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Original poster

Has anyone else had a baby/toddler who gets horribly car sick?

26 replies

Norked · 21/05/2021 15:34

DD is 20 months and if in the car longer than 20 minutes she is guaranteed to vomit at least once. We have put her in a forward facing car seat in the front seat (airbag off) but this hasn't helped much.

Is there anything to be done with a toddler who cannot swallow tablets? Not keen on the wristbands etc she will just remove them.

OP posts:
kneesbentarmsstretchedrararaaa · 21/05/2021 15:39

I do and I haven't found a solution yet! So watching this with interest. We tend to try and just drive when she's asleep.

MonicaGellerBing · 21/05/2021 16:18

My DS was exactly the same, not much you can do when they are too young for the tablets and the bands never worked for us. He's now 8 and still gets car sick but luckily can now take pills. You have my sympathies!

We just had to take supplies such as carrier bags, towels, change of clothes etc. It's a nightmare

AmyandPhilipfan · 21/05/2021 17:04

Do you know if there’s anything that makes her worse? We discovered that our daughter is car sick if she’s had a very early, milky breakfast. So if we have to leave early in the morning we don’t give her anything with too much dairy in it first.

Original poster
Norked · 22/05/2021 06:28

@AmyandPhilipfan

Do you know if there’s anything that makes her worse? We discovered that our daughter is car sick if she’s had a very early, milky breakfast. So if we have to leave early in the morning we don’t give her anything with too much dairy in it first.
Unfortunately, no. As soon as she takes her eyes off the road and we slow down or make a turn/go round a bend, she vomits - doesn't make a difference if she's eaten etc Sad

I think I'm going to make an appt with the GP and see if there's any liquid form of the anti sickness medication - I will keep you updated!

OP posts:
Riggle · 22/05/2021 07:01

I have an app called Nevasic which works for me and my son. It plays some weird ocean type music and really gets rid of the nausea. It’s best if you’re using headphones as it needs to play different sounds in each ear to work fully. I bought some massive over ear headphones for my son when he was a toddler and that worked ok for us. The sickness comes from a conflict between what your eyes are seeing and what your inner ear (that controls balance) is feeling). A toy steering wheel and asking the kid to pretend to be driving can sometimes help too, as it reduces the conflicting signals between your eyes and ears.

Hilarias · 22/05/2021 07:19

Our DS is fine in our car (10 years old and engine a bit rumbly) but in anyone else’s car - hire, friend’s, taxi - he vomits within 5-10 minutes. I think the smooth engines of modern cars aren’t great. Don’t have any advice sadly, unless you have the ability to research and buy another car!

DrHWeasley · 22/05/2021 07:21

We give our ds (4yo) Kwell tablets and they work a charm. Not sure if suitable for a 20mo though, and we only use them on longer journeys. My sympathies though, been there, and it's fucking grim!

DrHWeasley · 22/05/2021 07:22

Oh sorry, to add- he just munches the tablets, doesn't swallow them like a pill.

beingsunny · 22/05/2021 07:24

Not my children but I've been told lemon juice is supposed to settle the acid and stop car sickness.

kneesbentarmsstretchedrararaaa · 22/05/2021 07:34

Kwell are for 4+ I think. There are some called Joy Ride which are for 3+.

Likeasorethumb · 22/05/2021 07:38

Our daughter was horrendous, we could go 10 minutes down the road and she'd be sick.
The day she was 3 was a godsend as Boots and Joyride are both suitable from 3 years up, Kwells is 4. The Dr couldnt prescribe anything either until she was 3 either.
Until that point we had no solution aside from making sure she didnt eat or drink before a journey. Even during it we had to mininise it and keep it as plain as possible.
She still is sick occasionally now (even with the tablets) but not every journey, she travels with a bottle of water, sick bags and has the fans by her blowing cold air on her.

BuffaloHigh · 22/05/2021 07:50

You can get promethazine liquid once she’s 2. It actually works but it does make my son very tired. It’s good for long journeys but not if we’re having a day out. Not many places seem to sell it though.
Otherwise keeping the window open and sweets help. Tupperware boxes are easier to catch vomit in than bags for little children (sorry).

99victoria · 22/05/2021 07:51

My daughter was terribly car sick - she's in her 30s now and still suffers :(
When she was a baby we always had to travel with a bag in the car containing towels, disinfectant, plastic bags and a change of clothes.
We tried to always travel when she was tired - if she fell asleep, she wouldn't be sick. Our GP at the time suggested phenergan which sent her to sleep. We did use it sometimes if we were doing a long journey and until she was old enough to take tablets. That would probably be frowned on now though :)

Tash6000 · 22/05/2021 08:31

Get some phenergan from the pharmacy.
It's can be used for 2yo+. You can give it the night before if you know you're doing a longer journey. My 2yo is terribly car sick and we just keep a bucket, wipes and bags ready in the car. We have managed to do a few 1h15m trips now without sick incident when using Phenergan though!
Make sure you give it a few hours before travel if you haven't given it the night before. My 2yo doesn't like the taste (or any medicine for that matter) so we put it in a little bit of orange juice and she is none the wiser. Hopefully they will grow out of it!!

Suzi888 · 22/05/2021 08:36

Benadryl? •not sure what age you can give it from•!!!
I used to get car sick when I was little, going back over 40 years. My DM used to crush a travel sick tablet and give me a little of it.

Suzi888 · 22/05/2021 08:38

Phenergan requires a prescription from a G.P, it’s no longer over the counter.

roundtable · 22/05/2021 08:41

Mine was from a baby and still is. Having the air conditioning blasting helps. He's can't go on fairground rides now it's got so bad.

You've reminded me to investigate tablets for him as he's older than 4.

Good luck op, it's not nice.

Original poster
Norked · 22/05/2021 08:43

Thanks so much all for your help! Looks like I will have to wait til she's 2 to be able to get my hands on anything

OP posts:
Original poster
Norked · 22/05/2021 08:44

@Riggle

I have an app called Nevasic which works for me and my son. It plays some weird ocean type music and really gets rid of the nausea. It’s best if you’re using headphones as it needs to play different sounds in each ear to work fully. I bought some massive over ear headphones for my son when he was a toddler and that worked ok for us. The sickness comes from a conflict between what your eyes are seeing and what your inner ear (that controls balance) is feeling). A toy steering wheel and asking the kid to pretend to be driving can sometimes help too, as it reduces the conflicting signals between your eyes and ears.
I will try this, thanks. She will probably just take the headphones off (at that annoying age) but I will definitely try it!
OP posts:
MrsWhites · 22/05/2021 08:46

Piriton or an antihistamine medicine helps. My nephew gets horribly car sick and my sister used this when he was too young for the tablets!

thecatwithnoeyes · 22/05/2021 08:53

My eldest was awfully travel sick as a child. The GP prescribed phenergan when she was 2 (ish - it was a long time ago) but it was pointless. It knocked her out. Great for the travel, no sickness, but absolutely useless for a day out/visiting people.

sashh · 22/05/2021 08:55

I was never car sick until I was about 10, my parents got a new car and wham, I started to be sick. We were driving to Spain that year so I used tablets, they just knocked me out.

The next time my parents were getting a new car I had to go on every test drive with them.

I'm only saying this because when I was looking to get a new car a few years ago I felt ill on the test drive, so when you change your car it might be worth taking your child with you.

I seem to be OK in anything that's not a Vauxhall. There is no logical reason for this unless they make their cars differently to others.

Branleuse · 22/05/2021 09:01

Piriton liquid helps but it can make them drowsy, so the journey would need to be worth it and long enough they could nap.
Otherwise nothing much except maybe ginger biscuit or ginger sweet

MotherOfCrocodiles · 22/05/2021 09:15

Phenargeon liquid. From 24 months over the counter although I think with dr prescription it can be given younger.

Throughabushbackwards · 22/05/2021 10:07

I was like this as a child and still get carsick on longer journeys if I don't sit in the front and concentrate on looking out at the horizon. My parents used to keep a bucket and several towels in the car at all timesSad. I'd say the only thing that might work is if an adult can sit with her and keep her looking up and out, playing I-spy, that sort of thing to keep her focused on the outside. Agree with PP about rich or milky foods before travel. Try just a few plain crackers, mildly flavoured ginger biscuits used to make me feel better too.