https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 14 May 2026 08:05:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2661849 Tue, 06 Dec 2016 08:15:40 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2661849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jaguar: We are going through it as well. Nothing helps. </p> <p>The only thing that slightly occasionally helps is rolling down her window just a few inches so it creates a lot of white noise and some air flow. </p> <p>Now that she's a bit older she will kinda play with a toy if you sit next to her and dangle it where she can grab and reach and pull it to her mouth. </p> <p>We may try to find a baby tv show on the iPad and let her watch that. Its just not fair to make her scream for a 30 min drive. </p> <p>She will happily sit in the car seat in the house or in the stroller. As soon as its in the car she freaks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2661838 Tue, 06 Dec 2016 07:17:29 +0000 FaithFertility 2661838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jaguar: AJ too not too bad but definitely not a, fan </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2661835 Tue, 06 Dec 2016 07:09:02 +0000 mrswin 2661835@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We ended up moving DD to the convertible seat at 4.5 months. It seemed to be better for her because it didn't irritate her reflux. And the screaming gradually improved, now she is usually pretty happy in the car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2661822 Tue, 06 Dec 2016 05:09:40 +0000 jaguar 2661822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are going through this now - every car trip is hell. Tried the head rest trick and she hates it just the same. Gahhhhh. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635323 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 17:28:55 +0000 DesertDreams88 2635323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a car-seat-hater from 0-3.5 months. You have tried a lot of things and gotten good suggestions above, one more idea: use a white noise machine/app/radio static (it might drive you &amp; DD crazy, but then again so does the crying!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635286 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:48:15 +0000 peaches1038 2635286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS hated the car seat when he was little. My coworker suggested dipping his binky into gripe water and it seriously was a miracle. I kept a bottle in the car and would dunk it every time we put him in. Sometimes I would have to redunk, but usually he fell asleep! I also would roll down the windows and the breeze seemed to help. And constant singing. But it could only be me singing, not the radio or DH. He was a big fan of "in the jungle". Good luck. The screaming in the car is enough to make you crazy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635283 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:44:05 +0000 snowjewelz 2635283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: Yeah she usually watches videos or plays with my phone too :meh: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635281 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:40:22 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2635281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: same for us about the recline. </p> <p>We switched to the convertible pretty early, like around 6m and it didn't make a huge difference. What finally helped was when he could watch something on the iPad. Not ideal but I always felt like someday I was gonna crash from the stress of his screaming and so some extra screen time was worth it! At one point in the infant seat I was able to get him to sleep and then transfer to car seat and he'd stay asleep... but that didn't always work and it never worked in the convertible seat. </p> <p>Hang in there! I feel your pain. To this day I feel resentful in a weird way when I see moms toting their sleeping angel babies about in the car seat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635279 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:35:55 +0000 Silva 2635279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: he was just quiet for two twenty minute trips after I removed the head rest 🙏 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635276 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:33:46 +0000 snowjewelz 2635276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD disliked the car seat too; I think it did help to switch her to a convertible "early" at 9 months. I think she mostly hated being so reclined and couldn't see anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635257 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:44:13 +0000 catlady 2635257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The pacifier was the only thing that worked for us. She wouldn't take one while I was on maternity leave, but somehow her daycare teachers got her to take one at around 3 months old and she became addicted. It was like night and day once she started using the pacifier. She literally only just stopped using one in the car at age 2.5 (she gets carsick very easily, which may have contributed to her hating cars, so we let her keep the pacifier for car rides for a really long time). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635250 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:28:48 +0000 Smurfette 2635250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO hated hated the car seat. I tried to put her in it every day even if we stayed home all day, to try and get her use to it. It did help taking out the head support. But really it just took time. If she fell asleep and the car stopped, she would wake up and cry. It was really stressful so I feel for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635248 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:26:58 +0000 jape14 2635248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son hated the infant carseat and was much happier once we switched him to a convertible (we have the Maxi-Cosi Pria and switched him around 7 months). He had reflux which apparently can be exacerbated by the angle of the bucket seat. I only wish I had switched him sooner! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635246 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:21:16 +0000 pwnstar 2635246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am so sorry--that is beyond stressful! It makes every minute an absolute eternity. I have had some luck with playing music loudly and singing along while reaching back trying to hold his hand. I have held a pacifier in once or twice (he won't take one anymore). The only thing that works reliably is keeping the car moving (so yeah, no real help there). I just try to keep talking/singing and hope he calms down. (And I sing everything to him-from Fancy to Frozen to Hotel California!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635243 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:14:46 +0000 katsupgirl 2635243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd lose my mind. Maybe have him sit in the seat in the house to get him more adjusted. Maybe Pump and feed him a bottle in the seat right before you leave. Those would be my desperate attempts. I hope it gets better soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635241 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:14:08 +0000 Portboston 2635241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a long and difficult labor/birth. DS was posterior and turned about 30 hours in when he was already in the birth canal. He HATED the car seat. We tried everything as well including buying a new convertible car seat. Finally I took him to a chiropractor and within two visits he was 90% better in the car seat!!! It was like night and day. She attributed it to the long labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635237 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:07:19 +0000 MrsKRB 2635237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sing the wheels on the bus the WHOLE ride, it's the only thing that works for us, haha. Dd is just about 4 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635233 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:03:09 +0000 Corduroy 2635233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry. That can be so stressful. Have you determined that it's the car and/or car seat? It took me a long time to figure out LO hated the car seat because I was her pacifier and I obviously wasn't doing that job while driving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-hates-the-car-seat#post-2635231 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:57:25 +0000 Silva 2635231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 9 week old hates the car seat. Screams and screams.<br /> This is unfortunate because not only is he a second born (and therefor largely on his sisters schedule), but we also live 40 minutes from the closest large town and 20 minutes from sisters preschool. I'm trying to minimize driving but there isn't a lot I can do.</p> <p>He will scream for an entire 45 minute car ride. I've tried: nursing before, not nursing before, music, no music, dangling toys (including black and white images which normally will entertain him endlessly). I've removed the infant insert (going to take out the head rest now). I make sure the sun isn't in his eyes. I've had some minimal success holding a pacifier in his mouth (he won't take the soothie- I just ordered two more brands to try).</p> <p>Any other ideas? I'm seriously considering installing the next fit (he's in a Chico infant seat) to see if it makes a difference.<br /> I am slowly going crazy..... </p>