Are we crazy?

I am stressing so hard. We made plans months ago to drive from NC to PA to visit my family. My siblings are all flying or driving home also so plans are set. Now I am really hoping it all goes okay. Has anyone else made such a long drive with their kiddos 7 months old. Did you do the drive at night or during the day. We are thinking about leaving after their 4:00 bottle and then they would eat around 8:00 again and hopefully sleep the rest of the way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

we dorve fr nc to fla 12 hrs babies were 6 mths old we drove at night so they slept alost the whole way they woke up once for a feeding n dipper chance n then went right back 2 sleep. on the way back we drove during the day.they had toys n slept most of the day still we got out 1 time n changed diper n ate bottle. i feed them one more time in the seat. but they did good. if ur worried bout them not being good or crying i wouldleave at night. hope this heps

 

I would leave at night. Maybe after their 8 pm bottle?

 

We drove from VA to FL when they were 2 months old and have done an 8 hour trip with them just about every month since.

We have always been on an 8-12-4-8 schedule.

We would do the 4pm feeding and then get on the road. We would stop and do the 8Pm feeding at around 7:30. We would also eat and use the bathroom at that time. Then they would sleep the rest of the way. When we got to our destination, we would just transfer them to their beds.

We have had zero issues travelling with them. They tend to sleep a lot.

I always dress them in sleepers (for comfort and ease moving to bed) and give them lots and lots of toys to play with.

Good luck!

 

Never driven with infants, however, when my son was three we took a ten hour trip to Florida and we left around 8 at night and he slept the entire ride.

 

We did a long road trip when our munchkins were 7 months old, but we opted *not* to drive through the night, because DH and I were worried about being too tired to do it. (We also have a 4-year-old, and suspected that she wouldn't sleep in her car seat for so long.)

So, the drive took forever, but we'd pull over, and I'd hop in the back seat between them for feedings, and then after they ate, we'd stop again to change them.

It wasn't terrible -- the car tends to lull babies to sleep. I think you'll be fine no matter what time you leave!

 

Personally, I think your plan sounds pretty good. We did a long trip (though not 9 hours long). We left with them already in their pjs. We stopped in the evening to feed and change diapers and then they eventually went to sleep. I don't personally like the idea of leaving too late at night just because then you are driving through the night and by the time you get to your location, you are exhausted and then they wake up early and you have to get up and it's so tiring. Just try to have a bunch of toys to distract them when they need it. Do you have a dvd player in the car? That has been a saving grace for us for car trips. Don't know how I would survive with out it. It's the perfect distraction for long trips. Pop in some baby einsteins and off you go. You could even get one of those portable ones. The music is so soothing so it may help to keep them content. GL.

 

QUOTE(Jen S @ Apr 22 2008, 09:46 PM) [snapback]734502[/snapback]
I am stressing so hard. We made plans months ago to drive from NC to PA to visit my family. My siblings are all flying or driving home also so plans are set. Now I am really hoping it all goes okay. Has anyone else made such a long drive with their kiddos 7 months old. Did you do the drive at night or during the day. We are thinking about leaving after their 4:00 bottle and then they would eat around 8:00 again and hopefully sleep the rest of the way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We drove for 11 hours when the boys were 6.5 months. On the trip there we drove at night, and left after their late afternoon bottle. That way we stopped for bottle, dinner time, diaper change, and went until they needed their dreamfeed and they slept the entire time.

On the way back, we had no choice but to drive during the day. I sat between the boys in the back and tried to entertain them so they wouldn't sleep the entire time. I didn't want them to not sleep that night when we got home because they'd slept too much during the day. We, of course, had to stop more during the day for feedings and diaper changes, but both ways worked well.

 

We've driven 12 hours on 4 separate occasions with ours when they were about 6 months too. We drove during the day, and didn't have any problems. We stopped so I could nurse them every few hours, so it took us a little longer. But we knew that would be the case. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was!

Reyna