When Can You Go on Vacation Without Your Baby?
Sometimes you may want to take a well-deserved vacation alone or with your partner without your baby. However, the thought of going on vacation without your baby could make you feel worried, panicky, guilty, and selfish, and you might end up shelving the idea. So, when can you go on vacation without your baby?
You can go on vacation without your baby if your pediatrician approves and when you’ve prepared yourself and the baby well in advance for the separation. In addition, you should only go when you have the right caregiver for the baby, who should also have a good bond with your little one.
In the rest of this article, I’ll explain more about when you can go on vacation without your baby. Let’s get started!
Get the Pediatrician’s Approval
It’s essential to talk to your baby’s pediatrician before you go on vacation without your baby. Talk about your planned vacation, the duration, and voice your concerns. The pediatrician knows the history of your baby and is therefore in a position to guide you appropriately.
When you get your pediatrician’s approval, some of the guilty feelings that you may have about going on vacation without your baby can dissipate. The consent also gives you some peace of mind, and you can confidently go ahead with your vacation plans.
Prepare Yourself and Your Baby Well in Advance
As mentioned earlier, going on vacation without your baby may not be easy. You, therefore, have to prepare yourself and the baby before the vacation so that everything will go well while you’re away from each other.
Let’s talk about some things you can do to prepare yourself and the baby before going on vacation.
Get a Breast Pump
If you are still nursing your baby, a breast pump will be a great asset before and after you go on vacation without your baby. You’ll need to use it before you leave so that your caregiver has breast milk to feed your baby while you’re away.
The milk will stay fresh if you use the unique bags designed for collecting and storing breast milk.
You should also carry the breast pump when you go on vacation without your baby so that you can pump out the milk to prevent breast engorgement. Pumping the milk will also enable the milk supply to continue so that your baby can still breastfeed when you return from your vacation.
Teach Your Baby To Use a Bottle
If your baby is exclusively breastfeeding, you should introduce bottle feeding before going on vacation. The baby should practice using the bottle to get used to the nipple.
Once learned, you’re sure that your baby won’t starve when you leave for your vacation.
You can introduce the bottle gradually until the baby gets used to a synthetic nipple. For instance, you could express some little breast milk in the evenings, put it in the bottle and feed your baby after the regular feeding. You can test different nipples until you find the one your little one can use comfortably.
Introduce Your Baby to Formula
If you have enough breast milk, you can express it and store it for the baby’s use while you’re away on vacation. However, since you don’t know how much milk your baby consumes when nursing him, it would be good to introduce the formula to your baby.
Your baby can drink powdered milk if the stored breast milk runs out.
You can combine formula and breastfeeding to ensure that your baby gets used to formula before you go on vacation. It’s good to introduce powdered milk gradually. For instance, you can give the baby one bottle of formula per day.
Ensure Baby Can Sleep Alone
If you usually co-sleep with your baby, ensure that your baby can sleep alone before you leave.
You see, you’ll be leaving your little one with a caregiver, so your baby should be independent when it comes to sleeping arrangements. You should do this well in advance because it may take time for your baby to get used to sleeping away from you.
Get the Right Caregiver
One of the reasons you would hesitate to go on vacation without your baby is wondering who’ll take care of your baby well while you’re away. That’s why you should get the right caregiver who you can trust with your baby. The caregiver could be a family member, a friend, or you could hire one.
Once you’re confident that you have the right caregiver, you’ll have peace of mind while on vacation without your baby. Let’s look at the following tips on how to make a smooth transition with your caregiver and your baby.
Help the Baby To Bond With the Caregiver
The caregiver you choose could be a great person, but your vacation could get ruined if the caregiver hasn’t bonded with the baby. So, ensure that your baby bonds with the caregiver long before you go on vacation.
For instance, you can leave the baby with the caregiver a few hours daily so that they can bond.
Allow the Caregiver To Feed the Baby
Some babies refuse to be fed by other people other than their moms.
So, as your baby bonds with the caregiver, allow your caregiver to practice feeding your baby using the bottle. If the caregiver can feed your baby, it’s a good sign that you can leave your little one behind for some days, and your baby will eat well.
Teach the Caregiver Your Baby’s Daily Routine
Most babies develop a routine from a young age, such as waking up, feeding, sleeping, playing, and other activities. It’s essential to teach the caregiver your baby’s daily routine before leaving your baby behind. Writing down the baby’s schedule would help to ensure everything goes well while you’re away.
Revealed: This Is When It’s OK To Go On Vacation Without Your Baby
You might get mixed feelings when you think of going on vacation without your baby.
On the one hand, you want to take a break without your baby, while on the other hand, you feel like you’re abandoning your little one. You may also wonder whether your baby will forget you after the separation.
The good news is that going on vacation without your baby is possible if you prepare your baby, yourself, and the caregiver well in advance. While on vacation, you can request the caregiver to give you updates through photos and messages for your peace of mind.
