Bringing a newborn to the parks...has anyone done this?

[Sooze]

My youngest was 7 weeks old the first time we took the kids and it was Christmas week, so MEGA crowds. Plus, we drove from Detroit. Plus we stayed offsite in a KOA cabin. The other kids were 4 1/2 and 7.

The baby was easy - nursing her every three hours ensured that we paced the drive nicely. The sling and our own stroller were very convenient - in fact, I hauled the pack 'n' play all that way and then didn't use it because she ended up sleeping in her stroller which we parked right beside our bed every night.

However - I think a month or less is pushing it a bit. You do have to consider your own post-partum condition; I had my six week checkup before we went and was pretty much back to normal, but if this is your first you don't really know what it's going to be like. That first month is so overwhelming to begin with, the added "excitement" may be a little much. A Disney vacation is very physical - lots of walking, heat, etc.

Also, the pediatrician had given his blessing too - baby was healthy, gaining, had had her first set of vaccinations. Because most OTC drugs like Tylenol, Triaminic etc. don't list dosages for babies that young he'd given me the dosages for her weight just before we left, just in case.

A trip plan is essential - schedule lots of down time. Also prepare yourself mentally for staying back at the resot if needed and possibly "missing out".

The other kids will still be adjusting to their new sibling - they may find that WDW with new baby is more "intrusive" than being home with new baby because everyone's moving slower, there's more stuff to carry, mom and dad are preoccupied with how heat is affecting baby, etc.

If delaying your trip (even by a few weeks) isn't in the cards, you may want to proceed "as if" but leave yourself the room to change plans - i.e. book room only so that you can cancel without penalty, etc. And let the other kids know that nothing is certain until it's certain.

This is great, thorough advice!! At first I thought 'sure... infants are easy to tote around'... but then I remembered the 7 short months ago when I had a month-old baby... I was a tired, cranky MESS!! The thought of going to Disney and dealing with the baby CIRCUS sounded frightening! I know lots of people have done it, but it doesn't sound appealing to me!

I also thought the advice of moving UP the trip was good. Sure, you can't ride many rides as a pregnant lady, but you won't be riding any as a 1 month old mommy either! At least you can focus on making the trip special for the other kids.

Good luck! Let us know what you find out!

 

[Miz Diz]

My 2 cents - which will get you, well - nothing....
August is too hot for a 1 month old. Even taking the weather out of the factor consider this - you don't know what will happen - you could deliver 2 weeks late, you could end up getting a c-section, which should not be doing extensive Disney walking after 4 weeks if that happens - you're not even supposed to drive a car for at least 6 weeks after a csection. Your pediatrician will probably recommend that you not have the baby out in crowds with exposure to so many germs until the baby is at least 6 weeks. My dr actually said 2 months, try not to take the baby out in public too much - depends on how conservative your doc is.
As far as planning before the baby is born - make sure you get trip insurance. Again - you don't know what will happen. You could end up on bed rest or have bad swelling. My first baby, I was put on a modified bed rest at 7 months - could go to work, but then had to lay down from the time I got home, no walking around & feet had to be kept propped up. I had edema pretty bad. My 2nd, I could not travel long distances after 5 months because of swelling.

 

[smiller]

I went with the whole family in the heat of September: 5 adults, 3 year-old niece, and 7 week-old nephew. I agree with the previous posters that you need to be very aware of your condition and how you will be feeling. My sister had a C-section and had to take it a bit easy. Thankfully we had enough adults to take care of the two kids so no one got too worn out. My nephew managed just fine and had a good time! We were going on the assumption that if something happened, we'd just cancel the trip (the remainder of our deposit was due the day after the delivery date!). We all had a good, easy-going attitude and we had a good experience bringing the little one along. (Keep him/her covered from the sun, but no sunblock until they're 1 year old!)

 

[Belleoftheboard]

I have to go with the 'nay' group.

Part of the problem is, you just don't know how things are going to be for you or the baby at that point. Maybe you'll get lucky and have an 'easy birth' (oxymoron right there!) and an 'easy' baby where it would be a pleasant experience. However, your baby could be like mine and have the worst case of colic that lasts not weeks, but MONTHS. If we had tried to do Disney a month into the whole baby thing we would have been miserable (and so would have the people staying in rooms around us, hearing our son scream non stop day and night).

Plus, as a pp mentioned having a baby for the first time is so overwhelming--you have no idea until you do it first hand. I think the idea of trying to go before the baby while you're still pregnant is the best idea yet. Plus, I think the August heat for a newborn is dangerous.

 

[ZoZo]

I also vote "no." There's just no way to tell ahead of time how you're going to be feeling. I (a 44-year-old!) have trouble with the heat, sun, and humidity, and can't imagine consigning a baby to a hot snugli for the whole trip.

I would say that if there's any way to change the date of your trip (either in the spring, before the baby is born) or after the first of the year, I would do it. You could all (including the kids) have a miserable trip otherwise.

 

[annakris1973]

As a neonatal intensive care nurse, I also side with the "nay" group. Infants under the age of 4 months do not have the ability to thermoregulate as efficiantly as the rest of us. They dehydrate 5x faster. Keep in mind that you WILL dehydrate in some degree in August at WDW. This will affect your breast milk, which will in turn affect the baby. While a breastfeeding infant benifits from the immunity passed through mother's milk, baby will not have an immune system capable of fighting the types of viruses and bacteria that you can come in contact with in the public arena for many months, even up to a year. Also, keep in mind that baby would not have had any vaccinations either. We all know that WDW is an international tourist attraction, which means contact with people who don't follow the same (if any) vaccination programs that we do here in the US. It is also a health concern for you, as well. Until you are released from your doctor at 6 weeks, you are not supposed to drive, do any extended walking, or activity or lift anything heavier than the baby. Plus, you are going to be flat-out-tired! All those midnight, 2, 4 and 7 oclock feedings add up! The first month with a newborn is a lesson in daily survival. Even though you don't want to hear it, if there is a baby on the way I would highly suggest that you postpone your trip- even up to a year. I would not recommend trying to tackle Disney during your last trimester with two small kids in tow. Most OB/GYN's will highly discourage any air travel in the last trimester, anyway. Plus, you wouldn't want to be away from home, in case something were to go wrong, ie. preterm labor/delivery.

If baby is on the way, congrats! Embrace this time, and focus on your family. WDW will be there waiting, I promise!

 

[Anastasia]

Another nay here!

I have three children. None of them was sleeping even remotely regularly at one month. This could be absolutely miserable for all of you. The lack of sleep was the most difficult part of having babies for me. (I like my sleep!)

I can't imagine taking a child out in that horrible heat. Sunscreen is not recommended at that age. It would be awfully hot in that snuggli.

As others have said, your first baby can be overwhelming. Physically, you are still recovering when your baby is one month old. Also, what if you are late delivering. You do not need all of that stress at that time.

I agree about changing the dates of the trip. We rarely tell our kids about big plans like a vacation until shortly before. They get so disappointed when plans have to change. If you tell the kids now that you have to change the trip dates, they will probably get over it before the baby comes. If however, you plan the trip and have to cancel it at the last minute because of things not going according to plan, they will be even more upset.