Coping with carsickness

[Rivka5]

My toddler is having increasing problems with carsickness, and has vomited several times recently while riding in the car.

1. Does anyone have a recommendation for protecting a carseat from these incidents? We've struggled with cleaning her carseat (Evenflo Triumph) because vomit gets deep down into the base at the places where the buckles come through.

2. Any tips for reducing nausea? We've used Dramamine once for a long trip, but obviously we can't use it every time we want to drive around town. We have already banned reading in the car.

3. Did anyone find that carsickness was lessened by turning the carseat forward-facing? We intended to keep her rear-facing to 30 pounds, but I am really wavering now. She currently weighs about 26 pounds and is 35 1/2 inches tall, at 2 years 3 months.

[mamazee]

Ginger can help with nausea, so something with ginger in it might help. My daughter luckily doesn't have this problem but I get terribly car sick, and riding in the back seat is a big thing that causes it. I can see how a child who has a tendency toward carsickness would have trouble.

If you have any toys set up to amuse her on trips, you might want to take them out. Looking at something in the car rather than out the window is a huge motion sickness trigger for me, and I think most people with motion sickness. Also, fresh air helps so if a window is cracked that might make things easier. Also, I only have plain water to drink if I'm riding in a car because anything else at all gives me trouble. And take breaks - but personally, it takes me quite a while to get over motion sickness once it's started.

[mamazee]

Oh - and #3 - I personally can't ever ride on anything backward or I am certain to get motion sickness. Facing forward might very well help for two reasons - simply facing forward, and it might make it easier to see out windows - and looking outdoor helps. I don't remember the safety rules for toddlers and car seats though. You might have to weigh those two issues.

[Rivka5]

Originally Posted by mamazee

Oh - and #3 - I personally can't ever ride on anything backward or I am certain to get motion sickness. Facing forward might very well help for two reasons - simply facing forward, and it might make it easier to see out windows - and looking outdoor helps. I don't remember the safety rules for toddlers and car seats though. You might have to weigh those two issues.

Thanks for all your suggestions!

She's well past the legal safety requirements for facing forward (it's one year old and 20 pounds), but it's definitely true that rear-facing is safer than forward-facing for bigger toddlers as well. I always intended to keep her rear-facing as long as possible, but my resolve is really being tested here.

[moondiapers]

I would try as many other options as you can first, then if none of them work turn her around. Peppermint helps me (I get carsick even when I'm driving). I'd be worried about choking, but even the smell of peppermint helps tremendously. Maybe get some peppermint extract, water it down a bit and mist her carseat with it. Mist a lovey or stuffed animal with it as well. It's VERY soothing to the stomach. If she can handle a bit of something to chew on without choking, maybe a soft peppermint candie would help. Or you could crush some peppermint hard candies and giver her teensy pieces of it in the car.

[bobica]

I give dd Hyland's motion sickness tablets whenever we'll be traveling with stop & go traffic or lights (that's her big trigger). Then, she sucks on a mint when her belly starts to bother her. She's 4 though, so sucking on the mint is safer. I love the idea of misting a lovey with mint!!

When i was pg, i would open dh's altoids box & inhale deeply- it worked wonders!

[boatbaby]

I wanted to pop in because this struck a chord with me.
When I was a kid I suffered terribly from car sickness and it still resonates with me even though I am grown and (mostly) over it now.

For me I would have certain "triggers" that would send me over the edge.
Smell was a biggie! Having the car too hot was another. Fresh air, no odd smells (diesel, gas smells were bad esp after you just top off your tank, also ciggies, certain rich foods etc)
Also no breaking and going-breaking and going (that STILL gets me) Actually faster was better. Slow got me sick sick sick.

When I was a little older I would combat it by just shutting down and forcing myself to sleep. Later it became a habit to go to sleep for car rides all the time (until I was the one driving )

Hugs to your DD. We did SOOOO much road tripping as a kid and I have many queasy (but still happy) memories. I only just got over it in my late 20's, but still now and again it gets me. I just think some people are more prone to it.

[ThreeBeans]

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/piddle-pad.html

Piddle Pads don't completely prevent destruction of the seat, but they do keep vomit from sinking deep in the crevices


Also, have you tried tucking a towel under her chin and sort of spreading it out over her torso (and the harness!)

[vbactivist]

We used sea-bands for my ds. They did seem to help, but we put them on before he started feeling sick. Another thing was to try to avoid driving right after he had somethign to drink. It seemed to make him feel sick. He did seem to outgrow it around the age of 6 or so. Good luck. I know how much it sinks to feel carsick and to haev a child who deals with it.

[Lady Lilya]

I agree about the smells and the temperature. Also, when it comes to looking out the window, it really needs to be the front. Things on the side appear to move very fast, while things in the front appear to move very slow.