Heading home from the hospital with your new baby is one of the most nerve-wracking car rides you will ever experience.
Thankfully, if you take the time to prepare your car before the arrival of your baby, you will have nothing to worry about! You can focus on gazing lovingly into your newborn’s face as it peeps out from under the straps and buckles that seem so large on its tiny body.
Here are some tips on how to prepare your vehicle to be safe and comfortable for your newborn.
Protect Your Car
Take if from years of parenting that if you don’t make time to install a seat protector before you fill your car with car seats, you likely will never want to take the time to do so.
Save yourself a lot of hassle by protecting the back of your vehicle before it is loaded down with car seats and covered with unavoidable messes such as spit-up, spilled milk, and smooshed teething biscuits.
Install the Car seat
Once you purchase the car seat your infant will be using, go ahead and install it into your vehicle. You should be prepared for anything, especially if the expectant momma is already thirty-six weeks along.
If you have an infant car seat with a separate base, take care that it is all correctly secured into place. If you are using a convertible car seat, check to make sure that it is level with the ground. You may have to use a rolled-up towel under the car seat to achieve the proper fit.
Goodbye Sunshine
No one likes it when the sun is shining directly into their eyes, especially babies who are too young to know how to look away. To help keep your baby happy, place shades on the windows that are most likely to cause the sun to stream in, and upset your baby.
If you have a car seat that can be removed and placed in a stroller, have a car seat canopy ready to go so your little one will be well protected from the elements.
Install a Mirror
Placing a mirror in front of your baby is one of the most crucial car-prepping steps to include. Since your baby will be facing backward in their car seat, it is important that you are able to take a quick glance to check on them when it is safe to do so.
Baby Car Kit
Begin the habit of having a diaper caddy stocked and ready to use in your car. While you are out and about, your little one is going to have blowouts when you are least expecting it.
You will want to fill your emergency car kit with a changing pad, diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and an extra outfit for baby. Keep an extra blanket on hand for cold days or if you are worried that the air conditioning may be too cold for the baby.
Save Yourself a Seat
Make sure that there is space next to your baby’s car seat so that if your significant other is driving, you have the opportunity to ride next to your little one to soothe them or simply just stare at their peaceful face while they are lulled to sleep by the gentle swaying of the moving vehicle.
Author Bio: Cristin Howard runs Smart Parent Advice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Cristin writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
