Baby hates the car-- HELP!

[bclare]

My two week old hates the car and it is just tearing me up everytime we have to go somewhere now. I can't pick him up and nurse him and soothe him and feel so badly since he is a happy baby otherwise. We've tried music and singing, and for the first many rides we were very calm ourselves (had my first meltdown while DH was driving yesterday). I have to drive a lot where we live....and even if he is asleep when we put him in the car he wakes up when we start to drive.

Tell me this is just a stage and that he will love the car soon? Any secrets or solutions to getting him to like it more? Should we just keep at it and he will adjust?

[cristeen]

Is he in an infant bucket or a convertible? I know many babies hate the bucket and are much happier when moved to a convertible.

Can you sit in the backseat with him and help keep him calm while DH drives?

[bclare]

He's in an infant bucket, which given the expense and three bases I don't think we can give up quite yet....and I do sit in back with him. I am wondering if this is better or worse...last time I just took himout of the carseat even though we were still driving!

[lucy_v]

Is it too tight on him maybe? We just realized how to loosen the straps on ours, so poor DD was screaming whenever we'd put her in it! ...and she's 6 weeks! (luckily we don't have to drive a lot.)

[sugarpop]

We had a similar problem, our daughter hated the car. Took her to a chiropractor and I swear they fixed her! We had a LONG birth that involved her head not coming down the right way, so I thought maybe something was out of wack with her spine. We went once a week for a 3 weeks then one month later then two months after that. I cannot afford the continued expense but usually they will work with you on cost too! I would say we noticed a huge difference by the time we completed the second visit.

Good luck.

[Alisse]

Our son was the same way. His crying was so bad my heart would break and i'd usually end up crying myself. It got soooo much better after we moved him into a convertible car seat at 4months of age. We still had to deal with a bit of occasional fussiness in the chair but it was nothing compared to how bad he use to cry in the infant seat.

[zion]

My 3 year old was the same way. HATED the car. He would cry every time the whole time. At first I would stop and take him out but it was worse when I had to put him back in there. I felt like I couldnt go anywhere!! I eventually had to realize that he wasn't hungry, he wasn't in pain, all of his needs were met...he just liked to be held all the time. He didnt start liking the car until he was a year old and we could turn him to face the front. And now when we get home he refuses to get out!. I have a 6 week old that is following in his brothers footsteps. He's otherwise happy but hates the car. It's a little easier this time because I see how DS1 loves the car now and has no memory of hating it! Hang in there. It is far worse for the Mamas than it is for the babies. Just keep singing and talking etc so he knows you are there. Someday you will tell your son how much he hated the car when he was a baby and he will look at you like you are crazy!! It wont last forever but it may feel like forever. Good luck!

[nola79]

Mine hated the car, too. It's awful, thankfully we didn't have to drive very much. She is getting used to it, although she doesn't love it.

[berrymama]

My first ds hated the car and our new ds does too. We recently went to see family and he cried the entire 2 hour car ride (despite us stopping to calm him). Two suggestions: White noise instead of music (a channel with no station, blasting pretty loudly). And, with DS1, I was able to lean over his carseat long enough to nurse him to sleep. Not too safe for me, but it worked!

[greenbeanmama]

Originally Posted by berrymama

. And, with DS1, I was able to lean over his carseat long enough to nurse him to sleep. Not too safe for me, but it worked!

Yup, I've done that too! Really, really awkward, but sooo much better than an upset, screaming baby. And we had to drive 45 minutes to get anywhere. We moved when my son was eight months old, and he got a lot better after that - not sure if it was the shorter rides, the age, or something else altogether.

[HeliMom]

I also did the lean over and nurse. For a long time that was the only thing that worked. She's 1 now and doing better.

[blessedwithboys]

Originally Posted by bclare

last time I just took himout of the carseat even though we were still driving!

Originally Posted by lucy_v

Is it too tight on him maybe? We just realized how to loosen the straps on ours, so poor DD was screaming whenever we'd put her in it! ...and she's 6 weeks! (luckily we don't have to drive a lot.)

awww, i've btdt with the screaming, so i can feel your pain. please leave your baby buckled safely while the car is moving! whatever "damage" the crying may do (and i dont dispute there may be some) is nothing compared to what you will feel if your LO is ejected from your arms out the car window. also, make sure the straps are tight enough so that you cant pinch them up in your fingers. again, properly tightened straps may be bothersome to some babies, but loose straps allow for ejection from the seat.

i was a single mom at 17 and yes, i took my baby out of the seat and even nursed him while driving a few times, but that was 15 yrs ago. ds2 is almost 8 and i never ever took him out of the seat and was pretty horrified at myself that i did it with ds1.

(as for turning ff'ing at a yr...i think most of us know now that we should wait as long as possible to switch, even up to 40# or 4 yrs, but i did switch ds2 a bit after his 2st bday bc i just couldnt bear to make him cry anymore.)

it wont last forever, i promise. (((HUGS)))