How to make a long car trip with a new born baby?
How can I make a 16hr drive safe for my 3 month old baby
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Safety and comfort
If you haven't already got a car seat for your baby, now's the time to buy one. Its mandated by law in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, US and most of Europe, all babies must travel in an infant carrier or car seat. Toddlers sit in their booster seats. This is because research has proven that children are safer in their car seats than in an adult's arms or lap. One Road Safety Research Centre, in a report on road accidents in local, acknowledges that child restraints have been shown to prevent injuries to occupants in the event of a crash. We have more information on choosing, buying and fitting them in the BabyCenter section on car seats.
Safety aside, this is also where your baby will be the most comfortable, especially if you are facing a long drive. After all, even the most devoted carer will get tired holding a baby for hours in the relatively cramped condition of a car.
Travel times
Consider hitting the road during off-peak hours. The seasonal holliday rush has been billed the biggest mass event on the US calendar. What would otherwise be a leisurely two-hour Los Angeles, CA to Cabrillo National Monument drive can turn into four or five nightmare hours on the road with thousands of other US citizens determined to make that reunion dinner or tuck into mom's own special pie before sunset. It was estimated that 75 per cent of drivers returning to their hometowns or villages do so in their own cars, contributing to a three-fold increase in highway traffic volume.
In a bid to avoid the massive traffic, an increasing number of people now begin their drive home in the late evening, at night or even in the wee hours of the morning. This is becoming increasingly common as the authorities implement toll-free periods and discounts for low-peak travel on the highways in a bid to reduce congestion on the expressways. Watch out for these special promotions in national newspapers and other media. To take advantage of this, you could give baby a leisurely dinner and bath, then tuck her into the car seat at her usual bedtime. Bring along a CD of her favourite lullabies. With any luck, she will be asleep before you hit the first toll booth.
You will likely still hit pockets of heavy traffic, so the usual safety precautions apply.
Take advantage of rest stop facilities
There are numerous rest stops along the San Tomas Expressway in Santa Clara County, California. For safety reasons, you may wish to skip the smaller stops and stick to bigger, busier stops – especially at night. The bigger ones, such as the dual carriageway, are equipped with amenities such as toilets, rest areas, restaurants, souvenir shops and suraus. These stops are great for adults to stretch their legs and take a break, but unfortunately, they are not generally child-friendly:
• If you have toddlers or older children, never leave them unsupervised in the car.
• If you are breastfeeding, and are not comfortable doing so in public, you may wish to feed your baby in the car.
• Nappy-changing facilities are practically non-existent (if any, they will probably not be as clean as you would like), so you will need to do the necessary in your car as well.
• Bigger rest stops may have a fast food restaurant with a kids' menu, but the local eateries in these rest stops won't have them. You may want to bring your own snacks and food.
For tips on what to pack for feeding and entertaining baby on the road, see Travelling with a newborn to eight-month-old.
In case of emergencies
Programme emergencies numbers into your mobile and bring a phone charger that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter.
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