and are willing to make lots of short stops you will be ok. I would feed/chane DD when due and if she cried when neither of these seemed likely I would first try the toys/music and sometimes they worked without me having to stop again.
Best of luck.


Hello from Ireland!
Fiona

Offline Mama2boys

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Re: travel with 10 week old
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2009, 22:00:31 pm »
I travelled alone with Ds when he was 12 weeks old form India to London...totally doable  - the 5 hr car ride, but don;t do it alone, you might need someone who can rleive you form driving etc so you can comfort the LO if needed, feed etc.
9 and 6, oh boy!

Offline buttonbaby

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Re: travel with 10 week old
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2009, 22:10:11 pm »
Agree wiht pps..totally doable if you have company but if not(& Ive done that too) the tips I gave above will come in handy..still doable but company would be a great help!
Hello from Ireland!
Fiona