Take a 5-hour solo car trip with a 3 1/2 month old to go stay with my parents at their house on the coast for a few days
or
Stay home, while husband works the second half of a 14 day stretch (Mon-Thurs. days, Friday-Sunday nights). I get crazy bored at home, and we'd have to try to plan lots of things for the weekend days because my husband will be trying to sleep.
so...how terrible does the car trip sound?
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
How long would you stay at your parents house? Will they be helpful and are they already really eager to see the baby? I lean towards your parents house. Oh- and how is the baby in the car in general?
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
I've done both an I find the solo road trip was harder than staying at home solo... Because there was no one to help with screaming car babies!
pomegranate / 3604 posts
Not bad at all. I did an 8hr solo car trip when LO was 6 months. If your parents will help with baby & your LO tolerates the car well enough I say go for it!
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
I would totally do the car trip as long as your LO is reasonably content in the car. I've actually done that many times with LO at a variety of ages while DH has been out of town for work. It makes the time go so much faster and it's so nice to see my parents/let LO see them.
apricot / 425 posts
Def take the trip! I did a 3.5 hr trip solo with a 6 month old and she slept most of the way 
Go when you think your LO is most likely to sleep and just be ready to pull over to feed when you need to. Unless your LO has a major car aversion... go for it!
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
@Foodnerd81: She is usually pretty good in the car- often falls asleep. I was thinking if I did a morning shift and then got out for 1 1/2 hours or so for lunch, she might just take two long naps...probably wishful thinking, but maybe! My folks are great. I'm not sure how long we'd be at the house- a few days at least
@Mrs. Jacks: He would be able to help during the evenings that he is just working the day shift- I'm mostly worried about the weekend. He is covering nights in inpatient from 6pm to 6am two weekends in a row (in addition to the regular outpatient days).
@sera_87: How did you break up the car trip for your LO? I hate for her to be cramped in the seat that long
papaya / 10560 posts
I've done both. Personally, I've never regretted going on vacation! I made a 5.5 hr and another 4 hour (both one way) solo road trips when DS was 3 months old and was sooooo nervous but he slept the whole time. I left around 6a, nursed him, loaded the car the night before and just left.
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
@MrsF: @Mrs. Yoyo: @ktdid23: It would be nice to be on the ocean for a few days- and with my parents there to help I might actually get to do a little sunbathing and relaxing on the deck! You are giving me confidence!
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
@matador84: How many stops did you take when your babe was 3 mos? I was thinking of just breaking it up in to two legs...
pear / 1642 posts
Take the trip! I just did this with my 11 week old while DH was out of town for work. Getting packed and out of the house was the most stressful part for me. My car trip was only 2 hours, an LO definitely needed a break by the time we got to my parents house. If you could take a nice lunch break halfway, I'm sure you'd do great! I actually got to really relax and enjoy my trip because my family was so excited to see LO that they were jumping at the chance to hold her or change diapers!
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
From the sounds of it, I would definitely take the trip! If my parents were only 5 hrs away, I would totally go to stay with them when DH goes on business trips.
pomelo / 5178 posts
Personally, I would do the trip. I've done 5+ hours with the kids and just me before and it's usually pretty smooth. I use one of two schedules when 8 drive by myself to my parents' house (about 5 hours away): 1) I take the kids to lunch and leave right after. We drive about 4 hours straight (they usually sleep for at least 2-3 hours), then we stop for a 15 minute break and then finish out the last hour, or 2) we drive for about 1-1.5 hours and then stop for lunch. We stop for a full hour to eat and play and then get back into the car for the rest of the drive (which they usually sleep 2 or 3 hours of the remaining 4 hours of driving). With a 3 month old, I might do a schedule of leave right before a naptime (hoping she'll sleep in the car) and then drive another hour after she wakes up. Stop for a break until she's ready for another nap, again, and opefully you'll be there before she gets too grumpy, after the second nap.
papaya / 10560 posts
@Silva: none!! i was like ok, as long as he keeps sleeping, i'm going to keep driving. I remember on the 4 hour trip I had to pee SOOOOOOOOOO bad, but I didn't want to stop and just wanted to get there! Not everyone is like me, but hey--it worked for me!
We even just got back from a 5.5 hour road trip this week, again solo, and only had to make one stop for a diaper change/snack/food--he slept the rest of the time and he is 10 months old! I think it's all about timing.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@Silva: the fact that its on the water and your parents will help definitely makes me say go! It's always nice to get away anyway. And I want to go to a beach house now but I have to stay within an hour or so of my hospital now- plus I don't know anyone with a beach house.
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
I would do as @Honeybee suggests! Even now I time things to coincide with my LO's one and only nap. He sleeps the first couple of hours, wakes up and is reasonably content for an hour, and then we stop for a long break (way longer than you would need at that age). And then he's reasonably content in the car for a little while again before he passes out for the night and I finish the drive in peace
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@Honeybee: that's because you are superwoman! I did the trip to bear lake with two by myself and it was kind of a nightmare. They were four months and two years.
pomelo / 5621 posts
I'd say go. It would be a good opportunity to see your family and it is always nice to have the extra help. Just be prepared to have an extra stop if LO is starting to get really cranky. Otherwise I'd say you could do it in two stretches.
pomegranate / 3604 posts
@Silva: I left at nap time, drove 4 hours (he slept the entire time). Stopped & let him out. Drove another 2 hours, he fell asleep until we hit crawl-along traffic for an hour & then he cried the entire time. Which was the hardest part, tbh. After I got out of that traffic I stopped for a good half hour, and then continued on another 2.
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