Leaving a 6 Month Old Baby to Take an International Trip.

How often do you get an oportunity to do something like this? Especially all expenses paid. If you have someone you can trust with your kids I would go and have a good time with your husband. The kids will be fine. You would regret it if you didn't go. ENJOY!!!!

Hi V.,
Yes, I do have experience with traveling when you have an infant. I too am a full time working mom and travel is a requirement for my job. I do have the luxury of working from home, however I am required to travel. With my first, I had to leave town for 3 days when she was just 3 months. After that my trips became longer and it was very hard. I actually left the country, along with my husband, for a work meeting/vacation when she was about 6 months. It was very difficult, but knowing she was in good hands with my mother and mother in-law, they shared taking care of her, was helpful. Find someone you trust to watch the kids. If you are nursing pump enough breast milk, this will be helpful. Whenever I did travel I would make sure and leave her with someone that smelled like me, whether it was one of her blankets that I slept with so it would have my smell or a special toy. I hope this is helpful. Good luck!

What a great opportunity to go. But I agree with everyone else. Don't take the baby.

I could honestly give you horror stories of people taking their kids out of the country. And besides, what kind of vacation would it be with a baby anyways.

Good luck with the decision.

You should totally go! How long is the trip? Sometimes these are once in a lifetime trips and it does a marriage good to have some time away from baby. I suppose the biggest issue is, do you have someone you trust to leave your baby with? If so, in my opinion, you should go and enjoy a vacation.
But then again, you know all of your circumstances and are the best one to make the choice.
Good luck!

When my baby was 6 months, one week old, my husband was traveling for work to Cancun, Mexico. His work told him I could come because he would be gone for 2 weeks. It was perfect timing because I had just weaned the baby from nursing. I also had two older children (ages 2 and 3) my mom told me she would take them all so we could have a great getaway and I really debated on bringing the baby. I ended up leaving her and it was the best thing I ever did. While it's true that I missed her and my other kids as well, it was such a wonderful and romantic trip and just what I needed at the time. I say if you have the opportunity, and someone that you trust to watch your kids, go for it. You won't regret it!

V.,

I am a mother who stays home with her 3 kids (with the same close spacing as yours), having put my legal career on the back burner for now. Having said that, I have left infants to go on international trips five different times now, and it has worked out fine. Each time I made sure my kids were with people I really trusted, and that the situation was a win/win for those watching my kids, i.e. I made sure they were paid well and that they had built-in breaks such as an occassional sitter (just like I would need). The other thing you need to understand is that you can literally contact people via email from ANYWHERE in the world now. When my husband and I went to Indonesia this past July, we were in the middle of nowhere as we contacted the couple watching our kids every day for an update, and were reassured as they filled in the details about how the kids were doing. If there was a glitch I was able to provide very specific instructions/guidance that way, which was very helpful.

I cannot express how much it has meant to my marriage to have that time with my husband and to get a sense of adventure admist the monotony of parenting little ones. Allow yourself to experience all the dimensions of yourself. If you have people you trust to watch your little ones, you can do this. It will enrich your life, marriage, and actually make you more complete and interesting to your kids.

Best of luck!