advice needed from the well travelled!

[jennyh]

Hi

We are taking our daughter to a caravan on the Suffolk coast in August and it will be our first trip away from home with her. She will be 5.5 months. From the well seasoned traveller can I ask...

- What is the best travel cot to buy, not too expensive!! I know that Mothercare have a sale on at the moment so hoping to get a bargain. Want something with a decent mattress.

- Is it better to buy a suntent/travel cot combined? Or will this be confusing for her to know when is sleep time etc? Also surely it is harder for them to adjust when they have a roof/sides on their cot and are sleeping practically on the floor?

- Any tips on making the trip easier!? I am already planning to put some blankets and a sheet in our bed for a few days beforehand so they smell familiar to her and will try and get her in the travel cot to have some naps. Will take all the favourite toys etc.

I am sure she will be fine but at the moment she is going through a weird phase where she is being fussy about where she sleeps, one day she is happy to nap in her cot, next day the pushchair is ok, the 3rd day nothing works! I have visions of major sleep regressions and dramas getting her to feed and sleep etc...somehow it is easier dealing with it in familiar surroundings! Just want to make sure I can keep her cool and rested so that we can avoid lots of frustrated crying!

Thanks

[Mamey]

jennyh Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi

>

> We are taking our daughter to a caravan on the

> Suffolk coast in August and it will be our first

> trip away from home with her. She will be 5.5

> months. From the well seasoned traveller can I

> ask...

>

> - What is the best travel cot to buy, not too

> expensive!! I know that Mothercare have a sale on

> at the moment so hoping to get a bargain. Want

> something with a decent mattress.

>

> - Is it better to buy a suntent/travel cot

> combined? Or will this be confusing for her to

> know when is sleep time etc? Also surely it is

> harder for them to adjust when they have a

> roof/sides on their cot and are sleeping

> practically on the floor?

>

> - Any tips on making the trip easier!? I am

> already planning to put some blankets and a sheet

> in our bed for a few days beforehand so they smell

> familiar to her and will try and get her in the

> travel cot to have some naps. Will take all the

> favourite toys etc.

>

> I am sure she will be fine but at the moment she

> is going through a weird phase where she is being

> fussy about where she sleeps, one day she is happy

> to nap in her cot, next day the pushchair is ok,

> the 3rd day nothing works! I have visions of

> major sleep regressions and dramas getting her to

> feed and sleep etc...somehow it is easier dealing

> with it in familiar surroundings! Just want to

> make sure I can keep her cool and rested so that

> we can avoid lots of frustrated crying!

>

> Thanks

No Jennyh I don't think baby is frustated baby's only reply what their mumy has requested does all.

[Sol]

The suntent didn't work for our older daughter, we got it when she was a baby, so for the second one we got a travel cot. Argos has good ones and they are good value for money, check the reviews, we got a good one for a very good price, with a good mattress, but keep in mind is a travelcot mattress, so it will never be as comfortable as a normal mattress.

I have a daughter the same age, I normally put her to sleep in the cot, unless we are out an about when her routine gets disturbed, but I just go with the flow, everyday is different with babies so young, I tried to have a routine, but don't get too stress if thinks work out different. We have been abroad twice with her already.

Make sure you have a baby sleeping bag.

Good luck

[Fuschia]

At 5m they are very adaptable and IME will sleep

Anywhere

You don't need to worry about solids at that age either

Have fun!

[BellendenBear]

As Fuschia says. We went away with my 1st daughter at 5 moths and I remember it as being a really easy time. By then she was napping much more predictably, BFing at predictable times and sleeping well. And not on solids when everything gets more complicated again. We plan to go away when new baby is 5 m too. I wouldn't put too much thought into travel cots other than cheap and light.

[jennyh]

Thank you! We've only been away once and it was an absolute disaster but she was only about 11 weeks so much more up in the air, I just have that harrowing memory but this time I wont be on my own with her and she will be older so fingers crossed!

[buggie]

I've got one of the bubble style travel cots (samsunite I think). Happy to lend to you for the trip - especially in a caravan you're not going to have much space - something we didn't realise when renting a holiday cottage few wks back - we all ended up in one bedroom as our (other big travel cot) wouldn't fit in either of the single bedrooms!