car sick and very fed up

[squirmyworm]

hi all - sorry I've not been posting for a while - the back to work exhaustion sets in at my traditional mumsnetting time!

Need some help though. DS has just started to get incredibly car sick. It happened once on a long journey when he was nearly 6 months but since he turned six months and has been increasing his intake of solids, it's turned into a real problem. Even on quite short journeys he just vomits and vomits, occasionally chokes on it so I have to pull over, and gets really upset.

Any of you had this? what can be done to help?

I was a complete sceptic, but proved wrong as the 'wristbands' had a miraculous effect for ds2 - he was 3 at the time. He went from being sick within 20 mins of home EVERY journey, to not feeling sick at all. (Unfortunately the effect only lasted for about 6 months, then started to ease off. Now we're back to being sick often and feeling quite sick.) But they may work for you.

I haven't got any experience of a carsick baby - so my advice might have to be put in store for later when he's older. With regard to the practicalities - we find large margarine tubs lined with nappy sacks are excellent for puking into

Before a journey try and have a light meal at least an hour before setting off. No fatty foods or fruit though. Just some bread or toast or something like that. Try not to travel on either a very full or a very empty stomach.

What sort of car seat is he in? Just thinking - it generally helps if they are facing forwards, and can see as much as possible.

With an older child (ds2 is just 5 now) I find it quite difficult to cope with the fact that he is just miserable in the car, and consequently hates travelling anywhere unless it's by train. I remember being car sick as a child, and it really does make you feel lousy, even if you don't actually vomit.

Sorry - rambling on a bit -hope you find some more age-appropriate advice here.

thanks roisin that's really helpful (esp the margarine tub!) might try the wrist bands when he's a bit bigger if it's still a problem

I wondered if the car seat was a prob - he's still rear facing but isn't due to move into the bigger seat for a month or two (I think it's 9m onwards) so fingers xed that will help

yes it's a horrible feeling isn't it? I remember it well

sqirmyworm - I started a thread on this a while ago - will try and find it. My DS is 4 now and started being sick when we moved him out of his front facing car seat into a booster seat - so its not really relevant to your case. But there might be something there to help

Here it is

www.mumsnet.com/talk?topicid=9&threadid=18638

Dd2 was terrible for this (and still is.) When a baby we found it was much better to travel late in the day and definitely not on an empty stomach. We used a seaside plastic bucket once she was able to hold it.

I'm not sure whether I should tell you this - but my ds has also been very car sick - starting at about 10 months. He would be sick just going to the supermarket! He is now nearly 7 and still gets sick - but not nearly as often.

There are lots of things that you can do to help, but sadly none that will 'cure' the problem. We have tried the wrist bands, medications etc but without much success. The sickness tablets can only be used when they are older and only really for long journeys. We found that it went in stages - sometimes very bad for a few months - sick on every journey - sometimes not so bad for a while.

It gets easier to handle as they get older - but here are a few suggestions.

-Try not to let them eat just before travelling - but say 1/2 an hour before.

-Fresh air helps - keep window open a bit.

-Try and make sure feet are not dangling in mid air - this adds to playground ride feeling.

-If you see signs of distress - try and stop and let them have fresh air - we have pushed a buggy back and forwards along many a layby.

-Have a sick kit in the car - wipes, plastic bags, change of clothes, j cloth and bottle of water for rinsing off car seat.

-Keep car seat covered in old towel - then if he is sick you can discard and seat is slightly protected. When they are old enough keep and empty ice cream tub somewhere they can reach. My ds was often more upset about being covered in vomit than about actually being sick.

-Distraction helps - again hard at 6 months - but singing nursery rhymes - and later story books then personal stereos help.

-Try to time journeys around sleeps.

You have my total sympathy- it is such a pain for you and so distressing for you ds. I hope he grows out of it soon.

The car you have also makes an enormous difference.

I know that ginger works on most kinds of motion sickness, but I'm not sure about giving it to babies.

well, annoyingly I still get car sick now. We have just bought a new car (which I didn't test drive but dh did) and I have discovered that it makes me horribly sick! Beforehand we had a giant old diesel people carrier and I was fine in that. The smoother the ride, the worse the sickness. Anyway, here are a few tips.

1. Take him to the doctor and get his ears checked out. Just to be sure. The reason my sickness is so bad is that I had an ear infection when I was a child and it spread into the part of the ear to do with balance and I've never been the same. Also, the doctor can prescribe you stuff for him (which you may not want to give him all the time but certainly for long journeys).

2. Sickness is definitely worse on an empty stomach. Make sure he's eaten but preferably an hour before leaving. Also have crackers ready for the car (dry, tasteless stuff that's also not so bad on the way up!).

3. Back seat definitely worse than the front. I can't sit in the back at all. Driving is best but I guess he's a bit young for that

4. Keep a window open and don't let him have toys that he has to focus on (like books etc.) so that he looks out the window. Reading for car sick children is a big no no as is focusing on toys.

I really hope that helps because it is such a horrible thing. There's nothing worse than a puke smelling car, baby and car seat. Poor you and him.

thanks all - lemonice I'm about to change car tell me more

jimmychoos - can't seem to make that link work - what am I doing wrong?

An ex of mine used to be car sick. his Mum used to selotape a brown paper bag to his tummy and they swear it worked. Woth a try!

I can so understand how awful carsickness is in babies. At least as they get older they can tell you they are going to be sick and you can spring into action with sick bags!! Wrist bands worked well for us and all the other things that have been mentioned. Also try song and story tapes. An over-enthusiastic round of wheels on the bus can work wonders!!

sips of water seem to help as do mints - especially if children who are old enough to count have to wait for 3 junctions or 20 lamposts between each one - shocking for the teeth though, although your stomach contents are acidic and don't do your teeth any favours either!
i've found that since we had a car with integral childrens car seats (ie the manufactureres own) the children don't complain at all about car sickness. maybe it's the fact they now have a ledge to put their feet on and therefore don't get the fairground ride feeling (which does it for me every time!)that tealady so perceptively noted.

With reference to the car i don't know what you would be changing to but it's an ideal opportunity to try and improve the situation and hopefully not saddle yourelves with something worse. Definitely take a test drive if possible with the car seat and baby. As far as i can determine cars where the seat seems low in relation to the window ie quite a few family saloons and sport suspension are bad (eg I had a Renault 19 turbo which also seemed quite dark inside and all the children complained). Exdh had a BMW 5 or 7 series and dd2 heaved in that, ditto Land Rover Discovery which was bad for all of them. So my tips are cars which seem light and airy inside with good visibility for everyone, how it smells and ventilation, check the ride and not too cramped and enclosed in the back seat. In my experience estate cars seem better (Renault Savannah and Subaru Forester)and we now have a Fiat Doblo which has quite hard suspension but lots of room and great all round vision and seems excellent (comparatively cheap) family car with my teens, yet to find out about gs as he is only 3 weeks. Looking back on this maybe exdh terrifying driving style was a factor Load of waffle but good luck I know it's horrible

I agree about cars - we used to have an old bumpy Fiat, and the kids were always fine in that. Changed to a much smoother Vectra, and they started being ill. (Also moved house, and journeys/roads changed a lot, so can't blame it all on the car.)

But the kids seem to be fine in my mum and dad's car - the little people carrier: is it called Zafira, or something? I think being higher up, and having more visibility helps there.

(I am not sure personally I would dare test-drive a car with a very car-sick baby ... you might not endear yourself to the vendors! )

oh god today a disaster
had to take car to be MOT'd and take ds too (not for MOT ) JUST pulling into car garage thingy and bleauugh up comes all breakfast (in fact three times as much breakfast as he had eaten, I'm sure). Lots of soothing, complete change of clothes, warning to car guys not to go near the boot unless they had a strong stomach (sicky stuff all stashed in bags there). On the way home literally in own driveway up comes the milk he'd had for elevenses. Each journey was 25 mins max and he was in the front with air bag off. Each time started with happy little chattering away and talking to mummy, singing songs which seemed to help (ta for tip) but then the little face goes all white and the smiles stop and you just know you are in danger territory. He's gone swimming with his dad and they are late late late back so I am gibbering with worry - is it another chunder or is it worse?