Unless you’ve had a homebirth, you’ll need to be thinking about how to bring your baby home from the hospital or birth center. Feeling anxious about this first trip is so normal, it’s the first proper journey your baby has ever made, so let’s help you prepare for this!
Make sure you’re dressing them for the weather. As a bear minimum, it’s recommended that you put your little one in a vest (short sleeves, no legs) and then a baby grow (long sleeve, long arms) with a blanket on top.
If it’s on the colder side, you would want to have a cardigan, blanket and hat on baby too – snow suits aren’t recommended if you’re putting baby in the car seat because they can lead to overheating and mean the harness doesn’t secure baby in as effectively
Little top tip!
Consider feeding baby before you set off. It will make them calmer on the ride home, which will make the whole experience much easier!
Bringing the car seat into hospital with you on the day you’re ready to leave so you can put baby in the car seat while in a warm environment. It helps to keep them calmer, which makes things much easier! Practice attaching the seat to car and doing up the harness beforehand so you’re confident with it!
Little top tip!
To check the belt is tight enough, do the pinch test! Pinch the bit of seat belt sat over the chest. When you pinch it, if the material gathers, it’s too loose. If your fingers slide over the top, it’s perfect!
For the first journey, we would always recommend that one parent sits in the back of the car with the baby so you can keep an eye on them.
You can use a mirror in front of the car seat if you’re both sitting in the front, but just mindful that this can be a distraction from driving – no one wants to take their eyes off their gorgeous newborn!
Take the journey as slow as you need to!
And finally, remember to take baby out of the car seat when you get home, and take all of their outdoor clothes off, even if they’re sleeping! The best place for baby when home is in their own crib for safe sleep! zzZZZ
