How Do You Make Carsickness Go Away?
Warmer weather is finally here in Central Pennsylvania, and we have many road trips planned this summer season. Between our summer bucket list and family several hours away, it seems we are always on the road. It wasn't always this way though.
My daughter started getting carsick just before she turned one. While it seems to be better now that she's older, I continue to have anxiety while traveling. I'm sure no one enjoys carsickness, but even the picture to the left of this text seems somewhat romanticized.
First of all, children should be in the appropriate restraints (car seat, booster seat with seatbelt, etc.). Younger children are unable to communicate that they're feeling carsick, and don't have the faculties to direct their vomit conveniently outside of the car or into a sick bag (commissions earned). You many be traveling alone with your child and unable to assist them from the front seat.
Fortunately, much like eczema, carsickness is something your little one may grow out of; or rather, you learn to create conditions that make carsickness less likely to occur. Let's look at how you might make carsickness go away.
1. Plan travel with meals in mind (if possible)
I like to travel in the afternoon. We're not big breakfast eaters, so we typically eat an early lunch, allow that to digest, then hit the road. You don't want to have a completely empty nor an overly full stomach when traveling.
Avoid dairy products if possible and stick with bland foods. My go to breakfast for my daughter on travel days is pancakes. She seems to tolerate it better than other foods while traveling. I also take pancakes with us - they freeze well, are easy to pack, can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave.
For lunch on travel days, she eats a banana and peanut butter. These foods are relatively bland, filling but not too heavy - perfect for travel!
2. Place car seat strategically
Safety is the number one priority, of course. God forbid you're in an accident, you want your child to be protected. You can clean up vomit, so never jeopardize safety in the attempt to prevent carsickness.
Keep your child rear facing as long as possible - being forward facing does not guarantee lack of motion sickness, though it can help to be facing the same direction in which the car is moving.
If you can safely do so, put the car seat in the center of the backseat rather than behind the driver or passenger seat, so your child can look straight ahead out the front window. Keeping your gaze straight and in the direction the car is moving can prevent motion sickness symptoms.
3. Ditch the baby mirror
Having a mirror is like having an altered reality. It's not facing the direction the car is moving, and you can see reflections of objects outside the car whizzing by. If your child is looking in the Shynerk baby car mirror, this could contribute to carsickness symptoms (commissions earned).
I know you want to see your child while they're rear facing, so opt for this Shynerk video car monitor instead (commissions earned). You install the camera to the headrest. The monitor plugs into the cigarette lighter. The wires on both pieces of the device are long enough to situate them to your liking. This way you can check on your child without using a potentially carsickness inducing mirror.
4. Limit movement OF and IN the car
Set your route preference to highways if possible. Frequent decelerations, stops and accelerations are more likely to cause carsickness symptoms. One time my daughter got carsick within a mile of home, but it was after I went through a long drive through line at Dunkin'! The frequent stops and starts caused the poor thing to lose her breakfast shortly after.
Limiting (eye) movement in the car means no screens during the car ride. Focusing on near objects and moving eyes to follow the objects on screen can cause carsickness symptoms. Keep it simple in the car.
Thankfully, my daughter does pretty well. I typically keep things that could occupy her hands like a fidget popper or stretchy spike puffer ball (commissions earned). The trick is trying to occupy her hands, but not her eyes.
5. Give bursts of fresh air and take breaks if needed
Ride with the windows down, weather permitting. If the weather is cool, then roll the windows down intermittently. A burst of fresh and particularly cool air can stops carsickness symptoms in their tracks.
If you live where it's mostly hot, then you may consider this Noggle AC extender to provide more direct cool air to the backseat where your child is seated. A car fan could be a more affordable alternative (commissions earned).
6. Conscious snacking - go with your gut(s)
Just as before your trip, you don't want to have an empty or an overfull stomach during the ride. This is a point that I feel differs and is really personal preference based on experience. Some people do well with having nothing during the trip, whereas others do better with light snacking during travel.
I tend to offer bland snacks. If my daughter goes for them, I take that as a positive sign that she's not feeling carsick. Gerber Puffs are my daughter's favorite (commissions earned). She also sometimes eats banana slices or blueberries.
7. Prepare for sickness
Always be prepared! The only thing worse than experiencing carsickness is perhaps ruined plans as a result of not being prepared. I keep a carsickness caddy in my car in case symptoms strike. It's a real pain if your child vomits while in their car seat. Vomit is likely to soak the front of your little one and the car seat straps, which are tough to clean.
Let's talk about my carsickness caddy. First of all, choose a caddy with a handle and open compartments so that it's easy to grab the caddy and the items in it. You don't want to be fumbling with or being unable to remove a lid in a time of need. So what's in the carsickness caddy (commissions earned)?
Wearing a bib while in the carseat is typically a no no due to safety concerns. I try to only put this on if I notice my little one might be feeling sick (sometimes she squeezes her eyes shut or shakes her head prior to vomiting) to save the carseat straps from becoming soiled if I can. You can place the bib over the straps and open the pocket. The velcro ensures the bib could easily be removed in a pinch.
I love these, because they contain any unpleasant smells, which could also contribute to nausea - a vicious cycle! After using, you can twist and hook the bag shut until it can be properly disposed. These are discreet enough to take on airplanes and other forms of transportation as well.
Wipes are useful no matter the age of the child! It helps make clean up easier, and can be used on the body as well as the carseat and car, etc. WARNING: cleaning wipes could alter the integrity of carseat straps and thus are not recommended to use as they can lead to a safety issue.
Ziploc gallon storage bags serve multiple purposes. I like to keep several in my carsickness caddy. I keep a change of clothes and shoes in one bag. If you need the new clothes, you could put the soiled outfit in the bag to contain any smells and wetness assuming you'd like to wash the outfit later.
Include a lovey or other security item for your child to provide a little comfort should carsickness strike.
8. What else might be helpful?
Look, no one likes to experience nausea and vomiting. If you've felt anxious about possible carsickness symptoms and desperate for solutions, you're not alone. There are some things that will probably not hurt, and might be helpful that you may want to try (commissions earned).
For more information on which essential oils can alleviate motion sickness symptoms, check out this post with DIY essential oil blends and applications.
9. Attempt to prevent and/or treat with medication if needed
When my daughter was younger than two years of age, her pediatrician recommended Children's Benadryl. I tried this once and never again. At the time, my daughter was still napping midday, so we would plan to travel during nap time. I did not notice an increase in sleepiness or an improvement in carsickness symptoms with Benadryl (commissions earned).
Most medications have not been studied in children younger than two years of age, so this is considered an off label treatment. I only used half of the recommended dose and did not try to increase it for fear of inducing too much daytime drowsiness.
Since my daughter turned two, I've been using over-the-counter Dramamine motion sickness chewable for kids with success to prevent motion sickness symptoms (commissions earned). Give 30-60 minutes before traveling, and it lasts 6-8 hours. Since the tablet is chewable it can also be crushed and mixed with food or drink if that works better for your child than chewing and swallowing the tablet.
I keep some prescription Zofran (Ondansetron) as a back up rescue medication for symptoms of carsickness such as nausea and vomiting, but have never had to use it.
Summary
No one likes feeling nauseous, much less vomiting, but don't let carsickness thwart your travel plans. Do what you can, but my best advice is to just go! Maybe you'll feel anxious like me, but I promise that it will get better with time. Either traveling consciously with the possibility of carsickness in mind will work to prevent symptoms, your little one will outgrow the condition or will get better at communicating their needs. Preparing for carsickness symptoms can help reduce anxiety, and treating preventatively could make everything better. Worst case scenario, you have to do some cleanup, but it can be done. And carsickness is temporary and treatable. Make the aforementioned accommodations and a carsickness caddy. Now get on your way!
Do you or someone you know experience carsickness?
Would you add any recommendations to prevent symptoms?
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