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Original poster

Screaming in car

17 replies

gubbinsy · 14/08/2016 07:58

Any advice to help with baby who screams in car? He is inconsolable and once kept it up for a 40 min journey - haven't dared try a longer one! Have a toy thing in back seat and tried when tired and not tired etc. Very occasionally he has nodded off but only once or twice! Getting to the point I don't want to go in car with him but with toddler that's not practical!
Started to wonder if a difference seat would help - older child was similar although not this bad. Have maxi cosi cabriofix I think. Any miracle ideas?

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MessyBun247 · 14/08/2016 08:02

How old is he?

Could you time journeys to ensure he would be sleeping?

Original poster

gubbinsy · 14/08/2016 08:07

He's 3 months. Unfortunately wakes as soon astounding put him in seat :/ he's a sling napper mostly at the moment.

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Original poster

gubbinsy · 14/08/2016 08:07

Not sure where that astounding came from!

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GenevaJoey · 14/08/2016 08:08

How old is your baby? My baby was like that for the first 6 weeks, it was so stressful. She is so much better now -good job, as we have been doing a lot of very long journeys recently (she is now 10 weeks old).

Some things I do:

Make sure she is well fed and most importantly well burped before she goes in the car seat. I think the position in the car seat means she cannot bring wind up easily.

Dress her in pyjamas or cover with light blanket/Muslim :the air conditioning creates draughts that annoy her.

My baby has certain music/songsnshenlikes. I play those really loud when she gets upset and it calms her down.

My baby is much calmer when driving on motorways/countryside. The stop start of driving in towns is disturbing for het.

I also use a mirror so we can check how she is doing. Sometimes we just have to let her cry. It's grim though. I hope it passes for you, like it has done for us.

Believeitornot · 14/08/2016 08:09

Could be too hot or uncomfortable. I wouldn't put him in much apart from a vest and use layers if you need to cover him.
Also check the straps.

CousinChloe · 14/08/2016 08:09

I introduced a dummy for just this situation. Took a few goes for her to get the hang of it and several stops to replace, but definitely helped.

mummytofourbabies · 14/08/2016 08:11

My Dd was exact same it was so stressful especially if I was in the car alone with her.
She's 7 months now and only in the last 2 months has she decided she quite likes the car.
She's in a stage 1/2 car seat now-rear facing but she much prefers it as she's sitting upright.
I fee your pain. Hope he settles in the car soon

Original poster

gubbinsy · 14/08/2016 08:18

Thanks all. I had wondered about temp so will try different versions of that. He just spits dummy out I'm afraid - have been trying for ages to get him to take it for any length of time (also so he'll sleep in pushchair but that's another thread!).

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Dixiechick17 · 14/08/2016 19:34

Could you disable the front airbag and pop him on the front seat so he can see you instead? My DD was like this sometimes, I used to rock her for a bit in the car seat before putting it in the car. I also found she was quite fascinated with one of those rear seat mirrors.

cherrypiemay16 · 14/08/2016 19:48

Ha! My 3 month old is EXACTLY the same (and with the pushchair too!), it's such hard work, I feel I have nothing up my sleeve in terms of getting him to sleep. He got a little better when he got interested in toys and loves a mamas and papas spaceman toy that hangs across his seat. I've started putting him in the front with me for any longer journeys which helps a bit (he's quite a needy baby). You could try a different car seat, it worked for a friend of mine. Otherwise do what I do and pray for the day he grows out of it/learns to hold the dummy in! I'll probably have him watching a DVD player soon
Not much help sorry but I feel your pain, it is seriously hard because you have to get out the house for your sanity then feel like you're going mad with all the car screaming! Good luck x

bonzo77 · 14/08/2016 19:51

I think it's a phase they go through. All 3 of mine were rotten in the car for the first 6 months or so then improved.

Don't put him in the front. It's not the safest position and you will be too distracted to drive safely. Best to keep journeys as few and short as reasonable and where you have a passenger make them sit with the baby in the back.

Doublemint · 14/08/2016 19:55

My eldest was like this for about 6 months.

I was a mean mum and used to turn the music up and sing along so a) didn't have to hear her b) she could hear my voice and knew she wasn't abandoned.

Oh and I got a mirror thing for the headrest on her seat so she could see me in the rear view mirror.

(I only did this on long journeys back to see my family btw- did boob breaks too)

peachypips · 14/08/2016 19:57

Mine both did this! So annoying. I think it was possibly travel sickness, as they are 8 and 6 now and get sick in the car.
I found the BBC Wheels on the Bus CD and Pat-a-Cake CD turned up fairly loud really really helped.

Diglet · 14/08/2016 20:16

A dummy?
I only used one when I got to DC 4 and had to do a long car journey with all four of them with DC4 screaming.

I bought a dummy and popped it in her mouth and then there was silence - it was miraculous and made me feel a fool for not having tried one earlier.

I didn't have any problems stopping her using it. I just threw them away and that was that - she cried a wee bit but it wasn't traumatic

Runningbutnotscared · 14/08/2016 21:44

Open the back windows a couple of inches especially when driving at speed. A combination of the white noise and a wee rush of colder air puts most babies straight to sleep.

I also used to put on a cd and sing so I didn't have to listen and the baby would know I was there. Don't know if it helped but I felt a lot cheerier.

ODog · 14/08/2016 21:51

Are you me? I have a 3mo DD who screamed so much on a short-ish car journey last night that I stopped twice and she made herself sick with screaming.

DS was the same (but took a dummy so it quite as bad) and here's my experience of stuff that has helped with both of them.

Dummy
Squeaking Sophie at them
Put them in the front
Grp 0/1 seat rather than infant carrier (they are bigger/more upright and they can see out of window.
Singing/talking constantly
Safe/low choke risk snacks when they are old enough.
Time car journeys around naps/put them in seat asleep and go immediately.

All I can say though is that time is the only thing that helps. Not all these work with both kids so it's trial and error. It's awful. I'm a mum who doesn't like cio and am more of the AP persuasion but I have to go out in the car so they have to cry and it breaks my heart.

To give you hope DS is 2.2yo now and pretty much loves car journeys and spotting various exciting vehicles.

Drowsybutawake · 14/08/2016 22:20

Ours was like this for the first year or so. What solved it was 1. A new car seat higher up so he could see out the windows and 2. CDs of nursery rhymes on repeat. Although after an 8 hour trip to Scotland with the same 20 minute CD on a loop I think we were the ones who felt like screaming!

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