Sleeping slumped forward in carseat! :(

[expat-mama]

We recently switched from our infant bucket seat to a convertible. DS always falls asleep in the car and used to do so peacefully in his bucket seat, but now in his convertible seat he falls asleep and his head falls forward and bounces around waking him up and making him (and us!) miserable! He also gets a nasty red mark on his chin from the harness. We're on the most reclined setting and we've shoved a towel under the front part and everything.

Also, I'm paranoid he'll block his airway slumped like this.

Is there a solution for this? Some kind of pillow or...something? I feel so terrible watching DS wrench his poor little neck again and again when he falls asleep. I miss our bucket seat!

[EchoSoul]

What carseat is it? I've done a lot of research(before I become a mom :D) and there are brands that recline further back than others. Perhaps yours isn't reclining back enough? Is their airspace around his head? You may need a snug head wrap.

[Llyra]

Check the angle of recline. It should recline 45 degrees. It can take some effort to get some convertibles to recline to that angle-- a pool noodle can help a lot, if you can find one (not so easy this time of year.)

[mama2soren]

Originally Posted by Llyra 

Check the angle of recline. It should recline 45 degrees. It can take some effort to get some convertibles to recline to that angle-- a pool noodle can help a lot, if you can find one (not so easy this time of year.)

Or a tightly rolled towel! 

[DahliaRW]

Don't trust the recline bubble indicators on the seat either.  I've had them be way off.  Check the angle yourself and see if you can recline it more.

[expat-mama]

Thanks for the replies.

It's a safety first alpha omega (I know, I hate it, but we're stuck with it for now).

We do have a towel shoved under the front, but maybe it's still not enough? The only indicators for the angle are these lines that say "Level with ground" so it's really our best guess. Maybe there is some way to use a level on it. I guess we'll try the pool noodle (it's pool season all year round here :) )or adjust the towel even more.

Is a "snug head wrap" something I can buy, or is there some way I can wrap something around his head?

[lexapurple]

Look for infant neck pillow. I don't think that putting anything under your seat is safe.

[Mom2M]

Can you put him back in his bucket seat or did he outgrow it? I had the same problem with DD1 and it seemed like nothing worked except someone holding her head up, lol, not a practical solution. She also fell asleep all the time in the car.

[plantnerd]

Yes, try a neck pillow, but don't be surprised if he pulls it out and falls asleep with his head slumped LOL.  I would worry if he were a two month old, but an almost 7 month old is going to configure themselves to comfort, and have a much sturdier neck, he will move it if he can't breathe well (assuming he has normal muscle tone).  My boy was the king of this, and that was also about the time he started sleeping in his crib a bit and would turn himself tummy down, curled up, butt in the air (very cute, very funny).  After back to sleep it freaked me out, but then I figured, if he can get himself into that position, he can also get himself out.

[mama2soren]

Originally Posted by lexapurple 

Look for infant neck pillow. I don't think that putting anything under your seat is safe.

Using a towel or pool noodle to adjust the recline on a seat IS safe.  Dorel (the maker of the OP's seat) has instructions on how to use a towel/noodle to do just that in their manual.

Here's a good resource for helping parents estimate the RF angle of their seats.  The bubble indicators and stickers aren't always precise.  In fact, my friend's Complete Air seat (also a Dorel seat) has the sticker on it so skewed that to make the line level with the ground, the seat would be at about 60* reclined!!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Neck pillows aren't at all safe unless they came with your seat (and so were actually crash tested with it) but even less safe with a baby who wouldn't be able to move it if they got on their faces. Dorel seats are wicked upright RF just by design. Likely you might need a three noodle stack to get the correct angle you are looking for. Th PP has a great link that shows how to make it work...

[LionessMom]

i had to use 2 large bath towels tightly rolled under where the seat belt is to get it reclined enough and still be in tight enough it didnt wiggle around. if his head is slumping forward then it is nor reclined enough. get another towel.... is it still rear facing? i am assuming.

[an_aurora]

It's perfectly fine, safe and acceptable to adjust the recline using noodles or rolled towels.  Check to see if your Alpha Omega has a detatchable base.  There is a rod under there that slides off and the base comes off of most models of the AO/3-in-1 seat.  That will help with the install and it also takes up less room in your car.  

Rest assured that a 6+ month old baby is not in danger of losing his airway, assuming he is neurotypical.  It's more of a comfort thing, and if his head is flopping forward it can be reclined to the full 45* if necessary to get him comfy.  Double check the recline with a level, or a paper triangle or a leveling app on a smart phone.

It is NOT safe to put a pillow in there, and it won't do any good anyway since his head is bobbing forward, and the pillow will do nothing but add to that.

[Lilygoose]

Just wanted to let you know I had the same seat and the same problem (i hated that seat, for many reasons, this being one of them).  We were never able to get it resolved and my DD had the same issue with her new seat (Complete Air), until she stopped sleeping so much in the carseat.  I didn't try all of these suggestions though-We did put a tightly wrapped towel underneath it, but this was more to get a tight install.  She actually just outgrew this seat rearfacing by height (its our back-up seat) and now is FF in it, although she has a bit to go in the Complete AIr, thank goodness.