A Suprise, Need Guidance

[18sprint]

Need advice. Situation: we have a family vacation planned for mid-sept. Me, my DW, 2 grown sons, 1 daughter-inlaw and 2 kids, 5 & 11. We are DVC members and our stay is for a week at OKW. Just found out a week ago son and DIL are expecting, due.....first week of September.

DIL wants to move the trip out a couple weeks and take a newborn on the trip. My DW and I are completely against this. A plane trip with a baby only a couple weeks old, not to mention, a new mother just doesn't sound like a good idea. We talked with DIL last night and I suggested pulling the trip up to April or May, but met with great resistance because she would be 4-5 months along. Our other alternative was to simply move the trip to next year.

I guess I am venting more than anything, but would welcome comments. Maybe we are overreacting, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea to take a baby on a week long trip to Disney world.????

 

[5disneykids]

I say 100%, without a doubt, earlier, while pregnant!! I have been twice while pregnant (we have 6 kids)
Once, I was early in the 1st trimester and it was just ok. I didn't ride much or eat much since I was queasy, but had a good time. (We've been 10+ times so I didn't feel like I was missing everything, if she hasn't been, or won't be going a lot, she may feel left out)

I also went once when I was about 7.5 months along. It was great, I remember LOVING the food LOL, and feeling good about all the walking & exercise. Again, I didn't ride everything but more than the other time. I was quite able to keep up and didn't need more breaks or anything.
IMO - ideal time is anytime after 18 weeks, but before 34.

But, what exactly is she thinking? Why does she think going with a newborn is better than going pregnant? If her pregnancies are hard, maybe after would better (mine are a breeze)...

But the youngest I have taken a baby is 8 months & it required a lot more work. Lots of breaks, diaper changes and gear, hiding to nurse, leaving shows, fireworks, characters when he cried, etc (we even wore the baby in a carrier a lot, also had a stroller and 4 adults).
I currently have a 4 month old & he is the absolute youngest I would ever consider taking (and I don't want to!)...he's finally eating/pooping/sleeping somewhat more predictably --- And he's a super easy baby, what if the new baby is difficult?! Or if she ends up with a complicated delivery?

Plus, crowds, germs, airplane!, newborn??? - yuck!!
We are ready now for a trip to WDW, but I am planning it for Dec when he'll be 14 months, for our ease.

HTH a bit!

 

[Kerriowl]

I would much rather go 4-5 months pregnant than with a newborn.

 

[BLAZEY]

I'm going at say I agree with DIL, but maybe wait another couple of weeks. Only she knows how she feels/felt being pregnant vs after giving birth. I found DD super portable when she was a newborn and travelling was very easy compared to when I was pregnant. If she baby wears, the general public isn't going to touch him or her. Maybe her kids are good sleepers, and baby will sleep most of the time. If she wants to do rides and stuff with the older 2 kids, she wouldn't be able to do that pregnant, but could after baby arrives and do baby swap with another adult. Based on my kid I would travel, my sister was the same, but my SIL with my nieces NEVER, but her kids didn't sleep though the night until 3 years. Mine and my sisters kids slept though the night from the day we brought them home from the hospital. Only DIL would know for sure.

 

[brockash]

Need advice. Situation: we have a family vacation planned for mid-sept. Me, my DW, 2 grown sons, 1 daughter-inlaw and 2 kids, 5 & 11. We are DVC members and our stay is for a week at OKW. Just found out a week ago son and DIL are expecting, due.....first week of September.

DIL wants to move the trip out a couple weeks and take a newborn on the trip. My DW and I are completely against this. A plane trip with a baby only a couple weeks old, not to mention, a new mother just doesn't sound like a good idea. We talked with DIL last night and I suggested pulling the trip up to April or May, but met with great resistance because she would be 4-5 months along. Our other alternative was to simply move the trip to next year.

I guess I am venting more than anything, but would welcome comments. Maybe we are overreacting, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea to take a baby on a week long trip to Disney world.????

I guess I'm wondering why you have such a strong opinion about what you son and DIL want to do with their situation. I mean, I get it, you're the baby's grandparents, but at the end of the day, it's their baby, they'll be the one taking care of the baby, so it should be up to them. I will say, I wouldn't be a fan of doing Disney pregnant, however we have taken babies as young as 7 weeks and it worked out just fine (yes we fly). Honestly, when we've taken them 7 weeks, 3 months, and 4 months, those times were much easier than when we took them at 1.

It's def. doable and ppl. do take young babies to WDW. Obviously, it's very easy to know for sure if everything with the pregnancy/delivery/recovery is going to go well etc., but if there are no complications and parents are up for a trip, then I'd say go for it. Going with a newborn, is really a very easy age to go with. Plus, it's not like the baby is going to be touching stuff, so the germ factor would be pretty negate.

 

[mom25kiddos]

I have gone with a six week old and it was really fairly easy-they eat and sleep and i wore him, he was our fourth so we had three other kids at the time. If this is her third (assuming the older two children are hers), then I suspect she knows what to expect, but if it is a first baby I would say maybe not. Two weeks might be pretty tight though-if she wound up with a C-section it would be a lot of walking. We didn't encounter any issues of strangers touching him or being exposed to anything he would not have been exposed to at home.

 

[Lvsdisney]

My nephew was 3 weeks old when we went to WDW (trip had been planned before my sister got pregnant).

I'm not going to lie, my sister and BIL were exhausted, but they still had a great time. My BIL primarily wore my nephew the entire time. My nieces were 4 and 6 at the time, so they knew going into it what kind of effort a baby would be.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I guess I'm wondering why you have such a strong opinion about what you son and DIL want to do with their situation. I mean, I get it, you're the baby's grandparents, but at the end of the day, it's their baby, they'll be the one taking care of the baby, so it should be up to them.

Um.... Because they are planning this big family trip and these grandparents are going on the trip too. Everyone on the trip will be at least somewhat affected by the addition of a newborn, some more than others of course. Grandparents also are usually called upon to help with a baby a lot or at least a little. So, of course they have the right to an opinion. If these parents were going alone with just their own children, that would be a different story.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Since you seem to all be staying together in the room...I would move the trip to next year. DIL does not want an earlier trip and most of you probably do not want to spend a trip where you hear mom or dad get up all night over and over to feed and change baby (and that assumes baby is not a cryer, or you'd get some of that, too).

If that's not desired, you could always keep this year's trip, but let your son and DIL (and the kids, if they are theirs) drop out or even better, take their kids and let mom and dad have a nice time with just new baby at home...and then plan another trip for the future since you are DVC...

 

[cvjw]

Go ahead with the trip when your DIL wants to go, but get them their own studio. Getting a newborn baby to sleep could be difficult in a villa with so many other people in it. Get them their own space so they can have a quiet "go to" space to get the baby down for naps and at night.

You can still spend time with them, but everyone will get more rest and have a better overall trip if the newborn has a quiet space.

 

[brockash]

Um.... Because they are planning this big family trip and these grandparents are going on the trip too. Everyone on the trip will be at least somewhat affected by the addition of a newborn, some more than others of course. Grandparents also are usually called upon to help with a baby a lot or at least a little. So, of course they have the right to an opinion. If these parents were going alone with just their own children, that would be a different story.

Yeah, I don't see it. Sure, they absolutely have a right to tell the parents that they won't be babysitting (if that's something the parents were wanting/assuming - many times it's not), but otherwise they're all adults...the parents of the children should be the only ones making the decision if they feel it's okay to take the baby or not. If the opinions were reversed and the grandparents thought it was fine to take the baby, but the parents didn't, this wouldn't even be a discussion. The same applies here. I understand the grandparents concern, but that's about all they can do. They can voice their concerns to the parents if they feel they should/can etc., but at the end of the day, it's up to the parents. Obviously, the grandparents can always decide to cancel and for them not to go, but I just don't get what the big deal is. Tons of ppl. take infants to Disney and tons of ppl. would never dream of it...either way it works out fine, so if the parents are up for it, then so be it. Maybe in your case you rely heavily on others when you travel with them, but I travel with extended family often and always feel that my kids are my kids and my responsibility. If my mom volunteers to watch the baby while I ride something with an older child, then that's very nice of her, but I would never be so presumptuous to think that my kids were anyone's responsibility but my own or that my kids should be affecting others enjoyment.

I will say, having 2 separate rooms would be the way to go.

 

[siestakeys04]

I would have to agree with the OP, I wouldn't want to take a newborn to Disney but that is just my opinion. Maybe I couldn't imagine it because my kids are now 21 and 17 and thinking back at all the stuff I had to take just to go to grandmas house I'm tired just thinking about it. I would let them know of your honest concerns and maybe you guys can come to an agreement.

 

[godde8ss]

I've done Disney with a newborn...much easier than Disney with a toddler. BUT, would I would not want to do is an airplane ride with a newborn....!! I live an hour from the parks, so, it was a drive over and a one night hotel stay. This is a much bigger deal. You have been there done that, and are probably frustrated that they aren't listening to your advice. But, if they insist on learning the hard way, make sure they have their own room as it would not be fair to have them keeping everyone up all night.
I can understand her hesitancy at not wanting to go pregnant. I hated being pregnant, and you can't enjoy an adult beverage either. That being said, if she is intending to breast feed, going with a newborn, there wouldn't' be an opportunity for adult beverage anyway.

 

[robinb]

Need advice. Situation: we have a family vacation planned for mid-sept. Me, my DW, 2 grown sons, 1 daughter-inlaw and 2 kids, 5 & 11. We are DVC members and our stay is for a week at OKW. Just found out a week ago son and DIL are expecting, due.....first week of September.

DIL wants to move the trip out a couple weeks and take a newborn on the trip. My DW and I are completely against this. A plane trip with a baby only a couple weeks old, not to mention, a new mother just doesn't sound like a good idea. We talked with DIL last night and I suggested pulling the trip up to April or May, but met with great resistance because she would be 4-5 months along. Our other alternative was to simply move the trip to next year.

I guess I am venting more than anything, but would welcome comments. Maybe we are overreacting, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea to take a baby on a week long trip to Disney world.????

I assume you're in a 2BR or GV at OKW so the son, DIL and kids (including the baby) will be in their own room. It's my opinion that the DIL has had 2 kids already and knows all about being 5 months pregnant and 5 weeks postpartum and how protective she feels about having her baby around strangers in public. If she thinks it's going to be better for her to go in late Sept/early Oct that's what I would do. I've been to WDW with a newborn (my nephew, 5 weeks old) and an infant (my DD, 4 months old). It's really not that bad.

 

[MudQueen22]

I'm not a fan of taking newborns very many places, and certainly not on vacation when still healing from c section and trying to get breastfeeding down.
I also have difficult pregnancies, and I've been to Disney at 5 months. I ended up at Celebration Hospital. (They're nice there, by the way.)

Normally, I would say "not your call" since you're the grandparents, but since you are sharing quarters and likely footing the bill (am I assuming?), then you get a bit more say.
May I recommend trip be postponed to next year?
Perhaps January or February?
Baby will be older, more manageable, will have had some shots, and breastfeeding will be easier.
Maybe even sleeping some at night.

 

[katie111]

Five adults and 3 kids seems totally doable to me, even if one is an infant. My DH and I took our youngest to Mexico when he was 3 months old. Everyone thought we were nuts but we had such a great time, he was so easy, actually much easier than my 4 & 5 year olds at the time. I understand the germ thing but I never really stayed home with my babies anyways and if she has 2 older kids I doubt she would be spending much time at home either. I guess my biggest fear would be complications with the delivery or the baby and then having to possibly cancel the trip. I've heard plenty of crying babies in the next room at Disney so as long as the family has their own bedroom in the villa, I think you will be okay.

 

[Dismama2boys]

I personally would much rather go to Disney with a young baby than go pregnant. No question. And I had pretty easy pregnancies. Maybe it's because I'm on my third baby, but newborns are usually very easy (I exclusively breastfeed and baby-wear a lot), although I would want my own hotel room for a variety of reasons. I'm also in the camp of grandparents need to let the parents make the decisions.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Check with doctor.

 

[Hikergirl]

Your trip is mid September and she is due in the beginning? For all anyone knows she could still be pregnant right up until your trip. You said she is a new mother, so this is her first baby? Yeah, I think timing is terrible, you never know what could happen. She could have a great pregnancy, give birth on her due date and have a perfect angel newborn that miraculously sleeps throughout the night and doesn't make a peep all day.
Or, she could be over due by 2 weeks, cutting it much closer to your trip. Maybe even have to have a C-section then and will need time to recover physically. The baby could be colicky and be a nightmare for everyone on the trip.
For all the great experiences with a newborn, there are not so great experiences.
I'd go 4 months pregnant or hold off for 4 to 6 months after baby comes.
And I'm not sure if you are all planning on sharing a suite, but no way would I want to share with a newborn. Not on my vacation. Ultimately the choice is theirs, but if it were me I would let them know they would have to get their own room.

 

[MrsIncredible1974]

There is no way I would be planning a vacation for 2 weeks after giving birth. On both occasions I have been +14 days post-delivery I've still been sleep deprived, nowhere near a routine and quite frankly, all over the place emotionally. That said, your DIL may be a super-woman who has amazing powers of recovery and stamina.
I know that 2nd and subsequent babies are normally delivered closer to due dates but if I'd planned a vacation for 2 weeks post due date for DD1 I would have had to cancel as I was still in the delivery suite!
I'd go at 4 months pregnant when hopefully any sickness has passed and energy is high or, postpone until next year.
Even if the parents are looking after the newborn, who is keeping an eye on the older children? Grandma and Grandpa? In that case, their opinion does matter!