Road Trip Advice (Kinda long) WWs12D?

willy_gert · December 2012

Okay, I am looking for some advice or opinions! For Christmas, we are heading from Kansas to San Antonio, TX which is approximately an 11 - 12 hour drive. My husband and I are weighing two options.

Option 1- We both work Friday until 6 or 7, go home, finish putting everything in the car, do a "normal" evening and then leave whenever DD wakes up (usually between 5 am and 7 am) after she eats and then stop every three to four hours for half an hour or so to feed DD and play with her and the dog. Potentially take up to 15 hours for the entire drive getting to San Antonio late at night.

Option 2 - DH takes off Friday (which we had already planned, but then things changed a bit), he sleeps all day until I get home from work with DD. We get ready, take care of DD and after she has her first evening feeding, about 8 pm, leave. I can drive until we stop to give DD her night bottle of formula usually about 11pm and then DH can drive through the night until DD wakes up for her morning feeding. At that point if we drive from 8 to 11 and then 11 to 5 we could be over half way there and only take 12 to 13 hours to get there and not mess with DD's schedule.

So, after that, WWYD? TIA!

MomtobeNJ · December 2012

I vote for leaving at 8pm. We're driving about 4 1/2 hours for the weekend before New Year's, and that's what we plan to do.

Even if you plan to stop frequently, I would imagine LO would get bored and antsy being in the car all day. I know I do!

kbetzner · December 2012

I would drive through the night. I would much rather drive at night regardless of having a baby or not

enjoylife · December 2012

I say it also depends on your baby. We did a quick road trip last weekend and have a longer one coming up this weekend. Neither as long as yours, but we contemplated driving overnight for the one coming up but decided against it, mostly because my H and I neither of us can sleep well or enough to be considered "safe" driving on the interstate with a car full of sleeping kids/people and still be functional the next day to chase the toddler and tend the baby. However, I know other people who do the overnights for traveling and love it. We did the same as pp, woke up did breakfast and a little awake/stimulating time then loaded up the car and drove. DS2 slept the whole chunk of that road trip (3ish hours) and as he was waking (which would be about the time intervals we would be planning on stopping during road trip2) we had arrived and DS1 was definitely ready to get out of the car and stretch and run around.

Hyaline · December 2012

So, our baby is very good with the car, so take this with that in mind--I would do whichever you prefer. DD had no problems with her schedule being messed up after our car trips--she sleeps a little more in the car, but since she loves looking around at, well, whatever, the window and her mirror keep her amused and awake for most of her normal awake time.

Basically--if driving through the night is your idea of h-e-double on earth, just tack on the extra hours during the day. If your goal is to spend as little time in the car as possible, drive through the night. Baby should be cool either way.

Latham12 · December 2012

If it were me and our LO, who does well in cars, I'd start Friday night, but only drive 5 or so hours, stay in a hotel and finish in the morning. I don't think any baby should have to be in a carseat for 11 plus hours. Plus when baby's are in motion, like in a carseat in a moving car, they don't hit a deep sleep. I know when I'm sleeping in the car, I never wake up "refreshed" and ready for the day and neither do our LO's. Just my opinion.

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Road Trip Advice (Kinda long) WWs12D?

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