Do you pull over when your baby is crying?

[bluejeanswhiteshirt]

When you're driving alone with your baby and he or she cries, do you pull over?

I was driving home from the supermarket earlier with my 8 month old and when we were about 10 minutes away from home she started crying. Her dummy was on the floor and I didn't have a spare so I just drove home as quick as I could but did end up getting stuck in traffic which made things worse. When we finally got home I realised she'd filled her nappy which was obviously uncomfortable for her and she was so upset with herself. I sang to her which helped a little and passed her something to play with but I thought pulling over would make things worse ans prolong the upset!

Just wondering what other people do in this situation?

Re-reading this I'm surprised by the answers seems like a lot of posters never let their babies cry? I let her get on with it if I have something more important to do- driving, showering, eating my lunch- you didn't stop them crying 24/7.

I never let her cry when we're at home or anywhere that isn't a car basically. I know some people let babies 'cry it out' but it breaks my heart seeing her upset (say I'm too precious if you wish) so I see to her as soon as possible.

That unintentionally sounded really smug, sorry

10-mins... Keep driving. Like some say my DS would go ballistic if I took him out of his seat & then tried to put him back in 10-15mins later.

Never letting a baby cry at all and letting a baby cry it out are very opposite ends of parenting choices.

To never ever let a baby cry for a minute sounds crazy.

Assuming you only have one?

By number 4 it washes over you. and you can finish that cuppa quite serenely before picking up.

Depends on how long the journey is. If it's a short journey home from the supermarket or what ever then I find as awful as it is, it's quicker to just get home asap and sort out the DC's then. If it's a longer journey then I would find somewhere appropriate to stop.

I never let my DS cry when he was little, apart from when I really couldn't help it like when driving. If I was eating lunch or something like that I would pause and deal with him before carrying on.

Once or twice he wouldn't stop crying no matter what I tried, so then I just had to carry on with what I was doing.

I pull over if it's a screaming cry but if it's a whiney cry I don't.

I sympathise with you because DS hates the car seat and it's only at 6 months in that we've found some solutions so that he doesn't scream for the whole journey. Have you tried a backseat mirror for your car? It's a massive help for me. Weirdly I also found that DS finds classical music really relaxing and sleeps almost instantly when it's on.

Yep you guessed it, just the one! If I had 4 I'd probably be crying into my cuppa you women are supermums!

Forgive me for misunderstanding what crying it out means, I hear people at baby groups talk about it and it sounds horrific.

I've never heard her screaming cry before, she has a tired/restless whimpering sort of cry or a hungry/I need changing cry which is the one that escalates into actual tears like we had earlier. It was either carry on driving or risk an accident by trying to get off of a busy dual carriageway.

By number 4 it washes over you. smile and you can finish that cuppa quite serenely before picking up.

Yup, managed to horrify my pregnant friend (her first) by passing DS2 crying (only just) in his moses basket to make us a cuppa. I told her not to fret & that it was important we stayed hydrated. She was but I remembered getting very thirsty etc with DS1 never letting him cry.

It depends. Tbh I tbink it would be more sensible to pull over than to 'drive home as quick a you can'. A crying baby is distracting enough without attempting to pick up the pace as well. I know it's not always that easy though.

Babies cry in cars If is was a very distressed, I'm in bad pain cry I would pull over asap. If it was normal crying I would keep going to get home quickly. If I knew it was for the funny I would have pulled over somewhere quickly to get it, if it was safe. Try to keep a spare dummy in the front seat. Don't worry yourself op, this happens to every household across the world who have a car.

Turn up the radio, normally distracts them enough.....

I will keep a spare dummy in future. I usually do anyway but thought we would be fine. Like I said, she wasn't in pain or I definitely would have stopped. Lesson learned though.

I have done, yes, but depends on the type of cry. If it's really agonised, then yes, I will pull over to see if there's something actually wrong. If they're just wailing, then no, I tend not to.

I have to be careful with Ds2 though because he has a bad habit of crying out all his air and then not being able to draw breath again, and passing out. And then failing to restart breathing immediately - so I try to never let him get to that point. Although he still manages it sometimes and then I have to help him restart breathing (I mean, I probably don't HAVE to but I defy anyone to sit there and just wait while their child isn't breathing in front of them).

Reminds me of being stuck on the motorway (stationary, engines off traffic) with DH driving and DS1 crying-as I couldn't take him out of his car seat I had to climb into the back and contort myself over his chair to get my boob positioned where he could feed. Luckily we were on inside lane where no one could see, but must have looked really weird to those who just saw my backside in the air!

I would've carried on if in your position op-feeding/changing/cuddling etc is always better at home if you can!

I would have done the same as you OP. On a longer trip I would have pulled over.

I remember being stuck in a traffic jam on the M25 with DS1 screaming blue murder in the back. There was nothing I could do as I was on my own and between exits. It was horrific. Eventually he fell asleep, but I still remember it even 7 years later.

Thanks everyone I didn't mention that I suffer really badly with postnatal anxiety and I sometimes doubt my decisions and fret over things, wishing that I'd done something differently and this is one of them. I'm not going to feel guilty any longer because we were so close to home and even if it happened again I know pulling over would only prolong her upset so the only thing I would change is taking extra dummies with me next time.

Crying it out us very different to continuing with normal life until you have time to comfort.

My DD isn't a huge crier- but she can go for some time. If she just wants love I have to have the time and space to
Give it. I'm not sitting there half the day in my pjs weeing myself and going hungry because you can't leave a baby to cry whilst you perform your basic care. That's just martyr ish.

That said I once left her to cry because I had to take a long phone call. That was very stressful and she was frantic, and only a few weeks old. I felt massive guilt about that one.

Yeah my ex used to tell me off for 'forgetting' to take care of myself in the early days as all my attention was and still is on dd.

I supposed letting babies 'cry it out' is something parents choose to do as a method for sleep training or whatever whereas crying in the car is one of those situations where it sometimes can't be helped unless you are on a long journey like most people have said. I certainly will never be trying that method myself.

Totally, crying it out is intentionally ignoring the baby to teach them not to cry. I can see situations where it would be useful