[Jen78fl]

Hi all. Well my 5 month old daughter seems to hate going out anywhere, grocery stores, restaurants, shops, everywhere. Everytime we take her out she is crying so loud the whole time that she seems to draw everyone's attention. Most people are nice enough, but Im sure its a little disturbing to some. lol Anyway, I am just not sure why she is like this. She is usually happy when she is at home, as long as she is being fed and held enough.. lol But being out theres no way to even calm her down. We bring little toys and things for her to play with but shes just not interested.. And I know she probably gets tired when were out but she just fights going to sleep.. I am just wondering, are there others who are having this problem, and what can I do about it?? We dont really go out much, mainly because DD is so fussy every time.. My son on the other hand loves going out. He will be more fussy at home than when we are out. When he was a baby, as far as I can remember he always loved going out. So they are total opposites! Anyway if anyone has any suggestions for me I would appreciate it.. I would like to be able for all of us to get out of the house sometimes. lol Thanks everyone.

Jen

 

[EnchantedMamma]

I'm sure you've already done so, but I make sure we go on quick trips right after a nap and a feeding. DS always does better that way.

How are you taking her out, and where is the crying?

DS never liked being reclined in his baby carseat (well, not after the first 2-3 mos) in shopping carts or the like. He preferred to look around, so it was always best to carry him in arms, or in the Bjorn (or carrier of your choice). Often he just fell asleep.

As for the car, I always have a CD that calms DS in case he's tired/cranky at the end of our trip.

Maybe a few more details about when she is cranky will help...

 

[2xshy]

DD was like this though perhaps less extreme until about 6 or 7 months.
She just wasn't comfortable when we were out and about unless she was on me in a sling. Do you try wearing her? This helped for us, even though I had to constantly be moving.
it got better around 6 months only because I made an effort to be around people and other places more for longer periods of time.
Now at almost 8 months she is much better and is a lot more easily entertained.

Maybe try going out around when she usually naps, get her in a carrier and have her sleep while you get stuff done.

 

[Jen78fl]

Thanks everyone... Well she is normally in her car seat... I have tried going out right after feeding her, early in the day, around her nap time, none of it seems to matter. lol We have taken her in a sling a few times when she was younger and she did good, so that may be what we need to do again.. I let my husband carry her because hes alot stronger than I am

Hopefully its just a passing phase and will get better soon!

 

[EnchantedMamma]

I would try to consistently take her out so she is used to it. Since you know she may not be amenable, you can just avoid situations where you can't leave if she is too loud/fussy.

I really think that the carrier/sling makes a HUGE difference. They love body contact so much as infants.

Of course, ultimately their personalities are all different. Some are more ok with sensory input, as well.

I hope the sling idea works! (Or a wrap.. try a few types if you can!)

 

[Jen78fl]

thanks enchanted

 

[njbeachgirl]

Henry does best after he is fed and napped- in fact I usually nurse him in the car once we arrive at our destination. I carry him in my Beco- he doesn't like the car seat. He is liking being out more and more as he gets older.

eta: Some babies get overstimulated when facing outward.... do you have a carrier that she could face you in?

 

[kjoy2]

If I carried my babies in a car seat, they would be wailing! We actually ditched the baby buckets very early, even though we only used them in the car, b/c the babies just hated them. We switched to an upright car seat (britax), and they have done much better ever since. Also, if we go out, DH and I wear the babies in Becos. When I'm by myself grocery shopping, I wear one baby on my back in a BEco and one of my front in an Ergo. There is no way I could get anything done without babywearing!! I use a stroller next to never.

So, what I'm saying is, your daughter probably just wants to be next to you, as PPs have said, and maybe she dislikes her baby bucket as much as mine did

As far as carrying, I would really really look into getting a soft-structured carrier that faces baby in towards your body, such as a Beco or an Ergo. Even a mai tei might work. The other benefit is that the soft structured carriers are so much more comfortable, IMO, allowing for a longer carry without aches and pains!

I bet with a little tweaking to your routine, you'll have much better luck getting out with a relaxed baby. Good luck, mama!

 

[Leisha]

Yeah I think taking her out of the car seat is a good idea. My dd hates being in the car seat, unless we're actually in the car and driving. And even then she'll sometimes be unhappy, squirmy etc.

She loves the Beco, though. She prefers being upright instead of being reclined too, so maybe that is part of it.

So I second the recommendation for a good carrier!
Good luck!

 

[Jen78fl]

Thanks everyone for your advice!

 

[The4OfUs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjoy2 So, what I'm saying is, your daughter probably just wants to be next to you, as PPs have said, and maybe she dislikes her baby bucket as much as mine did As far as carrying, I would really really look into getting a soft-structured carrier that faces baby in towards your body, such as a Beco or an Ergo. Even a mai tei might work. The other benefit is that the soft structured carriers are so much more comfortable, IMO, allowing for a longer carry without aches and pains!

TOTALLY agree with this, especialyl the bold. My son was happy as a clam in a stroller, shopping cart, or car seat while out. My daughter had to be worn, and I wore her in a carrier every single time we were out, from about 2 months until she was almost 16 months old - shopping, library with big bro, wherever. She just needed to be close to me. I betcha dollars to donuts if you start wearign her she'll be happy to be out and about with you.

 

[lirpasirhc]

the carrier is the key for dd. she needs a carrier were she can hide her face and/or nurse when tired or over stimulated. a babyhawk has worked really well for us.

 

[Jen78fl]

Well, we tried using the carrier instead of the carseat or stroller and she STILL hated being out

We even took her out right after she woke up in the morning and was fed.. We were able to go to ritz to get some pictures developed, that maybe took about 20 minutes.. She did great in there (in her carseat), but it might have been because there werent a lot of people and it was a small place... Anyway then I fed her in the car and we went to the grocery store and she cried as soon as we got there, and she was in the carrier too.. So Im sure what else to try now! lol

 

[CozMama]

What about walking your neighborhood with her in a carrier and/or at home to get her more used to it. Short daily trips will keep her in practice.

 

[Jen78fl]

That is what I have been telling myself I need to do cozmama! lol Thanks

 

[1littlebit]

i also had to find the best position for ds. he likes to face out... the end. lol. once he was big enough to look at the world in his sling that was it ... he wanted to be able to see everything. if i try a carry (we use a wrap for the most part) where all he can see is me he gets .. um.. very angry.

 

[Jen78fl]

Thanks for that tip littlebit!

 

[The4OfUs]

Yep, I'd agree with that, too. DD did NOT like cradle positions in carriers, at ALL. Had to be upright, and liked to be facing me best.