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Original poster

Newborn and car seats

10 replies

Northernbeachbum · 17/06/2018 15:16

Obviously the advice is not to leave a newborn in the car seat for longer than an hour before a 30 min break out of it. At what age do they stop counting as a newborn and can do longer journeys?

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anotherangel2 · 17/06/2018 16:42

30 min guidelines applies up to 6 weeks for full term babies. After that it is 2 hours.

Original poster
Northernbeachbum · 17/06/2018 16:48

Perfect thank you! Midwives told us an hour when we left for a newborn with then half an hour out of the car seat before another hour?

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anotherangel2 · 17/06/2018 17:31

The advice for 2 hours is based on spine development not breathing. So regularly leaving them in car seat is a no no as they need to be flat.

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Original poster
Northernbeachbum · 17/06/2018 20:02

Ok so an hour up to 6 weeks then 2 hours up til......anyone know? I don't have any long drives planned but it would be great to know

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mindutopia · 17/06/2018 22:16

I wouldn’t leave my 5 year old in her car seat longer than about 2 hours, so really that’s about the max for all small kids before they need a break and a stretch (and a feed for the little ones). So I’d roughly aim for that and take regular breaks when you’re driving.

silkpyjamasallday · 17/06/2018 22:23

We never left DD any longer than absolutely necessary, she choked on her vomit because of the angle she was at in her car seat and went blue. It was the worst moment of my life, thankfully my DM knows first aid for babies and children as she runs a preschool, if she hadn’t have been there I don’t know what we would have happened. So many babies are in them constantly round where we live on travel systems, and it seems unecassary to me, especially with all the information about the negative effects on spinal development and breathing. If you have to do long journeys break them up so your baby isn’t scrunched up for ages

Smurfybubbles · 17/06/2018 22:30

We've just done a 7 hour car trip today (only that long due to lots of breaks for feeds and nappy changes) with our 6 week old DS. We rented a flat lay car seat by Britax and it was amazing. I hated the idea of him being squished up in his car seat all day.

They're pricey to buy just to have for the odd long journey, we rented this for about £60 for a week! Worth keeping in mind in case you have a one off longer journey planned in the near future.

Laurel543 · 17/06/2018 23:42

@Smurfybubbles
Ooh Where did you rent the Britax car seat from?

Smurfybubbles · 18/06/2018 05:27

@Laurel543 a company called the baby loft!

Laurel543 · 18/06/2018 06:45

@Smurfybubbles
Great! Many thanks

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