Baby suddenly crying in the car

[eeeex]

My DD is 7 1/2 months and has started getting really upset in the car. She had always been fine in the car from birth up until around a month ago. Sometimes we can time a journey to tie in with a nap and she will fall asleep but once she wakes she will begin making stressed sounds until she starts absolutely bawling her eyes out. She's fine if I am able to sit in the back with her but if I'm driving alone she will continue to scream.
We've tried so many things, adjusting her seat straps, sitting her forward facing, we've bought an activity thing that hangs over the back of the seat, I talk to her, sing to her and nothing works unless I stop and get her out of the car.
I am at a complete loss and don't know what else to do, I used to love taking her out but I dread every car journey now because it is just so stressful. Please tell me she will grow out of this 😢

Mine did that. For us, she’d grown and the car seat was uncomfortable. A new, much bigger, car seat completely solved the problem for us. Perhaps your issue is different but there WILL be a reason and it’s up to you to keep trying different changes until you discover it.

Good luck!

She's been in a bigger car seat for a few months now and we have adjusted the straps to allow more room. I have checked everything and just don't know what it could be.

Could you put her in the front seat next to you so she can see you? Obviously only if the airbag can be turned off and she's rear facing x

For us I hadn't realised she had outgrown the car seat and wasn't as comfortable in it 🙈

Our front seat doesn't have isofix and I'd feel unsafe without it 😢

What sort of seat is it? Generally the isofix doesn't make it any safer and if it stops her from getting upset it might be worth it!

This is the seat we use for her:

https://www.online4baby.com/ickle-bubba-rotator-360-spin-group-0123-car-seat-black-0-12-years?gadsource=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI49SdyvfSggMVMpFQBh0KoAEoEAQYASABEgLKyfDD_BwE

Mine was the same for a phase of many months and we never found a real solution, I just started using public transport more. She got over it around 18mo when she could start having a (sort of) conversation with the driver.

We did find vtech toys help (but they drive the adults bonkers) - we had one that was shaped like car keys. It used to go "Shake the KEYS!" in a manic voice and then if she shook them it said well done. You can attach it to the car seat via an elastic key chain so it can be retrieved if dropped.

I'm sure I'll be criticised by some on here but it was the last resort and it worked an absolute treat. I tied a plastic file thing for paper (that you put in folders, can't remember the name of them!) to the back headrest and slid the iPad in so could play something for the journey.

DS is now 20 months and no longer requires it but it saved me on drives when I couldn't concentrate and ultimately made it safer! The other thing we did was change car seats and he now seems to actually enjoy getting in the car!

We did exactly the same as the PP. Phone in a plastic wallet with CBeebies on when he woke up. Stopped the screaming overnight. He didn’t watch any other television until 2 so I don’t feel too bad about it!

Of course isofix is safer.

OP she will grow out of it or you'll find something that helps. Safety is not to be trifled with.

It could be the darker afternoons

Isofix is only safer in general as it removes any user error in fitting a car seat with a seat belt. If someone fits a car seat perfectly with that is just fitted with the seatbelt, isofix is no safer

If I'm travelling with my husband I go in the back and show baby videos on my phone 🙈 but genius idea about the plastic wallet when I'm driving alone with her! Stealing that!

We also resorted to the ipad! Wish i'd known about the cheap plastic wallet hack though ha, we splashed out on a tablet holder that buckles around the headrest. It was the only screentime he got, and only on journeys over 30 mins so I don't feel too guilty about it.