Tips For The First Car Ride Home

Tips For The First Car Ride Home

By Midwife Cath, Baby Jogger Australia

To celebrate Baby Jogger Australia's new City GO car capsule, Midwife Cath shares some tips for the first car ride home from hospital. Here are some tips to make the first car trip home with your baby less stressful and advice for what you can look for in a car capsule, to ensure a comfortable ride for your newborn.

Most importantly – enjoy this day. You will be telling your baby about the drive home for many years. So make it a happy and safe trip.

Make sure you know how to use the car capsule prior to going into the hospital and ensure the car seat is correctly fitted. Do a few sessions fitting a large teddy bear into the car capsule so you know what buttons to press.

If it’s a very hot day, cool down the car prior to putting the baby in the car capsule. The cars can heat up along with the car capsules and the heat can transfer to the baby.

The chrome in any car can be get really hot - always ensure they do not come in contact with the baby’s skin. Ensure you have enough petrol. Don’t laugh—I have seen it quite a few times and believe me, the new mother is never impressed! Make sure the boot is empty and there is enough room to bring home the case, baby gifts and flowers.

Arrive at the hospital early as discharge is usually around 9am at most hospitals. Park close to the hospital and put the parking ticket in your wallet. Pack the car and once you have finalised the paperwork with the discharge office, strap your baby into the car seat. Drive home safely!

About Midwife Cath

Midwife Cath – Cath Curtin – is a trusted expert in women’s health, pre-pregnancy, antenatal care and education, pregnancy, labour and birth, postnatal care, breastfeeding, and parenting. She has delivered over 10,000 babies throughout her 43-year career. Trained and fully-qualified as a nurse, midwife and maternal and child health nurse, Cath has an incomparable depth of experience. Her book, The First Six Weeks, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2016 and is being translated for international markets. Her next book will be published in 2018. She has a series of podcasts Birth Baby & Beyond available on PodcastOne and iTunes.

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