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Original poster

Baby hates pram, sling and car seat

16 replies

MaryPenlore · 04/04/2019 17:26

My DS is 8 weeks old and is generally a pretty calm baby - except when I need to take him anywhere! He screams most of the time in his pram, car seat or stretchy wrap and it makes going anywhere pretty stressful. If he's asleep before we leave I can sometimes transfer him successfully still asleep, but otherwise he will just cry for 30 mins plus till he falls asleep or we arrive at our destination. If he does fall asleep he usually sleeps really well (often does 2 hour naps in the sling) - it's just getting off in the first place that's the problem.

Is there anything I can do to make journeys easier for him? Or can anyone give me hope that he'll grow out of it sometime soon? My first DS would always drop off in the sling or pram so this is a bit of a shock to the system!

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WellVersedInEtiquette · 04/04/2019 17:31

We used a cranial osteopath for my son. Really helped relax the tension from a tongue tie and fast labour.

PaddingtonMare · 04/04/2019 17:32

Does he have any reflux or colic?

Woolly17 · 04/04/2019 17:37

DD1 was not a fan of being unable to see what was going on. Even as a very little baby. We found that the babybjorn withher being outward facing was better, as was the stroller... But I think at 8 weeks he might be a bit young still. My mum tells me I was the same... So lots of sympathy but not sure I have any good solutions.

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Hermagsjesty · 04/04/2019 17:41

Might be worth going to a local sling library and trying out a few different slings/ carriers in case he’d be more comfortable in a different position. My DS really, really hated both the pram and the car seat but was v content in a Connecta carrier - it’s quite an upright position for baby which I think he liked.

DelphiMum · 04/04/2019 17:51

Try sling facing out.

seven201 · 04/04/2019 19:36

My daughter only stopped screaming if she was outwards facing in a carrier. Did it before recommended but she had a strong neck and kept a close eye on her.

GookledyGobb · 04/04/2019 19:43

Please don’t face an 8 week baby out in a sling.
My current baby isn’t a sling fan and wants to go sleep while being walked around - which doesn’t work for me practically all of the time. I put her in the sling and dance to crazy music (wham etc) and she goes off to sleep without crying. Worth a try?

Original poster

MaryPenlore · 04/04/2019 20:05

Thanks for the suggestions!

@WellVersedInEtiquette that's interesting, I had a quick second stage of labour but it hadn't occurred to me that it could lead to any issues.

@PaddingtonMare he was diagnosed with reflux at 3 weeks old but seems to have pretty much grown out of any symptoms.

@Woolly17 hmm, I might try using the seat attachment for the travel system as it lies flat, so could just tilt it very slightly so he's a bit more upright and see if he likes that more.

@HerMagsjesty we actually have a connecta, for some reason I thought he was still too little for it but I've just checked and they can be used from birth so will give it a go!

@DelphiMum if he still hates our slings then when he's big enough I'll try borrowing a forward facing one!

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Original poster

MaryPenlore · 04/04/2019 20:07

@GookledyGobb - we've tried rocking/ swaying/ bouncing in the sling, the only thing that sometimes works is bouncing on an exercise ball (not v practical when out and about!)

OP posts:

Valkarie · 04/04/2019 20:15

Ds2 was very similar. Try a one shoulder sling so they can lie across you? That worked with ds2 who hated being in any type of upright sling. We moved him to push chair on low recline at 5 months and next size car seat with appropriate infant bits at 6 or so. He improved with both once he could see out more. Still doesn't like the car, but a lot better.

Ohhellothereladyface · 04/04/2019 20:32

DD also used to scream every time we got in the car, after several car journeys where I was literally crying myself at how upset she was getting we discovered that she had outgrown the car seat inserts, took them out and she was much better. We also went to a cranial osteopath, didn’t find it helped us to get DD to sleep but one of my friends found it really helpful.

GookledyGobb · 04/04/2019 21:46

Rocking/swaying in the sling doesn’t work here either - it has to be energetic dancing while busy (eg I can get her off to sleep by the time I’ve emptied the dishwasher dancing to club Tropicana on repeat). It sounds bizarre I know. Similarly - a stroll/potter with her in the sling will make her cross. Purposeful and busy fast walking from room to room (eg I put things away that have been left all around the house, walking at speed) seems to be fine
My first baby loved to sleep bouncing on the exercise ball. We kept it up for months and both had much better muscle tone for it but it drove us mad!

Car seat - same for us for baby 1 and baby 3. Unfortunately we’ve never found a solution - current baby I have to rock/wobble the seat for her to stop yelling and fall asleep. It makes car travel super stressful I know

This, too, will pass

sewinginscotland · 04/04/2019 21:51

Mine used to hate the pram and the carseat. The pram hatred he just grew out of (luckily he loved the sling!).

For the car seat (that was unavoidable as we live in the country), I found it easier if I just timed my journeys so that we started as he was sleepy and ready for a nap. He dropped off to sleep immediately and made the journey a lot less stressful! Again, he's grown out of crying in the car too and will now fall asleep even if he's not sleepy.

8 weeks isn't a long time to be on the planet, everything is still pretty stressful for them. Although it seems like forever with a baby that screams all the time!

MrBurgessWha · 05/04/2019 12:20

This was my DS OP - I never found a magic trick but he just grew out of it. I would try to head out for a walk and come back crying holding the screaming baby and wheeling an pristine unused pram.

The sling was the first thing he got used to - I found he preferred a more structured sling to the stretchy wrap. I loved my ergobaby.

I’m afraid he never got used to the pram but was much better in the buggy seat attachment when I put him in it at about 11 weeks.

Car seat took the longest for him to get usef to - ended up putting him front facing at 15 months which was way earlier than I’d planned as it was the only way to stop him screaming.

Basically, as with all annoying baby things, it’s just a matter of waiting these things out!!!

PorridgeLove · 05/04/2019 15:12

DC1 liked the ergo, but fought the wrap and the ring sling. My ergo is old so we used the insert for the first months. Always inward facing though. Car seat was not his favourite although he tolerated it. With the pram, it took a few times.

My advice is to make sure that baby (and mother!) is well-fed and rested before you try anything new.

Corilee2806 · 06/04/2019 09:10

Not much advice I can offer you but solidarity because I thought for a second I had written this thread myself! My 4 month old DD is the same. Used to be great in the car and not even too bad in the pram but the more alert she’s got as she gets older, the worse she’s getting! Really sympathise with the stress of getting from A to B, I have the same - and she’s otherwise a pretty happy baby. My diagnosis is that she really just likes to be held (she doesn’t even really like things like the bouncy chair at home) and wants to see everything. I’m counting down the days until we can use the seat for our travel system and she can be outward facing in the sling, but she’s a small baby so I can’t really do it too early. Hoping around 6 months!

I agree with others that the ergobaby is a game changer. I still sometimes have a bit of a battle with her when she first goes in it but when she goes off she will sleep well in it and I can go for walks - even travelled to London to my office with her the other day, much better than the utter nightmare of trying to push an empty pram around the underground! Good luck to you - I keep telling myself it’s all just a phase!

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