travel bed for camping with baby.

[BellePrincessBelle]

Sleeping in a car seat doesn't seem very comfortable -- not for all night long -- but from a safety standpoint, what's the difference between a quick nap in the car seat and an all-night-long sleep? It doesn't hold up to common sense. If it's dangerous to sleep in a car seat for 8 hours, why is it safe to sleep in a car seat for 20 minutes?

I still maintain that the baby doens't need a bed for camping -- just a sleeping bag like the rest of the family.

As another poster pointed out there is a HUGE difference between a nap & sleeping in a car seat. Their heads tilt down and they get less oxygen and babies have died that way. Read the link to the article that another poster put up and maybe you'll think differently. A small baby should never ever be put in a sleeping bag either. Do you have children? You don't seem up to speed on child safety issues at all. In a car the seat should be angled at the right direction to prevent the child from breathing improperly(30-45 deg. angle) placed on the floor or in a crib etc the right angle is not there.

 

[fatuhiva]

If it's dangerous to sleep in a car seat for 8 hours, why is it safe to sleep in a car seat for 20 minutes?

It's all a risk benefit thing. In a car the higher risk is a car accident, hence baby should be in a car seat to keep them safe. If they fall asleep for 20 minutes, mom or dad is there & awake to keep an eye on them so the risk is smaller. At night in a tent unless there is some freak accident, the risk of a car accident is non-existant. Mom & Dad will most likely be sleeping (or in another room if baby is napping), and not keeping as close an eye on the baby - hence sleeping in the car seat becomes a bigger risk.

 

[lindsmom]

It's all a risk benefit thing. In a car the higher risk is a car accident, hence baby should be in a car seat to keep them safe. If they fall asleep for 20 minutes, mom or dad is there & awake to keep an eye on them so the risk is smaller. At night in a tent unless there is some freak accident, the risk of a car accident is non-existant. Mom & Dad will most likely be sleeping (or in another room if baby is napping), and not keeping as close an eye on the baby - hence sleeping in the car seat becomes a bigger risk.

But also it has to do with the angle of the seat, as a PP mentioned. When the infant seats are installed (the carrier / removable ones or a regular seat), there is often a level or at least an arrow showing exactly how the seat should be pointed. This angle reduces the pressure on the throat, keeping the airway open. When the carrier is removed from the base, and placed on the floor the angle is not accurate, and there is a greater risk that the baby's airway will be compromised.

 

[fatuhiva]

But also it has to do with the angle of the seat, as a PP mentioned.

I didn't disagree with that, I was just adding another point. Even in a properly angled car seat I wouldn't feel safe leaving my kids to sleep in a car seat - only when they fell asleep driving in the car and I had no choice. When we got home I put them in their crib.

 

[lindsmom]

I didn't disagree with that, I was just adding another point. Even in a properly angled car seat I wouldn't feel safe leaving my kids to sleep in a car seat - only when they fell asleep driving in the car and I had no choice. When we got home I put them in their crib.

Oh, definitely - I wasn't trying to disagree

It's funny, because I have a new little guy (5 mos old), and we bought a recaro seat - no carrier, just a regular seat style. I have days when I totally wish we had gotten the carrier - when we have to unbuckle him and he wakes up transferring to the house - but when I hear the news reports now about the risks, I guess I'm glad we went the way we did. DD8 was in a carrier a lot way back when, but it's another example of how the safety guidelines change as we become more aware.

Sorry to OP - back to the original subject

 

[D&DDisney]

How about a tiny inflatable round kiddie pool? Maybe 2ft wide? It would keep baby confined but still lay him/her flat.
It can get quite chilly and damp in a tent for a baby so bring a sleeping blanket (the one the baby wears w/ arm holes not a regular blanket) and a hat & mittens to keep baby warm at night.

 

[summerrluvv]

A pool for the baby to sleep in? Now I've heard it all.

One Step Ahead sells a lot of safe baby stuff to use when traveling.

 

[D&DDisney]

A pool for the baby to sleep in? Now I've heard it all. .

Wow...
Don't think the OP needs to invest mega bucks in all this so called "safe baby" equipment just to go camping.

Could use the stroller too and just bring that inside the tent.

 

[summerrluvv]

Wow...
Don't think the OP needs to invest mega bucks in all this so called "safe baby" equipment just to go camping.

Could use the stroller too and just bring that inside the tent.

Advising someone to let their 6 month old sleep in a plastic blow up pool is just plain silly and really poor advice. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on safe ways for a baby to sleep. Sleeping in a stroller isn't one of them either.

 

[mybabesuz]

We always used a pack and play also...

Maybe you should just invest in a bigger Tent since you already have a pack-n-play...

It would cost about the same as buying new baby stuff...

Plus you will appreciate more having more room...

And it was always great to have the pack-n-play to keep little one safe at other times...

 

[summerrluvv]

They do make a smaller pack n play...I had one...the Graco Lite or something like that. I'll bet you could find one on ebay or CL, and maybe check Target...they are having the big baby clearance going on right now.

 

[abcboys]

Yeah, we put our pack and play in our tent and it worked just fine. The tent wasn't really all that big plus we had 2 other kids and us in there. Have you actually tried it to see if it really fits or not?

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Advising someone to let their 6 month old sleep in a plastic blow up pool is just plain silly and really poor advice. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on safe ways for a baby to sleep. Sleeping in a stroller isn't one of them either.

I have to agree with you. I've never seen such poor and down right dangerous advice as I've seen in this thread. OP do yourself a big favor & bring the pack n play. They do make a small one. Mine is called the Graco Bedroom bassinet/playard & I bought it at Babies R Us last year. Here's the link to the Graco website
http://www.gracobaby.com/Catalog/Pa...subCatID=11:10439||1&pID=10434:4294959366||1#

 

[MrsPete]

6 month old babies shouldn't even be sleeping with blankets at all, so I would NOT put the baby in a sleeping bag.

I was actually imagining the baby in a blanket sleeper on top of a sleeping bag or quilt (to keep the cold from coming through the ground).

As another poster pointed out there is a HUGE difference between a nap & sleeping in a car seat. Their heads tilt down and they get less oxygen and babies have died that way.

So you're arguing that they don't really sleep when they're napping? That their heads aren't tilting in the same way? That oxygen deprivation for a short time is okay, but it's bad for extended periods? If it's dangerous for an all-nighter, then it's also dangerous for a short nap. I do completely agree that it's rather idiotic to put the baby down to sleep (purposefully, when he's not in the car) in a car seat, but this particular argument doesn't hold water at all.

Do you have children? You don't seem up to speed on child safety issues at all. In a car the seat should be angled at the right direction to prevent the child from breathing improperly(30-45 deg. angle) placed on the floor or in a crib etc the right angle is not there.

Yep, I've managed to grow 'em all the way to their teen years, and they still have all their limbs.

It's all a risk benefit thing. In a car the higher risk is a car accident, hence baby should be in a car seat to keep them safe. If they fall asleep for 20 minutes, mom or dad is there & awake to keep an eye on them so the risk is smaller.

I can buy into the idea that the car accident is more likely than oxygen deprivation caused by improper neck placement; however, I can't agree that mom or dad can keep an eye an infant in a rear-facing car seat. Not while the baby is in the back seat, not while one parent is alone in the car. I personally couldn't tell the difference (from several feet away, unable to touch the baby) whether the child was sleeping or was being deprived slowly of oxygen.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be careful with our children or that we shouldn't take care to provide them with a safe environment -- not at all -- but many of these safety experts really go out on a limb in their attempt to scare new mothers into thinking that anything and everything's dangerous. It's a wonder that any of us grew up.

 

[lindsmom]

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be careful with our children or that we shouldn't take care to provide them with a safe environment -- not at all -- but many of these safety experts really go out on a limb in their attempt to scare new mothers into thinking that anything and everything's dangerous. It's a wonder that any of us grew up.

I agree completely - I feel bad for new parents today - I can't even imagine how paranoid I'd be - my baby's blankets will smother him, our stroller will cut our fingers off, and our crib will collapse on top of him. Safety is always a good thing, but I do feel that a lot of the horrible accidents that happen are often related to common sense (or lack thereof).

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I was actually imagining the baby in a blanket sleeper on top of a sleeping bag or quilt (to keep the cold from coming through the ground).So you're arguing that they don't really sleep when they're napping? That their heads aren't tilting in the same way? That oxygen deprivation for a short time is okay, but it's bad for extended periods? If it's dangerous for an all-nighter, then it's also dangerous for a short nap. I do completely agree that it's rather idiotic to put the baby down to sleep (purposefully, when he's not in the car) in a car seat, but this particular argument doesn't hold water at all. Yep, I've managed to grow 'em all the way to their teen years, and they still have all their limbs. I can buy into the idea that the car accident is more likely than oxygen deprivation caused by improper neck placement; however, I can't agree that mom or dad can keep an eye an infant in a rear-facing car seat. Not while the baby is in the back seat, not while one parent is alone in the car. I personally couldn't tell the difference (from several feet away, unable to touch the baby) whether the child was sleeping or was being deprived slowly of oxygen.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be careful with our children or that we shouldn't take care to provide them with a safe environment -- not at all -- but many of these safety experts really go out on a limb in their attempt to scare new mothers into thinking that anything and everything's dangerous. It's a wonder that any of us grew up.

You seriously don't get it do you? In the car the seat should be placed at a proper angle to prevent the airway from being compromised. If the seat is on the floor, in a crib, etc the proper angle is not acheived there for placing the infant at risk for an obstructed airway. And yes quite a few babies have died from parents letting them sleep in their car seats. It's a tragedy that is easily prevented if people would just take some time to make sure what they're doing is safe. You may not think it's unsafe but it is proven to be a fact that it is and I,myself, am not a new mother. I have been a parent for many, many moons.

 

[disneymarie]

I would get a larger tent. a lot less of a headache, there is netting to use on the pac and play,.
As said too, you need somewhere to put the little one during the day. Otherwise, use an old suitcase next to you.

 

[staubinst]

I think that the pea pod tent is a great idea. I know that they are a little spendy. We bought one for my daughter when we went camping when she was 4 months old. Worked great. We did use it the following year too. I think she may be too big this year. So if you get a couple uses out of it and it is safe I think that it is the way to go.

 

[MrsPete]

You seriously don't get it do you? In the car the seat should be placed at a proper angle to prevent the airway from being compromised. If the seat is on the floor, in a crib, etc the proper angle is not acheived there for placing the infant at risk for an obstructed airway. And yes quite a few babies have died from parents letting them sleep in their car seats. It's a tragedy that is easily prevented if people would just take some time to make sure what they're doing is safe. You may not think it's unsafe but it is proven to be a fact that it is and I,myself, am not a new mother. I have been a parent for many, many moons.

Yeah, I get a lot of things, including the fact that the baby industry plays on fear of remote possibilities to increase their sales. If "quite a few" babies died this way, it'd be big news -- like SIDS. I googled it, and this isn't big news; the few articles that mentioned it listed it way down on the list of car seat necessities. There's a line between reasonable caution and paranoia.

I do completely agree that keeping the baby in a car seat indoors is a bad idea -- but because the crib is much more comfortable.

I too have been a mom for many moons, and my children are driving now rather than riding in car seats. I've heard advice from "the experts" change too many times to become overly excited about it. For example, my mother's doctor told her that she was giving us "second-best" by breastfeeding us, and if she really cared about us she'd buy formula; when one child was born premature, he forbid her to nurse that child and, fearful, she obeyed. Today's experts say just the opposite. Another example: How many times since my own children were born have experts flip-flopped on the side-sleep, back-to-sleep thing? You can't buy into everything they say.

 

[jenjersnap]

How about this? http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=534592&cmSource=Search

We have the toddler size version of this and it's been great. (I hesitated to recommend the bigger one because the reviews on the site aren't as positive ... not sure why since it's worked great for us. The review of this one are glowing.)