Is a Long Car Trip Safe for the Newborn?

Is a Long Car Trip Safe for the Newborn? -- Absolutely, but it may make the parents crazy.It can be very stressful as well. Be aware of this, lower your travel time expectations, and most of all enjoy the company of your husband.

Just remember the foloowing:
1)Safety: There will be periods on the road in which you will be tempted to save time during feeding. If your baby is breastfed, you will want to take her out of the carseat to feed while moving. If she is bottle-fed, that temptation will happen when it comes time to burp her. Four words -- Don not do it. Safety has got to take precedence. Even though the time out of the carseat may be minimal, it could be just enough time to be involved in an accident. This same temptation may come if the baby becomes fussy. If he needs to be held, stop the car.

Therefore, when planning how much time it will take to make it to the destination, calculate how long it would be with just you and your husband ... and then double it.

2)Bring everything:Pack everything. Adjustment to new environments are more easily achieved if much of the usual equipment is used. Bring your blankets, your baby wipes and diapers and anything else that your baby is used to during the day. Even things like nail scissors, the nasal bulb syringe and the thermometer are things that might get left behind if you don't make note of them. You should make either mental or written notes about things you used for the baby starting about two weeks before the trip. That ensured those "not-daily-used" items got packed.

Have a nice trip. Drive safely and have fun!