When I was in high school (see photo: left), I went on this adventure trip one summer and went backpacking, rock climbing, white water rafting, and...ocean kayaking.
I liked backpacking and white water rafting a lot (and I'd love to do both again), but rock climbing scared me (to be quite honest). Ocean kayaking was an experience that I'm glad I had, but I probably wouldn't choose to do it again.
...because the "gentle" rolling of the waves got the better of me...or my stomach, actually.
I had to throw up over the side of the kayak - several times.
Actually, I'm quite an expert on the topic of motion sickness overall because I have had the good fortune of throwing up in quite a few airports, airlines, boats, and vehicles across America and around the world. I even threw up on my way home from BlogHer last year (actually, that was because I was pregnant, but still...).
If you, your spouse, or one of your kids has a propensity toward motion sickness, it is wise to "think ahead" when planning vacations - to "prep" as much as possible to prevent or alleviate the symptoms.
Consider these 5 tips:
1. Drive. Traveling by car? Drive. I very rarely get sick when I'm the one behind the wheel. Obviously this one doesn't work for kids, but I shouldn't have to point that out, right?
2. Sit in the front. If you're traveling in a group, don't be shy. Don't be gracious and let somebody else steal the passenger seat. I assure you that it's more thoughtful to take the front seat than to be sick-to-your-stomach for the duration of the road trip.
3. Travel by night. By car or by air, I am much less likely to get bitten by the motion sickness mosquito if the sun isn't shining overhead. I haven't confirmed this tip by science, but it seems to work pretty well for me.
4. Have a little in your stomach, but not too much. This same rule applies for all you "crazies" that like to go on thriller rides at amusement parks. Don't start your trip with an empty stomach. But don't be overstuffed either. A comfortable "medium" is preferred. Eat a light, healthy meal before getting in the car or boarding the airplane. That's a good rule of thumb for kids and adults, regardless of motion sickness tendencies.
5. Be a prepared packer. Pack a carry-on bag with "emergency" items: Ziploc gallon size bags, baby wipes, water bottles, stomach-neutralizing snacks (crackers are a good choice), and something to suck/chew on (gum/drops).
You may also want to stock up on a few of these products - just in case.
Sea Bands - Do these really work? I have no idea, but I often wear them when I travel anyway. They're little "bracelets" that you wear on your wrist that put pressure on the "Nei Kuan acupressure point" to help prevent nausea. Anything that *might* help is a shoo-in, especially when they only cost about $8/pair.
Queasy Pops - Created with herbal and natural ingredients, these drops and pops are specifically designed to ease queasy tummies. There are several varieties to choose from - organic, kids, pops, or drops. There are quite a few flavors as well: Ginger, Banana, Natural Cola, Sour Raspberry, Green Tea with lemon, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Green Apple, and Papaya. The pops retail for between $3.95-$6.50 and are sold at maternity stores, some pharmacies, and on the Three Lollies website.
YOUR TURN: Do you (or does someone in your family) experience motion sickness? What cures/remedies would you recommend?
WIN IT! There will be three winners. Each winner will receive 1 container of Organic Queasy Drops ($4.95), 1 container of Queasy Pop Kids ($3.95), and 1 container of Organic Queasy Pink ($6.50). To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Sunday, July 5 at midnight (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).
*UPDATE* The winner is #10 kathy pease. Congratulations!
my son gets sick on trips over a half hour we usually take dramamine before leaving and bring some plastic bags just in case.i feel so bad for the little bugger when he feels like that :(
I got so nauseated with my first baby, but I never actually threw up. However, I tried so many things to quell the nausea and nothing really worked. I never did try these pops, though, and with another pregnancy looming on the horizon, I'd love to add it to my stash.
Well, you know this is a topic close to my heart! I tried the sea bands in my first pregnancy and didn't really notice a difference...maybe I needed to be out on the ocean in addition to being pregnant for them to work! I enjoyed the Preggie Pops you sent me and went to buy some more, but I settled on the Yummy Earth lollipops positioned right next to the PPs. They were cheaper and the flavors were not so intense as say the lavendar PP. Anyways, I feel like I was able to make it better through the day with one of those nearby! While the nausea is mostly gone now, I would still like to try the Queasy Pops since I too am a sufferer of car sickness!
My husband is a huge motion sickness sufferer on boats - but he loves to snorkel. Would love to try these!
Being the driver seems to help me. If am starting to feel carsick then I will ask my husband if I can drive b/c that will take it away. I have used the bands and they seemed to help and I also use dramamine. But I am interested in the pops. I would get especially carsick when i was pregnant. I HAD to drive then.
My little brother has bad car sickness! I've heard lemon drops help but have never had him try them!
I've tried those little bracelet band things too. I like to think they worked, but who knows. :)
Do you mean morning or motion sickness? Because I get/got both! I'm going to assume you mean motion sickness! So:
1) Do not read for the first hour or so of your trip. That's what used to do me in on car trips as a kid. This also includes reading maps -- I can take quick looks, but no studying intently!
2) Sit in the front, sometimes having the windows open helps.
3) If possible, sleep. I went on one unbelievably rocky ferry crossing of the English Channel where I was one of the few people who WASN'T seasick. Why? Because I napped for the first hour of the trip.
It makes me laugh that your Your Turn question actually says Morning sickness instead of Motion. They have a lot of similarities!
My mom, sister and I all have to be "careful" about being in cars (ie I can ride in the front or back, but I have to be looking forward and I can't read, etc.)
I like your Be Prepared ideas. Ironically enough, just knowing that I have a plastic bag in my purse takes the "what if..." out of the equation and it seems to decrease my sx.
And I'm not opposed to using Dramamine.
When I was young I used to love to go on roller coaster rides. I don't know when it happened but now I can't even stand to look at them! We love to travel, or should I say arrive at a new destination, but the traveling part can be tough because of our queasy feelings. We are always looking for possible remedies and solutions and these sound like they may do the trick!