Planning an Overseas Trip with Your Baby?

Are you’re planning an overseas trip with your baby, but are considering waiting until they are a little older? To make life easier for you, your baby, and your partner, consider doing it in the fist six months of their life.

Having a baby is a monumental life change and when you look down at your tiny, helpless child in their crib, the thought of travelling overseas with them can seem completely overwhelming. Taking off with a new born under your arm, as a first time parent, is probably not recommended. But allowing yourself a few months to get used to your new way of life before heading off might be the smartest thing you’ve done.

Here’s why going overseas before your baby is six months old, is a great idea.

1. By the time they get to six months, it’s not just breast or bottle. That’s right, your baby will have started solid food. While this can be managed while travelling, with commercially produced baby food, it is still a messy, time consuming and somewhat challenging time for both parents and baby. Going overseas before they reach this milestone will mean it is one less thing to think about.
2. Most babies don’t move independently prior to six months. Some babies will roll, very few will be able to crawl by six months, so it’s much easier to keep an eye on your bub when they are stationary. A resort-style beach holiday is still completely viable when you’re baby isn’t mobile – a good shade tent and a place to feed is all you need.
3. In this small window air travel is easy with babies. By eight to 12 weeks a baby’s lungs have matured enough to cope with any germs circulating in recycled air conditioning systems used on aeroplanes. They will have started their routine immunisations so will have started building their own immune systems. But the clincher – they’ll still be small enough to fit in the airline-provided bassinet.
4. Unless you are travelling to a third world country, you’ll be able to access everything you use at home – formula and nappies being the main things you’ll need.
5. You will pay very little (if anything at all) for their flight. Some international airlines charge 10 per cent of an adult fare, but this varies. If you consider that two years down the track you’ll be paying full fare for your little one, it’s financially worth it. Most accommodation won’t charge extra to provide a cot, so your accommodation expense won’t increase either.
6. Little babies bring people together. Go out walking with your baby and you’ll be guaranteed to meet the locals. It’s a wonderful way to start a conversation with a stranger, but you’ll probably find that locals will approach you wanting to talk and coo at your baby. Invest in a good baby carrier that you and your partner feel comfortable with, this will make a big difference on your back and your babies comfort and easier on crowded streets than a stroller.
7. If you’ve gone away over night with your baby, then you can totally manage a trip overseas. What ever you need for one night away is the same as what you’ll need no matter how long or how far away you can go. Don’t let the organising be a barrier, or you’ll never go anywhere.

So if you want to travel overseas with your baby, and have managed to get out of the house (even for a coffee) then you’ll have no problems with an overseas trip.