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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Travelling with a young baby

19 replies

SpringChicken26 · 19/08/2017 09:55

Just looking for some advice as not sure what's best we've been invited to a family wedding when baby is likely to be 11-13 weeks old it's a 3hr 30 min drive away. Baby has also been invite me but could probably leave at home in care of grandparents...not sure how I feel about leaving such a young baby overnight so soon especially as we are not sure how we are feeding etc but don't want baby in the car too long also was thinking could take a couple of hour breaks from driving where baby could lie flat in carry cot and have a break from car or is this too dangerous for a young baby what would you do ? Thanks in advance !

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Original poster

SpringChicken26 · 19/08/2017 09:56

Invited**

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 19/08/2017 09:58

They'll be fine.

I'd stop once and get them out their car seat - maybe lie them down somewhere flat or just carry them about for a bit, feed them, change nappy etc.

Then carry on

McBaby · 19/08/2017 11:13

Take the baby and Jane fun at the wedding.

Stop once or twice on the journey to feed and change baby.

Our in laws live at the other end of the county so all 3 have been on long car journeys from a couple of weeks old.

Original poster

SpringChicken26 · 19/08/2017 11:42

Thanks for the advice both much appreciated :-)

OP posts:

Imnotatypicalsausage · 19/08/2017 12:43

The advice now is not to have baby in a car seat for longer than 30 mins at a time unless you have the one that goes completely flat, so I'd probably stop a few more times just to be safe but it doesn't need to be for very long. The lay flat car seat is the kiddie evo or something like that (there may be other brands). You should defo go though!

Original poster

SpringChicken26 · 19/08/2017 13:15

Wow £389 for the kiddie evo car seat is more than I'd want to spend especially for one that only lasts 12 Months ! Not sure we could stop every 30 mins and do 6 stops I was thinking maybe 3 stops would this be okay?

OP posts:

Orangebird69 · 19/08/2017 13:18

As long as you're sat in the back with the baby and keeping an eye on them, driving for an hour or so at a time will be absolutely fine. I've regularly done 2-3 hour journeys with ds since he was a few weeks old. He's 22mo now so no harm done!

Changerofname987654321 · 19/08/2017 17:40

I would not have been able to leave a 3 month old over night. It is very young for a baby to be without it's primary carer.

I think the 30 minute rule and essential travel only applies babies under 4 weeks old.

welshweasel · 19/08/2017 17:43

Babies that age are very portable. The 30 minute rule is somewhat controversial anyway, and applies to newborns not a 3 month old baby. Stop if you need to but often babies at that age will sleep for a 3 hour car journey.

FrogsSitonLogs · 19/08/2017 17:44

We took our 4 week old to a wedding 7 hours away.

Sittinginthesun · 19/08/2017 17:46

We started to visit in-laws on a regular basis when the dcs were that age. Plenty of breaks, and they'll be fine.

helly29 · 19/08/2017 18:06

We went via ferry to a wedding in Belfast when ds was 16 weeks - stopped regularly in the car (bf so breaks occurred naturally!)

It was lovely - I was tired because he was having 4 month sleep regression but I'm so glad we went! Just stand at the back of the ceremony and prepare to dash if baby starts to grumble

Original poster

SpringChicken26 · 19/08/2017 18:51

Thanks all keep reading about the 30 min rule and wasn't sure when this stopped applying eventhough even the hospital I will give birth at is about 40 mins away.

OP posts:

Enidblyton1 · 19/08/2017 19:55

I wouldn't worry about the 30 minute rule. It's really applicable to new borns - and even then a 40 minute ride home from hospital is not going to be a problem. It's not an exact thing. Just designed to stop people keeping their small babies in car seats for hours.

I would definitely take a 3 month old. Very hard to leave them overnight at that age (pretty much impossible if you are breastfeeding).
Just allow for a couple of stops on the journey. Perhaps only one stop if your baby ends up sleeping for much of it. All will be fine.

mintich · 19/08/2017 20:50

11 weeks I'd say stop every 2 hours for at least 15 mins to give them a stretch, that's what I do ( shorten the time down from 2 hours of they can't lift their heads but mine can)

moobeana · 19/08/2017 22:32

We travelled from south east England to Northern Ireland by car and ferry with both of my girls at 6 weeks.

Stopped every 3 hours for feeding, stretching etc. They are imminently portable at this age. Enjoy!

I also took my dd to a wedding in Scotland at 4mo. The hardest bit was finding a pretty dress I could breastfeed in!

Lillygreen · 21/08/2017 10:22

Don't get the Kiddy eco lunar. My DS outgrew it at 7 months and it's so heavy I wasn't able to lift it out the car and onto the pram myself.

4 hours for an 11 week old will be fine. Like other say, just stop every hour to feed/change
X

raviolidreaming · 21/08/2017 11:01

As long as you're sat in the back with the baby and keeping an eye on them, driving for an hour or so at a time will be absolutely fine

You really don't need to sit in the back with them unless you want to. One of those mirrors so you can see them will be fine. We did a 7 hour drive with two stops with a two month old and it was honestly fine; they slept for most of it!

Orangebird69 · 21/08/2017 11:05

ravioli, yeah, I know, but I was quite paranoid myself when ds was that small and needed to be able to see his chest rise and fall, and poke him occasionally just to double check

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