First trip with baby - what to pack

[trousergrout]

So.. we're going away for a few days with our 3 week old baby. What do we need to pack?

We'll be staying in a youth hostel with our own room and shared kitchen. Baby is exclusively formula fed and takes formula at room temperature.

Also, any tips for the long car journey? It's about 4 hours without stops, but will take longer with stopping to get her out of the car seat now and then.

I'm sorry, but that journey is far too long for a 3 week old in my opinion. They shouldn't be in a car seat for more than 30 minutes at a time, and they shouldn't be in a car seat at all if they've recently fed. The position is bad for their bowels/digestion, they really should be lying flat.

If you have a short break every 30 minutes and have a long break after every feed, it's going to take you forever to get there.

I know that's not what you want to hear, if you've already planned the journey. Would it be possible to take her on the train instead so she can stay in the pram?

I would not be taking a new born on such a journey.

www.nhs.uk/news/2016/10October/Pages/Warning-over-babies-sleeping-in-car-seats.aspx

Thanks both. Yes I know we will need to break up the journey. I'm expecting to take all day over it.

I'd plan for a stop half way there and I'd sit in the back with the baby so you can keep an eye. If everyone stuck to 30 minute car journeys plenty of people wouldn't even be able to get home from hospital! For 3 days I'd consider taking ready made formula rather than faffing with powder. The big bottles last 48 hours in the fridge. Have a think about how you are going to sterilise the bottles. You can buy sterilising bags from boots that you fill with water and hang over a door handle. We used them when we went away at a similar age. Enough spare muslins/blankets/sleepsuits in case of vomit! Where will the baby sleep?

Hope you have a fabulous time, we went away loads when our DS was tiny and always had an amazing time.

Car seat & sling/pushchair.

Travel cot/Moses basket & 3/4 sheets.

6/7 sleepsuits vests, cardigan/jacket & hat.

A Tupperware tub/bag, Milton tablets, bottles and ready made formula as it's easier and more hygienic with a shared kitchen.

Bibs, muslins and blankets as needed.

Personally I'd sit in the back and plan to stop every 45/60 minutes to feed, change or stretch for 15 minutes.

If feeding leave 30 minutes to suggest before setting of again.

Can you buy or borrow a lay flat car seat perhaps? Would save a lot of hassle/time.

Thank you everyone! That is helpful.
We asked a paediatrician about stops and she said stopping every 90 minutes - 2 hours was OK. Seems a bit long to me. Going by train would be nice but would cost several hundred pounds.