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Travelling this weekend, long periods in the car - any tips?

Hi ladies
We are going away this weekend to visit family and it's a 4.5 hour journey to sunny sunderland!

We are staying at DH's cousins who has a nice big house and we pretty much have the run of the place so once we are there it will be like home from home . Oliver is still in his moses basket so we are taking that, hopefully that wont' disturb little man too much. We only have a little microwave steriliser so thats all ok but it's more the journey.

I hate him being couped up for so long in the car seat so we are going to stagger the journey. I think maybe leave after his first feed at 7.30 so should beon the road by 9 and hopefully get as far as we can before his feed at 11.30. I have told DH that I want to stop for at least an hour so it's not just feed and run as i'm worried if he feeds then gets couped up it will make his wind worse so want to stretch his legs.

He's 6 weeks, do you think this will be ok if we are sensible with stopping etc? I'm just worried about how much stuff we need to take as I guess I need to factor in chances he may be sick so extra moses basket bedding/blankets etc.

Now all we have to do is try to explain to family that regardless of what they want, it's bath and bed at 7.30 to keep our routine - easier said than done when grandma wants a cuddle lol!!!

Any tips and tricks you have would be fab.
THanks
EM

Replies

  • We did a 10 hour journey when my little one was 5 weeks old, and its actually easier when they are so little as they sleep more. She is now 7 months and needs more entertainment so doesnt appreciate being stuck in the car for long.

    We stoped every 3 hours or so, and were out of the car for around 1/2 hour to an hour. We found the longer she was out the car the more she objected to going back in, but i know they need a break from their car seat.

    Good luck!
  • Hey Pom
    Thank you, he does usually sleep so i'm hoping that the car will send him off.
    Thanks for the tip about them objetcting to the car seat, that sounds about right.
    As we are in the car for so long I think we are goin to not bother with his snowsuit so he is not bunched up but make sure he is warm with blankets etc.
    xxx
  • Just something we discovered this weekend after trip away. Pre-sterilised bottles, something like 5 for ??3 from Boots. Made life a little easier.
  • Thanks beemonkey i'll take a look at those, that would be so much easier~! xx
  • Hey hun!!
    I was going to suggest the sterile bottles - they're by Tommee Tippee called Steri bottles, cheap & just throw away. So you could take the ready made cartons and the sterile bottles, saves hassle while you're away.

    Can't offer any more help than has been suggested re the car journey chick other than stopping every couple of hours to take him out & give him a "stretch" image
    Have a lovely time xxx
  • Hi Emma

    We have the same problem next month. we are going to visit H2Bs parents in Sunderland image

    our journey is only about 3 hours (we are in scotland) but we are thinking of stopping half way as Jacks feeds are every 4hours plus we will have the dog with us as well so need to stretch her legs as well. got knows how we are going to fit everything in the car, what with his pram, moses, clothes, dog, us, bottles, travel sterilliser, nappies etc etc etc

    hope your journey is easy going
    Stacey & Jack xx
  • Hi Emma

    We have the same problem next month. we are going to visit H2Bs parents in Sunderland image

    our journey is only about 3 hours (we are in scotland) but we are thinking of stopping half way as Jacks feeds are every 4hours plus we will have the dog with us as well so need to stretch her legs as well. got knows how we are going to fit everything in the car, what with his pram, moses, clothes, dog, us, bottles, travel sterilliser, nappies etc etc etc

    hope your journey is easy going
    Stacey & Jack xx
  • Thanks Kel! How you doing now chick?, healing?

    Jacksmummy - oh another fellow mummy with in laws in sunderland! We are coming from South though (Essex). If I pick up any tips or tricks this weekend i'll post for you but like you say, how do you fit everything in the car! I'm actually aout to start writing alist as i'm bound to forget something!!!! xxx
  • Emma I think thats the best idea, Ill defo be writing a list. That would be great if you could post any tips/ideas. If we find anything that helped that you didnt try Ill let you know when we get back, that way next time we both should be pros lol xxx

    Where about in Sunderland are your in laws? mines are in Thorney Close. How weird would it be if our hubbys new each other lol xxx

    xxx
  • We went to Holland by car when lo was just 4 months. It is 3.5 hours in England, than 2 hours on the ferry and another 3 hour drive on the other side. It was actually not that hard. We started driving after his morning feed and had one stop before the ferry. must say I fed him in the back of the car when we had a standstill on the motorway. I know naughty me, but we were completely stuck for 30 minutes. He slept the whole way there and the whole way back with feeds inbetween.

    We found that we did not need to take that much. We asked my parents to have nappies on the other side and some wipes. They also had some simple toys. So we only brought clothing and bottles and such with us for lo. (you can ask them on the other end to get some nappies and such and just pay them for it)

    Most of the stuff in the car was still from lo, but it would have fitted easily in the car. On the way back we had a bit more trouble. image
  • HEy hon
    It's actually my MIL who comes from there and it's all her family so DH never lived there for very long. We were actually moving up there aruond 3 years ago and we could have got a 4 bed house for the same price as our 1 bed flat but unfortunately the house buy fell through and I got a good opportunity at work so we never left. I love it up there but i'm glad now I have had my first child that my mum is close by!
    We are staying in Houghton Le Spring but was looking to buy in Ryhope or Seaham
    Yeah of course honey, we can write a book on travelling with a newborn lol!xx
  • hi, we're off to visit the inlaws in belgium in acouple of weeks (via car and ferry). ideally lo shldn't be in a car seat for more than 2 hours so we wil be stopping every 2 hours for at least 15minutes. have no idea how we're going to keep him entertained fro so long in the car, he's 10 months and very active..so shld be interesting lol
    sorry to g/c but

    Breiglin....which way did u drive tio holland??? we lived/in laws live right on the belgium/hlland border and alwasy takes us 4-5hours from calais to there, we go from calais to brussels then along to the holland border.....xxx
  • Thanks Breighlin, thats what we are hoping. To get all ready to go, feed at 7.30am then hit the road and we have free reign until his next feed at 11.30. Glad it worked for you.xx
  • Emma whats your other halfs name. My other halfs wondering if he might know him? (he thinks he knows everyone one in Sunderland) lol xxx
  • To Siany: We drove from portsmouth to Dover, than took the ferry to Dunkerque (or duinkerken like we pronounce it in Holland) and than we drive through belgium up to the south of holland. It was cheaper than going to Calais because than we would pay more in fuel because the drive would be a lot longer on the other end.
  • ahh right, we alwasy went to calais as it was only an extra 30min drive, plus we'll be goiung as foot passengers which i don't think u can on teh dunkirk ferry..will look it into tho, as bil is picking us up so wld be better for him to get to dinkirk, and wldn't make any difference to us as we'd be going to dover, altho i think ferry ride is slightly longer but thats a bonus as less time int he car...we're going to Maasmechelen, don't knwo if u know it, but used to do all our food shopping, and bought ds pram at the mikado in Beek, Holland, as its only 10minutes away lol, and can't buy marmite in belgium, always had to go to the albert hein in beek for that too lol xx
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