2hrs in car seat?

[Lynds77]

i am aware that a baby should not spend more than 2 hours in a car seat, or any other seat that is not completely flat.

as my Dad lives about 3 hrs away I have been thinking about this. How do you travel a long distance with a baby? I know you have to stop and take baby out, but for how long? half an hour? an hour?

or can baby only be no more than 2 hours in the seat in any one day???

I dont understand the rules for this. I have thought about the train, but there is no way would I manage baby, bags, pram and travel cot etc etc all on my own (I am likely to be leaving during the day when hubby is working)

wont be doing this until baby is at least 5mnths old if that makes a difference?

 

[Sarah7]

Sorry I can't actually be of any help with this, but that is a brilliant question! I have family in Scotland which is a 5-9 hour drive depending on which one's I'm visiting. I hadn't thought of what you do to avoid the 2 hour rule. Going to be in for some loooong journeys I reckon

 

[Lynds77]

I know, imagine you need to stop every 2 hours for at least an hour? guess it gives you time to feed baby if you are BF etc, but if baby is sleeping soundly, the temptation would be there to just crack on and keep the peddle down!

 

[hellywelly]

I have just literally been reading the maxi cosi website as I want to know when to remove the newborn headhugger thing. They advise no more than two hours at a time before a break for feeding and changing, but pointed out that the odd long car journey isn't going to hurt the child so I think just a quick stretch of the legs etc would be fine, maybe 30 mins? It isn't like you'll be doing the journey everyday, and at 5 months old their backs are more robust anyway.

 

[Happyred]

I would think stopping for an hour would be sufficient. I guess if they were sleeping and you wanted to crack on with the journey, an extra wee half hour or so wouldnt do much harm providing it was only very occasionally. I think these guidelines are more for people who use the car seat on their prams, and keep them in it for hours at a time.

 

[charliebear]

The way I understood it was baby shouldnt be in the carseat for longer than necessary, so if this was longer than 2 hours they'd need to have a break, especially when newborn.

When AJ was older we would leave him a little longer as long as he was sleeping but ok (this was my choice)

At 5 months baby would probably sleep most of the way anyway, with maybe a stop to feed/change/have a cuddle. So baby will be out of the carseat and be able to have a stretch etc.

 

[Lynds77]

yeah it would only be about once a month or so i would do that journey. All other family live local so would be very short journeys for visits.

so many rules and so much to remember!!

 

[jules84]

Could you plan the journey around lunch? So leave at 11am knowing time to stop will be one so just stop for lunch and toilet break and then back on the road? it would actually break the journey up and you wouldnt arrive at destination starving! xxx

 

[Lynds77]

yeah the next city down from me is just over 2 hours away, so could manage to stop at services there. Then make the last leg of the journey to my Dad.

the alternative is to buy a cheapie travel cot, bedding and bath support and just leave them at my Dads, so if i got the train all i needed was pram, changing bag and small suitcase! I am sure some nice member of the public would help me onto the train with all of that..........

 

[mrswoody]

I will be making a 8 hour journey to Scotland when our baby is here and he/she will be about 6 weeks old so we si have to factor in longer and more frequent stops but if we went over 2 hours I am sure baby will be ok once we stop. They are afterall guidelines :/
There's so much more for think about with a LO!

 

[Lynds77]

it really is like a military operation isnt it! the planning that has to go into everything. Even before hand.

My Dad is getting married at Gretna Green in a few weeks, and we are travelling from North of Scotland to Carlisle the day before and i am already working out where all the service stations are for toilet stops on the way down! haha

 

[Sunshine_1]

I didn't know about this rule, but glad I know now as my FiL lives a five hour journey away, it's not something we do regularly, but a few times a year! I am glad this rule is in place though, me and OH have had many a discussion because I am not a huge fan of travel systems and seeing little babies constantly in car seats, babies should be laid flat as much as possible imho. Does anyone have some links to anywhere where it says about this two hour rule to back me up in my fight for a carrycot or pram?

 

[NavyLouise]

it really is like a military operation isnt it! the planning that has to go into everything. Even before hand.

My Dad is getting married at Gretna Green in a few weeks, and we are travelling from North of Scotland to Carlisle the day before and i am already working out where all the service stations are for toilet stops on the way down! haha

OT but this made me laugh as i'm driving to Inverness on saturday (10 hour drive for me!) and have been planning all my wee stops today!!! lol

I wasn't aware of the 2 hour rule for baby, so i've learnt something new!

 

[Lynds77]

it really is like a military operation isnt it! the planning that has to go into everything. Even before hand.

My Dad is getting married at Gretna Green in a few weeks, and we are travelling from North of Scotland to Carlisle the day before and i am already working out where all the service stations are for toilet stops on the way down! haha

OT but this made me laugh as i'm driving to Inverness on saturday (10 hour drive for me!) and have been planning all my wee stops today!!! lol

I wasn't aware of the 2 hour rule for baby, so i've learnt something new!

oh dear, once you leave Perth there isnt really that many stops on the A9 for a pee! There is Aviemore about 30mins south of Inverness, but after that it gets dodgy depending on time of day. I am being extra prepared and taking a loo roll with me just in case. A wee farm track and some bushes will do me if desperate. When i need to go, i need to go! lol

 

[Sunbeam638]

I thought about this too, will be travelling at 3 months 5 hour journey to wales not sure whether to go during day and make stops or travel at night when baby will hopefully be sleeping but then might not stop?

Mmmm!x

 

[charliebear]

I didn't know about this rule, but glad I know now as my FiL lives a five hour journey away, it's not something we do regularly, but a few times a year! I am glad this rule is in place though, me and OH have had many a discussion because I am not a huge fan of travel systems and seeing little babies constantly in car seats, babies should be laid flat as much as possible imho. Does anyone have some links to anywhere where it says about this two hour rule to back me up in my fight for a carrycot or pram?

I just google 'car seat time limit', there seems to be two reasons...the one everyone talks about, baby's back and also the possibility of restricted breathing because of the way baby is positioned in the car seat and not being able to hold their heads up.

 

[babyem]

It's not just car seats this applies to. Babies shouldn't be left for long or excessive periods of times in bouncers, car seats, prams, etc. This is due to developing problems with the spine, breathing and also plagiocephaly. The number of babies with plagiocephaly - or flat head syndrome - has risen alot, as babies are left in various seats etc. x

 

[Loula]

My littlen loves her bouncer but having read this today have let her nap under her gym x

 

[Hope81]

You get flat head mainly from laying completely flat. car seats etc actually help a little with flat head.
It's only a cosmetic thing anyway and usually corrected when baby can sit upright at around 5-6 months.
It raised dramatically when the guidelines changed and babies are now adviced to sleep on their back.

About car seat etc and 2 h limit it has to do with the spine, poor head control and possibly not optimal breathing as sometimes babies are quite squished in weird positions in those.
About traveling once per while nth is going to happen leaving the baby one day longer than 2 h in its car seat.
Make sure than you stop regularly to let it have a kick and get some fresh air and it will be perfectly fine.
At home until the baby it's a little olde it shouldn't have all of its naps in a car sear or bouncer of swing but it can nap there sometimes ifykwim without a problem.
Naps in a pram are perfectly safe if you have a mattress suitable for that.
I have a bouncer, swing, playgym and Moses basket. I will have the baby napping in all Of those eventually but when it's only tiny it will be the basket or the playgym and use the others only for wake time.

 

[Sunshine_1]

Suely a pram (or a proper one at least) is flat, it's a carrycot on wheels really isn't it? I had a carriage pram for DD, she used to sleep in all the time!