6mo screams in pram - do I give in and carry her or not?

[curlyLJ]

The title says it all really. DD is almost 6mo and has a dislike for either the pram itself or being pushed around in it - she will cry after about 5 mins, sometimes less, sometimes I am lucky and she will go for about 10 mins. She will stop crying instantly if picked up!

She will sleep in the pram if she is fed to sleep but he has not fallen asleep being pushed about in it since she was tiny. Sometimes I can shuggle it back and forth and get her off in it (albeit, with some screaming), but rarely.

Thing is, in the nice weather, it means I can't really go for a nice stroll with her. She's too heavy and it's too awkward to carry her and push the pram really, and I find her crying stressful to listen to but DH says we need to let her get used to it now. Up until now either me or DH usually gives in and if we're both out then one of us carries her!

I have been invited out by 2 friends this week and both have mentioned going for a walk. I would normally just put them off, but I really need to find a solution to this. If I know she is fed, watered, clean nappy etc, should I ignore her cries and try to enjoy my walk anyway or is that cruel, and am I just going to make her hate the pram even more??

Does anyone have similar experiences?

Have you got a pouch like a baby bjorn?

What do YOU want to do? Personally, I always 'gave in'/responded to my two when they cried, or at least stop and find out what is wrong - I have never understood this 'nappy/hungry/watered' checklist thing tbh, they can't talk so anything could be up, they could be feeling lonely or whatever. Anyway, sometimes I hear babies cry and then they eventually fall asleep but i personally could't do it.

Have you thought about getting a good sling instead/to chuck under pram? Is it a proper pram/ maybe she wants to look around? or is she forward-facing and would be happier seeing you?

Am I right in thinking she's still in the pram and not yet moved into the seat?

Both my DC were totally sick of the pram by about 5 - 5 !/2 months but were really happy to go out for walks again when I moved to the seat attachment. I think they just wanted to be able to see out, the inside walls of the pram were just too dull...

My ds wouldn't tolerate the pram from about 4-5 months. I agree with Fermina re wanted to see out. He was fine with the seat or a sling.

Sorry I should have clarified - she's out of the pram and it's now on the forward-facing stroller setting. I thought about the being able to see out theory, but as she can't quite sit unaided yet, she slides down if I have the seat lifted enough so she can see out.

FWIW, she used to cry when it was a pram and she could see me too - so I don't think it's that.

Adair I agree with what you are saying about responding to her needs, but I am pretty sure it's just an 'I don't want to be in here' tantrum as she stops the instant she is carried.

What I want to do is just enjoy a nice stroll with her every now and again

I do have a bjorn type sling/carrier but I find it makes my back ache after a while. I may well have to resort to it though.

Weeeeelll, 'i don't want to be in here' would have classed as a legitimate need to me. but if it isn't to you, then plenty of people let their children have a moan in their stroller. You could try getting a couple of pram toys - rattles to hook along front etc.

A good sling shouldn't hurt your back - i could carry my toddler in my Ergo...
or maybe try a rear-facing stroller? or hope she grows out of it!! I had one lovely sit-serenely-and-people-watch baby and one nope-i-have-been-here-for-4-minutes-that's-enough baby - was v annoying (and at 2 he still doesn't really like being strapped in for too long, though easier to distract). so commiserations - she'll probably walk run earlier

We got a backpack for dd at this age because she always hated her pushchair/pram. She loves the backpack and is still carried around in it at 15 months! I wouldn't recommend a front-carrier sling - too hard on your back - but at 6m she's big enough to go in a back-carrier.

Have you tried propping her up with rolled up blankets or similar so she can see out with out slipping down seat? And some of those toys that attach to pushchair as distraction?

Perhaps see if you can borrow a pram that faces you just for a few days.
I had the same problem with ds (hated the carrycot, hated facing away from me) and managed to blag a knackered old Buzz that one of my mum's friends was getting rid of, which he is way better in.

Otherwise a decent sling is a good ides - have a look for a slingmeet near you for advice and to try some - ours has a sling 'library' too so you can rent them by the month for £2 a pop - bargain!

my DD was the same - I put the pram away and carried her in a sling and it sorted our problem. I carried her regularly until 1.5 years (no need for the gym for me back then *lol).