My baby HATES being in his pushchair and the screaming is ruining all our trips out!

[chankins]

ds1 is 5 mo, and mostly a happy smiley little thing. I don't drive, and have to walk dd1 to school and dd2 to nursery most days, as well as walk to go to bank, shops, toddler groups, park etc, as we like to keep active and get out and about. Trouble is he won't sit in there happily for more than 20 minutes before he starts crying, building up to a hysterical screaming! I have to pick him up and carry him (he's 16 pounds 8 oz now)or people give me really cross looks! If I calm him down he will go back in a for a bit, but will soon start again - especially if he is tired, he seems to hate having to sleep in there. Mystified as the other two always loved the buggy and would quickly drift off if I was out a lot ! Help ?

[hertsnessex]

a sling? or a baby bjorn carrier?

maybe a cozy blanket for him to sit/lay on?

cx

[PelvicfloorLotsofGore]

Ah yes it is hard,my dd2 has always hated being in the pushchair and will never sleep in it(whereas dd1 loved it).dd2 is now 22 months and still fights sometimes,infact the other day i had to wrestle with her just get the rain cover on as it was pouring and she fought and kicked it off all the way to dd1's school.
She also hates being in the car seat and will not keep her arms in the straps.

Sadly this doesn't help you,but you have my sympathy.

[morocco]

get a pouch or ring sling that you can stick in the buggy or handbag then pop him in and still have hands free to push the pushchair (or just don't take it at all).. honestly, it will make life much easier! you can buy a freedom sling for about £15 on ebay atm, it's a freedom basic or something, so you could try it out and see if you like the idea.

[chankins]

Thanks ! Yes I have a sling and he goes in it at least once a day, because I just can't bear putting him back into buggy. He's very heavy though, so I couldn't have him in it for too long. I have lots of toys in the buggy, and as he can just hold his own cup now he can drink his water in there, which keeps him happy sometimes. But if he does drift off he wakes as soon as buggy stops, even at traffic lights! He is the same in his car seat too.

[foxinsocks]

oh poor you - mine were like this too

it was too awful

funnily enough, I got rid of the pushchair (gave it to sis) and bought a real cheapo one where they could see much better all around them and they were happier

what type of pushchair have you got?

also, have you got toys hanging on the bars for him?

[morocco]

lol obv you will have to take the sling out of the handbag first

[PillockInThePumpkin]

why are you worried about having him in the sling? get a Mei Tai or similar and you could carry him for ages, I carry ds2 for hours in one and he's well over 18lb now

[gingerninja]

mine was the same. I got sick of people telling me she'd be 'alright in a minute' she has always had a very low tollerance for pram / buggy. I've got an ergo carrier and carry her a lot on my back. She's 13 months and I'm only a titch. They're great as the support is really good. I can still have her on the front too with that or my wrap sling if tied tightly enough

[chankins]

I've got the Mamas and Papas pramette. And lots of toys hanging off! Think he is very nosy, he adores being in the sling, or carried and funnily enough never cries no matter how long we are out ! Feel sorry for him really, he really has had to fit into our already established routine, and constantly has naps disturbed because of it. He's going through quite a stressy phase altogether actually. Waking lots in the evening even though he barely sleeps in day. Teeth I guess!

[chankins]

Thanks - must look into a better sling then, as mine does kill shoulders after a while. I don't worry about carrying him as I do it all the time. I do worry about giving in to him over it, and dh says let him cry and he'll soon get used to it, but I can't bear to hear him get hysterical. Perhaps if I just keep picking him up to calm him then pop him back in, he'll eventually get the message.

[gingerninja]

Personally I think if you respond to their cries you foster a more trusting confident child which hopefuly means they'll breeze through the clingy stage. My sling has saved my nerves and given DD the comfort she's needed. I couldn't have lived without it over the last year.

[mylittlefreya]

Backpack - as soon as he can sit. Actually dd went in hers a bit earlier, when she was a bit under 6 months, for shortish periods. We don't have a car either - so I try to just use the pushchair for big food shops. Surprisingly those buggy buddy books are loads better than any toys but that could be just my dd.

I do still front carry with my wilkinet, and back carry. We bought a macpac koala - not cheap, but worth it already IMO (DD is 9.5mths) as we use it for walks and trips out etc.

[nannynick]

I care for a 5 month old, and I can't wait until she is big enough for the back pack - so much better for country walks (getting buggy over styles is a nightmare ).
I have a buggy/car seat combi thing, and baby faces rearwards, thus looking at me pushing - that seems to help (as other buggy is forward facing, and she's not so keen on that one).

Not sure how to help you. Though one thing I would do is remove some of the toys from the buggy - don't over stimulate if you want him to sleep. Wrap snugly, so that he is warm - I find LO will nap in buggy when wearing her all-in-one winter coat, thus nicely wrapped.

[Paddlechick666]

definately would say go for a Mei Tei which is so versatile.

front carry facing forwards or inwards and you will find you can do that for hours without any strain on your back. it takes a little bit of practice and there's loads of stuff on youtube where you can get a visual on how to get them in and out.

i used a ring sling from about 5 months in a hip carry but tbh it was only good for an hour or so and a bit too warm for my liking.

you can do back carries in the mei tei or a wrap from this age but again it takes a bit of practice.

you might want to consider a toddler mei tei as if your ds is well built (as my dd was and still is!) you will get more use out of it as he grows.

slings/mei teis/wraps are fab!

[DaisyWhoooo]

Ditto all the recommendations for a Mei Tei. DS3 has always hated being in a pushchair and we tried and tried but in the end gave up and just carried him in the Mei Tei. It's so comfortable and I regularly carry him still even though he turned 2 last week!

[97PercentGingerbread]

Yes the mei tei may save your sanity. dd is also 5 months and weighs nearly 21lb! She hates her pushchair and I only use it for short trips if it's raining. Otherwise she's on my back in her sling.

[EffiePerine]

Would also go for a wrap sling ( we have a Didymos which is v good). You can bung it in the pushchair if you want to perservere with that for the time being .

[EffiePerine]

BTW can anyone recommend fool-proof back carry positions? I use the swing-over-the-shoulder method atm but DS is v wriggly.

[lunavix]

i changed pushchairs.

i know dd was younger but she screamed solidly in out p&t

bought a m&p 3 in 1 and it stopped.

now she gets antsy in our stroller, stick her in a proper pushchair = happy!

[boomie]

You have my sympathies! DD1 loved her pram and was content as anything just watching the world go by. DD2 HATED it. I couldn't understand it. The second she went in it she screamed. TBH as soon as she could walk, it got worse as she wanted to walk everywhere and she would fight to get in her pram. Sorry, I have no real advice for you as she is now 3yo and it all seems like a blur. Sorry for rambling on, not helped you at all really but I know what you are going through.

[BlueberryPancake]

-Is your buggy forward facing or facing you?

• does it have a bar in front of the baby?
  
• is it comfortable?
  
  No offence to all of the lovely users of maclaren buggies, or similar styles, but DS1 absolutly hated it. He was too low, couldn't see me, and cried forever. I think that he felt that he wasn't safe in it. The problem was solved when I bought a pushchair that was facing me.

[CoteDAzur]

DD hated her Chicco pram with a vengeance. We got a Bugaboo and she has been great in her pram ever since.

Would you like to try other prams? Maybe you can borrow from friends for a day and see if he likes another pram better.

[MrsSeanSlater]

Try one that faces you, if you haven't already. he should be happier if he was see your face.