Travelling with a newborn can be a real obstacle course. Between all the things you need to take with you and the fact that you won't be able to see your baby, it's hard to feel totally at ease during the journey. To make sure your journey goes as smoothly as possible, Bébé2Luxe tells you how to equip your car so you can travel safely with baby.
All the equipment for driving with baby
The rear-view mirror
For parents, travelling by car with baby is a source of stress. What is he doing? Is he bored? Is he sleeping? In general, if he's not making any noise, you start to worry and want to check what he's doing. But this is likely to wake him up and cause him to cry for the rest of the journey.
So if you want to keep an eye on him without disturbing him, there's the baby mirror. Adjustable to 360 degrees, you can check what your toddler is doing at any time during the journey. It's very easy to install, just attach it to the headrest of the rear seat.
The car seat
For the journey to go as smoothly as possible for baby, it's vital that he or she is comfortably and safely seated in a car seat.
When baby is very small, a cosy or carrycot is sufficient. If the journey is long, choose the carrycot so that your toddler can sleep. In this case, he's in a reclining position and can fall asleep more easily.
And above all, before setting off, check that baby is properly strapped in for optimum safety.
The baby on board sign
On the road, the greatest danger is often posed by other drivers. So to minimise the risks, it's best to warn them to take care. By displaying the baby sign at the rear of your vehicle, other drivers are warned of the presence of a newborn baby. They should therefore slow down to avoid any risk of accident.
A sun visor
On the road, the sun can be very disturbing for baby. Between the stinging on his eyes and skin, the discomfort is likely to cause him to cry for part of the journey. So to ensure your child has a pleasant journey, opt for a sun visor at the rear of the vehicle.
A few reminders about travelling with baby
In addition to travel equipment, travelling with baby requires a great deal of preparation, especially for long journeys. In this case, it's highly likely that you'll need to plan one or more stops along the way. This is when good organisation comes into its own.
So to help you, here are a few tips not to forget:
Prepare all the bottles: if you have to feed your baby during the journey, it's best to have something to feed him. Depending on the length of your journey, plan how many bottles you'll need. And if you're breast-feeding, a nursing pillow will be ideal for comfort.
Bring nappies and wipes with you: whatever the length of your journey, you should always bring nappies and wipes with you when you travel with baby.
And to make sure baby doesn't get bored, don't forget a few distractions like toys or soothing music to avoid any stress.