Suddenly Car Sick after changing car seats (Maxi-Cosi Mica Eco i-size)

[BrightLimeBear]

Hello, so we are having such an awful time with my daughter being relentlessly car sick since changing her car seat! She was in an infant car seat but had to change as it’s only up to 15 months (she will be 15 months in a few days). We changed the car seat about 2 weeks ago and since then we haven’t had a SINGLE journey where she hasn’t been sick. It started off that she would get roughly 20 minutes into a journey and be sick, but today we got only 6 minutes into the journey and a similar amount of time on the way back. So it seems to be getting worse?

We have tried everything. Rearfacing, forward facing, taking the headrests off so she can see out the rear window, having the front seat down so she can see out of the front window when front facing (we would use the middle seat but it doesn’t have isofix). We have shields on both the side windows so she can’t really see out (although they aren’t totally black). I even saw a tiktok about having them sniff a lemon - didn’t work! It really has come out of the blue since we changed her car seat, which is obviously bigger & more upright compared to her infant seat (maxi-cosi pebble 360 pro was her infant one. She’s now in the maxi-cosi Mica Eco i-size).

Has anyone else had this problem, especially after changing car seats or with this specific seat?! Is there anything we can do to fix it?? The only thing we haven’t tried is taking her in my husband’s car which is smaller than mine and a little lower too. I don’t know if changing the car seat would help, and if so which seat?

My parents live 2 1/2 hours away and I’d got into a rhythm of going to visit them with my daughter every couple of months but there is just no way I can do that with her like she is right now! We also live in quite a rural location, although there is a bus that runs every hour into the closest city so I can get out & about, but obviously not quite as simple & easy as the car. But I am only taking the bus at the moment for obvious reasons!

Thank you so much in advance

Hi OP,
Firstly, is your daughter at the weight or height limit of the infant carrier? If she isn’t, you don’t need to move her yet. Seats are height or weight based, the age range is simply a guidance and is based on an average centile child.

Once she’s outgrown the infant carrier, try keeping the car cool, so either air con on and circulating or window open a little. Thin layers of clothing to keep her cool. Avoid food/milk 30 mins before. An earth belt or anti static strap for the car. If possible stick to smoother, less bumpy or twisty roads, and make sure whoever is driving is considerate with gear changes, acceleration, braking and cornering. I’ve also heard of people having a dance around before they get in the car to get them used to the movement.
Removing the headrest and completely blanking out the side windows should help too. This will encourage her to look out the back window and enable her inner ear to match what she sees. It’s the imbalance in her visual input of looking out the side window and what the inner ear feels that causes the sickness.
Finally, consider a belted seat that isn’t on an isofix fix base so that the seat is closer to the ground.
I’d really avoid turning her FF. She’s very young to be FF and it often doesn’t change sickness.
Good luck.

Thank you so much for this thorough response!! I really appreciate it. She is about 2cm below the height restrictions but was starting to look very squished in the other car seat, but I have considered seeing if we can squeeze another few weeks out of it. Although will then face the same problems when we go back to this car seat so not sure if it’s worth it!

I will definitely try blacking out the car and keeping her cool, thank you. I do think that my car is particularly bumpy in the back, so from what you’ve said I am going to try my husband’s car to see if it is any different. I am not particularly prone to car sicknesses but sitting in the back of my car is definitely less comfortable than his somehow!

I haven’t heard of an Earth belt or static strap but will have a look, thank you. And yes I had wondered about a non-isofix seat so will have a look into that too.

Thank you again!

I think the anti static things are found to not be effective. But agree with everything else - defo second putting her back into the infant seat (the age is just a guide), and maybe see about a belted ERF seat. I wonder if it is being so high up on the spinning base which is causing the car movements to feel elevated?

You could try putting the Maxi Cosi seat in your husband's car and trying the belt fitted one in yours maybe. Either a cheaper one like Graco Extend LX or a longer lasting one like Axkid Move.

A lot of it is driving style. The seat may not be helping, but heavy-footed driving is the main issue. I can only be a passenger with very few drivers! l