Car rides

Duffgurl

How is everyone dealing with car rides and crying LOs? Do you immediately pull over? Wait a certain time of crying till you pull over? 

Leaving home to our destination isn't really a issue but everytime we head home our LO will whimper. I get serious anxiety when it happens and immediately want to pull over. I think what makes it more tough is our DS2 starts to cry he'll get her going. Sometimes I feel like we can't go out because of this 

mamaqdubu

If both DH and I are in the car, we let the crying go for about 5-10 minutes before I jump in the back
seat to console. Many times he will end up falling asleep (I feel bad because I think he falls asleep because he was distraught), but then we can usually get to our destination. 

When I'm by myself i unfortunately just let him cry. Sometimes he stops, sometimes not, but I don't pull over because I feel like it extends the inevitable and I want to be home ASAP. 

Does this make me an awful person?

tisunge602

I had this happen to me today. I tried sticking his pacifier in his mouth at a stoplight but no luck. Then I turned white noise on really loud on my phone and drove with my arm in the backseat holding the phone close to his head. That did the trick! I nursed him when we got to our destination 10 min later.

charmedlifex3

It depends on the cry. Ds has a cry that is "I'm mad!" which I usually ignore. Usually it means he spit out his bink. Yesterday he sneezed out his bink, and yelled the rest of the way home. 
If he cries his "I'm upset" cry I pull over. He did that last week, and we were on the verge of a blow out...

Curls919

I must be a horrible mom. A cries a lot in the car. He just hates car rides (or being in his car seat in general). I usually just talk to him or sing but I don't pull over...

Stephanie7693

I let Levi cry. But so far he hasn't cried more than 5 or 10 minutes. He cries and then falls asleep. I feel bad, but he'd cry even if I pulled over, he just wants out of the carseat. So now I decided I won't travel more than 15 minutes from home until this phase passes. 

entropicallyfavored

I have to take a 10-hour road trip when baby is 10 weeks old to attend my best friend's wedding.  I'm pretty nervous about him crying for lots of it.  Has anyone done this and do you have any tips??  I've already scouted out all of the rest areas for nursing along the way, but I'm still nervous.

gingersnap-mama

@entropicallyfavored all I can think of is either you or DH sit in the back so that when baby fusses you can give them a pacifier or check the diaper to assess the situation. You're already ahead of the he checking rest stop locations! DH and I considered going to our cabin this fall with DD. It's a 4.5 hour drive. Not sure if we're going to take the gamble! 

bearsandbeets7

@entropicallyfavored when DD was 8 weeks old we drove 7 hours to my sisters house for Christmas. We stopped to eat twice, breakfast and lunch, so she could get out of her car seat and eat. She did really well and slept most of the time. Road trips when they're little like this are easy it's when they get older that's really hard!

tisunge602

@jkershaw2013 @entropicallyfavored
What @lynnlove28 said! It's SO much easier now. The older they get, the harder traveling with them will be. So if you're thinking about a roadtrip -- just do it! You'll be surprised how well they do.

entropicallyfavored

Yay, @Lynnlove28 and @tisunge602 That is so good to hear!! Fingers crossed that we'll have a good car sleeper!!  Thanks for the encouragement!

haboobjob

@entropicallyfavored fingers crossed you have a good sleeper! Lots of breaks for nursing has always been huge for us on long car rides. 

Baby E gets so fussy in the car sometimes and starts crying, which causes DD1 to start crying. Then there is just 2 kids crying in the backseat... My nightmare. 

sbelle474

Anyone tried a four hour or so road trip with a 4 week old?  I would love to see my grandparents but they live far away.  It would be a trip by myself though, that's the issue.  

tisunge602

sbelle474 said:

Anyone tried a four hour or so road trip with a 4 week old?  I would love to see my grandparents but they live far away.  It would be a trip by myself though, that's the issue.  

We did a 7 hour trip with Ds1 when he was 4 weeks. DH was with me but he slept almost the whole time. Just be prepared to make extra stops for diaper changes and feedings. You'll be fine-- it might just take a little longer than normal.

beenabee

@tisunge602 I sent you a PM but I need the email you use to log into Facebook in order to send you an invite for the Facebook group! 

tisunge602

@BrunetteBabe722 Just saw your pm and responded! This is why this app sucks; I didn't even know I had a pm. 

charmedlifex3

@sbelle474 we live about an hour and a half from ... anything. Going grocery shopping is a 3 hour round trip. I found we feed him before we go, and change his diaper and feed him before we leave, and so far, knock on wood, we have only had one trip he had a tantrum during. He sneezed out his binky, so that was the issue. Traumatic. 
If it were me, I would plan on stopping at the two hour mark. 

Bookhousegirl

 Stopping often is also good because it lets them stretch out for a while. I always found that DS1 would be extremely gassy after being in his car seat for long stretches of time. If we stopped and let him lay on his back at regular intervals it seemed to help. 

sbelle474

Thank you @Allisun85

bsckgb7

We have found rolling down his window sometimes help with screaming.  Guessing it's like a white noise?

emmeline714

I usually let her cry a few minutes but then i put soothing music in the car and she will call fall asleep but when she is hungry she won't stop crying at all so that is when I usually pull over to feed her, baby girl loves car rides for the most part unless it is a road trip have to stop a few times because she feels like she has been in the car forever and needs stretching

Pam973

Curls919 don't feel bad. That is how it is for us too. I don't pull over unless it's a long way from our destination. 

Long car trips are definitely tough but totally survivable. My LO is 8 weeks and so far we have had to go on two long trips around 8 joes in the car and 2 short trips around 4 hours due to funerals and Doctor appointments. The best advice I have is leave with plenty of time so there is no stress no matter how many times you have to stop, and there is no pressure to get back on the road. That way if baby needs a little longer stop its no big deal

lindseyb918

Kind of a related question, but does anyone ever leave LO alone in the car for a quick minute, like to run into the gas station to pay for gas? I'm able to lock my car while keeping it running, so I think DS would be ok in there for two or three minutes on his own, especially if he's sleeping. However, I'm afraid someone will think I've forgotten him, so I've been bringing him in with me, even if it means waking him up...