1 Week with a Newborn!

[Lofty88]

Hi all. 4 of us (2 couples) have booked a canal holiday in July of this year (Not our first one!). Since booking last year, a new baby is on the way and will be around 6 weeks old when we go... exciting stuff!

 

That being said, it probably means we won't be doing very long days of cruising. We pick up & return the boat to Barton Turns marina on the Trent & Mersey- does anyone have any recommendations of picturesque routes in the area? Originally we were going to do the black country ring, but now we won't be doing that, we could head in any direction!

Edited May 15, 2023 by Lofty88
Clarification

[Hudds Lad]

Congrats on the offspring!

 

Might help with planning if you say how long the booking is for? Week, fortnight?

[Machpoint005]

Title says 1 week.

 

I'd suggest pootling up the T&M for two days or so, about turn then turn left at Fradley Junction, then start to retrace at day 5 or 6. It's mostly pleasant and rural.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Machpoint005

[Hudds Lad]

2 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

Title says 1 week.

Ahh yes, missed that and somehow equated it to age  

 

I've only done the T&M from Great Haywood upwards, so i'm no use here  

[IanD]

Could go south down the Coventry and then maybe up the Ashby, 20 locks each way all the way to the end (which you're unlikely to reach)-- turn round after 3 days, wherever you've got to on the (lock-free) Ashby...

 

P.S. If boat is from Barton Turns marina, is it from Aqua Narrowboats? If so they're very nice... 😉

Edited May 15, 2023 by IanD

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Whittington is ok,

and Alrewas is a pretty village to visit. 
Prize winning sausages from the butchers there. 
Take a lazy trip up the T&M and back. 
Tiny locks and easy. 

Destination Stone and return. 🤷‍♀️
Really very pretty all the way along and plenty of rural places to stop over with country pubs on way. 
Little detour at Tixall Wide, and maybe Penkeridge and back?
 

None of that’d be tasking, and it’s nice to take slow at 2mph in parts. 

 

The locks along there are some of the prettiest. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Goliath

[booke23]

1 hour ago, Lofty88 said:

Hi all. 4 of us have booked a canal holiday in July of this year (Not our first one!). Since booking last year, a new baby is on the way and will be around 6 weeks old when we go... exciting stuff!

 

That being said, it probably means we won't be doing very long days of cruising. We pick up & return the boat to Barton Turns marina on the Trent & Mersey- does anyone have any recommendations of picturesque routes in the area? Originally we were going to do the black country ring, but now we won't be doing that, we could head in any direction!

 

When you say 4 of you, is that 2 couples or do you already have 2 children? 

[Lofty88]

Just now, booke23 said:

 

When you say 4 of you, is that 2 couples or do you already have 2 children? 

Ah sorry, should have clarified! 2 couples

48 minutes ago, IanD said:

Could go south down the Coventry and then maybe up the Ashby, 20 locks each way all the way to the end (which you're unlikely to reach)-- turn round after 3 days, wherever you've got to on the (lock-free) Ashby...

 

P.S. If boat is from Barton Turns marina, is it from Aqua Narrowboats? If so they're very nice... 😉

 

It certainly is Aqua Narrowboats! Very excited

[booke23]

 

Just now, Lofty88 said:

Ah sorry, should have clarified! 2 couples

 

Ah so your first baby, congratulations on your new arrival! Your life will be changed forever.....and for the better.

 

What I am about to say is from my own experience of having children/hiring narrowboats and now owning a narrowboat with children. My serious and solemn advice to you and your partner is to not go. Cancel it and do it in a few years (say 5 years). The first 6 months of having a new born baby is completely all consuming for you and especially your wife. I know this is probably not what you want to hear but trust me....you'll know exactly what I mean within the first day of your baby being born! It will be the worst holiday of your life if you go. 

[Lofty88]

12 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Whittington is ok,

and Alrewas is a pretty village to visit. 
Prize winning sausages from the butchers there. 
Take a lazy trip up the T&M and back. 
Tiny locks and easy. 

Destination Stone and return. 🤷‍♀️
Really very pretty all the way along and plenty of rural places to stop over with country pubs on way. 
Little detour at Tixall Wide, and maybe Penkeridge and back?
 

None of that’d be tasking, and it’s nice to take slow at 2mph in parts. 

 

The locks along there are some of the prettiest. 

Thanks a lot for this- that's very helpful!

[cuthound]

When we got our first shareboat in 1992 one of the co-owners had a 6 week old baby. They enjoyed several years of ownership, but always took a set of grandparents along to help with the baby and/or locks.

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, Lofty88 said:

Thanks a lot for this- that's very helpful!

Alrewas is pretty, but having had them recommended here we were very disappointed with the sausages -- too soft, impossible to cook without them splitting and ending up as a pile of sausagemeat. Usually happens when there's too much liquid in the mix (yes, we also make our own sausages). Have had better ones from many other butchers, including our local ones here...

 

11 minutes ago, cuthound said:

When we got our first shareboat in 1992 one of the co-owners had a 6 week old baby. They enjoyed several years of ownership, but always took a set of grandparents along to help with the baby and/or locks.

We also went boating (enjoyably!) with a small baby more than once with no real problems, but it does mean at least one adult -- sometimes two -- is unavailable for boating purposes a lot of the time. Don't forget there's no washing machine so inevitable poo disasters mean extra changes of clothing are needed. Bear in mind that babies cry a lot and boats are not well soundproofed, so earplugs are going to be essential -- especially for the non-happy couple... 😉

 

But boating with a young baby is easier than later on when they become mobile and curious and fearless... 🙂

Edited May 15, 2023 by IanD

[Lofty88]

10 minutes ago, IanD said:

We also went boating (enjoyably!) with a small baby more than once with no real problems, but it does mean at least one adult -- sometimes two -- is unavailable for boating purposes a lot of the time.

 

Bear in mind that babies cry a lot and boats are not well soundproofed, so earplugs are going to be essential -- especially for the non-happy couple... 😉

 

But boating with a young baby is easier than later on when they become mobile and curious and fearless... 🙂

 

Baby's auntie (who has had kids of her own) is extremely excited about a week away with the new baby, so fortunately I don't think they will mind the noise...! (Lets see if they still agree afterwards!)

17 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

 

Ah so your first baby, congratulations on your new arrival! Your life will be changed forever.....and for the better.

 

What I am about to say is from my own experience of having children/hiring narrowboats and now owning a narrowboat with children. My serious and solemn advice to you and your partner is to not go. Cancel it and do it in a few years (say 5 years). The first 6 months of having a new born baby is completely all consuming for you and especially your wife. I know this is probably not what you want to hear but trust me....you'll know exactly what I mean within the first day of your baby being born! It will be the worst holiday of your life if you go. 

 

We are already beyond getting any cash back, so we will be going  Baby's auntie is extremely excited about a week away, I don't think she would forgive us if we didn't go, haha. We are all excited for it!

Edited May 15, 2023 by Lofty88
typo

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, Lofty88 said:

 

Baby's auntie (who has had kids of her own) is extremely excited about a week away with the new baby, so fortunately I don't think they will mind the noise...! (Lets see if they still agrees afterwards!)

That's good news, at least she won't be wearing rose-tinted glasses! 🙂

 

(it's not so much minding the noise as the state you're all in when nobody on the boat got any sleep all night -- at least with earplugs not everyone will be a zombie...)

Edited May 15, 2023 by IanD

[booke23]

12 minutes ago, Lofty88 said:

 

Baby's auntie (who has had kids of her own) is extremely excited about a week away with the new baby, so fortunately I don't think they will mind the noise...! (Lets see if they still agree afterwards!)

 

We are already beyond getting any cash back, so we will be going  Baby's auntie is extremely excited about a week away, I don't think she would forgive us if we didn't go, haha. We are all excited for it!

 

That's good the other couple is family. Do come back and tell us how you get on, the forum is desperately short of people in your situation and your experience and tips will be invaluable for future reference!

[IanD]

15 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

That's good the other couple is family. Do come back and tell us how you get on, the forum is desperately short of people in your situation and your experience and tips will be invaluable for future reference!

 

I don't think it's so short of people who have been in his situation in the past, and don't view kids as the spawn of the devil -- but it's certainly short of young people... 😉

 

We and our friends have had hireboat holidays with offspring of all ages from young babies upwards, and we (and they) generally loved it -- though there are times when you're stuck inside in the rain with a fractious baby or toddler that it's not ideal, it's cramped and there's no escape -- and then there was the Great Tardebigge Beer Disaster... 😞

 

But in my view the good times more than make up for all this... 🙂

Edited May 15, 2023 by IanD

[mrsmelly]

2 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

 

Ah so your first baby, congratulations on your new arrival! Your life will be changed forever.....and for the better.

 

What I am about to say is from my own experience of having children/hiring narrowboats and now owning a narrowboat with children. My serious and solemn advice to you and your partner is to not go. Cancel it and do it in a few years (say 5 years). The first 6 months of having a new born baby is completely all consuming for you and especially your wife. I know this is probably not what you want to hear but trust me....you'll know exactly what I mean within the first day of your baby being born! It will be the worst holiday of your life if you go. 

Wise words!! We left sprogs with grandparents in our early days and had a childless holiday, thats why there are grandparents. Many years later and 10 grandkids and 2 great grandkids ( we sort of know what we are talking about ) we moved miles away from any of them so dont get stuck with any of the grandkids 🤣

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, booke23 said:

What I am about to say is from my own experience of having children/hiring narrowboats and now owning a narrowboat with children. My serious and solemn advice to you and your partner is to not go. Cancel it and do it in a few years (say 5 years). The first 6 months of having a new born baby is completely all consuming for you and especially your wife. I know this is probably not what you want to hear but trust me....you'll know exactly what I mean within the first day of your baby being born! It will be the worst holiday of your life if you go. 

We took a 3 week hire boat trip when my firstborn was 11 weeks old. And in the middle of the first week I broke my ankle, which necessitated a couple of trips to hospital in Wolverhampton, and later in the trip a hospital visit in Stoke to repair the plaster. But we did have family joining us for the second and third weeks. And it was one of the best trips I have done.

Go for it!

[Ianws]

6 hours ago, Lofty88 said:

 

Baby's auntie (who has had kids of her own) is extremely excited about a week away with the new baby, so fortunately I don't think they will mind the noise...! (Lets see if they still agree afterwards!)

 

We are already beyond getting any cash back, so we will be going  Baby's auntie is extremely excited about a week away, I don't think she would forgive us if we didn't go, haha. We are all excited for it!

If you go for it, everyone else onboard must be fully accepting that baby and you come first and second 100% of the time. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Ianws

[IanD]

9 hours ago, Ianws said:

If you go for it, everyone else onboard must be fully accepting that baby and you come first and second 100% of the time. 

I think that's pretty likely given the OPs comments and who is on board... 😉 

 

This might be telling my granny how to suck eggs, but bear in mind that with a small baby you're going to be eating mostly on board not in canalside pubs, and that there are stretches of canal with no nearby shops (or only local corner stores which don't sell much) where you may end up moored, so it's wise to go well stocked up with food for several days and restock at any opportunity -- this can be quite different to carefree baby-free boating. Speaking from experience there's also often a conflict between baby paraphernalia and available space on a narrowboat, so think carefully about what you actually need on board.

 

Just enjoy it, and do as much or little travelling and locks as everyone feels comfortable with 🙂

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

This might be telling my granny how to suck eggs, but bear in mind that with a small baby you're going to be eating mostly on board not in canalside pubs,

In our experience a very young baby, well-fed and newly nappy-changed; was very easy to have in a pub. It's when they get a bit older that the difficulties start.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

In our experience a very young baby, well-fed and newly nappy-changed; was very easy to have in a pub. It's when they get a bit older that the difficulties start.

That ought to be the case, but some pubs (and some pubgoers) don't always agree, especially if the baby is being breastfed as ours were -- but I agree that it gets more difficult later when they spend less time asleep. It also turns out that one-year-olds don't always dislike bitter things like beer yet... 😉

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Travelling up the T&M you’d have the Tesco Superstore at Rugely for a big restock. It’s canal side and you can get your trolley to the boat, it’s that easy. 
And I’d say most of the villages along there have a decent co-op now. And often a chemist should you need. 



 

 

[Higgs]

On 15/05/2023 at 14:59, Lofty88 said:

Hi all. 4 of us (2 couples) have booked a canal holiday in July of this year (Not our first one!). Since booking last year, a new baby is on the way and will be around 6 weeks old when we go... exciting stuff!

 

That being said, it probably means we won't be doing very long days of cruising. We pick up & return the boat to Barton Turns marina on the Trent & Mersey- does anyone have any recommendations of picturesque routes in the area? Originally we were going to do the black country ring, but now we won't be doing that, we could head in any direction!

 

In this area, you are dogged by the A38. I would go right, out of the marina. Although the first leg to Wychnor is close to the A38, you will leave it to go on a short river section to Alrewas. I've done this section several times. There is a winding point and a river condition sign post at Wychnor, before you commit to the route. 

 

From Alrewas, it's on to Fradley, and the junction, where you can take the Coventry. My preference is straight through, heading for Rugeley and Great Haywood Junction. Depends on the time you have. Rugeley is good for provisions. 

 

Leaving the marina and turning left will take you to Burton, and on to Willington. And more of the A38. Check Google maps, to help see where you will encounter major road noise areas and built-up urban areas. 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Higgs

[Lofty88]

Thanks all for the advice! We had an absolutely fantastic week away and the advice was much appreciated!

 

Edit- I should add, would there be any benefit to a bit of a report? Could be handy for anyone else going with a newborn!

Edited July 17, 2023 by Lofty88
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