Baby HATES THE CARSEAT. Help.

[Feedingnightmare]

Hi all

DD2 is 3 months old and my GOD. Every single journey is a fucking nightmare. She screams from the second I put her in the carseat to the second I frantically latch her onto my boob for comfort whenever we arrive anywhere. Screams like I'm bloody amputating a limb off her. DD1 was like this but only once she was a bit older and just didn't like being rear-facing. I literally haven't been anywhere that's further than a 30 min drive because I cannot take the screaming. I took the newborn insert out in case it was making her feel squished - no difference.

I doubt there is a solution but just needed to vent.

I won't lie - I felt smug about it at the time, but it was more luck than judgement - I didn't drive, and the car seat made the travel system more compact for taxis / buses and the tube!!

All my sympathies for you. My 9 month old screams and screams almost all journeys irrespective of how long she is sat. The only time it got better for my elder child is when I put them into a front facing seat. I feel your pain.

Yes it's shit. Our eldest HATED the car seat. We used to drive with constant crying, nothing worked. When she started walking at 12 months, we would strap her in (pretty tight) because she was like Houdini. Once on the main road (1 minute into journey). I'd look in the mirror to check on her and she'd be standing on the seat next to her spot, not in the car seat, laughing. I'd have to pull over and get her back in, thinking ffs this isn't normal. We were always checking child locks were on doors too. Anxious few years that was. I still to this day wonder how the hell she got out the straps. Contortionist child.

Thanks all for your solidarity. She won't take a dummy (or a bottle but that's for another day). Her carseat used to fit into a travel system but I have a toddler too so we usually use the double buggy for walks and not her car seat.

There have been maybe 3 or 4 instances where she's actually been fine in the car seat and dozed off... I don't know how to make those stars align again.

This was my LO, I genuinely can’t believe we didn’t have a car accident at some point which sounds such a horrific thing to say but driving with volume 100 screaming is very challenging. I really avoided going anywhere.

I used to play nursery rhymes or miss Rachel (YouTube) just the audio so she could hear the singing and she loved that, it was revolutionary. Then that stopped working but once we moved up to the next car seat at 18 months she was completely fine, still rear facing but I think it just gave her more room and higher up so she can see out the window.

Timing with naps didn’t work for us as she’d get so worked up she wouldn’t fall asleep but now she drops off peacefully for a nap in the car no tears x

Both my DC were like this, DS2 worse..I dreaded having to go in the car with him, if he did ever fall asleep any stopping, however briefly, would set him off, complete nightmare! So deep sympathy!
Only improved once moved to forward facing, not heard a peep since