Stuck in traffic-- what would you do?

[texmati]

A while back, DS, DH and I were stuck in a an awful traffic jam-- stranded for 3 hours over a mile of highway.

Would you take the baby out of the car seat to feed him?

[AFWife]

I have. DS wasn't even a week old (visiting family) and we were in bumper to bumper traffic with no end or exit in sight.

[2boyzmama]

If traffic is at a standstill, then yes I would.

If traffic is crawling, and if I have another driver with me (husband), then I would probably crawl back with the baby and nurse him in his seat (which depending on the car and your particular body build, might mean that you are not buckled in correctly or not at all even).

If you are alone, and stuck for that long, I'd just pull to the shoulder and nurse baby. It's not like you'd lose much time if the jam lasted for 3 hours anyway, you know?!

[akind1]

I have been there - I was in the car with a nursing mom and she waited until we got there; I can't believe she did, but she did! Were it me, I'd have pulled over or something.

Another option a friend mentioned is that she just leaned over the carseat and and fed baby that way. I think this would be highly uncomfortable for mom, but if it gets the job done, why not?

I say leave baby in unless you can pull over and stop, because IME, where there as been one accident that has caused a jam, there is exponential potential for other accidents due to impatience, rubber-necking, etc, and I'd not risk it.

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

If traffic is at a standstill, then yes I would.

If traffic is crawling, and if I have another driver with me (husband), then I would probably crawl back with the baby and nurse him in his seat (which depending on the car and your particular body build, might mean that you are not buckled in correctly or not at all even).

If you are alone, and stuck for that long, I'd just pull to the shoulder and nurse baby. It's not like you'd lose much time if the jam lasted for 3 hours anyway, you know?!

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[lotusdebi]

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

If traffic is at a standstill, then yes I would.

If traffic is crawling, and if I have another driver with me (husband), then I would probably crawl back with the baby and nurse him in his seat (which depending on the car and your particular body build, might mean that you are not buckled in correctly or not at all even).

If you are alone, and stuck for that long, I'd just pull to the shoulder and nurse baby. It's not like you'd lose much time if the jam lasted for 3 hours anyway, you know?!

[Jaesun's Dad]

If traffic was moving I wouldn't risk taking him out of the seat as mentioned above the rubber necking and sudden accel/braking that goes on in those situations can often lead to a few more bumps and scrapes.

However I've been in stopped traffic for hours when we sat on the hood of the car and played guitar and were joined by other musicians from neighboring vehicles ... a real traffic jam ... which would be a fine time to nurse the baby too I reckon :-)

[texmati]

Traffic was slightly moving, but bumper to bumper, and the shoulder was already full of people trying to pass.

I just happened to have a bottle pumped, but I rarely have one on me.

I just remembered we had a picture of it.

[Carhootel]

if traffic was totally stopped then yes, if not then I would unbuckle myself and lean over and feed him in the carseat

[PrincessAnika]

if not completely stopped then would lean over the carseat to nurse - as long as i had a driver - wouldn't be the first time i nursed her that way!

[octobermoon]

i learned how to nurse while still in the carseat, it ain't pretty but i'd do just about anything for that baby of mine and if that didn't work -please don't flame me, but yes i would take him out and nurse him and have. i haven't looked into it but a good source told me it is legal in some states to take the baby out of the seat to nurse.

[femalephish]

Originally Posted by PrincessAnika

if not completely stopped then would lean over the carseat to nurse - as long as i had a driver - wouldn't be the first time i nursed her that way!

Yeah that. When my DD was itty-bitty, I would do this all the time. She hated her carseat and I hate to hear her cry! (of course, I'm not seatbelted in when I'm nursing!)

[claddaghmom]

I'm wondering what the statistics are? Do more people get into accidents in traffic? I was under the impression that your risk of a car accident was increased in bumper to bumper traffic. I'd be worried about removing him and then having the person behind me slam into me.

But then again, I remember last year there was a freak storm and it shut down the highway...they had to get emergency vehicles onto the overpasses and haul the victims up onto the overpass. So clearly there are instances...

[2boyzmama]

Originally Posted by octobermoon

i learned how to nurse while still in the carseat, it ain't pretty but i'd do just about anything for that baby of mine and if that didn't work -please don't flame me, but yes i would take him out and nurse him and have. i haven't looked into it but a good source told me it is legal in some states to take the baby out of the seat to nurse.

I heard once about some law in Michgan that was written in such a way it could be interpreted to allow it. BUT...I would never do it. If traffic were basically at a stand still, then maybe. But remember with an accident you only get one chance. It's not like falling off a bike, you know? And sometimes the most serious injuries come from the lower-speed crashes (I don't have a link, but I've read studies before about it...over in the safety forum they'll have links)

Wow, what a picture Tex! It did look horrible!

I was once stuck in an ice storm, on the way to Cincinnati Chidlrens hospital for my son to ahve surgery. Poor baby was screaming in the backseat, but I just. couldn't. stop. The shoulder and off-ramps were much more icy than the actual highway, cars in the ditch everywhere (I counted 20 in a 2 mile stretch at one point). I just kept going...10mph. It took us 3 hours, and I hated letting him cry like that (especially since he was sick, hence the surgery he was having) but I truly had no other choice.

I would definitely try to get to the shoulder in a situation like that if you could.

[starling&diesel]

Unless the car is in park, and we are at a complete stop, absolutely not. Many accidents happen at a crawl, and while damage to the car is minimal with these collision, a little baby becomes a projectile, with potentially devastating results, especially with rear-end accidents.

A baby squalling is a safe, live baby.

That said, I do nurse my DD while she's strapped in her car seat. I keep my lap belt on and lean over. She's never had a bottle either, so this happens often.

I've often wished to take her out, but never have. When we had to take her to the ER for a burn and it was a half hour drive, I really wanted just to hold her in my arms, but I kept telling myself that a screaming baby is better than a dead baby.

[texmati]

I agree, it's probably more likely to get into a accident in a situation like that than normal traffic.

Thank you so much for the responses. I have to admit, before reading the thread, I'd probably have taken him out of the carseat while the car was still moving, thinking that a collison would have been at slow speed.

Now, after reading all the suggestions, I"ll try feeding leaned over teh seat, or maybe cup feed water from a water bottle or try to hand express. More importantly, only take baby out on a "need to go" basis.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

I was once stuck in an ice storm, on the way to Cincinnati Chidlrens hospital for my son to ahve surgery. Poor baby was screaming in the backseat, but I just. couldn't. stop. The shoulder and off-ramps were much more icy than the actual highway, cars in the ditch everywhere (I counted 20 in a 2 mile stretch at one point). I just kept going...10mph. It took us 3 hours, and I hated letting him cry like that (especially since he was sick, hence the surgery he was having) but I truly had no other choice.

I would definitely try to get to the shoulder in a situation like that if you could.

2boyz, that sounds absolutely awful! I'm so sorry, I can't imagine.

[sunshynbaby]

Originally Posted by starling&diesel

Unless the car is in park, and we are at a complete stop, absolutely not. Many accidents happen at a crawl, and while damage to the car is minimal with these collision, a little baby becomes a projectile, with potentially devastating results, especially with rear-end accidents.

A baby squalling is a safe, live baby.

That said, I do nurse my DD while she's strapped in her car seat. I keep my lap belt on and lean over. She's never had a bottle either, so this happens often.

I've often wished to take her out, but never have. When we had to take her to the ER for a burn and it was a half hour drive, I really wanted just to hold her in my arms, but I kept telling myself that a screaming baby is better than a dead baby.

I agree. I would pull over to the shoulder if that was possible, attempt the lean over method, or sing to him to try to keep him calm until we could safely stop.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

If i had a driver i would do the lean over. I was hit at a very slow speed (they were going less then 30) and i was just coasting as i had just let off my brake and the person rear ending me totaled my car. I so take carseat safety very seriously.

When dd was only a few months old she was screaming and we got stuck in horrible traffic. I pulled over and took her out to nurse. I had like 10 diff people stop to ask if i needed help and each time they approached the car the would see me nursing and go "oh, uh, um, do you, um need help or um..." they were always happy i didnt need any help and they could take their horrified self back to their car where there were no boobs.

[Julia24]

I agree with the others about not taking baby out in a moving vehicle. How tragic that could be!!!!

And if all else fails with a crying baby that you KNOW is okay, just laugh and sing or talk to him/her. I really feel that keeping my sense of humor is so important! I wasn't ABLE to do that with my first baby, but now that I'm on my third, it's much easier! Poor Charlotte was screaming her head off tonight on the way home from basketball practice, but I knew that even if I stopped and calmed her, the second I put her back she would start screaming again, so I just laughed and talked to her, gave her her shoe to play with, sang her songs, and took her out of that carseat the MILLISECOND the car parked in the driveway!