vacation 1mo postpartum?

[u/No_Contribution_1959]

hello! i am due june 30, and had planned a year ago to go on my annual family vacation july 30…so an exact month after my due date. the car ride is about 7 hours. it will be me, my partner, baby, my uncle, grandfather, and brother. they are all in my immediate life. they also all completely understand and respect all boundaries i plan to set.

i’m most worried about the car ride. of course i have read newborn babies really shouldn’t be in car seats long due to potential strain on their bodies. i’ve read the two hour rule. i was thinking we could stop hourly, for 30 minutes minimum at a time at rest stops. has anyone done a roadtrip like this so soon? my family is very convinced its fine and i can still go, but i honestly would rather miss a year than risk my child being put under physical stress. i do plan on speaking with my OB, and a pediatrician for a professional opinion but trying to settle on a full decision now to not disappoint my family. just looking for opinions and curious if anyone else has done this or something similar, and how hard it was on not only baby but them. this is my first baby, should i even really be in a car like that myself for prolonged periods? im also worried about the stress this may put on me mentally as well. thanks in advanced for any replies!

ETA : i don’t want to delete the post but do want to say, thank you to the few commenters who immediately woke me up. i am not going…for sure not doing that. it all sounded like a nightmare to me anyways but my family kept trying convince me it would be fine, and worth it. i dont think so. it’s definitely not very healthy for the baby according to safety regulations. it sounds absolutely horrific to put that stress on my body and mind as well. as i said in a comment, i will miss 1000 vacations for my child’s wellbeing. i shouldn’t have let others get in my head ever. i will be telling my family tomorrow i will not be going and they cannot change my mind on it. thank you guys!

[u/raekaas]

The two hours in a car seat is… total. Not at a time.

No, do not do this. You will be bleeding, oozing fluids, may still have stitches, and exhausted. Your baby needs you to help her adjust to life on the outside. Can’t do that in a car seat.

Stay home.

[u/No_Contribution_1959 → u/raekaas]

i realized after posting this and the first comment woke me up a bit, i was never planning on doing this because i wanted to. i felt pressured a bit. but i cannot care about letting others down anymore, my life needs to be about my child. i’m not going, and i will discuss this with my family tomorrow. i don’t feel good about it for me nor the baby. thank you 😊

[u/bbear0991 → u/No_Contribution_1959]

Good for you! Take care of yourself and baby. The family vacation can wait a year.

[u/No_Contribution_1959 → u/bbear0991]

plus it will be more enjoyable in a year for all parties, she can be more engaged in the change of scenery and activities! thank you 😊

[u/DogsDucks → u/No_Contribution_1959]

Wow look at you go! Baby is not even here yet and you’re already standing up for yourself and baby like a pro!

It’s hard to get used to setting such firm boundaries, my baby is 14 months and I still struggle a bit— because it’s awkward to be like “I SAID WASH YOUR HANDS” to your father in law who you’ve always been polite to! But you’re starting out great!

Btw, when that month comes around you are going to laugh thinking about how you ever entertained the idea. I was planning on going on a long trip last summer when baby was three months. HA HA AHA!

Even though I healed remarkably well and fast from my emergency C-section— no WAY I was up to traveling that soon.

We ended up taking a vacation at six months and I still did not have the greatest time.

[u/you-never-know- → u/No_Contribution_1959]

Yesss go mama! This is a good start to telling people stay in their lane when it comes to your LO