Baby hates Doona car seat/ buggy

[Washingtonmachine]

Is this normal? She is 2 weeks old and should be sleeping when being in the buggy. But she seems to hate it and cries.

I've had to take her out several times and walk around with her in my arms whilst someone else pushes the buggy around.

In the car she also seems to dislike it.

At that age they should be lying flat to sleep wherever possible. Is it possible she’s just uncomfortable being kept in the sitting position for too long for her age.

Hi op some babies just hate anything that isn't being carried, plus at only two weeks she's still getting used to the outside world. Maybe look at using a sling so you still have your arms free. Asee if there's a sling library near you where you can try out different kinds and see what works for you

Biologically, babies want to be held and be near their mums. I used to think the same as you ‘he should want to be in his cot’ but I did loads of research and actually that’s not the case. We are just programmed to think babies should be happy sleeping on their own.
my son was the same and many times we had to hold him and walk round. My friends son is the same.

Doonas are known for giving a bad fit sadly, and shouldn't be used as a pram replacement or for longer than 30 minutes at a time at her age.
Saying that, my little one rarely napped in the pram at that age. She always wanted to be held, at 2 weeks, everything is scary and she will likely want the comfort of you. Have you looked into a sling?

My daughter despised her car seat and her pram until she was about 12 weeks old! She just wanted to be held all the time lol.

I would only have used pram flat-lying carrycot for sleeping on walks though, for safe sleep reasons. A more upright buggy or car seat isn’t suitable for them to be in for any real length of time when they’re that young. So if you have a pram which lies flat and think she would sleep in it, I would use that for walks.

2 weeks old is too young for a lengthy sleep in a car seat. My little one was never comfy in one at all

Meant to add you will get more use out of your particular pram/car seat in a few months, I do get that they’re less cumbersome to take about. Solidarity for those early days when they just want carried and held!

Is the Doona one that’s a car seat on legs? If so definitely take her out, they should be lying flat in a pram if being pushed, shouldn’t be in a car seat for more than about 20-30 minutes at a time at this age.

And yes it’s really normal, lots of babies just want to be held and don’t like being in the pram. You say ‘should be sleeping in the pram’ what makes you say should?Getting a good carrier so you can walk around with them hands free really helps. But they change all the time and will probably be fine in the buggy in a few weeks or months.

She shouldn't be in the car seat for long periods and the doona is known to give a bad fit- chin to test. She should be lying flat in a proper pram or in a sling on a parents chest. Hopefully that helps her to settle

I hate those Doona buggys They shouldn't be in them for that long at two weeks old. She needs to be lying flat.

This is so right. My child (34 this year) was the same, although the car wasn't too bad. I didn't have access to the car in the daytime, so found a sling the best option. This was also a crying baby - once it started it would go on for hours - so we were very careful that any signs of discomfort were swiftly dealt with.

It was a good year before we could get DC in the car seat without him screaming his lungs off for a car journey of any length.

I've also never managed to get him to nap in his cot and he's nearly 2.

He needed to be held for the first 8 months and then gradually would do longer stints in the cot/pram/car seat from then.

As PPs have said, some babies are just sensitive and want to be close.

It does get easier, even if it doesn't feel like it will at the time and you are much stronger and capable than you think! Just got to take it hour by hour, day by day and have very low expectations!

It's really unsafe to be using the doona as a pushchair especially at that age. They should only be in the car seat for 30 minutes at a time at that age - so when you factor in your journey and then walking around using it as a pushchair and then return journey, that limit is most likely we'll exceeded.

Also the doona is notorious for not offering a safe fit anyway, so likely won't be putting baby in a safe position in the car or out and about. Baby should be lay flat when not in the car, and needs a good supportive safe car seat for the car. Otherwise they could have positional asphyxiation.

I'd recommend joining a car seat advice group ran by professional safety experts (car seat advice, car seat safety, or extended rear facing groups on fb are a wealth of info). I would also recommend getting a baby carrier - ergobaby embrace is perfect and very comfortable and easy to use for beginners too. Not too fiddly. Best piece of equipment I bought :)

I LOVED my Doona! They are absolute marmite though. I would switch between the Doona and a sling fairly often though.

Sometimes they liked being in it, other times not. However both of my children hated our bulky lie flat pram with a passion. We rarely used it in the end as it just want as convenient as the Doona/sling combination (and they preferred it).

If you are either say with baby in the back, it's using it as a pushchair (as it's parent facing), then I personally wouldn't worry too much about the 30m rule as long as baby is not premature and it's healthy (not all organisations suggest this as a limit, including the lullaby trust) , but equally don't push it too much.

Baby just wants to be close to you I expect. Slingy cuddles will provide that and give you free arms.

It's normal for babies this young to hate the car seat - lying down is normal. The car seat is the safest thing for her to be in in the car. When you stop, either hold her or put her in the pram etc lying flat. Don't leave in the car seat longer that needed and after 2 hours make sure she's out for at least 2 hours before any more time in.

She can only be in it for 30 minutes anyway either car or as a buggy combined. Also it's rated really badly in crash tests. Buy a proper lie flat pram or use a sling.

Perseverance is the key. Don't give up. X

I'm surprised by how many people don't check independent safety ratings for car seats tbh, or even do more research into them. It definitely needs to be something that's talked about more as they are life saving devices and people naively think if it's sold in a shop it must be safe.

My DD1 always hated both the pram and car seat - everyone would advise the car as being a sure fire way to get her to sleep but not in our family! It was truly awful, we ended up spending a fortune trying different car seats (live quite rurally so a car is essential) and honestly even at 2 she’s still not a huge fan, although most kids do seem to grow out of it quicker than she has! We also virtually never used a pram after the initial few weeks/months, every way we tried it she’d scream so she was in a carrier and then walked!

Hi, she doesn't like it at all. I don't think she's even had a solid 30 min in it.

I end up sitting in the back with her and we gave to pull over so I can feed her and resettle her.

With my other children I had a travel system and would sometimes use the car seat attachment on the pram and they would sleep. I even remember using the car seat as a rocker.

I feel so out of my depth.

Honestly sounds like life with my eldest, it’s so tough. Might be worth trying a new seat maybe and hopefully it’s just a short phase!

Both my daughters hated their pushchair and car seat. They were both nosy little parkers and wanted to see what was going on - so lying flat, with nothing to see from the sky was not fun at all. My youngest is 2 and still hates the pushchair - will opt for walking and then being carried away if she gets tired.
Both hated the car seat and both still aren’t fans - although my eldest has suffered with car sickness since being a baby. I think my youngest just hates feeling restrained in any way.
Every baby is different - and perseverance may work with some babies but mine always resisted and still do things they don’t like. They have strong personalities I guess 😂 If you’re able to and feel comfortable doing so - a sling may be better. My eldest wouldn’t tolerate that either and only wanted to be held but my youngest would sleep
lovely in a sling and was quite content as she got lots of cuddles and it left my hands free.
Try to follow your instincts and let your gut be your guide. Well meaning advice is great - but works for one baby does not work for another x

Unfortunately every child is different. My first loved the car & the buggy and slept easily. My second hated it 1 even now my second hates the car and refused the buggy most of the time. I bought a sling and just carried her and walked most places or if I had to travel in the car, I would do so at night or just before her nap! It was the only way!

Normal in my experience. My child hated the buggy and car seat but loved the baby carrier for the first eight weeks. Then suddenly swapped to loving the buggy and hating the carrier. Who knows why.

Totally normal .babies want to be close to their mum. Have you thought of a sling? She wont understand being away from you and laying in a moving thing getting jostled around