OT. Would you take a baby to India?

[Cathryn]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. Much appreciated. I shall think on.

 

[slowmotion]

We didn't even think of taking our three month old to Canada, let alone India. I guess that makes me a "NO". Best wishes to the splendid little fellow, BTW.

 

[Hacienda71]

I took my son to Brazil at 8 months but we were going to see the inlaws so it was a necessary rather than pleasure . If you do go get a night flight as you will have a much better chance of getting little one to sleep in a sky cot. Also at that age i am not sure the doctors can give vaccinations. I have a feeling that for some the child needs to be older. I don't know all of the issues with India but mosquitos in Brazil in the more equitorial areas carry malaria, dengy and yellow fever irrespective of how good the accomodation available is. At the end of the day you have to choose.

 

[Arch]

Stay home and enjoy having Arthur all to yourself for the week.

When my bro in law has to go to the States for work, it's a good opportunity for me to visit - a) I can help out and I can have her and Oli to myself.

As a parent of none, I think I'd come down on 'no' - esp only for a week. Arthur won't get anything out of it, and might just feel odd all week at best - the heat, etc... And having seen the paraphenalia that followed Oli as a baby, I can't imagine coping with such travel.

Take him to India when he's old enough to recognise and say 'elephant' - then he'll have fun.

I have a friend (well, acquaintance) who had a baby last year, and took him to a conference in Poland within weeks of birth. That, I think, is taking career dedication too far. It sort of makes me wonder why she wants to have a baby, if she's not prepared to change her life round it... Sorry, I digress, and I'm not comparing you to her, I just found it hard to understand.

 

[Brains]

My neice went to India aged about 3 months and spent about 4 months there during the winter, mostly on the beach in Goa, then onto Thailand for the summer, again mostly on the beach, followed by Greece the following year. Got back to the UK aged about 2.

My sister did not have any particular baby problem over and above what you would normally get, she went on to have two more children, all were 3 were all good travellers as they continued to live on the beach in Greece/India/Thailand. As teenagers they now have cast iron stomachs and are not afraid of challenges. (and live in Cornwall)

 

[CopperBrompton]

It's a long flight, so I'd only do it if you can Fedex him there and collect him at the airport.

 

[srw]

No. Your fellow passengers on the plane will kill you, and once your corpse arrives in Bangalore (unless Mr C's business trips are far better than mine) you won't see Mr C. You'll be jetlagged for the first day or two, and junior will presumably suffer too. Wait until the sprog is old enough to travel without wriggling and screaming, and old enough to remember the experience.

 

[Campfire]

No, I wouldn't take him. Dervla Murphy took her daughter at the age of six but such a small baby presents so many health problems which even over here could be a problem and worry. As has been said previously, Arthur would not even realize he had been there, so I'd just stay at home and have a lovely week with him.

 

[wafflycat]

When WCMnr was a baby & all of pre-school age, quite often he & I used to travel with MrWC whenever he was away on business. It was usually for a week at a time and it was always in the UK. Basically, it being business, we didn't see him from after breakfast until early evening. Quite often we also had to eat separately of an evening too. Each day was left to me to do something with WCMnr. When he was a baby, I'd go off shopping... having a walk here, there & everywhere. Once WCMnr was a toddler, it was much more fun, as I'd locate the local zoos, wildlife parks, steam railways etc., and we'd go and spend the day somewhere like that. WCMnr spent much of his childhood in National Trust properties! Whilst that was great fun, it was over here, no language issues, no potential cultural misunderstandings about a lone woman & child travelling in a foreign land with potentially very different attitudes to that. They were glorious days.

 

[Cathryn]

Thanks again, everyone for very fair comments. We're currently thinking we won't take him - if it was Europe or America I'd go without thinking, but the health issues in India concern us both. Thanks though - knew I'd get balanced comments rather than knee-jerk reactions!

 

[ianrauk]

I think you have made the correct choice Cathryn.

 

[Spud]

I went to India some years ago and within a day I had a stomach bug which was still with me six months later. If a baby picks up something like that it won't do them much good.We also fed our kids a mixture of breast and formula and I think the sterilising might be an issue.I hate to say it but its not the cleanest place in the world.In a nutshell no is the answer.

 

[darkstar]

Think you've made a good decision, I fell in love with India when I visited and want to live there gor a year or two after uni (cycling there) but would find it difficult looking after a new born there. A little older, such as 5 would be ideal and a great experience for them. Wouldn't bother going for just 1 week though! You'd be frustrated and won't want to leave.