Bringing Your Newborn Baby Home from Hospital
This is a day you will never forget – taking your new baby home for the first time! You’ll be full of plans and looking forward to introducing the newest member of your family to everyone.
A few golden rules will help ensure baby’s first trip in the car goes as smoothly as possible so everyone arrives safe and sound and ready to enjoy the celebrations.
Travel safely
Don’t forget that it’s compulsory to use an approved car seat for your baby – even newborns. You can choose a safety car cot or rear-facing car seat. Safety car cots, such as our Jade, have the added advantage of also being suitable as a day bed for your newborn.
Top Tip
It’s a great idea to practise installing your car seat before baby is born – then you’ll be confident you can fit it quickly and correctly for your special passenger when the actual day finally arrives.
The safest place to fit the car seat is the centre of the rear seat as this reduces the risk of injury from a side-impact crash. However, this may not always be practical as the centre of the seat can be raised by the drive shaft. Alternatively, use the right or left side of the rear seat.
Top Tip
If possible, use ISOFIX fittings for your car seat. Most relatively new cars have ISOFIX which is much easier and safer for installing car seats in the traditional seatbelt method.
If you choose to fit the car seat in the front passenger position, always deactivate the airbag as this can be dangerous for your baby if it deploys. For maximum safety, we recommend rear seat travel for your little one.
Top Tip
Never hold your baby in your arms when travelling in the car – it’s very dangerous. A sudden stop may cause your baby to shoot out of your arms and be thrown against the dashboard.
Travel comfortably
Small babies can become overheated or chilled very quickly. Make sure your little one is warm and comfortable, but remember that too many layers added to the seat may cause your baby to get too hot. Never fit your baby in their car seat with more than a light jumper on. Thick coats can stop the safety harness from working properly, so always add blankets over the harness for warmth.
Top Tip
Sun canopies are a must in hot weather both to keep baby cool, and to prevent any metal parts on the car seat becoming too hot. And in chilly weather a cosy foot muff is essential!
Travel conveniently
Make life easy! By choosing a combined Maxi-Cosi car seat and pushchair you’ll have everything you need to introduce baby to the world – whether on foot or by car. And for maximum flexibility, Maxi-Cosi car seats for babies are compatible with most other makes of pushchairs.
