[sun-shine01]

My sweet pea is 9 months old today!!!! Just this week as soon as I TRY put her into the car seat she starts arching her back, standing up, and trying to roll over while screaming and crying.

This is really the first time that I have had to deal with a "fit" and I am at a loss as to what to do. I usually pick her back up and hold her until she stops crying and screaming (30 seconds or so) and then try to put her back in. She does the same thing and the cycle continues about 3 times and then she is tired and finally lets me buckle her in but then she just looks so "broken" and I'm left feeling very sad over the whole ordeal. Once she is fastened I usually tickle her cheeks to make her laugh just to try to change the mood but I feel so yucky.

(I can't not put her in the car seat for a while since I work part-time 3 days a week, 3 hours a day and she goes with me)

I have tried to think of what the problem is and I know that she is not hungry, the car seat is very comfortable and fits her size,
the trip is short (20 minutes) and she sleeps. Also, I am not in a rush when we are leaving so I don't think that I am trying to "hurry up and get her in" ya know.

What can I do differently? I am dreading the trip today. I can't take seeing her looking so broken.

 

[Cindi]

I sure remember this, and dread its arrival again with my new baby (now 3 months). The way I see it, the car seat is one of those things that just sucks, and they have to learn to accept it as part of the daily routine. But I would talk to my baby saying something like, "I know how much you hate this. I'm sorry. It's just something we have to do." And would sometimes have to insist physically that ds needed to be strapped in. Then if still crying while driving (and actually with my three month old now) I would talk about how I we were getting close, and I would take him/her in my arms as soon as we arrived, and "I love you so much" and things like that. Actually, to help myself, I sing, making up songs infused with all my feelings of sadness, like "My baby sings the blues, she's got the carseat blues," and so on. With ds I started counting when we turned down our street and eventually he learned it meant we were about to get home, and would calm down.

If it helps, eventually they start to love it--means fun scenery and an adventure. In fact there are times now when ds is crying because he doesn't want to get out, while dd is crying because she wants out.

:

 

[zombiemommie]

My almost 8 month old has started this and it is terrible. I have to drop ds off at preschool and I just get her in finally and then have to take her out for drop off and then back in again. People look at me like I'm trying to murder her with all her screaming. She just keeps flipping and flipping (over, so I can't buckle her). What works is a forbidden thing (my cell phone ringing a funny ring, my keys to hold, one of ds little cars, a "cookie" ((cracker)) anything to distract her. That is working fairly well but she still puts on a show. DS did this too, and it was not fun. He grew out of it and demands to be left in the car now, he is 3. LOL

 

[Corvus]

Just because she is within the weight and height range for the seat, it doesn't mean that it's still comfortable for her.

My daughter started doing this in her infant seat when she was 8 months old. It got to the point that I dreaded going out anywhere, because she always cried and screamed until I took her out and held her. Quick trips turned into marathons because it took me several minutes before I could actually get her into her seat. She was 18 pounds in a 22-pound-limit car seat. Finally a friend suggested I buy a convertible car seat (I knew I would have to buy one soon anyway). I bought a Britax Marathon (which goes up to 65 pounds). She still "fought" me the first few times, but now she rarely fights getting into the seat (now that she "knows" her new seat). She seems way more comfortable in it. And being higher up, she can see out the window.

It made a big difference for us. Maybe it's time to switch your daughter into a larger seat.

 

[sun-shine01]

Thanks for these suggestions. She problem is not so much riding in the car - she calms down as soon as she is fastend in - the problem is getting her fastened into the seat.

(I have already moved her into a Britax Marathon (about 2.5 months ago) so I am sure that the seat is comfortable.

 

[CyndyRR327]

Oh my! We are there too! DS is 9.5 months and hates to get in his car seat, does exactly what everyone else has described. Anyone with older babes, when does this phase end? I hate to put him in there as well, he just hates to get in. But like everyone else said, once in, he finds it's not so bad.

 

[hipumpkins]

We have a toy called puppy tunes. It's legs squeak so when I out DD in her car seat I put puppy tunes down by her feet. She loves to kick him and make music. She also loves books so I give her a book to get her actually turned around. She flips the pages instead of bucking the straps.

 

[lexbeach]

My guys do this sometimes too

:. I can't say I blame them, I certainly wouldn't want to get that tightly strapped into anything either. They also hate getting their diapers changed (don't want to lie still). I think now that babies this age are so mobile, it's like the worst thing in the world to feel that their movement is being restricted.

I don't stop buckling them when they cry/arch/flip/scream. I keep my voice and face happy, offer them a distracting toy, and buckle. They always stop protesting once they are buckled in.

I think the process you are going through right now with getting your dd out and putting her in, and getting her out, and putting her in, etc. is just drawing out the misery. I know it is hard to not comfort your baby as quickly as you can, but it might be more traumatic for her to have you going back and forth.

Good luck!

Lex

 

[sun-shine01]

Again, thanks for the suggestions.

Lexbeach - You are probably right - I need to stop repeating the cycle.

Hopefully this phase will pass soon.

 

[CyndyRR327]

Anyone know when this phase does stop??? Mamas with older babes, please tell me there is an end in sight??