Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is your concern traveling with a newborn, or the possible germs?

I had to travel with a 10 day old baby. Ten hour trip, split into two days -- after a c-section. Not even a little bit enjoyable, but still doable.

My concern is both since I, too, will be having a csection. From what I've been told by everyone around me ("in real life") - his mother, his sisters, my mother, etc. - this really isn't a big deal. They're all telling me that, if all goes well, by 7 weeks I'll be healed from the section, the baby will still be in super sleepy mode and will travel well in the car, and that I'll just manage the germs by telling anyone who is sniffling, etc. to back off. Nobody else seems to think it's at all a big deal.

I do plan to breastfeed so I'd prefer not to send DH and DC alone since it's for 3 nights. I'm not at all against formula feeding, I just want to give breastfeeding a shot.

To the PP who had the smallish baby despite being tall herself (and her husband being tall), was growth restriction in utero (IUGR) ever diagnosed? Were you ever told while pregnant that the baby was measuring small for his / her gestational age? Did anything special have to be done once your DC was born? NICU stay? Special formula feeding? Etc.? We're similarly baffled in hearing our baby is going to be small since I was born over 8 lbs, DH was born over 7 lbs, I'm 5'7 and my husband is 6'2 and I have a normal to curvy build (DH is very thin an has to work extra hard to put on muscle and absolutely cannot put on fat). Thanks!

Or, you could get "lucky" and have one of those babies who was never really in super sleepy mode and hates to travel in the car! If I were in your shoes, knowing what I know now, I would ask my husband to make a compromise--let's not make a decision about the trip until after the baby is born. There are too many wild cards here.

Anonymous wrote:OP is your concern traveling with a newborn, or the possible germs?

I had to travel with a 10 day old baby. Ten hour trip, split into two days -- after a c-section. Not even a little bit enjoyable, but still doable.

My concern is both since I, too, will be having a csection. From what I've been told by everyone around me ("in real life") - his mother, his sisters, my mother, etc. - this really isn't a big deal. They're all telling me that, if all goes well, by 7 weeks I'll be healed from the section, the baby will still be in super sleepy mode and will travel well in the car, and that I'll just manage the germs by telling anyone who is sniffling, etc. to back off. Nobody else seems to think it's at all a big deal.

I do plan to breastfeed so I'd prefer not to send DH and DC alone since it's for 3 nights. I'm not at all against formula feeding, I just want to give breastfeeding a shot.

To the PP who had the smallish baby despite being tall herself (and her husband being tall), was growth restriction in utero (IUGR) ever diagnosed? Were you ever told while pregnant that the baby was measuring small for his / her gestational age? Did anything special have to be done once your DC was born? NICU stay? Special formula feeding? Etc.? We're similarly baffled in hearing our baby is going to be small since I was born over 8 lbs, DH was born over 7 lbs, I'm 5'7 and my husband is 6'2 and I have a normal to curvy build (DH is very thin an has to work extra hard to put on muscle and absolutely cannot put on fat). Thanks!

OP is your concern traveling with a newborn, or the possible germs?

I had to travel with a 10 day old baby. Ten hour trip, split into two days -- after a c-section. Not even a little bit enjoyable, but still doable.

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is due in October. In addition to my generalist OB, we've seen two perinatologists about possible growth restriction (apparent DC is just constitutionally small, thank goodness, and will be born hopefully full term but very tiny, which is rather odd since none of us are tiny or were tiny babies). In any event, DH is insistent we travel to upstate NY for Thanksgiving to see his family (about 7 hours from where we live without traffic) when DC will be approximately 7 weeks old (assuming he goes full term). While I don't think driving 7 hours with a 7 week old is ideal under any circumstances, I've given in. We will be staying with and in close quarters with about 15 people, two of whom are 11 and 12 year old boys. I'm not sure if they get flu shots or not, but our DC will only be 7 weeks and will not have received his flu shots yet. Am I out of line to be stressing this? Should I push the ped to give the flu shots early? I'm just concerned given that our DC will already be so tiny. Thoughts?

No matter the size of your baby, this is a terrible, terrible idea. Terrible. Your DH needs to get a clue. He needs to understand that his #1 priority going forward is the well-being of his child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never mind flu season. I would never even consider suggesting someone else get a vaccine they normally wouldn't. If it's that much of an issue for you, you stay home. You are going to their house, they aren't coming to yours.

You won't feel like making this trip with a 7 week old. Let your hubby go, and you can stay home in the peace and quiet.

Better yet, if you're planning to formula feed, have hubby go and take the baby with him. That way, you can get some rest, and DH can learn first hand why so many people advise against trips like this.

If you aren't willing to do that, I'd definitely make DH do most of the trip logistics. Don't get guilted into doing them because you are on maternity leave. DH needs to learn how much harder things are with a baby. If he does everything and still thinks its all a piece of a cake, you've got a real winner and you should never let him go!

Oh please! You know mothers who formula feed are just as attached to their newborns as moms who don't??! Don't make it sound so easy to just send the newborn off. Ridiculous.

Having said that, if you have the luxury of time , split the trip in two and go if you feel up to it come thanksgiving time. I wouldn't worry so much about getms

Anonymous wrote:Never mind flu season. I would never even consider suggesting someone else get a vaccine they normally wouldn't. If it's that much of an issue for you, you stay home. You are going to their house, they aren't coming to yours.

You won't feel like making this trip with a 7 week old. Let your hubby go, and you can stay home in the peace and quiet.

Better yet, if you're planning to formula feed, have hubby go and take the baby with him. That way, you can get some rest, and DH can learn first hand why so many people advise against trips like this.

If you aren't willing to do that, I'd definitely make DH do most of the trip logistics. Don't get guilted into doing them because you are on maternity leave. DH needs to learn how much harder things are with a baby. If he does everything and still thinks its all a piece of a cake, you've got a real winner and you should never let him go!

Start with ped - they just may tell you not to go.

I had a c-section and this would have been no big deal. Everyone is different.

Anonymous wrote:I'd skip the trip. Why'd you give in?

+1

Never mind flu season. I would never even consider suggesting someone else get a vaccine they normally wouldn't. If it's that much of an issue for you, you stay home. You are going to their house, they aren't coming to yours.

You won't feel like making this trip with a 7 week old. Let your hubby go, and you can stay home in the peace and quiet.

Anonymous wrote:No way should you go. Tell DH you have reconsidered--better yet, have the perinatologist and any peds you interview tell him.

Is setting boundaries with the ILs a larger problem? Or does DH just need a smack in the head about newborn reality? I would highly recommend taking a baby care class together.

+1000

After my vaginal delivery, I was in pain for MONTHs. If my DH had suggested a 15 minute trip to the store I might have divorced him, let alone a 7 hour drive.

Anonymous wrote:My pedi is willing to give the 8w/2month shots at 6w...definitely try for that.

Do get your DH to ask your family to get their boosters/flu shots. Don't let people hold the baby, wear him or her in carrier mostly.

It all probably will be fine, but I understand and share your anxiety over such things.

We had a small-ish baby (5 lb 12 oz, I am 5'11" and dh is 6'1...baby was due right on his due date, so we were all puzzled). Docs gave the 8 week shots at 6 weeks without even a discussion about when to give them.

I think the issue is more the logistics of traveling with a 7 week old than the germs issue and I say that as someone who most would probably describe as a germophobe. When my oldest DC was 7 weeks my brother got married and I had to fly with DC. I asked the pediatrician if we should wait until he had his 8 week shots and she unequivocally said no. Obviously if someone is sick they shouldn't be around the baby and I think it's completely reasonable to ask that everyone have the flu shot AND a pertussis booster before you come. I'd also ask everyone to wash their hands before holding the baby but aside from that I wouldn't worry about the germs.

I agree - the first baby knocks you for a loop. My first two were born in early spring so by the time they got any illnesses they were at least 6-9 months old. My youngest was born on October 24th - we skipped Thanksgiving with the family that year even though by then I could have managed as I hate traveling with them that young. The sleeping. The nursing. If they are a fussy baby.

But, the big difference with my third being born in the fall and having a child in preschool was how much more of a pain having a sick infant is. She was almost hospitalized twice for RSV and burst an eardrum once. Common colds that are easy when they are older can be very, very serious with babies under 6 months. And kids that are in school/daycare tend to carry more germs though your nephews sound older which is better.

Anonymous wrote:My pedi is willing to give the 8w/2month shots at 6w...definitely try for that.

Do get your DH to ask your family to get their boosters/flu shots. Don't let people hold the baby, wear him or her in carrier mostly.

It all probably will be fine, but I understand and share your anxiety over such things.

You can get the 2 month shots early, but no flu vaccine until 6 months.