Car trip with 5 month old, tips needed

MamaMiccichi · August 2013

We will be driving from Florida to North Carolina when our son is five months! It's gong to be a long drive, I need some tips from those of you that have experience! Thank you in advance!

Leni410 · August 2013

We make a 2 hour drive at least once a month to see fil. We pack the car the night before and leave as soon as age is done with her morning nursing session. If your drive is longer then your lo goes inbetween feedings then maybe leave at night around their bed time so they sleep the whole car ride? Good luck!

mhickey426 · August 2013

We just took a trip from NY to SC it took about 13 hours each way. We left early morning each time so she fell back to sleep. We stopped about every 2-3 hours to use the bathroom or eat. They weren't very long stops but long enough to change and feed her while giving her a little stretch. Towards the end of each part of the trip either myself or my dh sat in the back with her. She only got really cranky the last 3 hours which is why we sat with her. We had lots of toys, binkies and gave her a bottle.

The trip was the week before she turned 5 months. She was still little enough to where she slept a lot. My dh must have sang the Barney song about 1000 times to help distract her now and then. It really wasn't bad. Just follow your baby and stop when they are hungry. Once full and driving the car will help them go to sleep.

Clover2682 · August 2013

We have a three month old and We just finished a five hour car ride. It worked best on our way back when we left at his bedtime (6pm) and he slept the entire way. It was great and we didn't have to worry about stopping or having him cry.

HZ2012 · August 2013

I've done a 3 hour trip a few times, LO just turned 3 months. I leave right after he eats and poops, and he's usually good for a few hours. Sometimes he gets cranky and needs to stretch. I've found that leaving the 2 front windows open a little helps him relax, I guess it's the noise he likes.

MamaMiccichi · August 2013

Thanks everyone! It will be an 11 hour drive, we were thinking about leaving super early so he would sleep most of it, but I'll make sure to take toys and sit in the back with him!

MrsRKJ · August 2013

Glad you asked this - I'm taking DS to visit my family 9 hours away in early September, and was going to ask for tips. I'm going alone, so I won't be able to sit in back with him, but I'm going to try to leave after he eats in the morning with DH, so hopefully he'll sleep.

I thought about leaving in the early evening (DS usually sleeps from about 7p-5a) but I didn't want to stop somewhere to feed/change him at midnight.

kellyrn9956 · August 2013

We took an 8 hour trip from MD to NC when J was almost 5 months. I did end up having to sit with him to replace his binky or play with him which wasn't terribly fun because i tend to get sick in the back seat but it wasn't too bad. Overall he did pretty well. We did stop at the first sign of fussiness to change him or let him stretch. So we probably made a brief stop every 1-2 hours. Be prepared that the trip there is usually pretty easy but the trip back might be a little more difficult because often we mess up baby's routine when were away. James was definitely more fussy than usual while we were there and the trip home was a tad more difficult.

08summerbride · August 2013

We took an 8 hour trip and 9 hour trip thos summer and had our best luck leaving around 7pm and driving through the night while he slept. The other times we left early in the morning so he slept the 1st 3 hours, but all of the stopping for feedings every 2 hours or so added a lot of time to our trip. Amd I have a 3 year old as well, so me sitting in the back seat to entertain him isn't an option. We have also left around 2am in the past in hopes that the kids will still get 4 hours in before we have to stop. Thwt was pretty successful as well.

emmy236 · August 2013

Just as someone who lives in that part of the country, stopping at the rest stops, especially at the Welcome centers for each state are the best. Well lit, safe and above all the cleanest place to change a baby. We usually bring some food and sit at a picnic table and snack so DS gets fresh air and our dogs can potty. So much easier and cleaner than those giant gas stations.

mylovelyll · August 2013

We drove 8 hours each way and stopped in the middle for a meal/nurse session. He slept or was quietly awake for the entire trip. He was 10 weeks old.

Want a personalized experience?

Car trip with 5 month old, tips needed

Re: Car trip with 5 month old, tips needed

Choose Another Board

Search Boards