Do you know in 2021, around 226 kids aged between 1-1 died in a car accident in an unrestrained condition? Again, choking is the 4th leading cause of death for kids under 5.
As I was a corporate officer back in my days, I had to visit the Philadelphia branch twice a week. And for a legitimate reason, I had to bring Lily and Max along in the car seat. I often drove while they were asleep, which allowed me to drive with a relaxed mind.
Let’s say you are on a long trip with a hungry kid in a car seat. Can you feed a baby in a car seat? If you ask for my answer, I would have tried to stop somewhere safe and then feed the baby properly. Any improper movement here can cause irreplaceable damage that I don’t want.
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Can I Feed A Baby In A Car Seat? Explained
No recommendation allows you to feed your little sunshine in a car seat. This kind of activity holds a probability of choking and other threats to your baby. Again, this can allow your kid to fall out of the seat while eating.
It is best to check bottles carefully and then feed your baby with this during the driving session. Remember, attending to your baby while feeding can prevent food spillover, which may help to form mold in the car seat later.
What If I Need To Feed My Baby?
Car feeding can not be stopped fully due to several reasons, though this practice is prohibited, especially while you are driving. Because while driving, you won’t be able to attend to your baby if anything were to happen instantly.
This is where your as a parent’s attention is necessary because your kid is not that grown up to express any problem immediately or doesn’t know what, when, or how to do it. They just recognize the food items and tend to eat them whenever they get a chance.
If your kid is still breastfeeding, then you can monitor directly, though it is not recommended to perform while driving, as anything can happen within the blink of an eye.
If your baby can chew their food properly grasp things and finally burp on their own, you can give them the following items, such as
- Finger-tip food such as crackers, toast strips, waffles, oatmeal, and items like that.
- For home-made food such as fruits, green veggies should be chopped into small pieces.
- If he/she is bottle feeding, then attend it fully instead of handing it over. This will make sure your baby is drinking properly, and the car seat is clean.
- Pack some fresh water bottles before starting the journey because your baby needs to stay hydrated unless he/she is breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
While preparing so many things for your little sunshine, don’t forget to carry a few extra clothes and a bib in case vomits or spills over. Bring food and drinks for yourself, too.
How Do I Feed My Baby While Traveling?
Now comes another important question. You may find many kinds of answers to that, but my personal opinion is to take a break at a gas station and then feed your baby as well as yourself.
This break will also help you drive more actively if you are sleepy at night. Just pull over whenever you are feeling dizzy or sleepy. If you’re inside a tunnel or on the highway already, then there’s no way but to drive out of there and then take a break.
What Are The Possible Risks OF Feeding In A Car Seat?
There are several possible risks of feeding a baby in a car seat while traveling. Such as
Crash
The very first thing that comes to mind and usually happens is the risk of a car crash. Normally, you are trying to attend to your baby turning backward while keeping a hand on the steering wheel.
A moving car always needs the attention of the driver. If you have an emergency, then just pull over and, after conducting the emergency, start driving again. Hope you know where and when to pull over your car safely.
Before carrying your kid in a car seat, make sure it is not expired or damaged so that the survival chance remains maximum from a crash. It’s also the local car seat law that you must follow to stay safe out of legal procedures.
Risk of Choking
For a safe swallowing passage, an upright 90° angle is an ideal position. But your baby has just learned or is still learning to stand and sit, and the car seat is reclined, too. In total, it is a perfect situation for choking if your baby is not attended to properly.
In some cases, babies are found to choke silently. You will find them making no sound, endless efforts to cough out something from inside, or crying with bursting eyes. To prevent this, ride your kids in the rear-facing seats as long as possible.
Mess & Food Fragments
Food particles can get stuck and lock any essential mechanism of your car, or components can get slippery. If any of this happens with your car seat, will it remain equally effective and secure? Just imagine the scenario with yourself. What would be the consequences?
Relevant: How To Clean Baby Car Seats: Elevate Safety And Comfort
When you are on a trip with your little sunshine, take short bakes whenever possible. In that period, you can inspect your baby completely and make necessary changes. Most of all, both of you can have a proper meal in peace.
Why Do Babies Get Carsick?
Before I dive deeper into the question, one thing I must clear is that not every child gets carsick. There’s no proven reason but a few probable facts that may sick your child.
One more thing you must keep in mind is if your baby was sick before the journey, and if it deteriorates during the journey, don’t call it a carickness. Treat it properly.
Feeding and drinking your baby while driving can make your baby carsick because you’re unable to attend to her/him instantly. Meanwhile, the baby can choke to death or faint for not getting enough oxygen in the brain.
Contact emergency services ASAP; meanwhile, try to hold the baby’s head upward if you have paramedic experience. A gentle whole-body shake from behind could do the job for a grown-up.
Most babies stay in the backseats, and from that position, a nice view of the car’s movement (subconsciously fond of it) is not possible. So they spend almost all their time watching digital devices, playing with toys, or reading children’s books, lowering their heads.
Staring straight ahead for a long time sends a signal to the brain that it is going that way. This way, motion sickness mostly occurs. If you have this type of symptom or weakness, there’s a high chance that your children will get this too genetically.
How Do I Prevent My Baby From Getting Carsick?
My aunty (a physician) always told me that prevention is better than cure. If I can prevent it in time, there will be a minimal reaction or null. I followed this not only for my medical reasons but also successfully applied it in practical life.
She also prefers that, if the journey is very necessary, then try to reduce family involvement on the trip, especially those who have motion sickness.
You can also avoid this by taking breaks a few times before reaching the destination. This trick kind of shortens the trip length and distracts the mind from motion sickness or clumsiness.
Another trick for the kids in rear-facing car seats is to look straight through the front window. If your car seat is in the second-middle row, looking outside through the front window experience will be the best.
Relevant: Where Is The Safest Place To Put The Baby Car Seat? Why?
Many parents nowadays think mobile, tablets, and other digital products work like a pacifier, especially during a trip or feeding time. But this is not the case, so stop handing them these items instead, encourage them to enjoy the surroundings and mother nature.
Playing music over the FM radio or singing together in the car is a very nice way to make the trip enjoyable for all. Again, playing a general knowledge game is an amazing way to engage your kids more intensely.
Try to keep the car window open a bit for fresh air. If your baby is not breastfeeding, give him/her a small quantity of snacks but not anything heavy before the trip. I believe that a full-belly meal before the trip can make you vomit for sure.
So feed them light food like snacks before the trip and, if necessary, feed the same item further in break time along with a little water. Dehydration also causes vertigo and other sicknesses, so hydration in time is mandatory for all.
Final Words
Feeding your baby in time is something that you won’t miss for once, even if you’re on a tight schedule. in a baby. The simple and short answer to this query is you are not advised to perform this. If you still have to perform this, stop somewhere safe first.
This stoppage will allow both of you to relax a little bit, conduct necessary jobs, and finally feed your baby suitable food or drinkable items, even breastfeed. Don’t drive with sleepy eyes and a distracted mind.
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My name is Olivia Brown, and I’m a New York-based blogger and stay-at-home parent. Former business executive enjoying retirement and time with kids Lily and Max. On my blog, I review things for kids and offer my honest thoughts and insights to other parents who may be having the same or similar experiences.
