Car sickness?

[Jiorjiina]

1 y.o mindee has started being sick in the car on the way to me, and on the journey home as well. No other symptoms, and he's perfectly happy and normal once he's had a chance to settle out of the car. This has now happened every day he attends for the last two weeks.

Since he is showing no signs of illness and it's only after car journeys then I've said he can attend (his parents would never be able to work again otherwise), but does anyone else have experience of this kind of thing and what do you do in the circumstances?

[loocyloo]

oh goodness, poor LO, and you and parents! is he sick during EVERY car journey? or is it just to you? is it a long journey? bumpy or twisty turny?

I would maybe not offer food/drink for a period of time before travelling, cover child/car in towels! carry spare clothes.

you can get car sickness wristbands and DDs friend has a tablet she takes.

I wonder though - is the child getting attention for it? have they maybe not come one day ( or not gone somewhere else ) because of being sick? how old exactly is LO?

I used to nanny for a LO who at around 18-24mths, would and could vomit on demand !!!! I would spot the 'warning' sign and say 'X STOP' and move the breakfast bowl out of the way, he could often stop himself! I then gave him his breakfast back! or if he was sick, clean up and return breakfast bowl. he would vomit for his parents if they didn't instantly attend to his every whim! I had to teach them to ignore it as it was the attention he liked! ( I also had to go very gently with it, as I suspected it was a learnt/copied behaviour. LO would only every eat half of what was on his plate! didn't matter how much ... he left half! so did mum )

when I left, I heard he vomited everyday for 2 weeks in the new nannies car until she learnt the warning sign! ( and the 'no special attention' rule! )

[natlou82]

No experience I'm afraid but does the child do this regularly when with parents on other car journeys? Obviously I'm wondering if it's travel sickness. Not sure if any treatment would be given / recommended with LO being so young.

[mama2three]

Poor lo , Im travel sick and its really not pleasant! People used to tell me Id grow out of it.... well at 47 that's unlikely to happen now!
Ive tried all the usual 'rememdies' and they make no difference. Being in the front of the car helps...and I imagine if lo is still rear facing that will make things worse. poor thing , sorry Ive not got any advice to help!

[AliceK]

Poor lo , Im travel sick and its really not pleasant! People used to tell me Id grow out of it.... well at 47 that's unlikely to happen now!
Ive tried all the usual 'rememdies' and they make no difference. Being in the front of the car helps...and I imagine if lo is still rear facing that will make things worse. poor thing , sorry Ive not got any advice to help!

Same here. I've suffered with travel sickness since a child. Even now I can't sit in the back of the car and if I'm a passenger I can't even read anything on my phone. Travel sickness is awful. Do you think this is what it is with your LO?
My DD can only go half an hour in the car without feeling sick so we have some pills we can give her if we know we are going anywhere longer than half hr drive.
If it was a case of travel sickness I wouldn't have a problem with the child attending btw.

xxx

[Jiorjiina]

Thanks for the replies!

LO is just turned one. No sign of him actually getting distressed, other than when he's about to vom. We're trying to find solutions before he either associates being sick with cars, or realises he might get attention for it. Right now he just arrives and then I hose him down and change him and his parents change the car seat cover.

Yes, it's every car journey so far, and from his house to mine is about 15 mins. Not very twisty or turny, but not dead flat either.

We're not sure if it's travel sickness, or just to do with how he sits in the car. He's not reverse facing anymore, but due to the seat design obviously he's not bolt upright either. He used to be sick on buses and trains too, but that has now generally stopped. We have already agreed to not feed him for the hour before arriving and leaving, which has helped a little, though if he's had a drink (and at 1 year old none of us feel comfortable stopping him from drinking when he chooses) he will still vom that up.