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Original poster

Travel sickness panic

34 replies

Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 15:52

My 2.5yo DD gets travel sick. I’m a bit of an emetophobe (understatement). In a moment of weakness I let DH persuade me to book a holiday 4-5 hours drive away. We moved house last week and have a 6mo party baby so I’m quite stressed and seem to be channeling a lot of this into anxiety about tomorrow’s trip.

We’re planning to give DD a plain breakfast and dose her up with Piriton about 1-2 hours before we travel. We have hourly stops planned and are going to keep the car as cold as possible. No books/iPad in the car. If she is sick, I’ve got wipes, small bags to store mucky clothes and febreeze. What else do I need and what the hell can I do to manage my anxiety, I’m dreading what should be a lovely family holiday!

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 22/04/2019 15:54

Why piriton? Just give her travel sickness tablets.

cocomelon23 · 22/04/2019 15:54

Why piriton? You could use travel sickness bands that go around their wrists. Ginger biscuits are meant to help too.

Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 22/04/2019 15:58

Have you tried the travel sickness bands. They can be used from 2yrs.
My 2.5yr old suffers from travel sickness but can't take the travel sickness tablets due to age. Although they are an antihistamine.
Dd is better when she's asleep if we can time travel then and definitely a light food and gap between travel and food.
We have the problem that she escapes the car seat straps so have to make sure they are really tight but obviously then they are pressing on her tummy.
You sound like you have everything planned. Please don't worry and let it spoil your holiday (easier said than done I know)

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Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 16:07

Thanks all! Went to 2 chemists who both said they didn’t have anything suitable for a 2 year old in stock (thanks Brexit) - all the tablets were for 5+. They advised to give Piriton. I’m a bit skeptical about the sea bands too as I got some for morning sickness and was still sick as a dog! But if she’s sick tomorrow I might get some for the return journey.

OP posts:
Seeline · 22/04/2019 16:09

Some small towels to put on her lap. If she is sick just remove and tie in a plastic bag and replace with a fresh one. Seals all smells for the rest of the journey.

roundligament · 22/04/2019 16:11

Phenergan not portion is what you want

jellybeanteaparty · 22/04/2019 16:17

Ginger biscuits to nibble on if you like ginger

Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 16:18

That’s a great idea thanks @Seeline - we’re staying in an apartment with a washing machine so can wash when we get there.

@roundligament unfortunately we couldn’t get phenergan (or in fact anything) from the chemist in time (bank holidays not helping). Both of them said piriton should work but if not I will try again while we’re away

OP posts:
roundligament · 22/04/2019 16:20

Oh that's such a shame
I know the chemists in supermarkets sell it
Boots etc

Just also to say my son gets sick as well it kills me I always get sick when he gets sick
I find that not too much noise in the car and having it in comfort really help

You're a great mum being so caring for your daughter x

Shrewbie · 22/04/2019 16:23

WTF piriton?!?! You need proper travel sickness tablets. I know, I'm a long term sufferer. Use kwells for kids. Poor kid. Don't let the kid sense your stress as I'm sure that's why I developed it really due to my DM being a pannic stricken rabbit every car journey, I now call it travel anxiety rather than travel sickness.

Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 16:26

Thanks @roundligament, that’s really kind of you! I’m sorry you & your DS are afflicted too. I’m kicking myself I didn’t try to find medication sooner as had forgotten about Easter!

OP posts:
Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 16:29

@Shrewbie sorry you suffer too - my DH was the same as a kid. Unfortunately the chemists wouldn’t sell me tablets as DD is too young. I am doing my best not to show her my anxiety - she had noro a couple of weeks ago and that was a real test too!

OP posts:
SweepTheHalls · 22/04/2019 16:31

Have a travel potty with its liner on her lap. Easy to aim into, and you just tie up the bag a bin it.

MrsKrabbapple · 22/04/2019 16:32

Piriton must be be to make her sleepy? I can’t tbink of any other reason.

One of my dc gets travel sick. Things like bumpy roads or taking corners too quickly seem to make it worse. Try to drive smoothly.

SleepWarrior · 22/04/2019 16:35

Keep the car cool - remember kids car seats are often warmer than a regular seat as they tuck round you. An icy drink that can be sipped is good.

I take tall tupperware containers with clippy lids to be sick into. Then you can quickly put the sick down, knowing it won't spill, and tend to the child rather than juggling a bowl/towel full of sick, crying child, cleaning up splatter, and yelling at the driver to pull over Grin.

The towel idea above sounded quite good but I can't imagine a 2 year old getting it all in the towel... I also have visions of little rivers of vomit as you try to scoop the towel off their lap. I guess it depends on volume.

Plain nibbles for the car like breadsticks, rich tea biscuits, dry cereal (cheerios, shreddies), apple slices.

Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 16:47

Thanks for all the vom catching tips!! Sounds like the voices of experience there Envy (

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 22/04/2019 16:49

My recommendation is not to travel too early. Tummies are sometimes better later on and don't travel when hungry. If it was me, light plain breakfast, some toast or something for lunch. No eggs or milk. Then travel when she is most likely to nap. Once she's dropped off, get as far as you can before she wakes up. Then stop, fresh air, plain snack and water and hopefully you'll get there before stopping again.

WaxOnFeckOff · 22/04/2019 16:52

Large tupperware type box with kitchen roll in it and a sealable lid in case of eruptions

Original poster
Aozora13 · 22/04/2019 17:05

Thanks @WaxOnFeckOff I’ve just checked and the place we’re stopping for lunch does just toast - not sure how that’ll go down while we’re all chomping on chips but will cross that bridge when we come to it!!

OP posts:
Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 22/04/2019 17:12

For those of you all telling the op off for giving Piriton and just to give travel tablets.
Her dd is 2. Joyriders are from 3yrs and kwells kids are 4yrs
The pharmacist told her Piriton

Good luck with the journey op. With a 6mth old you will need a few breaks in a long journey so tell yourself you are stopping for the baby not for sickness and that may help your anxiety

WaxOnFeckOff · 22/04/2019 17:29

Chips wouldn't be the worst as long as they aren't too greasy :)

UncomfortableSilence · 22/04/2019 17:30

Emetophobe here too with 2 kids who both got travel sick, older now so can dose them up and the eldest has completely outgrown it to the point she loves car journeys now so there is light ahead Grin

I found having them sit in the middle so they were looking straight rather than out the side window, never travel without eating first hunger definitely makes it worse, you can buy sick bags on amazon to line things so they can just be chucked, keep the windows open a bit all round and distract them the whole way, chat sing etc anything to keep their minds off of it!

WaxOnFeckOff · 22/04/2019 17:32

Will she sleep after lunch? If the last part is on the worst roads then if she was asleep then you'd be safer :)

Could you drive and leave dealing with any potential sick to DH?

PaquitaVariation · 22/04/2019 17:58

Piriton works. It’s the same type of antihistamine. Good luck, my dd has horrendous travel sickness too. Crisps, ready salted, work quite well too.

xine15 · 22/04/2019 18:23

Many antinausia tablets are just anti histamine. They do work (in my experience and it sounds like in the pharmacists too). Good luck with the journey, you sound like you have it covered!