The best combination for travel with your newborn

First of all, it is a legal requirement to have a car seat for your newborn and if you give birth at a hospital they will not let you go home without one. Since car seats are a no brainer when it comes to your baby’s safety on the go let's look at bassinets (also sometimes called carrycots). Although there are no legal requirements, the list of benefits for your baby’s safety and development is long. 

About 5 years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics added sleeping in car seats for long stretches to its list of unsafe sleeping practices. This is exactly where the bassinet comes into play. It provides you with a safe place to sleep on the go. This is the peace of mind we want all Glüxkind parents to experience.

Do I really need a car seat and a bassinet? 

Expecting parents often contemplate whether they really need a bassinet vs using only the car seat while out and about for the first few months. Way too many baby gadgets are advertised as “must haves” and while some of those products really are lifesavers, others collect dust and clutter your home. 

Well, bassinets definitely fall into the first category - MUST HAVES. They are by no means to be seen as interchangeable to having a car seat but much rather complement them. Together, bassinet and car seat enable you and your child to go on your first adventures in the safest way possible. 

While the car seat offers the highest protection when travelling in your vehicle, the bassinet provides the safest environment during stroller walks or naps on the go. It allows your baby to lay flat and move freely without being in a constrained position that is typical for car seats. During those first few months newborns sleep up to 19 hours per day and it is important to provide them with a safe place that supports them in adjusting to their new environment.

Is it safe for my baby to sleep in a car seat?

In addition to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advisory related to babies sleeping in car seats, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents not to let a baby sleep in any product that positions an infant at an incline. This means any position where their head is higher than their feet, which includes car seats. So the answer is no, it is not safe for your newborn to sleep in the car seat for extended periods of time, especially outside of moving cars.

What makes a seated position unsafe for infants?

The danger comes from the baby sleeping seated upright or on an incline. “When your baby is seated, her heavy head can fall forward causing difficulty breathing and even suffocation,” explains Dr. Harvey Karp. “That’s why car seats - outside of moving cars - are not safe for naps or overnight sleep.” 

“Especially if a baby is under four months, it’s very, very important to move them if they’re sleeping in a car seat,” says Sarah Lazarus, DO, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

That said, don’t panic if your baby dozes off in the car. Sometimes that’s just your last resort to get them to calm down and get the sleep they need. The white noise of the engine with the jiggly movements remind your little one of the womb, their safe place that helps them fall asleep easier. The constant motion keeps babies stimulated and promotes breathing. However, the AAP recommends that you move your child to a flat, firm surface as soon as you leave the car.

Why isn’t everybody using a bassinet?

Bassinet strollers have always been very popular in many European countries where Cities are generally more walkable and the daily use of car seats for infants is less common than in North America. 

With frequent trips in cars, the use of bassinets may seem cumbersome and it is yet another piece of gear that needs to be assembles, disassembled and packed up into the trunk. In addition, bassinets used to be only offered by premium stroller brands and are now finally available with more economical products.

To sum it up, we recommend you to get both, a good car seat and a bassinet stroller as there are a lot of benefits to using one as soon as you are leaving the car for more than a quick errand. See our blog post on “Should I buy a bassinet?” for more information on how the use of a bassinet supports your little one’s development.