Traveling with a 6-week old: Am I being too optimistic?

[AZpharmacist]

I went to San Francisco with my 5 week old for 4 days. I found the trip to be very easy with sightseeing. I did however exclusively breast feed and took the baby everywhere with me.

That being said, I can't imagine doing disney with such a small child in the heat. It would be exhausting. I don't know that I would enjoy it

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

I haven't read the thread replies but me personally...I think 6 weeks may be a little young for all the crowd exposure

I chose to vaccinate my children (a totally personal choice, I realize) and my pedi recommends waiting AT LEAST 8 weeks to travel with babe. This way at least (should, you chose to vax your kiddos) you have at least a few rounds of vax in them.

I had a friend who took their extremely young newborn to Disneyland (like weeks old) and their poor babe ended up with meningitis. Coincidence? Perhaps...but after that and seeing what they went through I error on the side of caution.

If it's at all possible to wait a bit longer (we took our oldest when she was 14 weeks and had a great time!) everyone might have a better time

Good luck!

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Hello all. My wife and I have been planning a trip for our family (nothing booked yet) tentatively for August. My wife is due June 29 with our second child, so he would be about 6 weeks old for our trip. We would be flying from Oklahoma, staying about 7 days and getting 5 day hoppers. We're also planning on bringing my mom to act as a "babysitter" for when my wife, daughter (almost 5 at that time) and I want to go on rides together, stay in the park later, etc.

So... are we being too optimistic? When I was telling my dad about the idea, his first reaction was "Are you going to enjoy it?" and that has me worried now. Originally, we had planned on trying to go in February again (went in 2013 and loved the low crowds, weather, etc), but the wife won't have enough time off saved up after taking maternity leave this summer, so we thought we'd take the trip while she was on maternity leave.

Just looking for some opinions, thanks.

Congratulations! You will have a blast! We started taking DD when she was 2 months and DS was almost 3. She was not an easy baby in general but the Pixie dust in the air made her absolutely calm. Maybe that's why we started going all the time! With how busy DL always is now, I think the hardest age to take would be about 15 mo-2 yrs - when they can walk and want to walk but will get trampled and tired and overwhelmed. A teeny baby is easy and you'll have lots of hands to hold her! I didn't know about the baby centers, and never did use them; I'd just nurse her on Pirates or HM...really any dark ride.

 

[MommyMissy]

We have done this twice, once when my 3rd child was 6 weeks old and once when my 4th was 10 weeks old. My sister came along and helped with the baby when needed. I nurse my babies but it was very easy to do in the park. As others have stated there are great baby care stations in both parks but I also was comfortable nursing wherever we were in the park. It is definitely do-able and with 5 days you would have more than enough time to relax and take your time. I believe a good baby carrier is a necessity so you (or whoever is holding the baby can be hands free. No need to even take baby out on most attractions. Also it prevents others from getting to close. 6 weeks is really such an easy time for most babies, and they will tend to sleep just as easy at the parks as anywhere else. I say if your wife is on board go for it.
In the first picture my sister is holding my 6 week old daughter In the 2nd she is holding my 10 week old in the carrier (she doesn't live near us so she wants them as much as possible!)

 

[MommyMissy]

Congratulations! You will have a blast! We started taking DD when she was 2 months and DS was almost 3. She was not an easy baby in general but the Pixie dust in the air made her absolutely calm. Maybe that's why we started going all the time! With how busy DL always is now, I think the hardest age to take would be about 15 mo-2 yrs - when they can walk and want to walk but will get trampled and tired and overwhelmed. A teeny baby is easy and you'll have lots of hands to hold her! I didn't know about the baby centers, and never did use them; I'd just nurse her on Pirates or HM...really any dark ride.

I completely agree, we have done this age too and it is not the most fun. Would you believe the year we went when kids were 1, 3, 4 we actually cut our trip short by a half day, it was just too tiring?! More tiring than when I had 4 kids 10 wks, 2 1/2, 4, & 6!

 

[bethy]

I took my 8 week old third child in July a couple of years ago. We had to fly and it was a six day trip, etc.

I figured that as a seasoned Disneyland vet and also a seasoned and fairly laid back mom I would be golden. I'd just wear the baby the whole time and I was nursing and so no bottles to deal with, etc.

It was our hardest trip EVER! I was blown away. It turns out my third child was a much higher maintenance baby than my first 2.

The trip was hardest on my other kids. They didn't get to do half the things they expected to do while there. We spent a lot of time in the room.

And then I was exhausted and stressed out by then and wasn't a very pleasant mom to be around.

But if you have an easy baby and with your mom there it could go better. There is just no way of knowing for sure.

 

[kitntrip]

At 6 weeks, I wouldn't do it. When I had my second, my oldest was turning 4 yrs and my lochia took forever to stop, at least 8 weeks. I didn't have the time to rest after having baby, so it just kept going. Plus, baby could come late, and be younger then 6 weeks, or could come early and you'll have possible preemie issues to deal with. Add in the heat/humidity and I would have been a mess. Plus my second was the complete opposite in temperament of my 1st and extremely high needs. Just thinking about going with him as a 6 wk old makes me want to cry lol.

 

[Xenorye]

Thanks again to everyone for all the replies. You gave us a lot to think about. One thing we (surprisingly) hadn't considered is the exposure to the crowds and the fact that the baby will likely not have had that first round of a whooping cough vaccine yet, so thank you to the person who posted that.

We're not too concerned with my wife spending a lot of time changing the baby's diaper as we're a progressive family and we all would pitch in. Nursing also won't be an issue as it's not an option for us, so the baby will be bottle-fed. So it really comes down to the exposure, and how my wife is feeling about six weeks after delivery.

A daddy/daughter trip isn't a possibility because I could not bear to leave my wife at home. Vacations aren't necessarily a yearly (or more frequent) thing for us, so it's a big deal when we splurge on travel.

 

[starshine514]

Thanks again to everyone for all the replies. You gave us a lot to think about. One thing we (surprisingly) hadn't considered is the exposure to the crowds and the fact that the baby will likely not have had that first round of a whooping cough vaccine yet, so thank you to the person who posted that.

I'll be 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and my OB gave me a whooping cough vaccine a few weeks ago. I was told that having it before the baby was born would allow the baby to benefit from the vaccine (and inherit immunity until it could be vaccinated) and that it was now recommended that women have it each pregnancy (even if they were not due for their 10-year booster). Do your research and decide for yourself, but perhaps it may not be a deciding factor...

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant/whooping-cough/get-vaccinated.html

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Disneyland with a small infant is so fun and easy! If you hold off and go when it's a little cooler but the Baby is still young it'll be a great trip. When we took our daughter at 14 weeks it was easy!!! I nursed anywhere I could and changed diapers in my stroller (on a large changing mat). She slept a lot and we had lots of willing hands that wanted to hold her.

Now going she she was 15 mis and me being 30 weeks pregnant...totally different story. Lol. Still had a great time. But it was work!

 

[Xenorye]

I'll be 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and my OB gave me a whooping cough vaccine a few weeks ago. I was told that having it before the baby was born would allow the baby to benefit from the vaccine (and inherit immunity until it could be vaccinated) and that it was now recommended that women have it each pregnancy (even if they were not due for their 10-year booster). Do your research and decide for yourself, but perhaps it may not be a deciding factor...

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant/whooping-cough/get-vaccinated.html

Interesting, I have not heard about this. I'll bring it up to the wife. Thanks for the link.

 

[mom2rtk]

On our last trip we had a family staying in the next room with a baby. It woke me up several mornings at 5 AM.

On behalf of whomever will be staying in the room next to yours........ please wait for an older age.

If that baby next door had been waking me up more than once per night, there would have been some serious words exchanged.

 

[At Least Many]

I definitely agree with the 15m-2y ages being more difficult. We took my then 14mo dd and it was tough. She had just king and hated having to be carried/strollered all the time. Plus she was in a more set schedule and wasn't very flexible.

 

[BadRomance]

We just got back from a trip with our almost 2 year old... She wasn't horrible, but she was much better and I think enjoyed the park more when we took her on her first birthday. This trip we rode the carousel 14+ times and skipped out on fireworks because apparently she is terrified of them now?

I think a non walker baby is much easier to do Disneyland with than a toddler.. However, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near crowds or heat or any potential stressful environment 6 weeks after giving birth. It actually makes me shudder... And I had an easy recovery but a very colicky newborn.

The pp that mentioned hotel room noise made me remember that we lived in a condo when our first was a newborn and had noisy neighbors who would come home and slam their door (inevitable with apartment living and with hotels) and wake up the baby every time. You can't control noise from others potentially waking up the baby and I would be stressed about not getting enough rest and waking up the neighbors etc. but that's just me.

I would wait until 6 months- 12 months. But I say it's totally up to your wife.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

If you book it, get trip insurance. And 2 hotel rooms. Your wife might have stitches or something that would still be causing her pain at 6 weeks. I know I was still miserable 6 weeks after. And I don't think it would be a good trip if all 4 of you were in a room with a newborn who cries at least once in the night.

 

[Disneymom83]

I wouldn't do it quite that soon. I took my then 3 month old ams that's the youngest I would take. At 6 weeks you're still recovering from delivery. I know personally I didn't have 100% energy back by 6 weeks for that much activity. My daughter is now 8 months and I don't think I was able to be out for an extended period till she was 2-3 months. Not to mention frequent feedings and if she's breastfeeding, very frequent pumping because your body produces much more milk than the baby eats. Due to it not being regulated yet.

 

[bethy]

Yes one of the most stressful things for me was worrying about the neighbors being bothered by my fussy baby. I was terrified at all times about it.

That said, I doubt the baby would have obediently quieted right down if the neighbor had marched over in the middle of the night and had "words" with us.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes one of the most stressful things for me was worrying about the neighbors being bothered by my fussy baby. I was terrified at all times about it.

That said, I doubt the baby would have obediently quieted right down if the neighbor had marched over in the middle of the night and had "words" with us.

The "words" would not have been an attempt to reason with a 6 week old.

It would have been to let the parents know how inconsiderate they were to put their own entertainment and desire to visit a theme park over the concerns of fellow travelers. It's not like it comes as a shock that 6 week old babies cry at night. Quite the contrary, I think it's natural and should be anticipated.

If the parents have family in the area to stay with, then I don't care one bit if they go to Disney. I would not have been ready at 6 weeks, but if they want to try it, more power to them. But to likely interrupt the sleep of others for something unnecessary would just be thoughtless and rude.

 

[Xenorye]

The "words" would not have been an attempt to reason with a 6 week old.

It would have been to let the parents know how inconsiderate they were to put their own entertainment and desire to visit a theme park over the concerns of fellow travelers. It's not like it comes as a shock that 6 week old babies cry at night. Quite the contrary, I think it's natural and should be anticipated.

If the parents have family in the area to stay with, then I don't care one bit if they go to Disney. I would not have been ready at 6 weeks, but if they want to try it, more power to them. But to likely interrupt the sleep of others for something unnecessary would just be thoughtless and rude.

Not to stir the pot or anything, but would it make you feel better to embarrass the parents like that? What would you have expected them to do at that point? Pack up and go home?

 

[mom2rtk]

Not to stir the pot or anything, but would it make you feel better to embarrass the parents like that? What would you have expected them to do at that point? Pack up and go home?

Of course not.

But maybe they'd start considering the impact their actions are having on other travelers. Maybe when they are in line and the baby starts crying, they decide to leave the line and come back when it settles down. Maybe they hold off on other leisure travel until the baby is older and not expected to be up crying several times a night. Which, once again, is fine if they are staying with family in the area and not in close proximity with others staying in a hotel.