Heather

Hi There:<BR><BR>We are planning a trip to Barbados in May and will be taking our new infant, who (hopefully) will have arrived by next month.<BR><BR>Normally we were one of those couples who were not keen on going ANYWHERE that there would be a lot of children, but the times are changing!!!<BR><BR>We are thinking of staying at Sandy Lane -- has anyone been there with little ones? Do hotels provide cribs? Can you get a babysitter for a couple of hours so my hubby &amp; I can have a nice dinner or stroll into town? Are there any other forums you've seen that talk about travelling with babies??<BR><BR>We're pretty clueless but I'm FRYING for a holiday after a gruelling pregnancy and a year of not travelling!<BR><BR>Appreciate any advice....<BR><BR>Thx<BR><BR>Heather

xxx

The Sandy Lane is spectacular with or without children. My experience with a toddler(several times) was wonderful, with everyone welcoming him at all times. Babysitters were excellent and readily available. If the rates don't scare you, this may be the best family place in the islands.

Heather

Hi There:<BR><BR>Thx for the feedback XXX -- BTW Anon hope you're having a better day today ... I DID check the Sandy Lane website prior to posting the message and had also sent them a note for further details. <BR><BR>There was a section on the site re: activities for children - it mentioned a nursery but there was no info on cribs in rooms and I have no idea what the norm is (having not travelled with a baby). I also wondered about AVAILABILITY and quality of babysitters, so I really appreciated XXX's comments. <BR><BR>Plus, most info in the &quot;kid&quot; section focused on activities for older children not infants. I really was looking for first hand info .... but thanks ANON for being nasty and judgemental!!!<BR>

liza

When we traveled with our little ones, we used a porta-crib - you know, the playpen size cribs that fold up, have a little mattress and cover, and have their own bag? Often they have sun shades and insect screens as well, which can be nice for beach or outside.<BR><BR>The really nice thing about it is that you can get your baby used to sleeping in it long before you travel. Get a special and regular blanket, stuffed animal, etc., and use it for naps or at relative's houses. By the time s/he is sleeping in a strange place (Barbados), the baby is comfy in his/her own little familiar space and doesn't have so much trouble adjusting to being away from home...or so it went with our two (now 5 and 8 and sleeping anywhere).<BR><BR>I highly recommend getting one if it doesn't show up at the baby shower. It folds up to a manageable and airport-checkable size.

heather

Hi Liza:<BR><BR>I love the porta-crib idea &amp; will check them out this week when I'm shopping for baby stuff. <BR><BR>I'm a bit confused if this is different than the playpens with changing tables/bassinettes that fit into the top -- but I think these are different as I haven't seen any that fold up.<BR><BR>I'm getting more excited at the prospect of being able to take a trip - esp. to Barbados!!!<BR>Thx<BR><BR>

Martha

Even if your hotel offers a crib, they are not always safe. We stayed at a &quot;top-notch&quot; resort in Boca Raton and I couldn't believe how unsafe the crib was. The slats were widely spaced, the mattress was too small and soft and the whole thing was rickety. For your peace of mind, find a well-made portable playpen as was suggested in a prior post. Get all the accessories that might help while you're at the beach, too. It is very important to get a SAFE one -- they are not all created equally. Check out a Consumer Reports magazine to see what they suggest. (We bought their baby products book, but found it somewhat vague -- that was 5 years ago, though.) Go to Yahoo.com and join a Yahoo! Group for parents (there are hundreds of groups) and ask for their suggestions as to what you should buy. Good luck with your birth and enjoy yourselves!