How Often Should I Stop?

Emi's Mommy · Nov 27, 2010

We will be going on a 5 hour road trip at Christmas and DD will be 3.5 months old. How often should we be stopping to take DD out of her car seat for a stretch and how long should that stretch be? She is nursed on demand and while she usually feeds every 2-3 hours during the day, she does STTN(and we are traveling at night) so it is theoretically possible for her to not want to eat the entire trip. A feed and diaper change takes anywhere between 15-20 minutes would that be long enough?

Should I just leave her be if she decides to sleep? Or should I maybe take her out halfway? She sleeps in the car but wakes up the second you turn the car off so the "never wake a sleeping baby" doesn't really apply.

TerisBoys · Nov 27, 2010

If she nurses on demand and sleeps through the night, I'd drive as long as she sleeps. Stop when the driver needs a break/car needs gas/baby wakes up.

Unless possible stops are few and far between along your route, I'd honestly play it by ear. I know *I* as a driver would need a stop to stretch midway anyway.

geekKT · Nov 27, 2010

We did a 26 hour road trip (split into a few days) when DS was about that age, but we traveled during the day. I'd take him out when we stopped for gas or whenever he wanted to nurse, which ended up being about every 2-2.5 hours. The short stops were 15-20 minutes; if we stopped for food it was a bit longer.

I'd just play it be ear and keep in mind that you might need to make a stop halfway.

Keeanh · Nov 27, 2010

Just drive until she gets hungry (or freaks out for some other reason).

Kat_Momof3 · Nov 27, 2010

she's not a newborn anymore.. she's an infant.. and as long as she's comfy and sleeping well, I wouldn't pull over.

However, if you feel the need to empty your breasts, I would bring along a pump, empty bottles, and an ice pack.

obviously it's not like she sleeps every night in her carseat and you won't be driving even the whole night, so it's not something I'd be concerned about.

(oh, and if you do pump, you can freeze it when you get there and use it if you decide to have some wine and she needs to feed before it is out of your system... or for new years... same reason)

Emi's Mommy · Nov 27, 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions. There are two towns in between on our side of the border that I think we'll aim to stop at one or both of them just to ensure that all of us stay happy. I know for sure they'll be open Christmas Eve. The province we're headed to I'm not so sure if we'll have even a gas station that will be open.
I'd love to pump but I have a bottle refuser on my hands. Straight from the tap or not at all

Kat_Momof3 · Nov 28, 2010

sounds like a plan! (too funny about refusing bottles... sorry... was just thinking of how I was when I was breastfeeding with a baby at that age and how full my breasts would feel if they slept that long... but hey, she's a smart and discerning nurser!)

How Often Should I Stop?

Emi's Mommy

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