1hr45 min car trip with newborn

[Baske]

DS will be 4 weeks old (he was born 5 weeks early) and we will be travelling 1hr45 mins at the weekend.

How often should we stop for breaks, how long should the breaks be for, and what should we do during the breaks ie lie him flat in his pram?

why don’t they come to you?

I'm definitely not an expert on this but I remember being told by my midwife not to leave baby in the car seat more than 30 minutes without a break, I think in case they're in a position that restricts their breathing. So maybe make sure you are sitting in the back with him if you can to keep an eye on him and stop every half hour, or as near to that as you can. My baby was a bit older when we went on our first long car journey to Wales but during the breaks we would just take him out, have a little walk around with him and give him 5/10 mins to be able to move around and stretch out a bit or maybe pop him in the pram and give him a bit of a walk round. Good luck for the journey! If it's any reassurance, my baby has always loved being in the car!

Did the hospital not give any advice? Born before 36 weeks, limit journeys to 30 mins at a time in car seat for the first few months. Sorry, won’t let me copy and paste that bit, so added pic.

www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/UHS-website-2019/Patientinformation/Childhealth/Car-seat-challenge-2939-PIL.pdf

@nootropics they're not necessarily going to visit people? My baby's first long trip at 3 months was a holiday to Wales

Can you get a train?

This. Or it could be a close family funeral, poorly relative etc. People love to assume.

Leave plenty of time, take a break every 30 mins and have a coffee, lunch, do a feed, nappy change, whatever. Sit in back with him. Then you're staying within medical guidelines and no need for worry. Sorted.

Mine had neck support things in their car seats for the first few week - do they still recomend them?

Thank you everyone. Yes it’s to visit his poorly grandfather who doesn’t have long left.

The hospital advised an hour but I’ve also read 30 mins so due to the conflicting advice I will stick to 30 mins

3 months

This is 4 weeks

We travelled 4 hours when DD was 5 weeks for a wedding. At the time they advised stopping every 2 hours but think it may have changed (and she wasn't prem). As we also had a barely toilet trained 3 year old we did 2 or 3 stops, and got a coffee/lunch and either held DD or lay her down on the café seat (obviously watched closely).

@nootropics and as OP has now confirmed, this is not a social trip where the visit can be reversed.

@Baske very sorry to hear this, I think it's very lovely but bittersweet that his grandfather will get the chance to meet him and I hope the trip goes as well as it can under the circumstances xx

If you have a lie flat car seat, you can leave them in there for longer. I'd say 1-2 stops during your journey is fine, one of you should sit in the back with baby.

@MaltipooMama thank you.

@Peonies12 thanks, we don’t have a lie flat car seat but have a very well recommended one for preemie babies which has an excellent position and isn’t chin to chest. Obviously won’t stay in it for longer than 30 mins though following the advice.

I think in your DS’ case a completely lie flat car seat with an adult in the back keeping an eye on him would be the best thing. Still stop every 30mins to take him out but as premies have a bigger risk of sids I wouldn’t take any chances

I was told that before 6 weeks old car journeys should be no longer than 30 minutes. After 6 weeks it's 1.5 hours max

Brand new babies don't have the neck muscles to keep their airways flowing that early.

I’d stop twice and just hold the baby so they can stretch out rather than put them into pram. Tiger in a tree pose for some tummy time 😍 so cute, good luck!

Drive for 45 mins, stop feed and change, drive the rest. I’m ancient though and nobody told me that car seats were dangerous.

We lived 1 hour 30 mins drive away from the hospital, so DD came home in a car seat just after being born. Fed first, timed (as much as possible!) for a nap, front seat so both parents could keep an eye, ready to stop for a break if needed. She slept the whole way, it wasn't a problem.