Help! Going on a trip and baby screams in the car seat

[Gingham17]

I have a 15 week old baby girl who used to like the car seat when she was a newborn and would often fall asleep. Lately she gets extremely upset in the car seat to the point where she is red in the face and in tears. The furthest I go is 10 mins away. I try to leave the house when she’s in a wake window so she’s had a sleep and been fed (ebf) and she’s usually fine on the way there. If she’s not tired, she’s happy to stay in the car seat stroller while we’re out but she’s frantic on the way home.‘I’ve tried adjusting the car seat, mirrors, toys, making sure she’s fed etc but it’s becoming so stressful to go out. I sit with her in the back when my husband is driving but I can only distract her for so long. We have a trip coming up and it’s a 2 hour drive. She’ll be 5.5 months by then. I’m looking for advice or if this got better with age? My DD has reflux but its gotten better recently.

Take her on the train and meet dh at the destination

Ah, OP. I sympathise. My son was like this. He grew out of it eventually, but it was hard!
We did all the things you suggested, travel at nap time, after a feed, didn’t always work. We managed a 4 hour drive when he was around 5.5 months. We travelled late (8pm) and after a couple of false starts (had to stop at the first two service stations), he then fell asleep for the rest of the journey.

We moved him out of the infant carrier at around six months (we moved to another country and the infant carrier we had wasn’t legal there, so it was a forced move really). Being slightly more upright helped, especially as he also had reflux. I also think they become much more aware of their surroundings and want to have a good old nosy around.

I have the Nuna arra car seat which I have now discovered reclines! I’ve had it quite upright but I tried it today reclined back a bit more. We did two short trips today and she didn’t cry so I’m not sure if it’s a fluke or if the position is more comfortable for her and clearer for her airways? I’ll need to see how she gets on in the next few days. We’ve got around 8 weeks until our holiday so I hope she’ll improve a bit more by then. My sister has said to leave early ish so it coincides with a morning nap. I just need to hope that she would actually sleep and not miss her window from being upset!