Long car ride

Re: Long car ride

• sfeebs13 member

  December 2013

  We just got back from NC. it was an 8 hour ride there and 12 with traffic on the way back.

  FI and I shared driving I know DDs schedule a little better than he does, so I was available to soothe her and [no flames please! I wish I wouldn't have... Hindsights 20/20] managed to change a very shitty diaper in the back of the car with the dog on the floorboard getting LO in and our of the car seat in less than five minutes.  Clean happy and fed baby, I sat in the back with her until she was comfortable or fell asleep. She slept quite a bit of the trip. 

  Just like Furbaby though if we started to seem like we might possibly be stopping for a minute she awoke and was curious. ) repeat process with a diaper check prior to driving away.

  
  

  Idk if that helps, but I think you will just "know" what to do.

  I made sure I had a small bag with immediate necessities so we didn't have to dig through her other diaper bag to get wipes or diapers, burp cloths, back up clothing.

  

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• EricaLee2013 member

  December 2013

  We just drove from TX to MI with absolutely no problem. Maybe it was a Christmas miracle but the normally 21 hour drive only took 25. We drove straight through, took hour long breaks every 2-3 hours to get gas, feed, wash bottles, and play. I would start a pump before stopping so that a fresh bottle was ready. I would change and feed her while H pumped gas, then he would play with LO while I washed bottles.
  
  Good luck to you!

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• BelhurstBride member

  December 2013

  Do you have a convertible seat yet? Dd1 did much better in that than the infant.

  
  

  We always leave in the late afternoon so the bulk of the driving occurs after DD has fallen asleep. 

  DD1 4.14.10
  DD2 8.22.13
  MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
  Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
  
  

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• Caz1221 member

  December 2013

  I posted about this a couple weeks ago and got some good tips if you can find that thread. The biggest thing is maximizing efficiency during your stops - you feed LO while SO pumps gas, etc.
  
  We did a long drive to the ILs on Saturday and will be heading home tomorrow. The drive is usually 9.5 hours, but it took us slightly over 11 hours due to some terrible weather (rain and near white out fog) and stopping more frequently for LO.
  
  We left after her first morning feed so she took her morning nap in the car and ended up sleeping most of the rest of the drive. I fed her pumped bottles rather than nursing because she sometimes nurses for close to 40 minutes. She nursed right before we left, ate 3 bottles (3.5 oz each) during the trip, and ate right when we arrived. The biggest challenge for us was that 10-15 minutes after each stop where we had fed and changed her, she would wet herself again and flip out until we could pull over and change her again. Then she would fuss for a few minutes and fall asleep. Not much we could do except pull over at the first safe spot. GL!

  

   

   

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• Critter015 member

  December 2013

  After Thanksgiving DH and I drove from CA to OK with a 4 month old, a 21 month old, and 2 dogs. We drive straight through and the normally 22ish hour drive took us almost 30, but that was because we left later than planned and were more tired to begin with, so we stopped several times so DH could nap for a few hours since he did 90% of the driving. We would stop when DS woke up hungry and feed and change everyone, walk the dogs, and fuel up and then I'd sit in the back with the kids and talk to them and play with them until they got sleepy, then I could move back to the front seat. The last few hours the kids got really restless so I pulled up the watch Disney Junior App on both of our phones and let each kid watch one. Next time I'm definitely investing in a DVD player that straps to the back of the seat!

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