in car pukage...anyone got tips?

[preciouslillywhite]

my dd, after 5 years of sometimes looking greenish when in the car, and occasionally throwing up (about once or twice a year), has now decided (after a nasty incident on a coach from Harwich at the beginning of summer) that she gets Officially Travel Sick.This means that she now goes green about a minute into a journey and has to get off whatever she's on-car or bus-usually in middle of nowhere.

It's a pain- not only cos we're always finding ourselves walking up and down random streets in Streatham or Thornton Eath on the way to somewhere else while she "gets some fresh air" but cos it's really sad to see her little peaky face-journeys are now no fun at all for her and she's already starting to ask me anxiously about the details before we go anywhere...

Anyone got any tips?

yes newspapers

sit on a newspaper, teachers make sicky kids sit on newspapers on school trips

As long as you can turn the airbag off she can absolutely sit in the front seat - I know someone with a DD who has been car sick since babyhood (a nightmare since they had a long journey to get older DC to school and LO used to throw up almost every day) and she now always travels in the front and is much much better.

Of course that would leave the non-driving adult wedged in the back with 2 DC but that is possibly a price worth paying.

Thanks all, these are great. And surely at least one of them's gotta work...hasn't it??

(also rather impressed with everyone's ability to tackle vomit so early in the morning)

...going to try newspaper/bands first, and if that don't work will do front seat as last resort...not so worried about sitting in back myself (usually spend most of journey turning round to dd as it is trying to assess her state of spew likelihood on scale of 1-10) but more worried about constant "it's not faaaaaaiiir why does she get to go in the front"s will have to put up with from her brother and sister

There's an easy answer to that one - it's either that or she gets to throw up all over them

I am rushing so have not had time to read all messages here. Has anyone recommended travella tablets. They are homeopathic ones from Nelson I think. I know some say its a load of rubbish. But IME I had dd who started being really car sick at eight months old. Discovered these when she was nearly 1 and they worked a treat. I remember squashing them into a spoon and some jam for her to take. They were brill when nothing else worked.

Chubba Chub lollies work for my nearly 3 year old, but if you have tried sucky sweets maybe not for yours. I'm also careful about what I give him to eat & drink before the journey, anything acidic like fruit or too much to drink will make him sick in the car later.

Some good tips mentioned above.

Listen to me, I am teh car sicknes guru (get it badly myself after 5 minutes on car or bus, and my DSs get it badly too!):

1.) Never travel with empty stomach, or just before lunch or dinner time.
2.) A savoury carb based meal is the best stomach calmer, before setting off (cheese sandwich, pasta)
3.) For long trips take a "Joyride" pill (available at pharmacies, does not cause drowsiness like Dramamine.)
4.) Never read on a bus or car.
5.) Make sure she doesn´t get too hot, keep cool.
6.) Never travel sitting facing backward
7.)Do not drink JUICE just before are during traveling.
8.) No sweet things
9.) Be sympathetic, it sucks being car sick and it is NOT a case of mind over matter, if only...
10.) When car sickness starts, open window to let fresh air in. Give a dry cracker to nibble (cream crackker )
11.) Take as many air sickness bags with you when in plane, and keep in handbag, car.

Joyrides work for my DD who is extremely travel sick, but obviously you can't give them for every bus jouney. Distraction, riding at the front, sometimes standing up instead of sitting is good.

We use the ziplock bags that they sell for freezing things in and that is the best solution I have found. (Nappy bags smell of chemicals and make even me feel sick TBH) Buy decent quality ones as they have a little rigidity which I think makes them easier to handle.

Thank you all. You are truly wise and helpful women.

(once agin wish I had found this site 6 years ago when I was barely able to get my twins dressed!)

Chandon-I am very sympathetic to dd because I vividly remember being carsick- particularly in my Granddad's Wartburg on a very long journey. Him and my Nan had kept the plastic on the seats yet the spew still managed to get underneath where it stayed- well, at least the smell did- for evermore.

serves them right for buying a communist car . they had to swap it for an Austin Princess in the end

We are off to bus stop armed with yesterday's Guardian..if you see a little girl sat on a paper on the number 12 bus today, give us a wave!

lol! DD chose the Travel section of a Saturday Guardian as her newspapaer of choice as she thought it was apt

six buses today and we didn't have to get off one!

...I had carefully explained before we set off today that the paper was to stop her being sick and that it was all science. Only came to light on way home that she hadn't listened to a word and thought it was to keep the seat clean if she razzed

woo hooo!

you should tell her .. no, that would be the dm you'd be using in that case!

Some good info on here girls that I will be using next time we go on a plane.

We went on holiday two weeks ago and after lots and lots of flying on planes, DS2 has never been ill except for this time. It was rather bumpy the last 20 mins of descent and he was very ill. Luckily he managed to part his legs and was sick on the floor and then used oh about 5 sick bags . Sooooo, fast forward to the return journey home and he starts having a phobia that he will be sick on take off... well he was! I cannot go through this every time we have to go on a plane.

i used to get horrifically travel sick and these were my coping strategies (keeping in mind we used to drive from holland to the west of ireland and back on a regular basis)

-tonnes of sick bags in the car, we only stopped for these to be dumped if puked in, fresh air is pointless

-salt and vinegar crisps or popcorn at beginning of drive to settle stomach

-travel sickness bands for wrists

-travel in front from when old enough

-never read a book in car

-look out front window if possible, never side windows.

-bring pillows to prop up against and sleep or doze for as much of the trip as possible.

-water for when stomach contents run out... puking bile is awful.

Does the newspaper have to be in contact with the child's bottom or does under the carseat count?

I have found DD does not get as sick if she wears one of those pillow things which support the neck - so her head isn't bobbing about.

no it has to be under the bottom sitting directly on

Right. Thanks. I'm going to try this. Will it help if it's a quality paper, rather than the nippley sort?

sturgeron - take it 2 hours before journey if poss

Always keep an old icecream container with lid handy in the car and wet wipes for if the worst happens.

I'm car sick where every I go have been since I can remember. Although I drive everywhere now - the concentration helps I think.

Never ever read whilst travelling one of the worst things. I always have something in the car incase of emergencies, esp with DD in the car.

I take sturgeron and seems to help, but I always suck on a peppermint whilst travelling and that seems to help the nausea too.