xp: Question for die hard rear facing until 2 moms

Germanwife2b · June 2009

Ok- we bought the Britax Diplomat and put it rear facing. No matter what my DH did, it just wasn't reclined very much (not like the infant seat). We went on a 3-4 hour road trip and Patrick got car sick...and I mean he puked EVERYWHERE!!! We had to pull over into a dirt road and do a complete overhaul of the carseat and the baby. The car seat was literally dripping with vomit when we took it out of the car. We used every last wipe in the diaper bag between the baby and the seat! Anyway, we thought maybe that was a fluke but turned the seat forward the rest of that trip. I felt so nervous about it forward facing that after that trip, I begged DH to put it rear facing again. He reluctantly did so and the next trip I took was a 45 minute trip and right before getting to the destination, I hear DS get fussy and then the sound of vomit...LOTS OF VOMIT! I really, really wanted to keep him rear facing until 18-24 months, but I just think that's not going to work for us. The kid has ridden in his new car seat no more than 6 times and we have already had to take it out and wash all of the parts twice! Not worth it I don't think. He never got sick in his rear facing infant seat (which we have resorted to using again even though he is too big because he tolerates it better). What would you do if you really believed in the safety of rear-facing for as long as possible? Buy a different seat (which we can't afford)? Turn it forward facing anyway? Suggestions? Help! Thanks!

trapani2be · June 2009

If he is getting physically sick from rearfacing, I would be turing him around. Have you ever been car sick?? It's awful.

618mom22boys · June 2009

trapani2be:

If he is getting physically sick from rearfacing, I would be turing him around. Have you ever been car sick?? It's awful.

I agree!

newportbride715 · June 2009

Are you sure it is the RF'ing that is making him sick, or is it just those long rides in general?

Re: trying to make it recline... my DS loves being upright. He hated his infant carrier at the end because he was reclined, so we never tried to recline like the infant carrier did. (We have a Marathon.)

Agrippa · June 2009

DS also gets carsick. Some things that people suggested:

Open the windows to let in some fresh air

Tint the windows or put up shades that don't allow him to see things whizzing by outside

Don't give toys or books, and don't give food right before leaving

We haven't been on a longer drive since I got these suggestions, so I haven't been able to try them out yet. I'm of the opinion that if he continues to vomit on every trip, I'm going to turn him as soon as he is legally big enough to do so. Our long trips are often to places that don't have a place to wash clothes/carseat covers.

Expecting0207 · June 2009

My 2.5 year old is rear facing in a Britax Boulevard and we have no had that problem. If I was in your shoes I would try to see if I could rule out anything else and try the other suggestions, but if it is making him sick, RF'ing won't work for him until 2.

Germanwife2b · June 2009

Oh- we can easily take long trips rear facing in his infant seat without problem (all trips in the DC area are long trips-even to the store). It is just this car seat rear facing that has given us problems. The 3-4 times he rode forward facing, he was fine! We did try doing what the manufacturer says and recline with rolled towels...but it doesn't seem to help. I guess I will attempt to try some of the other options, but I really, really don't want to clean that seat again. It's a PITA!!!! I'm probably answering my own question here...

Agrippa · June 2009

It's probably the fact that the convertible seat sits up higher and is shaped differently. Your DS can probably see more than he could with his infant seat, and everything flying backwards is probably very disorienting.

Oh, and I live in the DC area too, so I know what you mean about long trips to close places!

Germanwife2b · June 2009

Where in NOVA are you? We are in Springfield! Maybe it is this damn NOVA traffic in a higher seat that makes our kiddos sick!! Ha! DH is pretty much refusing to put the seat rear facing again, so I think he is making the decision for us. Good luck with your little puker! It SUCKS! I just don't want Patrick to be miserable but I also want him to be safe. Wow- being a parent is hard work!

Agrippa · June 2009

We're in Woodbridge, so rather close! Do you SAH? Maybe we should get the kiddos together to play sometime, and they can puke on each other or something. Wink

Yep, sounds like your decision is made. I have the feeling that we'll be heading that way soon too, despite my wish to keep him RFing until 2. DS is still under 20 lbs right now though, so I guess we're staying close to home until he's fat enough.

Germanwife2b · June 2009

I'll wave at you as we drive by tomorrow on our way to Manassas to visit my parents for Father's Day! I don't SAH but I only work two 12 hour night shifts a week (nurse), leaving me 5 days a week to goof off with my son (DH stays home as he got laid off in January). We should definitely meet up and let the boys talk about things they have in common...like bodily fluids from mulitple orifices (boys like to talk about that kind of stuff). And actually, Patrick wasn't 20 lbs at his 12 month appt either, so I kind of want to get him to his 15 month appt soon to see if we have even hit the 20lb mark. The pedi said we could turn him around at 12 months, but I take everything my pedi says with a grain of salt. I kind of call the shots with my son's care (I'm weird- I homebirth'd and do the Dr Sears Vax schedule and stuff) so I told her no... Anyway, I'd love to meet up sometime!

Agrippa · June 2009

Germanwife2b:
I'll wave at you as we drive by tomorrow on our way to Manassas to visit my parents for Father's Day! I don't SAH but I only work two 12 hour night shifts a week (nurse), leaving me 5 days a week to goof off with my son (DH stays home as he got laid off in January). We should definitely meet up and let the boys talk about things they have in common...like bodily fluids from mulitple orifices (boys like to talk about that kind of stuff). And actually, Patrick wasn't 20 lbs at his 12 month appt either, so I kind of want to get him to his 15 month appt soon to see if we have even hit the 20lb mark. The pedi said we could turn him around at 12 months, but I take everything my pedi says with a grain of salt. I kind of call the shots with my son's care (I'm weird- I homebirth'd and do the Dr Sears Vax schedule and stuff) so I told her no... Anyway, I'd love to meet up sometime!

I'm going to send you a PM. Big Smile

SarahBukisi · June 2009

either way, if i were you, i would buy a couple of those car seat covers that people sell online or something, that way, if and when he does get sick again, you can easily pull off the cover and toss it into a plastic bag, so he does not have to sit in a smelly, wet seat that might make him/and you, sick again.

SuperCuteBenz · June 2009

Do you have it tethered? Our seat reclines more (slightly) when tethered. I would try that before doing anything else.

Germanwife2b · June 2009

SarahBukisi:
either way, if i were you, i would buy a couple of those car seat covers that people sell online or something, that way, if and when he does get sick again, you can easily pull off the cover and toss it into a plastic bag, so he does not have to sit in a smelly, wet seat that might make him/and you, sick again.

This is a GREAT idea! I didn't even know they made these. I will be looking for one ASAP! Thanks!

Germanwife2b · June 2009

SuperCuteBenz:
Do you have it tethered? Our seat reclines more (slightly) when tethered. I would try that before doing anything else.

Yup! It was not tethered the first puke trip (DH didn't know what those straps were for) but it was tethered the second puke trip! I agree, the tethering made it MUCH better, but it is still not reclined enough. I think the pp has it right- we have a baby who is sensitive to the motion of things moving around him. I am afraid that we might have this issue eventually in FF too! I think he inherited this from his uncle (my brother) who has been known to puke in many a car! Oh joy!

Germanwife2b · June 2009

cmeon_the_water:

The biggest culprit in this case, is likely that he can see out the side windows, which is visually hard to process as more than a blur. The infant seat has deeper bucket sides that make that difficult.

I don't envy you- car sickness in a kid is a horrible thing to deal with, and although you haven't had to deal with it FFing yet, it's likely to happen one day. Kids prone to it are prone to it. I would keep him in his infant seat (assuming he's not too tall for it- it sounds like he's not too heavy yet), until he's at the very least, 20lbs, and go ahead and flip him.

RFing is definitely safer- but, a properly installed great car seat, with a 5-pt-harness worn correctly (make SURE he keeps the chest clip at chest height- that's the challenge), saves many many lives, too. As strongly as I feel about extended RFing, I would not be comfortable knowing my child was nauseaous the entire time he was in the car.

You can try a few things mentioned first- blinding the side windows is most likely to help, if you can find a way to do it. But, you have to make the choice that's right for your family.

I think you are right- we are probably going to eventually have an issue in FF too. We'll see! Thanks for your advice!

Want a personalized experience?

xp: Question for die hard rear facing until 2 moms

Re: xp: Question for die hard rear facing until 2 moms

Choose Another Board

Search Boards