9 week old screams in both sling and pram

[Lyicellypus]

My 9 week old DS has hated the pram from day dot. Screams the place down. He is in a sling for all naps pretty much which is fine but he hates being in there when awake. Two days a week I have to make a 90 minute round trip twice a day by public transport to get my older son to his alternative education setting (no way round this, it's just something we have to do on these two days and that's it - I can't drive due to a medical condition - usually his Dad drives him but he can't two days a week because of work). The morning drop off is OK because DS reliably naps all the way there and back in the sling. Afternoon pick up is a nightmare because it tends to fall when he's not long woken up from another nap and he's in his awake and grumpy time. During that period he doesn't want the pram and he doesn't want to be in the sling either.

Any tips for having him relatively happily awake in either the sling or the pram?! I don't know what he wants from me at this point!!

What sort of sling are you using? At 9 weeks I started using a woven wrap to put my (also very screamy) DS on my back - it's not for the faint hearted, but it's safe if you do it properly. He liked that much more, he absolutely hated being snuggled into my chest (like some strange anti-baby) but was much happier high up on my back where he could see over my shoulder.

I don't have any tips sorry! I just wanted to send my love and say that naps change so quickly at this stage that it might not be long before DS does need a sleep during you're afternoon trip (once he drops a nap and they all spread out a bit more)
Could your try a different type of carrier? Or just hold him in your arms if he gets fussy?

Oh sympathies, I had one that hated the pram at that age and it was awful - and she was the eldest so we didn't have to be anywhere. It was silent reflux for her, lying flat was uncomfortable.

Check the US instructions for your pram. In the UK they all say to use the bassinet until 6 months but in the US it's usually 3 months (or it was when I was checking six years ago!). We moved eldest to the buggy seat on its lowest incline at a little past 3 months and it was a game changer, she loved the buggy from that point on.

So, hopefully this is a short lived problem. How is he in the car seat? The incline helps for some of them. Could you use the car seat on the pram base? I know it's longer than you're supposed to use it for but you'd be watching closely and you could get him out for a break at the school.

Also, if he's ok in the car seat, would you be able to afford a taxi for the trip home for a few weeks in the hopes the problem passes?

He hates the car seat too 🙄. The only place he will reliably sleep happily during the day is the sling but he won't tolerate it awake. Our pram reclines flat from birth (it's the nuna mixx) so we don't have a bassinet for it as thought it would be a waste of money (good thing too as he hates his moses basket).

I just find it so stressful on the bus when he's screaming his head off and I can't soothe him!

I suppose I could do a taxi for the return journey as even if he screams it'd be a much quicker journey (10 minutes by car - 45 mins on the bus - ridiculous!) but do taxis allow you to put the car seat in there? And I would need to know how to attach it using the seat belt as in our car it uses isofix.

He's quite happy when awake if I'm just holding him in my arms, the awkward bugger. We have three different slings by the way - a stretchy wrap, a tula free to grow and an ergobaby embrace and he sleeps in all three of them happily but screams blue murder in them awake!!

I wonder if he gets some head/neck/back pain when he's in the sling/pram? An osteopath might help.

He's quite happily settled in the sling at naptime so can't see that this would be the case tbh.

Honestly try getting him high up on your back. You'd need a woven wrap though, a stretchy one isn't suitable for back carries and buckle carriers aren't either at 9 weeks. It was a total game changer for my screamer.

I would try speaking to a babywearing consultant or sling library, as if you came to me I would try a seated sideways carry (which is really just slightly off centre) and a ring sling slightly off centre, in the hopes that he would tolerate it more. It may be a pressure thing on his little tummy, or maybe not, but I'd try some in person support as that sounds really stressful.