Passport to Panic – Evanne Ní Chuilinn Needs Your Help

The last time I went on holidays, I was pregnant.

I was only 7-10 weeks gone, and although I had the usual symptoms, I wasn’t massively uncomfortable. Himself and myself went to visit my sister in Singapore, and then travelled around Malaysia. Once I got a nap in at some point during the day, I was tolerable, (I think). We also altered one of our trips that so a hiking trek in Borneo towards the end of our break became a 5 star hotel stay in Borneo… I wasn’t complaining!

Fast forward one month, and I was away in Madrid, covering the European Equestrian Games for RTÉ. My nausea had taken a turn for the worse, and how the outtakes of my pieces to camera never ended up on Youtube I’ll never know! There were a couple of dodgy takes – think Katherine Heigl in “Knocked Up”. It got worse. I contracted shingles while in Madrid, and a planned relaxing week in the sun afterwards became my own private nightmare. Himself flew over to join me, but I couldn’t leave the bed, except to grab the bucket. I was hospitalised hours after touching down in Dublin, and spent the next six months grappling with the symptoms of hyperemesis, which the shingles had induced. Like I said, nightmare. 

Suffice to say, I am VERY excited to go on holidays this year! The little man who had me feeling so ill this time last year is here now, and we’re about to take him on his first trip abroad. (That’s assuming his passport arrives in the next 48 hours, but that’s a story for another day).  

I am not ashamed to say, that this week, I am looking – no, begging – for help. I have never travelled further than south Tipperary with the wee man before, and certainly not in the direction of 35 degree heat. What do I pack? How do I keep him cool?  What if his ears pop on the plane? I have no idea where to start. I’m assuming he’ll just wear a vest and a nappy every day.  I’ll get him to drink water, but how much will he need? I have a UV protected swimsuit for him, and a ring that he can sit into in the pool, but is pool water safe? And can we sit him under a parasol on the beach? If so, how come babies are supposed to be kept at 18 degrees? Is that just while they sleep?  There’s another pickle. To air con, or not to air con? Will he be too hot under just a fan at night? It was 36 degrees yesterday, so it’s going to be hot hot hot. I have factor 50 sunblock, and swim nappies, but all of these practicalities could be seen to by a monkey. I need to cultivate an innate instinct over the course of the next 2 days. If any of you Irish mammies out there could shed some light on any or all of the above scenarios, I’d be eternally grateful. (Of course, all this could be pointless if that blasted passport doesn’t arrive, tick tock tick tock).  

Chat soon, I hope!

E x