About Our Conception
“Okay,” I sighed through the screams and cries coming from the back seat, “I’m looking, I promise!” My four-month-old daughter was wailing in the backseat and I had only been on the road for two hours, one-third of my total trip home. I knew if I could just wait it out, there was a really nice gas station up ahead with a separate area where I could nurse her… changing tables where I could change her – and then she would be good to go for the rest of the trip home.
Ten minutes went by. Then twelve. Then fifteen. Was it me or was I actually driving on the longest, most barren strip of road in the history of all things paved? I was going to lose it soon, then we’d both be crying and still have no solution!
Finally, a beacon in the darkness up ahead – it was a gas station! I didn’t care which one it was, I threw on my blinker and pulled over, completely excited to finally soothe the Queen of Cranky in the backseat! It was only after taking her out, grabbing up everything scattered in the backseat, shoving into the diaper bag, and then sprinting full stride inside I realized that not only did this gas station not have a diaper changing area, but they had no PUBLIC RESTROOM at ALL!!
Back into the car we went (and adjusting that harness on an angry baby is no easy task!), pulling back out onto the highway to continue forward in hopes of finding a clean place to get changed and fed!
After another ten minutes of her “tired cry,” we happened upon a second gas station. This time, with a lot less excitement, we trekked inside to find that they, too, had no diaper changing station. Disappointed and carrying a baby with a cry so loud cars were actually slowing down to see if she was bleeding, I decided to just nurse her in the backseat of my tiny car and change her in what little lap-room I had available.
After the initial crocodile-death-roll diapering and breastfeeding-challenge (it’s more fun to think of it as a game, isn’t it?!) she was finally latched on with a clean, dry diaper… and quickly falling asleep. Soon I gently put her in her car seat (which at the time was strapped into the middle of my backseat), covered her with a blanket, and turned to pull the door handle when I realized… The child safety locks are activated and I can’t get out. It’s now official. Worst. Trip. Ever.
I sat in the backseat at 12:30am in the middle of nowhere staring down a car seat, debating trying to climb into the front without moving it, and ultimately losing the battle to keep the baby in perfect travel mode: asleep! I had to un-strap the car seat, climb up to the front, get out, strap the car seat back in – then just start driving again in hopes that my daughter would fall asleep again soon…
And… of course… not one whole minute- literally fifty-nine seconds later, I passed the gas station I had been looking for with the great space and clean changing area…
It was then that I decided – I had to make sure it was never this hard for anyone ever again!
Michelle B. Mother of 2
Special thanks to everyone who has helped to create and maintain such an important resource for people traveling with babies! Our hard work and diligence is something all of our children can be proud of!
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