Taking Infant on 20+ Hour Road Trip

My baby does not like the car either. She is 4 months old. We have a little civic and i have found that the cold air does not get to her as quickly as i thought and she tends to get hot quick. Then when she cries, she overheats instantly. Make sure there is enough air circulating in the back seat. Also i have einstein cds, i think the soothing music distracts her from being upset. Lullaby and traveling melodies are her favorites. I try to talk to her and sing to her before she gets fussy. Otherwise it is too late. She also has a few toys she can hold easily, it keeps her busy for a bit. My little one likes to bite on her burp clothes. It keeps her entertained and it is so big, if she drops it, it stays right there for her to pick up again. Another suggestion,i have one of those teddy bear mirrors to see her, i catch her looking at that alot. Maybe have your older child draw a few very colorful pictures for your little one to look at. And then change them before he gets upset. I know you know cuz you are a mom but make sure he is stuffed and burped. That will make a big difference in his mood. And he will take longer naps hopefully. Will your 5 year old be in back seat with him? He can entertain(read, sing, play, even talk) or stick the binky back in at least. I imagine he would rather play his gb though. I am usually alone in the car, it is a godsend for someone to be in the backseat. I sometimes take our dog for a car ride just so she has something to look at. It usually works! Hope this helps! We are from ohio also....be safe in your travels! I heard they are getting lots of snow! :( have warm clothes handy

Our family has only done smaller road trips (5-6 hours) when our son was little. The biggest thing to remember when traveling with infants is that it's not a race. Driving for 8-10 hours straight without a stop is no longer an option- unless you have a champion sleeper who doesn't mind being wet or dirty and will take a bottle in the car seat. But let's face it, most of us aren't that lucky! Plan on stopping every 3-4 hours during the daytime hours- even if it's just a 10 minute stop at a rest area. You and hubby and your 5 yr old can get some fresh air and a cold drink and a few minutes of quiet- or a simple potty break- and baby can get a change of scenery and a dry diaper. If you're doing mostly night driving, you may have better luck if your little one sleeps well. Kenny Loggins Return to Pooh Corner CD was our saving grace! Good luck and safe travels!

We used Ocean sounds (or other nature cd's) and we drove as much as possible at night. Also if you have a dvd player you can play baby einstein - that really helped. Take a lot of breaks (unless it's night and they're sleeping) like the others have suggested. Make sure you do diaper changes and feedings regularly. If you can sit in the back with him every other stop. Good Luck ;-)

I would suggest you and the baby fly and daddy and the older child can bond while road tripping :)
Seriously!
I have recently done a 6 hour trip with my son (who, like yours, does not like being in the car) and it was just too stressful! Oh and BTW the trip usually takes 3.5 hours but we had to stop all the time for a diaper change and a feeding, etc etc.
Ciao,
T.

Take LOTS of breaks and give everyone time to play run and strech. Start the trip at night and try to drive as far as you can with the kids sleeping. Then stop somewhere cool to "play". A park, zoo, etc and recharge and "run" the kids as best you can. Maybe even a little benadryl before the second half of the trip.....sounds bad but it will be the hardest part! Good luck!
Oh, for the older boy....wrap a few gifts for him to open and entertain himself with...LIKE a new game! lol

Hey J., my husband and I went on a road trip to visit family around xmas time and my daughter was only 5m then. She was actually pretty good, I just kept feeding her snacks/bottle and when we stopped I would pull her out of the car seat. I know its bad to take them out while on the road, but I even did that a few times. Just for a few short minutes to calm her down. We were real surprised at how well she did! Keep lots of food/toys on hand, and you should be good. Good luck and have a safe trip!

I did it too - I drove to PA from FL when my ds was 6 months old. We acted like we were putting him to bed, did the bath routine and stuff and then put him in the car seat. We had the car all packed up and took off as soon as he fell asleep. We got lucky cause he slept all night and woke up 12 hrs later and we only had 4 more to go. At that point, we stopped at a rest area, played a little then got back in the car, he fussed a little, but he has that baby einstein talking/singing frog and we played with that, then he had a bottle and he pretty much took a nap. By the time he woke back up, we did the rest area thing again. I wish you luck! It wont be bad, dont worry!