Help - My ds hates his pram/pushchair

[Pandapooch]

I have just come back from the shops with my ds screaming. He seems to hate his pushchair. ds is 17 weeks old and was fine in his pram until about 6 weeks ago. Now he cries on every journey. The pram was facing me (he cried) and I thought turning it into pushchair would solve the problem as he would be sat up, facing away from me and be able to look around. I have tried putting toys in, singing, everything. I sometimes wait till he is asleep before leaving the house. This is now really getting me down and I feel like a prisoner as I am avoiding going out. I bought a carrier but am a total weakling as I find him too heavy to carry. Sorry for rambling but any suggestions would really help.

ps he doesn't like car seat too much either!!

Sorry also meant to say the he is generally a good baby and not clingy at all.

Could he be too hot?

I dont think he is too hot as this has been going on for weeks now and the weather was cooler. He just hates the pushchair he immediately stopped crying when I picked him up.

Will he grow out of it?

My son hated his pushchair too but loved being in a front carrier and even now, at 19mo, in a rucksack.

You say that you find him too heavy in a carrier - have you tried a few different ones? At 17 wo, he really shouldn't feel like any weight at all if you've got a good sling that spreads the weight across your shoulders and hips.

My ds2 was exactly like this, started off fine in the pram then went completely off it. I just had a complete pram break and used my Moby ( wrap sling) this was fantastic and I carried him in it constantly until the age of about 7 months, and he is a big baby. Still took the pram out to put shopping in, though!

One day, when he was about 7 months I just gave the pram a try and he was fine (it is rear facing). He is also fine in the forward facing one I keep in the car now. He's 11 months and we have no pushchair issues at all with him now, so ime yes, they do grow out of it.

I would forget the pram for a while, but keep tyring it at regular intervals because you never know when he will decide it's ok! For my ds2 I think it was when he found he was getting a better view of the world from the pushchair becuase I didn't use the Moby forward facing.

Good luck!

Pandapooch, I could have written your post - in fact I posted something very similar only yesterday. My DD is neary 15weeks and has seriously gone off the pram too

It started a few weeks back, I thought it was because I had changed it from rear facing pram to forward facing stroller, but in hindsight, she was showing signs of hating being wheeled about in the pram before that ( i thought she was getting to big for it to be that way around) and she has also had days in the forward facing version where she has been quite happy and even fallen asleep.

My DD has the majority of her daytime naps in the pram either in the kitchen or out in the garden and so I know she doesn't have a dislike of the pram overall, just being walked about when she is not in the mood, it seems!

I am getting miserable too as it just makes me not want to go out either but
I have got a front baby carrier - just a cheapy £20 one from Mothercare - that I am going to try using when I can. Didn't think about taking the pram out too, to carry everything tho (was thinking that I would have to fit it all in the changing bag and on my shoulder .

I am really hoping it's just a phase...let me know how you get on!

curlyLJ I have just read your post, seems we are living through the same problems. Its horrid isn't it?. I feel like a prisoner some days. I have taken ds out in his carrier, he likes it at first but when he gets tired he starts crying. Think I will have to take the carrier and pushchair and see how we get on. Today a friend is letting me use her stroller to see how he reacts in that. Maybe he just hates his own pushchair?I will let you know how we get on.

Pandapooch, yes it is horrible. we were out and about today and as it was so sunny I couldn't, or wouldn't, put DD in the carrier as I didn't want her in the sun, so she had to go in the pram. She was OK for a bit, then got cranky but was tired...took her out to feed her a bit then she went to sleep (in the pram ) but then when she woke up she was back to crying to come out again.

I really don't get it. I don't want her to start to hate the pram completely, but part of me thinks that as I know she's fed, clean etc and there's nothing 'wrong' as such, that she is just going to have to get used to it and cry/moan. but is that going to create more bad associations with the pram and make this a long-term problem??

Have you had any more luck?

I also have a pushchair problem with ds.
It started when he was 3 months old, he is now 7 months old and will tolerate being in his pushchair very rarely. I've tried everything, I even bought a new pushchair.

Ds lives in his Ergo carrier, it does have it's pluses, traveling on public transport is much easier. But I do wish that someday he'll be able to sit in his pushchair without crying or complaint

Buttonnosedsausage my problems started when ds was approx 3 months, I feel your pain. Since Saturday we have been out 4 times in a borrowed pushchair and no tears, I wont start dancing yet as its early days but he seems happier. This pushchair is much roomier than ours so maybe he just needed more space. I am keeping everything crossed.

Pandapooch I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you too, it's good to know that the problem can be solved - well before they can walk anyway