Traveling Questions (With a One Year Old)

Just wanted to say that I have a friend who has Celiac and she eats at Subway with no problem. You have to be slightly proactive and ask them to please change their gloves (she's never had anyone be rude about it) and then just have them put lunch meat/cheese, veggies, whatever, onto a wrap and give it to you that way. I've even asked for them to get out a new knife or whatever when I was picking up a salad for her. So, if your little one eats lunch meat and stuff, you could actually make it happen. Other than that, I have no adivce for you...I'm sorry! ;) I also agree to try and take as much stuff as possible. Since I eat out a lot with my friend I do know that a lot more restaurants are understanding and even catering to clients with gluten intolerance, so you may just start asking for gluten free menus and see what happens.

I do think thought that since your mom is sitting with them it will be a lot easier!! I would say bring a ball, maybe a balloon, some books, drawing stuff and things that make noise when she presses buttons. Since there will be an adult back there it will be easier to help her with some play time. Hang in there, I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think!! :)

I took a hand pump and pumped under a loose shirt and then put a top on the bottle and fed it to my kids on several trips--just pump, feed, pump feed. It was a little unusual, but it meant we didn't have to stop to nurse every time. I don't know if your little one will still take a bottle or if this will be sufficient substitute. For the times when that just wouldn't cut it, I either went to a restaurant so I could eat while nursing or nursed in a back corner of a gas station.

We're vegetarian and my son had a dairy sensitivity, so I looked up restaurant chains and their menus in advance. I also bring along car friendly food that includes protein, produce, and grains so that I can piece together a healthy meal in the car or substitute something if we can't find a meal to eat at a restaurant (so give him a high protein cereal to snack on and apple wedges from McDonald's, for example).

Hope this helps and the trip goes well.

Ok, many food places now a days offer a fresh fruit bowl, you can also bring as many food items for her as possible, most places turn the other cheek when it's babies. Talk to your doctor about Melatonin to ease her into sleep on the drive, not sure what time of day you are driving but if you can leave 30 min before the kid's bed time and take driving shifts thru the night that may be best ... and I know baby is on the breast but does she take bottles? I know it's not always best to give bottle while driving but it's better than pulling over for the time frame it takes for her to nurse. Either way, you are in for a long one and I wish you the best.

When my son was that age we lived about 6 hours from family and I always dreaded the trips home. My son also likes snacks in the car, but of course you don't want to make a habit of giving them and they also can't eat the entire time. We always had one of us sit in the back seat with him and had a whole stack of books to read to him, toys to play with, things to color, CDs to sing-along to, etc. At that age he loved books and puzzles (simple ones that can easily be done in the car) and he really liked doing the motions to songs. I didn't let him watch any TV at that age, but my sister-in-law swears by their portable DVD player. What are her favorite things to do at home? Some of them will be able to translate into car trips.

As far as the nursing goes I'm not sure what to tell you. My son was on a schedule by the time he was that age. He nursed when he woke, before breakfast, at around 10 or 11 am, again right after his nap (3ish) and then once more before bed. Maybe you can try to get her on a bit of schedule before the trip and then make plans to stop when you know she'll want to nurse again.

My son doesn't have celiac, but we are vegetarian so I never give him fast food and we are pretty particular about where we'll eat. Just take a long what you will need. Pack sandwiches or hummus and veggies and fruit. Just because you are out doesn't mean you have to eat at a restaurant. Find a park near where you are going, stop at the grocery store and get some stuff and then go to the park to have a picnic. Restaurants can be stressful with a one-year old anyway. If you are going to a restaurant just take food for her, I've never been to a restaurant where they complained about me bringing my own food for a toddler.

With my son we plan to stop every 2-3 hours if we are driving during the day. Before we leave I look for parks on our route and let him get out and swing or run around for 30 minutes. It seems to save everyone's sanity. However, all of that being said, if you can travel post-bedtime everything will be 100 times easier.

Good luck!

Hi,
First of all, kudos to you for taking a long trip with your kids. We love moms that travel at TitterTot. Here are some helpful hints:

1) Keeping your baby entertained: Take music that your tot enjoys, the four of you can sing-along. Take books that grandma can read to the baby. Take favorite toys and a portable DVD player (when patience runs extremely thin). Find out good spots – playgrounds with jungle gyms where you can take a break during your trip. In regards to snacks, take low calorie snacks that will not fill her up and keep her light and happy.

2) Keeping your baby comfortable: Make sure the child seat is comfortable, given you are traveling during summer, cover the seat with a cotton sheet to make sure she is not hot. Keep the sun out – have a window shade. Keep it cool in the car.

3) Nursing: You will need to make frequent stops unless you have a substitute driver on the trip. If you do have a substitute driver you might be able to pump. Getting your baby on a predictable nursing schedule is also a great suggestion.

4) Eating out + Celiac disease: I will suggest carrying pre-packaged baby foods based on her eating stage and foods that usually suit her. It might be best to not take a chance with foods prepared in restaurant kitchens.

I often travel to Boston, which is a 4-5 hour trip with my 2-year-old son, we take off around his bed-time (6:30PM) and are able to get to Boston while he is sleeping in the car. You might not be able to do a 10 hour journey overnight, but you could travel a part of the way while your baby is sleeping, take a break at a hotel along the way and travel the rest early in the morning. It always helps to avoid traveling during your tot’s lunch/dinner hours. We hope you have a fabulous time and wishing you a safe journey.

TitterTot
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