Can't take her out in the car?

[Jaymee812]

Hello!

My baby girl is 12 weeks and since birth she has hated the car seat. When shes put in the car she screams hysterically until she makes herself sick and i end up having to pull the car over and take her out to calm her down.

She also won't sleep on her back, she will only settle on her tummy so i wonder if this has something to do with her hating the car seat? Has anyone else had this and what tricks have you used?

I can't turn the passengers air bags off so I can't have her up beside me. I have toys dangling and a mirror so i can see her but nothing helps.

Am i better off trying to let her scream it out? I find it so hard hearing her so upset i try to avoid using the car as much as i can! Any advice is welcome please 🙌🏻

I'd take her to a GP to make sure that there is nothing sore on her back.

Does she hate being in the car? Not the car seat itself? If it's entering the car that causes the crying, you could try to do something's with her before entering the car then continue. E.g start singing a little song before putting her in the car seat but just continue until she's secured in the car. Maybe try a little playfulness with her before you jump in the front seat. It might be the feeling of abandonment that sets her off, so I'd say try songs to distract her, keep singing when you're set in front and don't be too hasty to shut the car and get in the driver's seat.

DS2 hated his infant carrier unless he was actually asleep. Awake in the car/car seat he'd scream blue murder. When he was about four months we moved him into a group 0/1+ (because his older brother had grown out of it rather than because we were trying to solve the car seat thing). Low and behold, much much happier. The only way I account for that is the position he was in in the second seat, which was less 'tucked' than the infant carrier IYSWIM. He was also a tummy sleeper by inclination, and suffered quite badly with trapped wind- my hunch is that the position in the infant carrier was uncomfortable for his tummy. Of course, I have no way of knowing and could be talking bollocks