Overseas travel - have you/do you
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Topic: Overseas travel - have you/do you
Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Subject: Overseas travel - have you/do you
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 9:55am
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Have you ever travelled overseas?
Like say to America, England - places like that type thing. We are wanting to do something like this - for about 3-4 weeks possibly longer. Just trying to figure out if it is something we really want to do before kids or something we can do while Im pregnant, or once the kids are a bit older? Im all a bit confused by it all really! 
So what have you done? Have you got the urge to travel? Surely Im not the only one that has ever felt like this! ------------- TTC 6 years IVF it is IVF/ICSI round one 10 eggs, 8 mature, 3 fertilised BFN IVF/ICSI #2 = 22 eggs! 20 mature, 15 fertilised, 1 fresh transfer and 2 frosties BFN 2 Frosties still in freezer thank god |
Replies:
Posted By: my4beauties
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:08am
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Hi Booboo. My DH & I travelled to England and Europe a couple of years after we got married (built & sold a house first, to pay for it!) I would definitely recommend travelling before you have kids. I wouldn't do it while pg, as you are limited with what you can do and would have to be so much more careful with eating & drinking in a foreign country, though I'm sure others on here have travelled whilst being pg and might disagree with that.
In hindsight, having travelled before kids, I would definitely recommend it! ------------- My babies: R (9),G (7), J (5) http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:12am
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I would recommend travelling before kids too! I travelled for two years prior to marriage and children and wouldn't change it for the world!!
The amount of stuff you have to take for kids and trying to keep them in a routine is blimmin hard work just for a weekend away - but thats JMHO of course!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:16am
Hey Dal 
Do it! I haven't done an OE or done extensive tourist type travel, but I've been to America about 6 times (DH with me twice) thanks to my Dad living there. He lives in Chicago, but have travelled to LA, San Fran, and driven to Ohio for a day (only a couple of hours drive from Dad's place), and totally enjoyed it. Not the kind of thing you can do (easily) with kids, so if you want to travel, best to do it before you have them. My sister and I were both born in Switzerland and Mum said it was pretty hard-going travelling back to NZ then to Papua New Guinea (where we lived for 10 months) and back to NZ with two kids under 4 was tough going. She said there were elements of fun and she enjoyed it at times, however. But I think if you have the means to travel before the kids come, do it. Then take the kids when they're older so you can enjoy it as a family 
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Posted By: baalamb
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:28am
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I would totally have done it before kids but fate had other ideas for us. I don't think I'd do it while pregnant, because I imagine you'd get so tired and might not enjoy it as much. You can always try whilst over there.
Before kids, it would be much easier to save for, you have no worries and it's purely yours and DH's holiday (eg, you don't have to worry about how the kids might be enjoying it etc). I don't think I'd take kids on our OE! If we did plan it that way, it wouldn't be until the kids were in their late teens/early twenties. In saying that though, my mum never traveled before kids (only to Australia) and it wasn't until last year that she took 6 weeks and did her OE by herself. She was still young enough to do so at 46 and had a blast! Maybe you could write a list of pros/cons about travelling now or when your kids are older. How exciting to even be thinking about! |
Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:31am
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I travelled a bit after I got married and before I had DD. I went to Bali (10nights), phuket (7nights), bali (7nights), USA (3 weeks)....All before we had her. I def say travel before kids as its way easier, you dont have to worry about packing stuff for them, making sure they are ok etc...
I have just travelled to Fiji (while prganant) for a week and with a toddler and it was hard. DD was good mostly but I found it hard to walk around too much, I had to meke sure I had clean water to drink, I couldnt eat this and couldnt eat that....and Oh I couldnt have any alcohol at all! LOL As I have done both I would say travel before kids, its much easier and better that way! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:34am
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Lol Charly!
Thanks guys, appreciate everyones tips advice etc. We have been thinking about it for a LONG time, its just DH's job that kind of stuffs things up for us! But if we can find a driver that can do it for a month then we should be fine - thats why its taken us so long, otherwise we would have been there and back well and done by now! Hmm, it is very exciting - might have a talk to DH about it tonight, really wish we had of got our acts together earlier this year and tried to find a driver, that way we could have been going at the end of this year! Were certainly not the type of people that would go live overseas for a few years - just want to do trips for say 4-8 weeks type thing - mind you we might get over there and love it and want to stay!  ------------- TTC 6 years IVF it is IVF/ICSI round one 10 eggs, 8 mature, 3 fertilised BFN IVF/ICSI #2 = 22 eggs! 20 mature, 15 fertilised, 1 fresh transfer and 2 frosties BFN 2 Frosties still in freezer thank god |
Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:36am
Man feels like all we have been doing for the last couple of years has been putting off ttc for various reasons  BUT I do think travelling is something we want to do - well I think it is?! Man oh man - typical librian...------------- TTC 6 years IVF it is IVF/ICSI round one 10 eggs, 8 mature, 3 fertilised BFN IVF/ICSI #2 = 22 eggs! 20 mature, 15 fertilised, 1 fresh transfer and 2 frosties BFN 2 Frosties still in freezer thank god |
Posted By: linda
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 11:16am
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I'm a travel agent and love travelling. Travelled heaps pre children and still travel now with children although must say that the destinations are a bit closer since we've had kids. We were planning a big trip to Europe in 2009, taking the kids but that has been put on hold due to being pregnant with twins. I know my limits! I've travelled around Europe and really want to go back. Not keen on leaving the kids here so my plan was to modify the trip to work in with the kids (eg cruise, seven night villa stays etc) Still, as a family we love travelling so will try to get a way once a year but will still have to be closer to home until the twins are a bit bigger.
Great to travel pre kids but it can be done with kids....its just slightly different! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Alex 6 and Harry 8 |
Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 11:28am
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I would agree with most that travel before you have kids - so much easier and you don't need to be so slective on where you go - what you do etc...
I have traveled without kids (did my OE when i was 17 till 20) I had a ball. I have also taken Josh to uk when he was almost 2, Brooke when she was just one and last year we took the whole family to UK and USA (thats all 5 fo us) although very much enjoyed it was such a mission to get anywhere and time consuming - you could just be spontanious as Rhylz was only 4 months old. I am looking forward to the days when i can go over seas and just think about me and what i want to do! Which I am sure if rather a longway off *sigh* LOL ------------- Ann 
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: DzinerGirl
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 12:04pm
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DF and I are doing the big Europe trip for our honeymoon next year before coming back and starting to TTC.
Both DF and I were taken to America when we were about 12 (way before we knew each other) and did virtually the same trip (Disneyland, San Diego etc etc and then Hawaii on the way back) so we will do this with our kids too and possibly a shorter trip to Brissy to the theme parks before say when the kids are just 8-10. |
Posted By: surfergirl
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 12:57pm
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I have travelled only without kids (obviously) and would totally consider travelling while preg. Lots of my family have travelled with kids for short trips to Aussie, Bali etc with no hassles, in fact the Balinese are the best babysitters ever! My sister is currently doing her OE in the UK with her hubby and 2 year old. It's not stopped them, they have been there 6 months and been to Portugal, France, Greece, Scotland, Singapore, all over the UK and have just booked a 'White Christmas' in Eastern Europe. My sister and hubby both work and are doing the 'real' kiwi experience. They have not let it hold them back, although it's not the alcohol fueled experience that some kiwis have they have already seen more of Europe than some of my friends who went over in their 20s and never left London! I plan on travelling with kids. My sister (above) started when baby was 8 months old with a trip to the USA. I can totally see that it is possible. Different perhaps, but no less enjoyable. Why not do both? You're not pg now, so go for it, and if you do get pg it's not like (unless you are terribly ill) you can't travel. If you have the $$$ then I'd be booking tickets! ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 1:15pm
If you CAN travel before kids I would say GO FOR IT Sounds like you have some planning to do to make it happen but you will be so stoked once you get that underway 
DH and I are currently "on our OE" .. well, we live in Asia and we travel as much as we can! We were going to put kids off for another year or two and do more travel but we talked (and talked and talked) about it and decided we didn't want to wait for the kids and we will just have to think harder about where we want to go. We've managed a couple of trips within SE Asia since I've been pregnant and sure you have to take it easy a bit but it's still loads of fun. Friends of ours fell pregnant unexpectedly just before us and have just been on a 3 week holiday round the UK which had already been planned/paid for. They still had a ball! And sounds like they didn't miss out on a lot either
Other friends of ours fell pregnant much earlier than expected a couple of years ago when we all lived in HK. They basically carried on with travel as usual, just taking things a bit slower with the baby. If it wasn't for them showing us the way it might have been harder to convince DH it was possible but if you really want to do it, you CAN take a baby round the world with you It's once you have more than one that it gets a bit more difficult
Have fun planning it all, I reckon planning holidays is almost as fun as taking them ... all those possibilities! edited for spelling ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 1:34pm
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I've done both, when I was younger we did trips to the UK, Europe, the States, Hong Kong and China, and when Maya was 22 mths I took her to London and Vienna.
Travelling with kids is different, but still doable. You just focus on different things. We still got to see the museums etc. when we went with Maya but had to plan our days around her needs and hunt down parks and playgrounds which is not so easy in central London! -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 1:41pm
That's exactly what I think! |
surfergirl wrote:Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 7:59pm
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You could do either - I guess both is best, if you can afford it!
We couldn't afford it right away so we decided we'd have kids first and take them when they are older. I sure wouldn't go with preschoolers!! ------------- |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:12pm
Me too! |
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 06 October 2008 at 10:56pm
Do it before kids!  Honestly- from someone who is doing it now with kids (as in we got back from 4 days in Prague yesterday!), do it BEFORE kids ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3 
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 07 October 2008 at 7:17am
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We're planning an overseas trip next March. We'd like to do a bit of travel before kids, too. Of course, that does mean that if everything went according to plan, I'd be pregnant... but we'll just take it as it comes
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 07 October 2008 at 7:42am
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we went to Japan swithout kids and ended up with one. we still travalled with Jake around Japan, but it is SO much easier to travel without the things that babies require - pushchair, car seat, nappies galore, bottles of stuff, formula (if you don't breastfeed), and even if you do breastfeed, where do you do it? some places are not as "welcomming" on that front and it can be a pain to find somewhere.
Definitely do able but preferably without. that said, we plan to take the kids on a 4 week south island tour when they are 5 and 6 |
Posted By: Neeks
Date Posted: 07 October 2008 at 10:30am
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Definitely do it before kids!!!! I mean you can do it again once the kids have arrived, but it's nice to explore to find out where is suitable and also to have a play when your away
I've been to Australia, America, Canada, Thailand & Bali and I'd definitely recommend all of the above -------------  
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