5 week old baby

[scillacc]

Has anyone taken a 5 week old baby to disney world? Please tell me if it's even possible. Trip to be in Mid June. Thanks!

 

[princessmom29]

I wouldn't do it although there are people here that feel differently. A 5 week old doesn't have a fully developed immune system and anything they might catch would be dangerous, plus they are still getting up multiple times a night for feedings. I would think it would be a logistics nightmare to bring all the "stuff" you need for a newborn and exhausting careing for one all day and touring the parks. Not to mention the fact that the middle of the night crying will likely disturb your neighbors.

 

[DisneyNutMic]

I wouldn't for reasons listed in PP. However I will say that I went at 3 weeks old I think for my first trip. Of course the park was brand new and not as packed as it is now either.

 

[snubie]

Another thing to consider - you may deliver late and the baby could be only 3 weeks old at the time of the trip. Regardless of the baby, you may not be feeling up to all the walking if you happen to have a c-section or a difficult delivery.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd worry about germs, plus, I recall that being the time as a new mom when I hit bottom! Sleep deprivation had really taken it's toll, and I was not functioning well at all. Going to the grocery store was a huge accomplishment!

 

[3boys4me]

I agree with everything the other posts have said. Mid June is much too hot for an infant. I would wait a while, Disney will be there.

 

[RMulieri]

I wouldn't for several reasons mentioned...a 5 week olds immune system is not developed, it is very very hot in June, and at 5 weeks Postpartum I couldn't think straight I was so exhausted, plus my DD was colicky. There was NO way I could manage to do household tasks, nevermind walk around a HOT, crowded themepark for hours on end.Also, you could deliver late making the baby even younger.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Not worth the risk to me. Too many germs there. Even if you keep the baby covered etc. you are still touching everything and so is your clothes. WDW isn't going anywhere. I would wait until the baby is older.

 

[waltskids]

I can tell you that we took DD this past August at 9 weeks old and she did great. It was hot, but we only did the parks in the morning and evening and swam in the afternoon. She would nap in her stroller while we were sitting by the pool. It was a very relaxing trip surprisingly. I will say however, that there were a few factors that were in my favor. DH is a teacher like me, so he was home in the summer to give me a break to rest. We had a nice routine going by the time we went to WDW. As a result I wasn't exhausted as some moms may be. Also, DD was born full term and healthy and was sleeping about 6-7 hours by that point. I recovered very quickly from delivery and was moving around well by week 2. I wasn't concerned about the germs since we were either holding DD or she was in her stroller, but your baby will be a bit younger. Also if you deliver later than expected, then the baby will be younger than 5 weeks. Plus, if something unexpected happens to you with the delivery, you may not be up for the walking. It's a personal decision though, and one that only you can make.

 

[scillacc]

Thanks so much everybody, great advice

 

[Acklander]

We brought DS when he was 5 weeks old (And I had a c-section). It was very easy. either Dh or I wore him in a snuggli, and he was pretty portable. It was a different kind of trip - spent more time strolling around and enjoying the extras than we normally do. for the cool rides we'd do the baby swap and just brought him on all the others with us. I was breastfeeding, so he had my immunities in his system.

 

[princessmom29]

We brought DS when he was 5 weeks old (And I had a c-section). It was very easy. either Dh or I wore him in a snuggli, and he was pretty portable. It was a different kind of trip - spent more time strolling around and enjoying the extras than we normally do. for the cool rides we'd do the baby swap and just brought him on all the others with us. I was breastfeeding, so he had my immunities in his system.

that is a common misconception and the subject of a research project I did. Babies do not recieve full immunity from mother's milk. It is better than what they have on their own but not complete either. There is a type of antibody called a pentameric antibody that is not passed trough the placenta or through breastmilk. It istoo large of a molecule for either, and babies must generate them on their own. It takes approximately 3 months to reach a level that will actually protect the child, so for the first three months they are highly vunerable to diseases that have a pentameric antibody response in humans. It is one reasons mothers who test positive for group beta strep are given antibiotics during delivery. GBS is one of the bacteria fought off by these antibodies and the mortality rate for infected infants is 50%.

 

[justhat]

We brought my daughter in late May and mid-June at 12 weeks and 15 weeks and while we were fine, it was hot, and since I had to wear the baby almost exclusively (she did not like the stroller at all), I was very hot. She did fine though, never really cried or anything the whole trip.

We also went with my son when he was 12 weeks, which was the very beginning of November. He, otoh, was not quite the happy camper. He liked being home, in his own house, not out and about all day. He didn't cry much, but he just wasn't his usual happy self.

With all that said, Baby #3 is coming in late January and my husband has a vacation week in mid-February and I am seriously considering driving down to WDW for the week. I won't book flights just in case something happens, but I would drive. The germ thing, well, I have a 5yo and 3yo both in school, so we get so many germs into the house with them that WDW wouldn't be much different.

 

[Red Rover Cuties]

the only thing that i would really be concerned about is the heat, babies can't tell you when they are hot! the germs well when you walk into walmart or any other place you are going to be dealing with germs! my son was a premie and at that age he was so hot natured (still is today) that he would throw up if he got to hot, and that continued until well now.....we tried to watch his DC play t-ball and just being out there 30 minutes he threw up twice and we had to take him home! that would be my main concern, but like PP said you are the mom and only you know what it best for your child!

veronica

 

[Manda]

I don't think I could have dealt with it 5 weeks postpartum. More because of my concerns, than the baby's. I was still a hormonal, bloody, sweaty, engorged and leaky, sleep-deprived mess.

 

[hmacmahony]

Our first trip we had a 6 week old, a almost 2 year old, and an almost 3 year old.
We also traveled with friends who had a 8 week old, and almost 2 year old. So, yes, we had 5 kids under 3. It was FABULOUS!! We had a ball! The babies were great!
We both wore them almost the entire trip, wake up,feed baby, strap her in the sling, and it was great. My 6 week old rode everything (clearly without a height restriction), she didn't wake anyone up at night (we were even in a value).
It was december, we didn't worry about heat (although one day it was about 90). She ate when she wanted, we were nursing, so if she was hungry she ate (and on a few rides, haunted mansion, jungle boat, some shows, etc). The characters LOVED seeing the baby, they are not supposed to hold the baby, but mary poppins took her and told us to go enjoy our day! (kidding) And we have an amazing picture of mickey holding the baby, with my other two right next to him, its one of my all time favorite pictures from disney.
Honestly, it was a breeze, I felt fine. I would rather be at disney anyday, even 6 weeks after having a baby.
Disney does have the baby care centers, but we never used them. No need at that point (we did use them during another trip), but we just never found it necessary to use them.
Go, and have fun!

 

[AmyBWV99]

Took DS#1 @ 2 months for 1.5 weeks over July 4th, he did great.
Took DS #2 @ 2.5 weeks for 2 weeks in October (was pretty hot), he did great as well.

I had 2 C-sections and felt fine and was able to walk fine. We didn't commando and had a blast! Wear the baby if you're worried about people touching the baby too much there make little signs you can hang too from a stroller that say to basically keep hands off. I never had any issues with people touching them tho. We flew with them too with no ill effects.

 

[todzwife]

I don't think I could have dealt with it 5 weeks postpartum. More because of my concerns, than the baby's. I was still a hormonal, bloody, sweaty, engorged and leaky, sleep-deprived mess.

EXACTLY my thoughts! I felt pretty awful for the first couple months.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I would have some concerns, one that stands out has been mentioned, but here's my take.

I had 3 C-Sections. My first I was a healthy 19 year old, I didn't even watch the c-section video in lamaze I felt it wouldn't apply to me. Well, surprise it did. So even when you think you won't need one, you might. Mine was an emergency one and while I have a horizontal cut on the outside, inside they had to do it vertical. 5 weeks out I was a wreck still. Physically I was OK, not great but OK, and mentally I was a mess.

After my 2nd DD I felt pretty good physically and mentally and could have handled way more, but Disney, I doubt.

After my 3rd DD mentally I was fine but I got group B Strep and a staph infection at the hospital. It took some time to feel better.

My point, you don't know how you will deliver and how you will recover and while some PPs have felt good enough to go, I don't think you can assume that you will. I think if you have a trip planned you may push yourself to go when maybe you shouldn't.

Now baby wise, they probably do pretty well, they can sleep and eat anywhere, though I wouold be worried about the heat and germs.

 

[lillykat]

I wouldn't. The standard of care by me is if a baby under 8 weeks (some say 12) gets a fever (anything over 100.3) they get an automatic spinal tap regardless of the reason for the fever (cold, flu etc). With the swine flu etc going around even in June you will have people from other countries etc and your child will probably have not had any vaccinations. I would put it off for a few months. I would try to go before you give birth or a few months after (say 3-4 months if you want to go when they are still really young).