Should I keep a spare cover in my car?

NannyMom · Aug 25, 2008

Ok, today on the way to work, DD threw up 5 times. No crying, no nothing. Just up it came and she didn't seem to care. I took the seat apart and wiped it down with baby wipes (vomit everywhere!). The harness pads were completely soaked through. And there was quite a mess on the cover. I had DH bring me the carseat I had at home (waiting to be installed in his Durango). What do you do if your child vomits all over their seat? Do you wash it and be seatless for a day to let it dry? DO you wipe it down and deal with any lingering mess or smell? I Nanny for 2 very active children and could never be seatless for a day!

The only extra seat we have at their house is a Backless booster (perfect for my 23 pound toddler!). Should I buy an extra cover to keep in the car? That way I can change the covers while the other washes and dries.

What do you do?

BTW- DD is fine. I think I gave her her antibiotic this morning before any food was in her belly

Dillipop · Aug 25, 2008

I clean up as good as I can and go home. I then stay home for a day or 2, since puking kid= sick kid for us. We don't go anywhere until the vomiting has abated for at least 12 hours and that is usually plenty of time to clean the seat and either install a different one in the car or replace the cover with a clean one or wash the puky cover.

I recommend having a second on hand at home, but don't think it's necessary to carry one in the car unless 1. you are taking a road trip or 2. you have a kid who gets carsick frequently.

mish · Aug 26, 2008

I really don't think you need to carry an extra cover in your car. If I have to go somewhere with a kid who might throw up, I put them in their seat, buckle them up, and throw a towel over them. I know that you didn't know that she was going to be sick, so that wouldn't have worked for you.

If your daughter gets sick, take her home, change the cover, and wash the other one. If she gets sick like this a lot you might consider ordering an extra harness too.

How long were you in the car? If she was sick enough to throw up 5 times in a short period, I might be a little concerned.

pastrygirl · Aug 26, 2008

I never had one... until a couple of weeks ago. In July we had a 9-hour drive and Toby had terrible diarrhea about halfway through, out of nowhere. Fortunately he was out of the seat just in the nick of time (unfortunately, in daddy's arms). He ended up having it the whole week and we had to change his outfit once or twice each day. The drive home was nervewracking -- I kept waiting for an explosion!

I found a used cover a few days after we got back.

I only plan to take it with us on road trips, though. Not for the usual daily grind.

MomToEliEm · Aug 26, 2008

I only had a spare cover for my roundabout as that seat was used during a time when the kids were more likely to throw up without advance warning or have leaky diapers. Now that we are older, I never felt the need to have a spare cover for my regents. I guess if they do have an accident, I can swap seats around and the oldest gets a booster for a little while.

NannyMom · Aug 26, 2008

THanks. We were in the car, 3 mins away from finishing our 25 min drive to the house I work at. I thought she was asleep, and then I heard her throwing up. It was 5 times, 1 right after another. Before and after that she was just fine. Not fever, acting her normal playful active self. I really think it was the medicine that upset her stomach.

As far as how often she does this... If she's got a cold with alot of mucas and is crying alot, it can easily happen.

I guess I'll start saving up for that Brooke cover I wanted

Also, is the harness on the Marathon easy to change? Maybe I should buy one of those too, just in case.

cpsaddict · Aug 26, 2008

I keep an extra cover in the car now. A few weeks ago my niece vomited curdled milk all over my Marathon. EWWWW! It dripped everywhere and we ended up having to run to Big Lots and get another seat. So, I now keep my Freedom cover tucked under the front seats. I am also ordering a back up harness so we can switch them out.

carseatcoach · Aug 26, 2008

NannyMom said:
THanks. We were in the car, 3 mins away from finishing our 25 min drive to the house I work at. I thought she was asleep, and then I heard her throwing up. It was 5 times, 1 right after another. Before and after that she was just fine. Not fever, acting her normal playful active self. I really think it was the medicine that upset her stomach.

As far as how often she does this... If she's got a cold with alot of mucas and is crying alot, it can easily happen.

I guess I'll start saving up for that Brooke cover I wanted

Also, is the harness on the Marathon easy to change? Maybe I should buy one of those too, just in case.

If you have enough room in the trunk. I'd buy a Scenera. I'd rather be reinstalling a seat than mucking around with vomit-soaked covers and harnesses in my work clothes.

brightredmtn · Aug 26, 2008

chickabiddy said:
If you have enough room in the trunk. I'd buy a Scenera. I'd rather be reinstalling a seat than mucking around with vomit-soaked covers and harnesses in my work clothes.

I was just going to post that it's not the easiest thing to change out a cover. Actually kind of a PITA in my opinion.

A Scenera would be a perfect solution b/c it would A. be cheaper than a new cover, and B. easier to switch out.

Knock on wood my two year old has never thrown up in the car so unless you have a really puky kid, I wouldn't see the need.

sarsah · Aug 27, 2008

My DS#2 gets car sick quiet a bit, so for every one of his car seats, except his current SK Monterey, I had an extra cover. He tends to get car sick mostly on long trips, so I always take the spare cover with us, but don't bring it in my car for short, local trips.

He is 5 1/2 now and much better at telling us when he feels sick and aiming for the ziplok bags I also always carry in my car, that I didn't think I needed a spare cover for his Monterey. I have another booster (that my 8 1/2 year old grew out of) that I could use if I need to watch the Monterey cover.

Sarah........

Should I keep a spare cover in my car?

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