Long road trip with infant???

[DisneyDreamer8]

Hi all

I'm a new first time mommy (my son is 15 days old) and we are planning his first trip to Disneyland in October.

We usually drive the 15 hours to DL because flying out of our little airport is very expensive.

My question is how well does a 7 month old do on long road trips. We are thinking of spending the night in Anderson (about half way) but I'm worried about him being in his car seat for such a long period of time (of course we will make stops but still).

Any advise???

TIA

 

[CTmommyx3]

We did a trip to Disneyworld and from our house it is like 24 hours. We had a 6 month old that time.
We did stop overnight. My advice would be make sure you get the baby out enough for the feedings and food to digest! I made the mistake of feeding her a bottle rushing and them put her in the car. well she puked all over and we still had a lot of driving to do!
Pack extra food and bottles for the ride just in case you need more or they do not finish the bottle. I had a travel warmer that plugs into the lighter to warm stuff.
Have a great trip! Congrats on your new baby!!
We are heading to Disneyworld in 2 weeks driving with a 6.5 5 and 15 month old, to say I am nervous is a big understatement!~

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Thanks for the info I need to look into getting the warmer.

Have a great time on your trip as well. It sounds like it will be an adventure but I'm sure you will do great!!

 

[vettechick99]

Congrats! What a cutie you have!

I think you should be fine as long as you take frequent stops and give him lots of attention and toys. On long trips I sit in the back part of the time so we can play with each other. When she starts to get cranky or rub her eyes, I move to the front so I don't distract her some sleeping. My DD always cries a little bit before she falls asleep (at home and in the car - I think it helps her release some energy). So if I know she's not hungry or sick, I let her cry and don't mess with her. She usually is fast asleep in 2 minutes or less and sleeps for a while.

Having said that, the daylight does mess her up. If you see this is an issue for your DS, rig some sort of tent up so the light is dimmed. You'll get much better sleep from him then. And at 7m, my DD was still sleeping 18 hours a day, so they need all they can get!

Have fun!

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Thanks for all the great tips. I am feeling better about doing the road trip. The only problem is I have to drive (I get car sick if I don't) so my DH will need to entertain the little guy.

Thanks again!!

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

double post...oops

 

[Syrreal]

We took lots of long roadtrips with DS before he was even 6 months old. You have already gotten some great advice from pp. I second the advice to split the trip. It helps everyone get a break from being in the car. We also found out that DS could only take about 8 hours total in the car on any given day. We did do two 10 hour trips (to DC and back) but there was always someone in the back with him to entertain him. I did feed him his bottle a couple of times in his carseat so that we wouldn't have to stop. It worked for us, but it depends on the baby.

One suggestion I have for you, if it's in your budget and on the way, is to stay at Embassy Suites when you stop. We found their rooms to be clean and they all have a bar area, fridge, and microwave which made it convenient to make bottles and heat up water, etc. They also have a full, hot, breakfast that is free. Also, since the rooms are suites, it allowed for a little private time for me and DH.

ETA- if there are any CD's that your LO loves. Bring them!!! DS loves Choo Choo Soul and when he would get really cranky but we weren't at a place where we could stop (or close to our destination and not wanting to stop) we would put it on and *woosh* insta-quiet

 

[all4fun]

Here are some great tips I admit to stealing from another board


-Get your car checked out before leaving
-I'd even recommend getting your car seat install checked if you haven't already (80% are installed or used incorrectly)
-Have plenty of paper towels, water, plastic bags and have changes of clothes handy. I also recommend a normal cloth towel for each kid.
-when you stop, do EVERYTHING. Get gas, buy whatever, everyone gets either does a trip to the john or a diaper change. Do not stop for a pee, only to have to stop again for gas...
-while the kids sleep, or if an older one is absorbed in the movie, DO NOT STOP. This is when you'll pack the miles in. You'll find that stops breed.

Don't drive at night. Think of your fellow drivers, more likely to be drunk, etc. Also, there's more traffic than in the early morning. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of stopping at rest stops, which can be dodgey even in daytime.

Also, leave little wiggle room in your schedule . If you get delayed, you'll end up arriving very late at night.

Get up very early and watch how many hours you can pack in while they nap. Kids are better in the early morning than late at night. Some parents driving this way find they wont sleep.

If you can manage it and the weather's right, pack a picnic. We skipped those nasty stops and headed for a park instead.

If you must stop and eat somewhere, go for off hours. Eat lunch at 11am or 3pm. Same with dinner. Don't hit those places with two cranky kids at rush hour.

Both of you have a cell phone, if possible.

For planning, add 1/3 more time to your trip. I would actually recommend stopping in the early evening and having a relaxing break, an early night and hit the road again at the crack of dawn. This would also get you there in the afternoon without shorting you out on sleep.

HTH!

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Wow...what a wealth of info!! Thanks to all of you!!!

I always get the car checked out before we head to LA. I'm kinda neurotic that way And I always stop for gas way more times then we need...can't be to careful.

I talked with my Mom and she is going to go with us so we will have one more person to help entertain our little man. We have also decided to stay in Santa Nella (about a 9 hour drive) that way we only have about 4 hours to Disneyland (more or less depending on LA traffic). On the way back we will stay in either Redding or Weed.

We have an SUV so we will have plenty of room in the back for changing diapers and letting him stretch out if we can't find a good spot.

Sound like a good plan?