Driving Alone with Newborn

I bought a mirror that attached to the backseat so that I could see my baby in that. I also bought toys for her, such as a mobile, or I would just give her toys to play with. There were times I had to drive with her screaming in the backseat but there was nothing I could do. Good luck.

They will usually sleep in the car. you will also become a whiz at driving one handed while 1/2 way in the backseat! :o)

Trust me, he'll be fine... the mirror is a wonderful idea just be sure you're watching the road more than you're watching him!But honestly, at his age the car trip is usually relaxing... my baby slept more than anything back when she was rear facing. Now if we were going on a trip that would last more than an hour I would try to have someone with us to sit in the back just in case she spit up or something. Whatever the case may be your baby is safer if you are concentrated on driving and not why he's crying...FAR too many accidents occur while mom is turned backwards trying to figure out why her baby is crying when 9 times out of 10 the reason could wait until you pull over or reach your destination... Good luck!

N., everything will be okay. You would be surprised what mothers can do while driving. And if you really had to, you could just pull over... Everything will be okay. Good Luck!!!

Everyone has given great advice! I just wanted to add my thoughts too. It was SO hard for me to let my son cry in his rear facing seat when he was a newborn. But, it is so much safter to just drive than to "tend" to them when you're operating a moving vehicle. If the noise is bothering you too badly pull over to soothe him. So many accidents are caused by people turning around to check on their children.

The mirrors can be great BUT they can also be a distraction too. I found that I was looking at my son way too often and was taking my eyes off the road--so just be careful.

And whatever you do. Don't be tempted to turn his carseat around early. It's recommended that the carrier be rear facing for at least the first year. I have known some moms who turn them around early so their child won't cry as much and I don't think that's a good idea.

Safety first!

Good luck and congrats on the baby!

J.

PS.. I just wanted to add that your son will pick up on your emotions. So if he does cry just try to stay calm and relaxed. This will help him relax!

Hey N.!

My baby hated his carseat!!! Well he still does and he's in a forward facing seat now!! We had the mirror that attached to the back glass so we could see him. I would talk to him and sing what ever was on the radio sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldnt. The only thing that i found (well actually my mother) was a CD of lullibye's. He's 17 months old and still every time i turn it on its instant silence!! I'd be glad to send you a copy if you would like. I have no idea where she found this one at. But he loves it!! Anyway! Good luck!

T.

N.,

When my son was an infant I felt the same way! I agree with everyone about the mirror - it was a lifesaver. My son hated the rear-facing carseat, but I found if I rolled the windows down some the wind would put him to sleep. As long as you don't have to take a major road trip alone with the baby you will be fine. Even if he screams the whole trip, as my mom used to tell me, "crying hurts you a lot more than it hurts them!" My son is almost 4 now & loves the car.

Good luck!

A.

Ditto for the mirror! And also about crying -- if they are crying, then you know they are breathing! My kids always loved the car. Whatever yoiu do, leave him in his car seat rear facing. What ever you can't get to is NOT worth having an accident and him not safe. I was rear-ended when my daughter was 1 week old. The car seat ensured that not a thing was wrong with her. The police told me that. I had previously gone to a mini-seminar to make sure I knew how to put the seat in proplerly -- I HIGHLY recommend it!

The mirrors are awesome. We used them with my son, and he loved them, and so did I since I could see what he was doing. The one we have lights up and plays music and has fish and stuff on it. We also had some others on the side windows that looked just like a rear-view mirror with suction cups on the back. That way I could see him from different angles. Just remember, keep your eyes on the road more than on that precious bundle in the back seat....that will keep him safest...lol (takes some getting used to, I know). Also, keep him directly in the middle of the back seat, that is where the cop told us to put opur son when we went to that safty siminar...that was he has a "cushion" on eaither side in a side impact, and also from the front and back. Plus I found it is alot easier to reach him if he is in the middle instead of on the side. You will be fine, I promise....my son is 1 now and turned around facing forward and I find myself still trying to put him in backwards...it just becomes second nature, especially after hearing the cops explain the reasoning behind the rear-facing seat in the back seat. You should c\go to one of those siminars before your hubby goes back to work...it will really ease your mind. Hope this helps.

I don't know if you will like this advice but when I was going through that phase I learned to twist my arm backward in order to hold my babies bottle in the right place--not pleasant but the best I could come up with---also I had one of those rear view mirrors so you can see what your baby is doing in the back seat

target and walmart have those groovy backseat mirrors. my four month old expreemie loves looking at the pretty baby in the mirror and listen to the radio and me talking to her. it'll be ok!!

I know that it seems scary at first but I have three children and all of mine had to sit in the backseat when I got off work. Daddies are not always available to help with these situations, But as long as their not going to be back there for hours they should do just fine even if they have to fuss a little it won't hurt them. I hated to hear them fuss but in the end it was all okay and eveyone was fine. Hope that helps to ease your mind.

Someone may have already mentioned this, but I registered for this cool backseat mirror that has a remote control and has lights and music. Not only will you be able to see your baby, but you baby can hear some tunes and look at some lights! When I had my first child, I had an elmo mirror back there, which helped me see her, but it didn't do anything else. Plus, at night the lights on this one would be great for the baby! It's called Fisher Price Auto Deluxe Mirror and is has an aquarium theme on it. I read the reviews and some ppl say that their babies don't really pay attention to it, but others say it's a lifesaver! So I thought I'd give it a try and put it on my registry. Anyway, I know Target has it for sure, so you can probably find it at Walmart or Babies R Us. Good luck! PS - I think it goes through batteries kinda fast though...

you eventually get used to it. If they are strapped in properly nothing is going to hurt them. Usually they will also go to sleep. My daughter can be sleeping and I swear I stop at a light and she wakes up fusses, then when I start moving again she stops.

My daughter is almost 3 months old on the 4th of december and since she was born i have only taken her on a one hour car ride which me and my boyfriend take pretty often. I have only ridden in the back seat with her twice in her life. At first she hated the car but now she dosen't fuss near as much. Slowly but surley she is gettin the idea, lol. I love my backseat mirror. I agree with all these moms.

*J.*

I got a mirror that attaches to the headrest of the back seat. That way you can see your baby from your rear view while you are driving and if there are any problems be able to pull over quickly. The mirrors are cheap and very helpful at making you feel a little more confident.

N.-
If you haven't purchased one yet go ahead a get a mirror that hangs on the backseat of the car. This will allow you to see him through your rearview mirror or when you turn around. Also, most babies at that age fall asleep soon after getting in the car so if he is dry and fed then this is a big possibility. Good Luck!

Go get one of the mirrors that you put in the back window so that when you look through your mirror you can look at him. Babies are going to cry and they are most likely going to cry when you get them into the car, but they are fine. It will bother you at first that he is crying but I promise, he will eventually fall asleep. All they want is to get out of the carseat and be held. Just turn your radio up and sing to him or talk to him when he is upset while you are driving down the road. I would sometimes, hold my kids little hands and stroke their hands and talk to them or sing to them so they would know that I was still there right next to them. It would start to hurt my arm cause I had to turn my body in a weird position but it worked most of the time. Good Luck!!

Hi, I know you have gotten alot of responses, but I just wanted to say you are a great mom for worrying in advance. It is nice to know that you care that much. We bought a portable dvd player and we play the baby einstein dvd's in it while we drive. My daughter loves it. Also check the resale shops for the mirrors, I always see them there alot cheaper. Good luck.

I am a single mom and I had to drive with my son from the time he was born. Rear facing carseats are a must, and the mirrors helped. I agree also that a crying baby is a breathing baby. I'll tell you, the crying can be nerve wracking, but what's more nerve wracking is having an accident when you're trying to comfort your baby behind you while you're driving.
My son cried ALOT when he was little and there were times when I would start off on a trip that should take 3 hours, alone with him, and instead of getting all worked up, I would pull over and make sure he wasn't hurting, needing to burp, dry, and all that good stuff and I'd get back on the road. What's a few more minutes?
Safety first always.
Good luck.

Babies don't need to have constant contact, infact its encouraged that they don't have constant contact or you will end up with a baby that is clingy and doens't let you have alone time. Trust me on this, my sitter watches this baby boy who refuses to quit crying if hes not being held, trust me, this is driving her to rethink her babysitting job.

I had this cloth thing that flipped over the back of the back seat, and it had some interesting things for the baby to look at as well as a mirror. I could always look in my rearview mirror and see her reflection without compromising my driving. You should be able to get something similar in the baby section of many stores (Wal-Mart, Burlington, etc.).

Hi N.,
Pretty name by the way.I used a baby mirror in the car with my babies.You can get them at WAl-Mart or Target,and they just mount(usualy suction cup) to the back window,and you can adjust it to where you can see your baby when you look through the rear veiw mirror.They arent very expensive.It worked out just fine for me.If it's a short drive,there isnt too much to worry about though.Good luck,I hope this helped!

I purchased a Playskool (I think) mirror that lights up and plays music. It has a remote so you can turn it off and on as needed. I was able to see Allie and she could see me too. Plus the lights and music kept her entertained.

Just make sure he is not cold, that you feed him, that he has a toy to look at, that he has a binky if he takes it. If he fusses pull over and see what he needs. If he is okay and is still crying try to count to three, take a deep breath and drive. Talk to him if that helps. Turn up the radio in the front. I worried too when they were babies but now they are older. Good luck.