Life doesn’t stop when you have a baby. If anything, it speeds up dramatically! You’ve got this bundle of joy in your life, and you can’t wait to show everyone. Your friends and family are all keen to see them, so you’re thinking about planning a few trips. It’s a great opportunity to go away for the weekend, while also seeing the people you love and letting them see your new baby. 

Clearly, there are many considerations when driving with a newborn baby. It’s not as easy as driving around with a toddler, regular child, or adult. Let’s look at a few key points to ensure you travel safely:

Make regular stops

It’s not a good idea to keep your baby in the car for more than 30 minutes at a time. This is because they can get a bit cranky, but sitting in a car seat is also not great for them. Babies are safest when they are lying down flat, and a car seat doesn’t let them do this. So, take regular breaks to bring them out of the seat and get a bit of fresh air. 

This is also a great time to check their diaper and see if they need changing. You can feed them during some of these breaks, so there’s even less chance of them being cranky or crying during the journey. 

Always check the car seat

Before you start any journey, check that your seat is installed properly. You’ll be amazed at how many parents don’t install a baby car seat correctly. The worst thing is, an incorrectly installed seat can be absolutely fine for most journeys. There’s every chance you won’t see anything bad happen, which is a big problem. It means you never bother to check if the seat is correctly installed, and you won’t find this out until something bad does happen. 

Double and triple-check the manual when installing the seat and see if you’ve done everything right. When you are completely confident that it’s been installed properly, you can put your baby inside. 

Encourage your baby to nap

There is absolutely nothing for a baby to do when they’re in the car. So, you may as well help them get as much sleep as possible. It will keep them quiet, giving you a peaceful car journey. One top tip is to use car sunshades on the windows. These block out as much light as possible; keeping your baby comfortable, and creating better conditions to sleep. Another idea is to play lullaby songs on the car radio until they’re asleep. It can soothe them as they drift off.

For a lot of parents, taking the baby home for the first time is the most significant car journey of their lives. But, the real test is when you have to take your baby on a long journey. If you’re planning a little staycation – or you’ve going to visit relatives to show them your baby – you need to know how to handle car journeys. These tips are a great place to start.