leaving 3 month old at home..!

[shm]

ok all you mamas!!! any of you had to leave a 3 month old at home for a whole week???? we booked a cruise in jan for this december.. and then guess what!! i find out i am with child.. not planned but now we are all excited.. the due date is sept & the cruise is for december.. i have 2 older boys.. 16 & 11 & if it wasnt for them I would cancel.. they both have friends going with them so i can not bring myself to do them like that.. i know the baby will be fine but it is the mama here that i am worried about.. any one had this happen??

[June Bug]

When I was 12, and after my family had planned a trip to Disneyworld for over a year, my mother found out she was pregnant....she had my little sister in December of 1974 and then on our spring break in March of 1975 we went to Disneyworld for a week. She cried the first day, alot! But my sister was staying with my grandmother...and my Dad told her that we would buy lots of stuff for the baby...so shopping calmed her down...that and a few drinks each day.

But really, if the baby is staying with someone you trust, it may still be hard, but you know everything will be alright...so have a great vacation.... I would have been horrified if we had to miss it, but would have understood later on :D

[sweetpea-2]

Well I have not had it happen to me however I can tell you that I ran into a young mother on our last cruise (Just came back last week) and she had her 3 month old with her and she regretted taking him along...it's the reverse of your concern but it might help you put things in perspective......and congrat's on the new one !!!!!:)

[SandyToes1978]

shm,

don't think i could do it! DS is 1 year old now, and it took me until he was 6 months old to leave him for just one nite! We are going on our cruise in Jan. and he will be 22 months then, we are leaving him home, but I really dont want to! Besides, I believe Carnival's age limit is 4 months...

Good luck with your decision!

[Cotton]

......... I ran into a young mother on our last cruise (Just came back last week) and she had her 3 month old with her and she regretted taking him along...

That's odd. I was just reading the info on minors in the big Carnival brochure, and it says

"Infants must be four (4) months old to be eligible to travel."

[Casshew]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You'll probably need a week away by then. Enjoy it, baby will be fine, you will be fine.

[thunder_lin]

Yes, we had a trip planned and I left my little one with my sister-in-law for a week. She was like a second mother to my kids so I never had to worry when the kids were with her. Sure, I missed my son but the trip did us good and at 3 months old the child doesn't really know otherwise. Now that the kids are older, I've come to realize that was probably the easiest time to leave the kids. As the kids have gotten older, they become very good at giving you guilt trip about leaving them behind, so much so that we travel lots with the kids. It has certainly made up for the few times that we have left them.

Go and enjoy yourself. You'll have plenty of one on one time for you and the baby afterwards.

[Sue L]

First congrats on the new addition! With everyone paying all the attention the new baby in the house the older ones are probably going to feel a little left out.So this will be a great opportunity to rebond with the older ones. These opportunities to vacation with your kids are going to get fewer and fewer as they get older and go off to college so take advantage of it now!

 

On our cruise in feb there were quite a few infants and the parents looked miserable. They were constantly lugging around strollers and diaper bags, etc. We were talking to one couple and she had a babysitter (grandma) available and she said it was the worst mistake not taking advantage of it.

 

If it is really stressing you buy the internet minutes, and communicate with babysitter and get daily reports and possibly photos.

 

 

Sue

[nybumpkin]

I'd take the cruise, as long as you're comfortable with whoever's watching the baby. Your older kids will probably enjoy some time without baby in tow.

[doodlefan]

Hi There

 

As a mother of 5 kids looking back, I would do it, especially if the baby is only 3 months old. Truly, the baby won't know much of a difference. It's when they get a bit older and up to age 5 that I find it's hard to leave them. They understand and miss you but a 3 month old won't.

 

I, of course, am saying this assuming you have a loved one caring for your child that your trust completely. I think the hardest part for me would not actually be not having the child with me, let's face it by the time the baby is 3 months, you're going to enjoy a little break :eek: babies are hard work, but worrying would be awful. If you have that trust with the person you are leaving the baby with and you won't have to worry about the baby then I would do it.

 

As another poster stated, this would be a great time to focus on the older 2 as after having a new baby for 3 months and all the adjustments that go with it, you may all feel a need to reconnect.

 

E-mail is a wonderful way to keep in touch. Have the caregiver take a photo and e-mail it once or twice of the baby just so you feel close. A hotmail acct. that can be accessed from anywhere is great for this.

 

Have a great time.

 

Doodlefan

P.S. Babies are such a blessing, congratulations!

[Kaki321]

I say take the cruise. At 3 months they haven't necessarily developed the "seperation anxiety" issues that say a 8 month old might have, so they won't necessarily "miss you" in a way an older baby might.

 

3 months is probably the perfect age for your caregiver too as the baby will likely sleep quite a bit. Also, they are not crawling, walking, getting into things, etc...

 

(Don't get me wrong, a 3 month old is still a lot of work, just more containable than an older baby.)

 

Really, just go....and don't pay attention to judgemental comments from the board. Does it really matter what we think anyway?

 

I say go though :)

[txmomto1]

We left our then 8 month old home with my mom when we went to Mexico for 5 nights... that's as close as I can get. At least you won't have to deal with seperation anxiety... the baby will be fine, and you'll need the sleep.

You owe whoever watches the baby a cruise though! ;) Congratulations!

[bellazoemom]

We had booked and paid a trip to costa rica when our adoption came through..our daughter was exactly 3 months when we left for 1 week..it was so hard. I left her witha trusted family member who had a 2 yr old. She was fine..but it was really hard to leave.

[serene56]

I left my youngest who was one at the time when we vacationed in Disneyworld. It would not have been fun for him beinsing stuck in a coach most of the day- so it was an easy dicision. At 3 months the baby wont have seperation anxiety like you will..

 

Do it now before the baby gets too old and you have to "drag" him with you everywhere.:D

COngrats on the new baby

[MDavis23]

shm - When my child now 15 was 10 months, we left him for with family for our first 7 day cruise. As far as my son went, it was no big deal. He had a great time. On the other hand, I missed him terribly. For me, it was very hard not being with him. For my husband, he had a great cruise. Our son could care less and at firist was not even excited to see us when we got home. I even checked with our pediatrician who said if you are going to leave your kids do it before they turn 1 or after they turn 4. Between 1 and 4 the separation anxiety for kids can be very difficult. Looking back on it, I wish that I had relaxed more. Your child will be fine!

[rwilymz]

Just a quick little note sure to inflame passions: there are many places infants don't belong: cruises and weddings are among them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ducking out of the way of thrown objects

[dawgpound23]

Shm,

 

We went on a trip to Vegas when our baby was 4 months old. No negative long term effects. Obviously trusted who we left him with. We were only gone four days. Looking back though, I would do it differently. First and foremost it does not matter what we feel as parents when they are that young. Baby's needs come first (this changes as they leave toddler stage, then they need to learn that parents will decide what is best). Way too many people have forgotten that. I honestly believe we probably confused our son to a major extent. The two people that he depended on and always knew as being there were gone. Now that I have stated my highly unpopular opinion let me say, it is your choice to make. I do not look back and beat myself up over our decision, and my son is a wonderful ten year old now, but I would do it differently. Very tough choice to make, and it is wonderful that you care enough to be concerned. You will not be a bad mommie for going.

[NurseAngela]

Enjoy. You will be in need of the break. I had a similar situation and ended up taking my 3 mo old on an Alaskan cruise. (nobody said anything about the age limit) He did wonderful, slept most of the vacation and never made a peep in the dining room. He was the little celebrity on board and never received any bad comments. THAT said, I had to take him because I was nursing. Either way you go, it will be fine. They won't notice at that age, so throw the guilt out with the trash and enjoy!

[L2J]

Just a quick little note sure to inflame passions: there are many places infants don't belong: cruises and weddings are among them.

 

 

ducking out of the way of thrown objects

 

No need to duck. It's your opinion to which you are entitled and for the record I happen to agree with you.

[Kaki321]

Just a quick little note sure to inflame passions: there are many places infants don't belong: cruises and weddings are among them.

ducking out of the way of thrown objects

 

you are such a trouble maker :p wondering what age you consider an infant to be though - - I think by definition an infant is under 24 months old (?? ok moms, come in and clarify)

 

seriously though, a cruise ship is a floating community. Communities are made up of families - - with kids of all ages.

 

I do agree with Carnival's rules about not allowing infants under 4 months to travel, but over 4 months they have just as much of a right to be there as you do.

 

you didn't imply this, but I will say it anyway - - if you want an adults only vacation, than cruising isn't for you

 

(p.s., you are on the Miracle May 7th roll call, right? leather hats, you and your wife...see you there! (with my 2 and 5 year old sons and my 22 month old nephew in tow - - can we sit at your table? ;) )

 

hehe

[rwilymz]

can we sit at your table?

 

I chew with my mouth open. And fight with my wife on a daily basis. You wouldn't like it.

 

Heck, **I** don't like it.

[L2J]

I do agree with Carnival's rules about not allowing infants under 4 months to travel, but over 4 months they have just as much of a right to be there as you do.

 

if you want an adults only vacation, than cruising isn't for you

 

 

Just as we have the right not to be sujected the the smells and annoying cries of someone elses ugly baby.

 

Oh Lord.....:rolleyes:

[big_duck]

Easy chair - check

 

Popcorn - check

 

Jello shots - check.

 

 

OK set to go - have at 'er. :D

[MERVYN BREMMER]

Easy chair - check

 

Popcorn - check

 

Jello shots - check.

 

 

OK set to go - have at 'er. :D

Ok slide over and I'll join ya

[1CRUISINGMAMA]

shm, Congrats on the new addition. I think as mother of five myself. You will need the vacation from the children. Having children is a blessing but it also the hardest job to do in the world. Your body will be going through different changes from giving birth and not getting much sleep but the cruise will be exactly what you need to take a breather and R-E-L-A-X! Things happen for a reason. We never know why but they just do. Congrulations again and Don't look at as leaving a 3 month baby home look at as energizing mommy.