Taking 4 MONTH old..what to expect??

[gwtw428]

Hello, we will be taking baby, who will be 4 months at the time of our trip, to Disney. What should we expect? How do we take her on rides? What is the best way to carry her in the park..stroller and/or baby carrier? Also, will the airline let me pack my electric breast pump in my checked luggage and will they let me take on breast milk? Not sure now with the new laws....
This is very new to us so ANY advice is needed and very much appreciated!
Thank you!
Jamie

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Can't help you with the airlines, but do check with your carrier directly. The policies are changing rapidly and you'll want to be certain you've learned the most current ones.

I've taken a tiny baby too! Make sure the stroller is comfortable and capable of providing shade. Don't plan on renting one of those horrid things from the parks! A carrier is nice too, but not necessary.

Appropriate sunscreen and light clothing that covers the baby entirely is important. That includes a HAT and if you can find them, sunglasses on an elastic band to keep them in place.

Bring MUCH water and other beverages for your baby to drink. Little ones dehydrate very fast.

Learn where the baby care centers are in each park. I liked the one in EPCOT the best. MK was ok, and AK was a disappointment (ok, but not nearly as nice as EPCOT's). I never used the one in MGM. They are alongside the first aid centers.

Know when to stop. Babies get tired too.

You'll be limited in what you can take your baby on, attraction wise. Consider using baby swap when you can.

Keep some good cleasing cloths handy. Try to bring everything you need into the park with you. Supplies for babies are available (at the baby care centers) but very expensive.

I found disposable wipes, soap cloths, and bibs to be very helpful.

 

[amarberry]

My DD was 4 months old on her first trip. We had a great time! It was probably the easiest trip we have taken with her because she slept happily in her stroller. No need to rush back to the hotel for bedtime with a 4 month old! Sure, she didn't get into it, but WDW is such a nice place for parents with babies to vacation.

It sounds like you are nursing. The Baby Care Centers are great (with the exception of MGM). At MK and Epcot, the nursing rooms are communal. The rooms have low lights with rocking chairs. At AK and MGM, the nursing rooms are private. I thought that the AK Baby Care Center was the nicest. You actually have your own room to nurse your baby with a changing table. MGM's nursing rooms just have a curtain. I found that Baby Care Center to be very congested and very loud.

I don't know if you are comfortable with public nursing, but I found WDW to be very breastfeeding friendly. I mostly used the nursing rooms (nice quiet and cool break), but we also made use of many secluded benches, dark rides and shows, etc.

I believe that electric pumps are allowed on the plane and I know for certain that breastmilk is. Personally, I didn't haul my expensive and bulky pump with me when we traveled. I ended up buying an Avent Isis handpump to take with when we were traveling and it was perfect for my needs.

As for rides, DD went on everything without a height restriction at 4 mo. We took her on the rides in the Baby Bjorn. In fact, she spent a lot of time in the Bjorn, so I would definitely recommend a baby carrier of some sort.

The only other thing that I would recommend is a Ray Shade for your stroller. We brought a lightweight blanket to drape over the front of DD's stroller when she was sleeping (to keep the sun out of her eyes) and it was such a pain to keep it from blowing off. The Ray Shade attaches to your stroller and you pull it down. Here's a link: http://www.babyuniverse.com/pro/baby/31357/RayShade-Navy.html We bought ours at Babies r Us.

Have a great trip!

 

[sherriczyz]

Oh...you will have a wonderful time! At 4 months you are still in control!!!! I took my daughter when she was 5 months and she was wonderful. They just adjust to whatever you throw at them. If you are traveling by air make sure you feed them a bottle at take off and at landing. The sucking helps their ears. This was the best advise we received! As far as the airline info I'm not sure either...check with your airport/airline.

In the parks there weren't many rides we took the baby on. Any loud noises that our DD heard freaked her out and she would cry. So, we stayed away from taking her on rides. We did get an in-room babysitter for an afternoon...during her naptime. We did this so my husband and I could have some free time at the parks. It was worth every penny! We used the service Disney recommends: Kids Night Out. Just an FYI!!!

As far as the stollers go...I say bring your own...it's worth the hassle! The strollers at the parks are not as comfy and your baby will spend alot of time napping.

All in all if you've been to Disney without kids before...this time it will be at a much slower pace. But you get to enjoy the park in a whole different way.

I bet you'll have a wonderful time...it's a great age to travel with kids...ENJOY it while it lasts!!!!

Have fun

 

[disney-super-mom]

As everyone has already said, babies are great to take to the parks. We took both our boys to DL/DCA when they were babies, and they did wonderfully. Sleep, eat, burp, diaper change, repeat. They were very happy and content. The constant movement of the stroller seemed to relax them, and so they napped often. When they were awake, they were happy because there was so much to see and hear (people, colors, lights, music).

Definately bring your own stroller with a reclining seatback that can lay flat for good naps. We never did use a carrier in the parks.

As far as airport security with liquids, I saw on the news that they made a parent take a drink of the milk or formula out of the bottle before they were allowed through the security checkpoint, but I'm not sure if they're still doing this.

I don't think you'll have a problem getting your breast pump through security, unless the screener is a man, who then would be wondering, "What the heck is this thing?"

 

[drakethib]

My DD was about 4 months old on her first trip.

We were allowed to preboard on Southwest ad checked the stroller at the gate.

We had a great time at WDW but we rembered that our little one nneded downtime so we did not try to stay in the parks for long periods of time.

We did walk alot around the resorts BCV & BWV, POFQ, etc.

We just enjoyed being at WDW and did not feel that we were missing anything by not being in the park every waking minute.

Also, remember there are child care stations in all of the parks which offer changing stations and you can buy baby food or Tylenol,etc. They are godsends.

 

[gwtw428]

Thanks everyone! I am so excited to take my new daughter to Disney! I know we will all have a great time! I just have to remember to take it slow...

Jamie

 

[poohbear1029]

We are going at the end of Oct. when our little guy will be almost 5 mos!!! We are driving though, so the airline thing isnt an issue.

I would suggest that if you are bringing expressed breast milk on the plane, that you bring a small dixie cup or two to pour some off into if they make you taste it. (If they allow that method). Reason being that, as you probably know, once baby - or you in this case, taste from the bottle, it introduces saliva and bacteria from your mouth and will not remain fresh as long. If they let you pour some off into a cup to taste, it will preserve your milk longer!

Have a great trip!

 

[FloridaTeacher]

Park hint - When my boys were babies I would go to the dollar store before we left and pick up a pack of really cheap bathcloths. You can get like a pack of 12 for a couple of bucks.

Then we'd throw a few of 'em into the diaperbag. They were super handy for those baby messes that you end up using a half a dozen diaper wipes for and cheap enough to toss in the trash afterward.

19 days til we're back at Fort Wilderness and WDW!!

 

[rosiebean]

Things I used the most during trip with 6-month-old:

1) Purell
2) Light, big blankie (for nursing)
3) Stroller (never used the carrier), had family to help hold DS, and the stroller came in handy naps and piling everyone's extra stuff in while on rides
4) Two extra sets of clothes in diaper bag (one "warm" set, one "cool" set...we were there in December, and the days started off cool but got really, really warm)
5) Sun hat

Disney is very nursing friendly, and no one really pays attention to you if you choose to nurse in public.

I wasn't sure about nursing DS in the parks (bought my pump, cooler, bottles, etc.), but ended up doing nothing but that. It was so easy! By the end of the trip, I'd nursed DS on out-of-the-way benches, in shows, on rides, standing in line for rides, just about everywhere, always with our blankie tossed over my shoulder. No one, and I mean, no one gave us a second glance, and I was there during a very busy time of the year. I had to actually look for other nursing moms...and they were everywhere! But I was so busy having fun that I never noticed there were so many other nursing mothers, even though I was one of them. Everyone, including some members of my family who are past nursers, usually just thought DS was sleeping when they saw us with the blankie. It was very convenient for DS, and I had a very content baby for the trip.

The stroller was great for DS during naps, and for holding other peoples' stuff (we were there with a large party). Alwasy found my stroller after rides. You should be aware that the strollers are sometimes moved by CMs for traffic flow reasons, but it was usually easy to find the new "parking lot" and our stroller...you may want to tie something visible to your stroller to locate it easily.

Honestly, it was easy taking a 6-month-old to the parks. We took DS on the calm rides, and took turns on the wilder rides. He was very content to nap in his stroller at that point, and he didn't want to get out and walk yet! He was easisly entertained during adult meals. And taking him along forced DH and I to go at a slower pace, which we really enjoyed.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

We took our DS on his first trip when he was 7 1/2 months old and our DD went on her trip when she was 4 1/2 months old! I have to say, those were the two easiest trips yet!

When we went in October, DD was 4 1/2 months old...we brought her on everything without a height restriction! She did GREAT!!! I wouldn't disturb her if she was sleeping, though...

I was exclusively breastfeeding when we went...however, I did take powder formula "just in case". Well, I never needed it! I am very modest when it comes to nursing, so I mostly used the baby care centers at the parks. The only one I didn't try was Animal Kingdom. The worst one was MGM...it was SOOOO SMALL and only had TWO breastfeeding rooms! When I wasn't near a baby care center and DD needed to nurse, I just took her into a bathroom stall or a dark ride to nurse her. Reason being, she NEVER liked anything covering her. If I nursed her in public, she would push up my shirt up to my neck so EVERYONE could see EVERYTHING!!! I was really uncomfortable with that! She wouldn't even let me cover her with a blanket. So for me, it was just easier to go somewhere PRIVATE. However, if I could have, I would have nursed her EVERYWHERE!!!! There are so many nice, quiet benches at the parks that are perfect for nursing.

You will have a WONDERFUL time. And if you are taking your pump, I suggest getting an Advent Isis pump...it's a hand pump, but works GREAT. Trust me...I also had a Medella Pump in Style and this worked just as good.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TRIP!!!!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

We took our 4 month old in May and it was the perfect timing. Wouldn't have been nearly as easy even a month later.

I carried on the breast pump (the guy at the x-ray did ask what it was and had a woman come over to verify), and the planes will let you carry on a reasonable amount of breast milk (and baby food and formula) if you actually have a baby with you (I just called about that a week or so ago).

Definitely bring your own stroller. You can walk it right up to the door of the plane and then they take it. It will be right there again when you get off the plane. Couldn't be easier.

The Ray-shade others have mentioned is a must-have!

You probably have a good idea about what you need to bring into the parks in your diaper bag. As far as dehydration, we found that DS took smaller bottles more times a day while we were there.

My MUST-DO tip is this--be at Toon Town when it opens and head right to where Mickey is (not in the big tent where the other characters are). We go pictures with Mickey that I think will be the custest of his entire life!

 

[puffkin]

We took our son one week shy of 3 months old. He went on everything that didn't have a height restriction. The only thing that wasn't mentioned was a clip on fan for the stroller. We used ours all the time. I got it on Ebay.