https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:08:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846505 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 08:38:03 +0000 snowjewelz 1846505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH will have to drive our DD twice a week to my mom's place which is an hour away once I go back to work. I think as long as she's fed and diaper changed before, then you can only do so much till you get to your destination! I guess if it's really bad he can always stop on the side to take a look at her... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846412 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:39:42 +0000 Dandelion 1846412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Turn up the music and try to remain calm. Nothing you can do in the car, and you gotta go places, so you just go. M only cries at red lights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846404 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:31:57 +0000 bpcmarj 1846404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I drove by myself a lot when LO was a baby. Some days she screamed and screamed and there was nothing I could do about it. Other days she would sleep or be content to have me sing to her to calm her down. Did it make me so distracted that I couldn't drive? No. But, were there times when I pulled over into a rest area so I could hold her? Absolutely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846388 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:18:43 +0000 Anagram 1846388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: I'm hoping she adjusts--PLUS we just got a new carseat which sits up high and I'm hoping that will be the magic bullet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846266 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 02:40:50 +0000 Pumuckl 1846266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did do that on a regular basis. Whenever it would get to bad I just pulled out the next exit and looked for a place to safely stop where I could nurse etc. If I was less than 10-15min from home/destination, well he had to wait. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846224 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 23:19:50 +0000 Lindsay05 1846224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I live 45 minutes away from the city so anytime I need groceries, or doctor, or whatever, it's 1.5 hour roundtrip. There are times where it's tough but most times it's no big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846223 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 23:16:58 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1846223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Really depends on the kid. DD hated the carseat, even as a newborn... and it was so stressful driving with her, but DS never minded the carseat and was as happy as a clam in it from day 1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846142 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:41:30 +0000 Corduroy 1846142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Besides the crying you may also want to consider that at some ages you may not want LO to fall asleep on the way home because of the impact on nighttime sleep. Keeping a baby awake in traffic isn't easy either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846137 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:38:06 +0000 anewme 1846137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes like many others i say it depends on your baby. My DD would have been fine but my DS on the other hand was a near nightmare. Hated the car seat until he was a year old. Just getting him into a car seat would set off his crying and he would not stop until you got to your destination. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846119 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:22:09 +0000 Bao 1846119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I say as long as LO has a full tummy and a fresh diaper all should go well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846112 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:12:57 +0000 immabeetoo 1846112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pmrlady: I should clarify that I agree with @blackbird ; but just wanted to temper your expectations. I STILL grit my teeth when I see/hear of newborns loving their car seats haha!! Combined with my postpartum recovery and hormones, driving him 40 minutes screaming twice a day would have literally shattered my sanity - but after 4 months? No problem. So I think it's just tough to know ahead of time what will work for you.</p> <p>@Anagram: Oof. That sounds awful, I am so sorry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846088 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 20:51:22 +0000 BeachMama 1846088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD hated the carseat, especially if we were stopped in traffic or at a light. Yes, it's distracting (and really frustrating) to listen to her cry but there's not much you can do about it. A couple times when it was really bad I ended up pulling over to try to comfort her. You'll just have to try it out and see how your baby does. As frustrating as the crying is though, it most likely won't hurt her, and hopefully she'd tire out of it and fall asleep eventually =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846063 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 20:33:44 +0000 Anagram 1846063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine has always hated the car seat and at 13.5 months...still hates it. We just started a 50 minute commute to work/daycare and she screams at least 40 minutes each way...and I mean, screaming like someone is pouring hot coals on her body. IT's heartbreaking and yes, very distracting while I drive and I feel like an emotional wreck by the time I get to work.</p> <p>So yeah, I would say.....depends on the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846023 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:54:44 +0000 Grace 1846023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine hated the carseat. There was no comforting her until she was out of it. But we still drove 40 min to see my parents. It is distracting, but you do what you gotta do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846011 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:48:35 +0000 NovBaby1112 1846011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>as others said, it really a just depends on the child. mine hated the car seat and it was so stressful going anywhere, but hey- sometimes you need to drive somewhere. I would just make sure they were fed/clean/etc and hope for the best! I used a lot of white noise from the radio during car trips the first 3 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1846002 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:43:52 +0000 Smurfette 1846002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All depends on your kid! Mine hated the car seat and would cry for 45-60 mins straight. But then by 7 weeks she was doing better and was more likely to fall asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845998 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:41:39 +0000 Ra 1845998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You'll be fine. You learn to distinguish between "I need something" cries and "I'm pissed because I'm in the car seat" cries. It'll bother you at first but you'll learn to tune it out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845945 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:10:47 +0000 blackbird 1845945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do it. I figure you can't just NOT go places just b/c your infant may cry.....you may go crazy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845942 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:08:25 +0000 birdofafeather 1845942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my kid rotates between hating the car seat, screaming bloody murder and sleeping, sitting happily. for 40 minutes - an hour, i just kept driving and knew she'd be fine until i got to my destination! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845934 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:05:02 +0000 spaniellove 1845934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You'll probably realize that there's not much you can do from the driver's seat, and if you really want to comfort your baby you can pull over. But I've done the drive with a newborn and he's generally asleep. It might help that we have a mirror attached to the seat facing him and while he's awake he's looking at himself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845932 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:04:20 +0000 immabeetoo 1845932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends on your kid! Tons fall asleep but mine screamed bloody murder until he was four months or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845931 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:03:44 +0000 avivoca 1845931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have driven 3.5 hours both ways with my infant alone and it is totally doable. The worst case scenario is that you have to stop to feed/change the baby. It's a bit harder now that she is throwing things, but still nothing I would worry about. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845928 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:00:49 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 1845928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the baby will fall asleep during the drive as long as you make sure he/she is full and dry before you get in the car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-driving-alone-with-infant-for-40-min-to-1-hour-a-bad-idea#post-1845915 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:53:06 +0000 pmrlady 1845915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hey all,</p> <p>Currently pregnant with my first and I wanted to ask regarding driving alone with your baby in the backseat. My MIL may babysit for us once a week and I would probably drive her home when I come back from work along with baby. She lives about a 40 min drive from me, an hour with traffic. She doesn't drive so that's not an option. DH will be at work (he works night shifts). </p> <p>I am worried that after i drop her off, I'll be alone on the highway and if baby starts crying, I won't be able to comfort her from the drivers seat. Will I get too distracted by having a crying baby to drive safely? If anyone regularly drives with their baby alone and has some input on how doable this is, I would appreciate it. </p> <p>Thanks </p>