PSA: no nursing in moving vehicle

Cecilbear

Just read this and wanted to share:

In a crash, everything will weigh its weight multiplied by the G’s of the crash – G’s being the force of gravity. A 30mph crash, like they test the car seats at, has about 20-25 G’s. If mom weighs 120 pounds, and is in a crash with 20 G’s, her entire body will weigh 120 pounds x 20G’s = 2400 pounds. You can imagine that her chest will weigh at least 1,000 of these pounds – and if she is leaning over the baby to nurse, her chest will slam down on the baby’s body in a sudden stop or crash – as both the mom and baby will be moving in the same direction due to the physics of the crash. You wouldn’t drop a 1,000 pound cinder block on a baby – so too you shouldn’t lean over the child to nurse them – as your body can crush the child. Even if you are nursing with your seat belt on, the belt is loose enough that your chest is very close to the baby (otherwise your breast couldn’t be in baby’s mouth), which means that your chest will certainly make hard contact with the baby in a crash.

RedDawnsRevenge

I will admit to having done this. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I discovered it wasn't shortly after.

Teresa1896

Regardless of how you'd nurse in a moving vehicle, any way is illegal..... Either with LO out of the car seat or you leaning over LO, someone is not safely restrained.

Cecilbear

I've always wondered how this was physically possible and found myself jealous of women who can manage it. I guess I'll just let that go now! Didn't know it was illegal either, Teresa.

Laroo0220

Dang I had no idea. I've def done this on our 5 hr drives. Won't be doing it again I guess

strawberrytree

I've done this when we were stuck in gridlocked traffic. I'd be too nervous doing it full speed down the highway.

Rrrrrachel

Yes!!! Thank you!! I've thrown down with people about this before and they just act like I'm a lunatic and give me a million reasons why the way they did it was fine. Just pull over.

ksulli

^^ I feel like I could totally MacGyver something like that together.

I haven't nursed while driving, but I have give her a bottle, now I'm thinking I should pull over for the bottles as well- my arm would slam into her with a ton of force also...

ksulli

sure @vinny424. Let's start with that contraption, my pump, and some duct tape. We'll have this b*tch up & running in no time.

Eta: not sure how we motivate baby to suck on the empty nipple to initiate letdown though. You may have to get started manually... Maybe I'm taking this too seriously, but I have a road trip (up to near you, actually) planned for next weekend and would totally be my own test subject.

RedDawnsRevenge

We'll start with a hand pump then you'd have to screw on a collection tube long enough to attach to that nipple.

Edit: do you have that bottle? Cause I'm thinking $3 in parts at lowes and we could have this up and going. I have a hand pump.

Twirple

I'm picturing mom driving with that contraption attached to the breast, a long tube, and baby in the back seat, happily sucking away!

ksulli

Someone call MIT, A14 is going to crash your 'make the breast pump not suck' event.

knotty-girl

I would never do this. Even in bad LA traffic you can make it to the next freeway exit in a minute or two. I know everyones anti CIO, but it's the safest thing to do when in a moving vehicle until you can pull over.

Cecilbear

LOL I like the direction this thread has taken

J&NL

Vinny424 said:

They need to make one of these with a nipple flange instead of a bottle

Make it. Now.

knotty-girl

OMG you guys gals, that idea is brilliant. Someone needs to go on Shark Tank!

ksulli

^^yikes!

My mom remembers popping us out of our car seats to nurse in the front seat where she was sitting when we were little. We had car seats, we just didn't have to be in them...

ksulli

@jellysparkles‌ I think you'd be fine on public transport in general- you're either wearing, carrying, or have a stroller that LO is in on transit anyways, so you wouldn't be in the awkward 'lean over baby in car seat' attempting to nurse situation anyhow, you'd be wearing/holding LO to nurse.

Rrrrrachel

Public transit is in general so much safer. Vehicles tend to be bigger and slower moving and statistically aren't in as many accidents.

katiedidthat

I can't even imagine thinking this would be safe.  With DS1 if he needed to eat and we were on the road, I pumped and gave him a bottle (if we were on a ridiculous deadline) or just pulled over.   It was only ever an issue once, when I got chased out of a gas station parking lot at 1am because the owners refused to let me park there and called the cops on us, despite the baby being actively latched on.