I nurse my baby in my arms in the car all the time! Is this not safe?

Question

People think that it's not safe to hold a baby unrestrained in the car, but I've had three kids, and nursed them all, and even been in an accident and survived. What's all the fuss about mothers who nurse their kids in the car.

Answer 1

You're taking your baby's life in your hands -- literally -- when you do this! In a 30 MPH impact, your baby represents a 1000 pound weight in your arms. You CAN'T hold it; it will be ripped from your arms and thrown into the dashboard or windshield. If you are not buckled in yourself, you will then crush it as you slam on top of it. Result: One dead baby. Nice, huh??

If you must nurse while in a moving vehicle, have the driver pull over and stop while you do it. Or get a breast pump and bottle your milk for the baby while traveling.

Even disregarding your baby's safety as you obviously have, it's illegal to do that. The baby must be in an approved restraint system while the car is in motion. I'm getting an interesting visual of you hanging over your baby in the carseat, but I'll bet a week's wages that you're not doing that.

Use your head! You know that it's not safe! You just don't give a damn! Admit it!

Answer 2

Parked in the shade of a nice rest stop or even in a parking lot at anystore, anywhere... you are being a good mom. With the car moving, the baby should be in a car seat facing rearwards and not allowed to be free whatsoever. If you want to nurse the baby with the car moving, you get next to that car seat and allow him/her to nurse while you contort to reach them. If you can do this while remaining buckled yourself, kudos to you. If you can't, then quit risking both your lives and nurse as comfortably as you can with only you unbuckled. Then at least only you will exit the car through the windshield and an innocent baby will be saved.

Anything short of that and you are taking risks you can't afford. Your accident must have been a parking lot fender bender or one would hope experience would have taught you better. Generations of people have gotten away with stupid acts and will continue to do so for generations to come, but all it takes is one time and your baby could be dead or severely disfigured for life. Kind of like playing Russian Roulette.

If I see you on the freeway breast feeding with the child unrestrained, I will do what I think is best for your child and report it ASAP. If it's just you unrestrained I will let you find your own way into the Darwin Awards.

http://www.darwinawards.com/

Answer 3

You are taking a huge risk by not having your baby restrained in an infant approved car seat. You may have been lucky in the past but if you were involved in a larger accident your baby would be thrown against the windshield and squashed like a bug. Here is some advice: If there is ever any question about something being safe for your child it is better to error on the safe side by not taking any chances.

Please contact child protective services and explain to them what you are doing. I am sure they can give you some good advice on how to proceed.

If you cannot and will not stop this practice you are an unfit mother..

Answer 4

You couldn't be able to restrain your baby safely in an accident if nursing. You may have gotten luck once, but that doesn't guarantee it the next time. Why be in such a hurry, just stop the car take a break and nurse. It would be much safer than trying to do it while driving and taking the chance.

Answer 5

It's fine to nurse your baby in a car that's stopped but once in motion, your baby should be in a good car seat. No human has enough strength to support an infant in a car crash at more than 20 mph. At that speed and faster, you will be thrown around in the car (even if you are wearing a seatbelt) and you can crush your baby against the interior. If your car has airbags and the airbags inflate, the airbag can crush your baby against you. (Contrary to popular notions, airbags are not soft and cushiony -- they are rock hard during the moment they are fully inflated.)

Feel free to nurse in a stopped car but keep your baby in a car seat when the car is moving. Anything else is unsafe.

Answer 6

You are endagering your baby, If you have to feed your baby then you should pull off the side of the road to do so. Accidents happen all the time, whats gonna happen when some idiot hits you and your baby goes flying through the windshield???? you will be the one charged, If you love your children then they need to be in the proper carseats not in your lap or breast feeding. What type of parent endangers there child like that? Britney Spears didnt even get away with it

Answer 7

Unless the car is not moving, no, your are not safe, not even in the back seat. Even if your wearing a seat belt the baby could fly out of your arms. I take it the accident you had was a minor one. Do you really want to put your child at risk?

Answer 8

You are in danger of crushing your child if you're in an accident. The force with which you would have to hold the child to keep him/her from being thrown from your arms is likely to cause more harm than if they were to bounce off the dash pad. In the event of a rollover, your child is likely to be thrown from the car. I sincerely hope you're not trying to drive and nurse at the same time.

Answer 9

I agree with you, but I sat in the back seat to nurse my baby while we drove. I don't know what people think you should do. Sit on the side of an expressway with cars zooming by with other kids in the car while you nurse? I don't drive and nurse at the same time, but when you are travelling, I think you should be able to nurse your baby when he/she needs it.

Answer 10

You should always put the safety of you and your child first. This means restariining your child in the proper carseat at all times. If it is time for your child tp nurse, pull over. It is worth the extra time in order to save the child's life. Even if you are the safest driver in the world, you never know about other drivers. I would just use caution and pull over to nurse and keep your child restrained.