5 month old suddenly hates the car

[Karenah86]

Up until yesterday my DS has been absolutely fine in the car and would mostly drift off quite happily. However yesterday I drove to my parents which is about an hour away. I'd timed it so he would be due a nap thinking he'd get a good sleep on the way. He stayed awake about half the way, then started moaning, which quickly escalated to screaming 😩 I pulled over to try and comfort him and tried feeding him. He calmed down once we'd stopped but started screaming again as soon as we were moving. He also screamed all the way home which was very traumatic! I have no clue how he can go from being absolutely fine in the car one week, to screaming the place down the next. I've got a dentist appointment tomorrow and dreading the drive even though its only about 20 mins. Just wondering if anyone else's little ones have gone through a phase like this - I'm praying it is just a phase as I can't avoid car journeys for ever!

It's a phase. My LO used to do it, does he have any little toys you could give him to occupy himself?
Granted if he drops them their lost till you stop but I used to give him afew.
You can also get things that strap over the seat to occupy them.

Everything's a phase.

Just push through.

Maybe try music/nursery rhymes in the car. And toys/activity bar so he has something to do. It may just be that he is suddenly old enough to be bored!

@ApplesandBananas21 so glad it's a phase! How long was your little one like it just out of interest? Toys are a good shout! He does have a mobile thing that wraps around the handle of the seat but maybe I'll try something different! These babies do love to challenge us!

@NuffSaidSam I'm beginning to learn that everything's a phase! I'll definitely give the nursery rhyme CD a go! Was singing at the top of my lungs yesterday which did calm him down for a bit! He is a very inquisitive baby so probably is bored in the car with nothing to distract him!

Is he comfy and the seat is in the correct position for his age

It's a phase, I've found most things I have stressed myself out with have come to pass pretty quickly with DS (now 9 months). I always used to time car journeys with naps and he did have one day where he just absolutely lost it wailing in the back of the car refusing to sleep. He only did it again a couple more times that week then moved past it.
I still try and time journeys with naps but obviously life doesn't work like that so generally I make sure he has a few toys back there, and one of those backrest mirrors so we can see eachother (best thing I've ever bought). He is generally quite content in the back of the car now but does still get grumpy if we have had to be in and out of it a few times, he just gets bored but so would I if I wasn't driving!

@flameprincess that's so reassuring it's just a phase! I really hope my DS is like yours and only does it a couple more times (or not at all!) Definitely going to try a few toys tomorrow, see if that helps! Yeah I guess it's quite understandable that they would get bored in the car, especially on longer journeys! Might stick to the shorter journeys for now, my parents will just have to visit us instead ☺️

Have you had a good rummage in the seat and felt the straps? Just wondering if something has made him uncomfortable all
of a sudden. Or maybe the clothes he was wearing yesterday dug in in a pressure point (car seat straps pressing on a button on his top / chest or a popper in the nappy area etc)?

Failing that, have you checked that the car seat doesn't need adjusting now he's bigger (for example the Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix had a wedge that you need to remove to create more space once no longer a newborn size). Check the manual.

Was it especially sunny? Could something have reflected the sun into his eyes in a new way?

@stuckinarutatwork all very good points! We've got a Joie car seat and have removed the newborn insert already. Will check the straps tomorrow when I put him in. Although he seems fine just sitting in the seat, its when the car starts moving he gets upset 🤷🏼‍♀️ It was sunny and hot yesterday so not sure if he was too warm maybe. I did have the windows open to try and get some airflow. It's all trial and error I suppose! Hopefully something will help him be a bit happier in the car again 🤞🏻