Baby HATES the car.. I think ive tried everything...

[wellbalanced]

My little boy is 10 weeks old
Up until he was 6 week he was fine in the car, drifting in and out of sleep, happy smiley.
We then had the hot spell and took a major dislike to the car whilt on a 30min journey started screaming, foaming at the mouth (thought was sick but it wasn't) Bright red hot and sweaty.

He doesnt mind being in his maxi cosi-although does get v hot in it (abit wooly)
Ive got a mirror so i can see him/him see me-Mayb?
I talk sing to him all the way from A-B
He's got a musical toy which he likes
He's got a toy bar that he can touch
Ive covered up back seat incase didnt like that!!
Ive sat in car with him and he's fine until i set off!
He's in the back as my car as an airbag that cant be switched off
Also if someone travels with me he still screams, but i havent tried me and him being a passenger as most of the time its just the two of us.
Doesnt matter if the journey is 5 mins or 50mins he doesnt stop, even when really tired just drops off when i get him out of car!!
Any help/advice.... Can he do himself any harm?

[Sariska]

Hmmm, I remember this well. My DS started doing this at exactly the same age as yours: 6 weeks. He suffered from silent reflux and for a while we thought it was that but controlling the reflux with medication made no difference to the in-car tantrums. We had a modest amount of success with me sitting next to him singing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" on loop but, boy, did that get exhausting on long drives.... My top(pish) tip relates to long drives (if you have to do them): go at your baby's sleep time, preferably when it's dark (easier said than done in summer, of course). We found that doing this meant we could often remove the metaphorical earplugs (never felt confident enough to wear real ones).

At 15 months my ds is now a lot better (and still in a rear-facing seat - so I don't think the seat positioning had much to do with it), which I hope gives you encouragement for the future. Until yours similarly improves, I will just say that months and months of car-related screaming do not seem to have harmed my ds at all. Am just not sure that my nerves have yet recovered....

[PortAndLemon]

Some of them just are like that, and everyone else looks at you as if you are mad and says "but babies love the car..."

DS was exactly the same. If it's any consolation, he started to grow out of it around 4.5-5 months and other parents of car-haters I found online generally seemed to find that as well.

[wellbalanced]

I do try to get him to sleep before going out but he's a light sleeper/clingy baby (!!) so most of the times wakes when putting him in seat/car!!
If he's tired but in car awake he will not settle just cry until out of car..
Thanks for info thou..

[stillstanding]

DS was like this - absolutely awful. For us it transformed overnight when he moved on to his next forward-facing seat. Of little use to you now, I'm afraid! In the meantime remember - this too shall pass.

[claireybee]

DS was the same and it really used to upset me. He just grew out of it at some point, I'm sorry I can't remember when exactly but it was before he moved to a forward facing seat

[Haribosmummy]

MIne hated his rear facing car seat... bu is quite happy with his forward facing one.

He was better when someone was in the back with him, but not by much I'm afraid.

[suwoo]

My friends DD was exactly like this too and she used to travel 2 hours to her parents every couple of weeks or so.

She also stopped immediately when she went into a forward facing seat.

[GYo]

Hello

Another thought is that he finds it uncomfy?

When DD was born she had a stiff neck and used to scream in car seat when it was stationary (ok when moving as would sooon sleep). Had some cranial osteo for her and she was much happier in it. That was when she was 4wks.

Recently after a huge growth spurt at 10wks or so she was having the same issues that were solved by more osteo.

I know its not the answer to everything but when I chatted to the lovely osteopath she said discomfort is often why babies scream in car seats

Hope it improves for your sanity as a crying baby in the car is hard going.

[stickybean]

I second the cranial osteopathy route. My baby was exactly the same, its a nightmare. 2 cranio sessions sorted her out.
Also, someone told me that when the baby is crying you shouldn't try and soothe them by talking to them as they get confused as to why they can hear you but you aren't coming to help them. No idea if its true or not but worth a shot.

[wellbalanced]

Thanks guys, Ive just booked a cranial osteopath appointment for Fri, Not sure what to expect but im hoping something comes of it.

[GYo]

let us know how you get on

[wellbalanced]

Well we had a session today.
The lady said she had never come across a baby so young that didnt like the motion of the car, but thinks its possibly the pressure in the car.
She did her stuff and said his head is quite healthy with a few tense parts but on the whole all was ok.

She did say that he couldn't regulate his temp v well-I thought all babies so young couldn't??

She was also concerned about a blue tinge around his lips and irregular breathing (i think it was just him sobbing from being in car)

One good thing to come of it was she phoned my HV with her concerns and at last someone is taking it serious, They're coming out to us on Wed.

Got another osteopath apt booked for week after next.

[QueenFee]

Good luck with your osteopath appointment they worked wonders on my DS.
Just to say both my DCs hated their carry car seat and screamed whenever they were in the car but were fine when I moved them into a bigger birth to 4 yr one rear facing.

[wellbalanced]

Well HV came out and she thinks its poss moving objects thats unsettling him?
She suggested Rescue remedy or Star of bethlehem Has anyone used this on baby so young?
she is going to speak to an audiologist and suggested i go docs for a pead referal.
Also suggested that babies heart be should be monitered whilst in car.
She said to keep journeys to a minimum to limit stress and anxiety.

[clemette]

I think this is incredibly common. My DS screamed for every car journey from birth to seven months. As soon as I moved him forward facing he stopped.
When I was going through I found MANY mothers who had experienced the same so I think your HV may be being a little OTT.

I moved him as soon as he hit 9kg with massive guilt as DD had been rear facing for over a year and I knew the safety implications of moving the seat. However, driving with him screaming was becoming quite dangerous. I got two speeding tickets trying to get home quicker and was so stressed by the screaming I had three near misses...

[DaddyJ]

So spooky that every time we have a weird problem
with one of the DDs I find an active thread about it on MN!

dd2 doesn't like the car either, particularly when she's tired
but not asleep yet.
Going by the advice on here I think we will wait another month.
Don't do long drives anyway but even 15 minutes with a screaming baby
feels like an eternity.

[weasle]

My ds2 was like this. Car journeys very miserable. Slightly better if i sat in the back between ds1 and ds2. On one holiday he liked sitting next to ds1 in the hire car seats. He is a lot better now, but it was over a year before we could do a reasonable car journey without constant screaming. Doesn't like the pram much either, wants sling or to walk with brother these days.

I agree your HV seems to be a bit OTT. Heart rate monitor?! Well I'm sure for a distressed screaming baby the heart rate will be increased, all that adrenaline.

We survived by adapting our lives, not going on long journeys and i walk/occasionally bus everywhere in the week.

[goingnowherefast]

dd hated the car too until she was 5 months. She's fine in it now. It was horrid though as I never left her to cry, but sometimes in the car I had to. Once she screamed until she couldn't scream any more. When I finally got her out she was awake, just looking into space, all red in the face.. I felt terrible. I limited car journeys as much as poss after that.
She gradually grew out of it so hopefully it won't be long for you.

[SoupDragon]

Have you opened the window for him? Get some window sox for shade and to allow you to open the window for air.