3 week old - 3 hour car journey Help!

[Hiphopopotamus]

Looking for some advice - we have to take our (will be) three week old on a three hours car journey next week. How often do we need to stop to get her out of the car seat? I’ve seen everything from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Obviously every 30 minutes would mean a lot of stops! Is there any official guidance o this anywhere? And what have other people done?

I think the most important thing is to have someone sit in the rear with LO to check they are ok. I would probably make a couple of stops on a 3 hour journey guided by when LO is upset, needs a nappy change or needs feeding. I certainly would not wake them for the sake of a stop every 30 minutes.

I’ll definitely be sitting in the back with her

I thought it was no more than 2 hours in a 24 hour period and even then there should be breaks.

www.motherandbaby.co.uk/baby-and-toddler/baby-and-toddler-health-advice/2-hour-car-seat-rule

It's every thirty minutes with a newborn, OP. 2 hours is for older babies. And you're supposed to get them out of the car seat for a good long period of time during the break- at least half an hour.

Any chance you could buy a lie flat car seat? That negates the issue.

I'm not sure what you mean by "have to". I've had 2 DC in cars for extended periods at that sort of age and it's not necessarily a pleasant experience.

I'd get out of it if you can

We had to do a 2 hour car trip with a 10 day old for a family funeral. I sat in the back with baby and planned to do an hour at a time and factored in an extra hour on the journey for planned and extra stops. Good feed and clean nappy before setting off slept the first hour with me next to him. Stopped after an hour out of car seat for 15 mins fresh air and quick feed then back on the car and managed the next hour asleep too! I’m not sure exactly what the guidelines are but that worked for us.

I'd second having a lie flat seat, our dd looked so comfy and slept beautifully on longer journeys.

TheRoyal Society for the Prevention of Accidentsrecommends taking at least a 15-minute break every two hours.
www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/warning-over-babies-sleeping-in-car-seats/

I had to do a 4 hr car journey with my 12 week old. That was to go on holiday. We stopped every hour for a service station coffee and I stayed in the back of the car during the trip to keep an eye on her. Personally I thought that was fine, the risk is extremely low, but it depends on how you feel about it.

They should be taken out every 30 minutes unless in a lie flat carseat. However I would have done everything possible to avoid taking mine on such a long car journey at that age. it'll take you ages and will probably be a very stressful journey if they start getting fretful.

Another to recommend lie flat car seat then you probably won't need to stop at all, mine slept beautifully in it.

Please understand how important it is for them not to be in a car seat for more than 45 mins to an hour at a time. Their lungs and muscles are not strong enough to open their airways and lungs sufficiently they are crunched over without the support to correct themselves.
Please take lots of rests, stretches, feeding and winding.

Sorry but it's 30 minutes for a newborn, going up to 2 hours once they have head control. If I'm honest though, if baby was sleeping I would probably skip / delay a stop, as long as you are in the back watching. Wouldn't feel comfortable going over an hour though, and would stop after 30 minutes if baby was awake, sooner if they were upset.

So I would plan 5 stops (eep), with the hope of maybe been able to skip 1 or 2. Definitely don't envy you that journey.

I hope you don't have to come back the same day otherwise that will be a nightmare journey. Every 30 mins and it really is important they get out of that car seat for a good break each time.

I drove from London to Edinburgh with a 2
Day old baby.

I bought a specific lie flat car seat (they exist). and sat in the back poking and holding my Finger to feel breath.

We stopped probably every 2 hours as I had to go to the toilet anyway and he needed a bottle. Total trip: 11ish hours due to traffic and snow.

The doctors and midwives were more concerned about me Travelling than baby.

Everything 30 minutes, or whenever they need milk / chaging whichever is soonest. They shouldn't wear pram suit etc as they can get over heated. Unless you really have to, I would personally hold back

I drove from Suffolk to Malvern when our youngest was 5 days. I stopped quite often because others wanted the lavatory. Not every half hour though. Probably about every hour and a half. I was driving with baby in rear facing seat beside me.

If you look at the details of the research baby fatalities in car seats, the majority are related to incorrect use including leaving a baby with a bottle in the seat, over wrapping, too loose straps or incorrect seat for size of infant. In four years 31 under two year olds died in USA. Clearly too many but most were avoidable if the car seat had been used properly.

Could you go on the train and then you'll be able to hold baby?

Could you go on the train and then you'll be able to hold baby?

Not really practical given the social distancing issues

Neither is the other option. Depending on the journey the train could be practically empty.

Just to say that presumably there are very good reasons for doing the journey, so therefore you need to focus on solutions. We did a few hundred mile trip with a 5 day old baby so that a dying close relative could meet DD before she died. Wasn’t the easiest journey I’ve ever done but we did it! Allow loads of time for stops and nappy changes and outfit changes and feeds and anything else you can imagine. I think we got through 3 sleep suits in one service station due to a combination (but we did have a refluxy baby too). Good luck

Imo it's too long for that young a baby

It depends on how little, how big and how well they are. I’m sure you have a personal reason for doing such a long journey.
I would do a mid-journey stop, so after 1.5 hrs and have someone sit in the back with them.

Thanks for some of the suggestions - and yes, we do need to make this journey. Can I ask where people are seeing official guidance for the 30 minute stopping, as everything official I’ve seen says two hours.