Can't leave the house with 4month old

[Goatlegs40]

FTM here going slightly crazy with fussy 16week old baby who has recently started rejecting all modes of transport meaning I'm stuck in the house all day everyday.. I have always been fairly happy with a low-key life, I don't have many friends and I'm not expecting to be out all day everyday but I've gone a couple of weeks now without going anywhere during the week days and I am sure LO is as bored as I am! It's not reflux related as far as I can tell. I think some of its linked with the sleep regression, as he seems to associate some things with naps and he massively rejects sleep and anything associated with a sleep routine. The regression has been rough overall. Husband is brilliant and does the bedtime routine to give me a break and I get out a bit more over the weekends when he can cover it and I can express some milk to leave him in case LO needs a feed whilst I am out.

Just wondering if anyone else has been through this, if anything helped and how long it lasted. Here's what we've tried:

• I used to take him for daily walks in the bassinet pram but he only goes for about 5mins before crying now.
• we've tried the pram with the upright seat attached in a reclined position, again only tolerates for 5-10mins if at all.

-screams as soon as he goes into the car seat, even if it's in the house. I've tried putting him in the seat at all times of WW and tried to make it fun. We have toys and mirrors to distract him. We have someone sit in the back of the car with him but the makes no difference. Walk him to the car, he's screaming. Screams for the full journey. Has never fallen asleep in the car. Has thrown up because he cries so much in the car.

• used to be great in the carrier, and would nap in there for longer periods. Now won't go into the carrier if it's close to nap time and occasionally tolerates it during his wake window but mostly cries until we take him out again.

Any ideas? Thanks

Have you checked the fit of the car seat re head huggers and strap height?

Same for the carrier - do you need to widen the base panel if he's grown?

When you're out with the carrier and the pram, are you walking fast? Dawdling leads to grumpy babies in my experience 😅

Just keep trying!

wheel the pram and let him cry a bit - if you aren’t going out at all he’s never gonna get used to it!!

maybe try a sling library to try a few options and see if one suits better than the one you have

I would let mine cry a bit. He would cry indoors or outside so no difference really. Fed and changed and into sling or pram and just walk 20-30 mins. At least you both get fresh air, baby is comfortable and has needs met

gradually they start liking it and watch the world or fall asleep

My granddaughter is 16 weeks, she was crying dreadfully in her car seat up until Saturday when my DD took out the newborn padded bit in the car seat. It’s like a miracle, she’s been in the car a few times now since Saturday and no crying, she actually falls asleep.

I went through this with my DS at around the same age and I used to dread going out because I knew he would cry in whatever mode of transport I chose! Stick at it for your own sanity, even just 15 mins per day round the block for some fresh air. My DS grew out of that phase after a while and although he still isn't great in his pram or car seat, he does much better now he can hold a toy or snack. It wont last forever :)

Sounds like we just need to keep trying! I've been going out everyday and letting him cry in the pram for most of the walk, but no improvement yet. I am fast walker! We've adjusted the car seat and carrier without the newborn inserts.

Heading out in the pram this morning and the carrier later today hopefully for a longer walk, will have to accept crying for a good chunk of it. One day I guess he might enjoy it!

My daughter cried every time she was in the pram, seat or sling for the first 4 months. I had to roll with it switching between things and not going too far from home. She started to improve at 4.5 months and then only slept if walked in the pram from 5 months.
She was diagnosed with severe silent reflux at 18 weeks and cmpa which I think helped immensely. What makes you think it can't be reflux?

Noise cancelling headphones

@Superscientist not ruling out reflux, but he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms of it other than rejecting thr pram/car seat/carrier. Plus he has been ok in them all since birth but recently has rejected them all. I thought if it was reflux it would have caused an issue earlier on as well

Ps I've already cut dairy out of my dairy because that seemed to cause a reaction (mucas poop)

My daughters reflux steadily got worse over the first few months, peak reflux is around 4 months so it could be that it's wasn't that bothersome but now is. 4 months is a tricky time as there's developmental stuff going on too. With my daughter there was a steady progression of more and more scenarios where she was unhappy mostly between 8 and 17 weeks, within a week of high dose reflux treatment and me being dairy and soya free she was a different baby.

Have you also tested soya? Half of babies are allergic to both dairy and soya as the proteins are so similar - which is why it makes such a good dairy replacement!

Have you tried carrying him in the sling at home to figure out if it’s something to do with the position (in which case you could try different slings or sling positions, eg my baby isn’t a big fan of inward facing but he loves the sling if he can face outwards) or if it’s being outside?

@Cinai2 we've tried inside and outside. LO is slightly too young for outward facing but il be trying this as soon as we can!