What's the earliest you would feel comfortable taking your newborn camping?

[bjorker]

DD was born in January, and we took her camping for over a week at around 5 months old, and that was totally fine.

This time, my baby is due to be born at the end of June or beginning of July, and we really want to go camping this year! How long should we wait, given good weather and safe conditions, and all that? I figure I'll have a better idea once the baby is here, esp in regards to his or her personality, but I want to [tentatively] plan!

[weliveintheforest]

I wouldn't worry about the baby, I'd worry about myself. If I felt recovered and energetic enough, that would be what mattered I think. Maybe 8 weeks?

[expatmommy]

I've camped with 2 different newborns at about 4-5 weeks. It is totally doable. The biggest thing is making sure you can keep your babe warm & free from bug bites and then making sure you aren't doing more then you can physically handle. On both our camping trips, my dh did the bulk of the heavy work & we were with extended family who managed dinners for us.

[mntnmom]

If YOU feel good enough to camp, I say go for it. At least a new one can't crawl and get into things.

[ann_of_loxley]

I would right away tbh. For me, it has more to do with when I would be comfortable going camping after having a baby - more than the other way around! lol

[Mal85]

I agree with all of the above. We took DD camping when she was around 4 months old. If it had been warm enough, I would have taken her way earlier. I think a newborn would be super easy to take camping, they'll sleep anywhere!

[EricaDoula]

I agree with the others. Go when you feel up to it! What a great adventure!

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by weliveintheforest

I wouldn't worry about the baby, I'd worry about myself. If I felt recovered and energetic enough, that would be what mattered I think. Maybe 8 weeks?

[dutchgal]

We took Hannah when she was 3 months old. It was great, even with the torrential downpour and the plague-like level of mosquitos that year. We stayed for 2 days (planned for 3 or 4, but couldn't take the bites and we were soaked). We had a little baby tent for her that she layed in. Had the weather cooperated, we may have stayed for a lot longer. She loved looking up at the trees, and because she was EBF, there was no issues with feeding or anything. Enjoy!!!

[bjorker]

Thanks, all! Of course when I wrote that, I didn't even consider taking into account how *I* might feel. Erm, duh! Hehe. Thanks for the reminder about taking it easy. I'd more than likely be with a group so there should be plenty of help to be had.

Yay! I'm excited. Hopefully I'll feel ready by babe's second month, so I can get the good weather while it lasts!

[townelin]

We headed out on a big road trip home to MI when O was 6 weeks. Camped the whole way. Sometimes we stayed in the tent, sometimes the back of the truck. I probably wouldn't do the same now at 9 months. It was so easy then with O sleeping most of the time and no worries about him getting into anything at the campsite.

[desertgirl01]

I totally agree with everyone above...it's all about YOU. We went on our first camping trip at 7 weeks..I probably would have felt comfortable camping a week or two prior to that, but not much more. We JUST got back from a camping trip, and this one was much different than our summer trips since DD is mobile!! She's 8 months now, and it was definitely, um, harder to camp with a baby that wants to go everywhere and anywhere...the relaxing days of camping are over!

[darcytrue]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

I would right away tbh. For me, it has more to do with when I would be comfortable going camping after having a baby - more than the other way around! lol

I agree. I am the type to need my sleep and the first few months after having a baby I wouldn't want to travel anywhere due to being tired and lazy.

[Norasmomma]

Knowing me I'd go as soon as we could, so a month or so. If the baby was like how my son is I would have easily been able to go-he's the world's easiest baby though.

[Irishmommy]

We went camping when dd2 was 2 weeks old. It was fine.

[Hedgehog Mtn]

We went the first time when ds1 was somewhere between 10 days and 2 weeks. When ds3 was about 4 weeks we went on a cross country camping trip. DH did all the work for the most part so it wasn't a big deal. I'd say if you feel okay and want to go then go for it.

[honey-lilac]

It depends - is there any strenuous work involved, like hiking to the campsite? If it was a drive-up campsite where someone else was going to be doing the heavy lifting, then whenever. If it involved hiking or something like that, i would go whenever the lochia stopped, personally. I was up and doing chores the day after both of my kids, but with DD I had to stop and take it easy a few times and just rest.

That said, I wouldn't necessarily plan to go camping. If you feel like it you can go spur of the moment, right? I wouldn't put any extra pressure on you actually planning it, though. You might feel like recuperating longer that other women on here, you might be hormonal or just tired, or feel really "home-y" and want to babymoon, you might have issues where you want to just curl up in bed at home and, say, work on nursing. Hopefully the birth will go picture perfect and you'll feel up to camping or traveling or whatever in hours or days of the birth. But I wouldn't make plans on it because you just don't know what to expect. I know that I would get my heart set on something and then feel disappointed if I couldn't follow through.

[AKislandgirl]

like others have said its more about you then the babe. Personally I would not want to deal with post partum bleeding while camping so I'd wait for that. Its likely though that you will be able to rest more while camping then at home with out household chores calling out to you! Enjoy and have fun! Bring a long a comfy camp chair to sit around the fire and nurse your lo in. It will be great!

[CanBoo]

5 weeks

Took dd2 at 5 weeks for the first time.
Everyone said we were so brave, but really it was easier to deal with her than the 2.5 yo
Just needed a comfy chair or hammock to nurse in, a good carrier and she layed down in the buggy. No rolling, no grabbing and no crawling yet, so it's easy. Sleeping was simple too we just snuggled.
Now I am scared to take her next summer though. She'll be into everything!