AP and driving - Page 2

[waiting2bemommy]

Both of my kids have had car-hating phases. It is heartbreaking to hear the crying, I know. I've not had the option to just not drive anywhere, bu some things hat have helped:

sit in the backseat and nurse the baby from the carseat (it can be done, believe me!)
pacifier
white noise (turn the radio between stations)
driving over a bumpy road, fast, always got my ds to sleep. I used to drive down this particular road every time we went somewhere just for that reason.
two cd's raffi's "quiet time" and putumayo kids african rhythms get my kids to sleep. The trick here was to introduce it at bedtime/quiet time in the house, and then once the baby associates it with calming down and relaxing/going to sleep, put it on in the car. I was amazed how well it worked with dd.

once they are past the initial newborn stage I think it gets easier. Then once they are into solids and you can sit in the backseat and distract them with puffs or cheerios you're home free.

[lrgs]

I'm curious about nursing in the car........how is it done? Are you able to do it will still wearing a seatbelt yourself? Do you just lean over baby's carseat?

[junipermuse]

Originally Posted by SeattleRain

Does she like to be swaddled? If so, perhaps try this. It has a slot for the carseat buckle and because its thin jersey, I'm comfortable putting baby in the carseat with this swaddle on. I find it helps soothe him and I've even used it for nighttime driving to encourage him to sleep.

We used this is in the car for ds and on many occasions it worked great, though there were definitely times it did not. We had the same swaddle blanket for dd, but I never tried it in the car, though I wish I had because she hated the car.

On the other hand I also found that sometimes the baby did have to cry a bit in the car. That didn't mean I did absolutely nothing to help soothe him, but I would have been at risk for PPD if I'd had to stay home or limit myself to 10 minute drives. And with my second child we just had places we had to go. With my first I would try and stop to nurse her everytime we drove somewhere. I mean I would even pull over on the side of the freeway, but in the end it usually just prolonged everyone's distress. It turned a 15 minute drive into a 45 min ordeal, and she would immediately start crying when I put her back in the seat. By the time we'd would get home we'd both be big bawling buckets of tears. When ds came along I decided sometimes it was easier to just keep driving and get home sooner where I could then take him out and give him all the cuddling and nursing he wanted than to try to stop and calm him for a few minutes just to have him scream when I strapped him back in the seat.

Things that helped:
Singing (each of my kids had a special song that helped soothe them in the car, and I would sing it over and over to keep them happy or soothe them to sleep)
Swaddling
Shushing
Pacifier (dd used her paci all the time, but for ds it was special only for the car or when sleeping)
Mirror
As they got older toys helped

[waiting2bemommy]

Originally Posted by lrgs

I'm curious about nursing in the car........how is it done? Are you able to do it will still wearing a seatbelt yourself? Do you just lean over baby's carseat?

yep, just lean over the carseat and insert boob in baby's mouth. I know it was easier or more dificult depending on the carseat in question, and was mainly something I did with ds on long car trips where someone else was drivingand didn't want to stop. I'm pretty sure I took my seatbelt off a few times, but I know for a fact that I did it while still wearing a seatbelt.

It really was a lifesaver for me with ds. dd, I haven't had to do it much,mayb once or twice.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by junipermuse

With my first I would try and stop to nurse her everytime we drove somewhere. I mean I would even pull over on the side of the freeway, but in the end it usually just prolonged everyone's distress. It turned a 15 minute drive into a 45 min ordeal, and she would immediately start crying when I put her back in the seat. By the time we'd would get home we'd both be big bawling buckets of tears. When ds came along I decided sometimes it was easier to just keep driving and get home sooner where I could then take him out and give him all the cuddling and nursing he wanted than to try to stop and calm him for a few minutes just to have him scream when I strapped him back in the seat.

This is my take on it too. Why prolong the agony? Stopping just temporarily soothes him, and he starts screaming as soon as he's back in the seat.

I just realized that today we have a lot of plans involving the car - first visiting friends in town, then have to pick up DH from the airport, then to a good friend's Bday party waaay out in the boonies. Altogether it'll be about 3 hours in the car. I think we may have to take the train to our first friends visit, even though on Sunday it will takeforever.

Anyway, once DH is with us I'll definitely try to nurse from the backseat. I'll sit in the middle and see how that works. I always assmued it wouldn't, but if it does, Bingo! I personally wouldn't take off my seatbelt. IMO it's not worth risking it, I mean DS screaming for awhile sure beats him having an injured mama or worse. I'll report back how it goes....

[1blueheron]

We went through some tough times in the car. Now at almost 9 months, she's 98% happy in the car. I don't think it's kind to the mom/other kids or realistic to just not drive with babies unless you live in an urban location with good public transport. I do think it's good to try different things until you find something that helps. I took her out every day for a short trip to help her get used to it. For us, Hawaiian music (which we use at bedtime/naps) and wrist rattles (can't be dropped/thrown) were very helpful. Also timing was really, really important - overtired was a disaster, of course. I prewarm her convertible car seat with a heated sack of feed corn now that it's colder out. For long trips, night or very wee hours of the morning are great, since that's when her sleep drive is strongest.

It's really, really hard, I know. Hang in there. chances are it'll be just another month or two and things will get better. Good luck.

[sk8boarder15]

We have a 6 week old who's hated the care from day 1. We ended up using a paci much earlier than we expected (2 weeks) just so I could drive with him alone! At the begining. DH would drive and I would be in the back with ds, sushing him and letting him suck my finger till he fell asleep. Now sometimes the paci works, sometimes it doesnt. We have a bucket seat and DH will swing it in the house to calm down ds while I start the car and get ready to go so we can start moving the SECOND ds is in the car. He's a little better when it moves, and once he's alseep hes good. I have nursed him in the back seat in parking lots several times. I always give myself extra time so if he is really crying I can stop and calm him down.

I was gong to swtich to the convertible but I'm worried about not being able to swing him before getting in the car.

[P.J.]

So I tried car-nursing last night and it did work, however was very uncomfortable. And I was able to strap on my seatbelt, but while nursing only had the lap belt on, so it wasn't exactly safe.
For the drive there I was able to soothe him and could converse with DH, for the drive home he was fussing so I nursed for a minute and he fell asleep.
Today we were in the car for some short drives and he fussed a bit, but it was such a short drive I didn't bother nursing.

Which reminds me, it has gotten so much better. DS is 5 months and now when he's unahppy in the car he usually only fusses (albeit loudly) and cries, as opposed to all-out screaming. At this rate, by 8 months or so he should be over the car hating phase. Yipee!