nursing while on a car trip

[stillplayswithbarbies]

When we travel, we stop to nurse the baby when she is hungry, usually at a rest area, sometimes in a parking lot of a store.

I read on another board that the air bags in a car don't shut off until 30 minutes after the engine had been turned off. Therefore, it is not safe to sit in the front seat and nurse your baby if you are in a place where another car may bump into yours. (such as a parking lot).

Is this true? If it is, I will start getting in the back seat to
nurse her when we stop at a rest area on long trips.

(I'm also posting this in the car seat board)

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[pritchettzoo]

If you are parked normally in a parking spot (nose in), I don't think you have anything to worry about. In order for the airbag to deploy in your parked car, you would have to be hit from the front by a car traveling approximately 28 mph according to the NHTSA (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/page3.html). You can also check with your car manufacturer to determine the exact crash force required for your car's airbags to deploy.

Anna
#1(DD) EDD 9/10/03

[CherylT]

My DH works on airbags, so I'll check with him, but that doesn't sound right to me. I'll post what I find out.

Cheryl
SAHM to Lilli 9/20/00 & Alec 10/21/02

[CherylT]

Here's DH's response:

There is some truth to this. I can't speak to the time limit, that may or may not be true (I'll try to find out). However, the crash sensor actually detects acceleration regardless of the direction (acceleration or deceleration). Strictly speaking acceleration is defined as the change in velocity over time, so it does not matter whether you are increasing or decreasing in speed. In fact, the car does not have to be in motion at all. We have seen cases where the vehicle was under repair at the plant or at a frame shop and the airbag was triggered by an impact (sledge hammer blow) to the sheet metal where the crash sensor was mounted . The impact created a shock wave that was equivalent to the crash pulse causing the airbags to fire. For this reason, the battery should be disconnected whenever the car is going to be subjected to this type of work. We even had an inadvertent deployment when the passenger door was slammed, however this was ultimately caused by faulty crash sensor installation. In any event, children are not supposed to be seated in the front seat in the event that some bizarre anomaly does occur.....however there are more probable dangers like lightning, trees falling and rabid squirrels that people typically do not consider.

HTH

Cheryl
SAHM to Lilli 9/20/00 & Alec 10/21/02

[jal]

While there might be some truth to your concern:

1. If a moving car hits your parked car with enough force to set off the air bag, the force of the air bag might only be a secondary concern.

2. It is very unlikely that a moving car is going to hit a car in a parking lot with enough force to set off the air bag. First there is the factor that there will usually be other cars around (safety in numbers) then that fact that cars are usually moving pretty slow in a parking lot.

My advice, if its simple and gives you a better piece of mind, then jump in the back seat (your more likely to have a little bit more privacy back there anyway). If it's more of a hassle, then stay in the front seat and don't worry about the air bag.

[zoesmom]

This is not related at all to your question re: airbags, but we took several extended car trips when I was exclusively breastfeeding my daughter and I found it easiest to pump while she was sleeping (I bought the car adapter for our pump in style), then give her a bottle of the expressed milk. We had a constant supply:) and only had to stop when it made sense to change her or give us all breath of fresh air. It made long trips much easier!

Beth

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Thanks to everyone for your information. I guess I was thinking that just a bump from another car would set it off, and it looks like that is not true in a properly working system.

Good point about a hit strong enough to set off the airbag being dangerous no matter where we are sitting.

I think what I will do in the furture is evaluate the parking lot and choose the safest place to park and continue to nurse her in the front seat. If the parking lot is near traffic where a car may go out of control and hit us, I won't nurse there at all.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03