Work trip to Hawaii -- wwyd?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i would your hubby and kid to hawaii. no better time to travel than while they're still portable. we flew a ton in my daughter's first year of life and suffered no horribly ill effects of jet lag.

I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't do this! I actually had a yearly trip to Hawaii for 8 years (the conference changed significantly over the years and I no longer go). While I had kids after I stopped attending the conference, every single one of my colleagues who had kids brought theirs and tacked on a few extra days before or after. Several people brought nannies so mom and dad could have some time off (or maybe your parents would come out?).

If your baby is still taking multiple naps a day, the time change won't be that bad. There are things you can do to make it better and you've got plenty of time to investigate that. I would not, however, make baby have a five hour flight then drop her off with grandparents. That may be a great idea for future trips with an older child, but not this time. Too disruptive to the baby and unfair. She would do better in her own space and you'd be making the trip harder on yourself, too.

Go, take hubby and baby, and enjoy yourself. If the time change wreaks havoc, it's not like your husband has to get up and go to work - he can nap when baby naps and enjoy the scenery! But be sure to give him some breaks when you can. If you really can't do this, look up ways to pump on the road. It's hard but many moms have done it and do it lots.

Have fun!

[Anonymous]

I doubt your 9 month old would have much stranger anxiety with the grandparents. I remember at that age my son would pretty much go with whomever! The total freakouts started later. I can't remember when, but it was definitely after a year.

[Anonymous]

I would leave your child with the grandparents if you think they are up to it, and go on a trip with your husband! Just pump and see what happens. If you keep up with it, the supply will continue when you get back, even if it falls off track for a little bit.

[Anonymous]

If you leave him with his grandparents, the baby will mourn you and your hubby as if you've died and be scarred for life.

I'm kidding, but where are all the posters from the other thread who said leaving your baby for a work trip is like child abuse? The lady wanted to leave her baby with the nanny and she was trashed. Would she have been better off if it was with grandparents the kid had never met? Or was it because the child was older, even though a nine-month-old knows who mom and dad is.

[Anonymous]

Take the family and have a vacation. Are you not planning on traveling with your kid? Now is as good as any to start.

[Anonymous]

I'd take the baby and husband to HI! We went last fall with our 14 month old, and it was lovely. The time change was a little hard, but not that bad - napped or chilled when we needed to, were awake at reasonable hours.

[Anonymous]

If DH isn't coming I would leave the baby at home with him.

[Anonymous]

Either taking the baby and husband or dropping baby off with grandparents seem fine. Leaving baby with dh seems fine too.

You do NOT have to pump and dump. You can pump and bring back every precious ounce (or ship on dry ice). I've done it twice in the last couple of months, bringing back several hundred ounces!

But in any event, GO. It really is good for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely would leave him with the grandparents. What a great bonding time with them. Stay a day or 2, get him adjusted and be on your way to HI!

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on your baby and how long you are going for. I would either leave the baby at home with daddy or go as a family together. At 9 months, my baby was pretty clingy and had stranger anxiety and would not have been happy getting dropped off with someone whom she hasn't seen in awhile, but again that's just me. I actually went to Hawaii last yr when my baby was 3 months old but she was pretty portable and slept during most of the flight. Jet lag didn't really impact her. I brought my toddler with me as well and her sleep did get messed up a little bit since she had a more consistent sleep schedule. Just something to think about if you are going on a short trip as it does take a day or 2 to get over the jet lag and then you have to deal with it coming back.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone for your input. The other wrinkle is that we'll be going to CA to be with the grandparents for a week or so at Christmastime. If I went to HI in November I'm sure they would love the extra time with the baby and can totally handle it on their own. I'm all for traveling with the little one, but do I really need to haul the baby 3000 miles twice in two months? Hawaii or no, it just sounds exhausting.

[Anonymous]

Any chance your parents might want to come to Hawaii with you and husband? Give you time to nurse the baby, be around family, but still work. And then take some extra time for a super fun trip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9 months is also a good time to wean. You could start a little while before you go and use this as an opportunity to make the change.

Why? She is 3 months from making it to a year. Almost at the goal line! It can be done OP. Don't let a work trip be the cause of you stopping to nurse, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone for your input. The other wrinkle is that we'll be going to CA to be with the grandparents for a week or so at Christmastime. If I went to HI in November I'm sure they would love the extra time with the baby and can totally handle it on their own. I'm all for traveling with the little one, but do I really need to haul the baby 3000 miles twice in two months? Hawaii or no, it just sounds exhausting.

Go, it will be good for everyone! If you leave your DC in CA with grandparents, it will only make the xmas trip that much better, they will have established a relationship and your little one will be less clingy while you are there too so you can enjoy both trips. If you take the family to HI you will likely have a great time too. Traveling with an infant is not easy, but it is not impossible and gets easier every time. You all get better at it

[Anonymous]

Hawaii is awesome, but all the watersports and hiking aren't things a baby can really appreciate. My MIL would say leave baby with the grandparents (of course!) My own parents have too many health problems to handle it full time - consider yourself lucky that they are in good enough shape to do this. Life is short, take your DH to Hawaii!