Baby’s First Holiday

 

There is a lot of advice thrown at new parents by friends, family, neighbours, strangers on the street (of course! so many people have been-there-done-that and are full of nuggets of info). It’s part and parcel of having a baby to learn to filter out the useful advice from the random drivel.

One thing that the husband and I carefully listened to was advice relating to travel, and on keeping a healthy holiday life active with a little one in tow. We were told repeatedly that contrary to how daunting it may appear at the time, the New Born phase is the best time to travel. In fact, if mother and baby are healthy airlines allow travel for a baby as small as two weeks.

While we didn’t venture out that young, a mere three and a half months after Baby H, Dadda & Mumma set eyes on each other, the blissfully happy (and mostly sleep deprived) trio was off for their first vacation to the sunny climes of Goa.

Today with almost three years, and more than half a dozen family holidays under our belts, I can safely say that going for a holiday in those first few months is one of the best things we did!

If you’re still thinking about to-go or not-to-go, then consider these reasons why sooner is better than later.

• Smaller babies don’t need to be entertained for the duration of the flight/journey. They’re barely awake, come on! Eat, burp, poo/pee, sleep, and repeat. You don’t need to worry about food. Milk, whether breast milk or formula, is definitely the easiest and most accessible feed to give – ask any mum of a fussy eating toddler. Once they start solids, a majority of your holiday planning revolves around what where and how the kid will eat.

• It’s economical. Airlines don’t charge a ticket for infants up to two years. There is a nominal charge to be paid (on domestic flights it is around INR 800–1000 all inclusive).

• You’re not elbowing for space on the aircraft. The fact that you’re not paying for the ticket also means you don’t get a seat, unless the flight is empty. This works great with a babe-in-arms, but not so good with a hyper active 18 month to 23 month old who needs space, space and more space. (Pro-tip—block an aisle and window seat for yourself and daddy. If the flight isn’t overbooked, you can get the middle seat empty. If someone is booked on the seat, they are normally happy to swap with your window/aisle and let you both sit together).

• No toddler tantrums! Babies will only cry for food or sleep, not because they want to watch more cartoon shows, or their favourite toy is packed away in the checked-in luggage, or they dropped a straw at the airport while you were running to make it to the plane, or just because it’s cranky time! Phew.. toddlers are a handful.

• They go where you go securely in your arms, or in a carrier, or a stroller. Sightseeing, or lazing on the beach, or eating at restaurants – it’s all much easier when you don’t have to run behind them.

• The first few months are quite tough for the family. Mommy is healing from the medical miracle of heaving a human out of her body, baby is adjusting to well.. to being alive, and daddy is dealing with mommy’s hormones, baby’s colic and the abysmally low amount of paternity leaves he had. A break during this time is perhaps the most needed—just to maintain everyone’s sanity!

That first trip was deeply cherished by the husband and me (and we hope Baby H too!). I’m really glad that in the midst of the daze that defines the first few weeks of welcoming a mini-human into our lives, we made sure to plan a holiday with the little bub.

What has your infant travel experience been? When did you first take the bub out?

 

 

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