https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 21 May 2026 20:13:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2512316 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 21:19:20 +0000 DesertDreams88 2512316@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoyfulKiwi: Yeah, for the sitter we recommended making sure he is well-fed and wide awake, or sticking to the highway if it has to be during nap time. She seemed fully on-board with this idea. We also adjusted the schedule so in terms of being in the car, it will be 20 min in the morning, 45 min-1 hr midday, and then 20 min in the afternoon. Also, I just re-watched a video on car seat safety to figure out the right "tightness" of the straps, I've been meaning to do that and your post reminded me. We have a plush hanging toy but I think I need to switch it out for something smaller or with a small noise (... @edelweiss: )Hope C gets over this soon too!</p> <p>@snowjewelz: @mrswin: thanks for the tip about music, I'll have to experiment with that! We'll probably be moving to a convertible seat sooner than planned too, LO is 95th percentile so he is HEAVY! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511995 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:17:39 +0000 mrswin 2511995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I'm so sorry! My DD used to scream non stop anytime we were in the car for more than 5 minutes. She had really bad reflux which I think was aggravated in the bucket seat. We ended up switching her to a convertible seat at 4.5 months before a road trip we had planned. </p> <p>She was happier in the car after that because she was more upright and she could see out the window. Also we bought a CD of nursery rhymes that we play for her while we are driving. She is way better now but still gets pretty antsy if she is in the car for too long. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511711 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:52:30 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 2511711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: ugh, I'm so sorry! It's so stressful to hear the baby wail &amp; not be able to help :crying: Especially since he'll be in the car every day. I don't know if you remember but C hates driving in the car too. Right at 2 months was the worst!! She's almost 12 weeks now &amp; it's getting a little better. I'm hoping she'll grow out of it soon. Here's what's been helping us:<br /> -timing. I know the sitter's got a set schedule, so maybe she can help with this. If C is tired but not asleep, it's the worst because the stop &amp; go wakes her up/won't let her fall asleep. We shoot for wide awake or rocking her in the seat at home so she's asleep when we put her in the car.<br /> -waiting after a feeding to strap her in. If she hasn't burp/spit up then it gets stuck &amp; she's miserable.<br /> -using as loose of strap as is safe.<br /> -dealing with her food sensitivities. Since eliminating dairy, she's been happier in general &amp; car rides are better. </p> <p>We also use a soft hanging toy. It'll only be for a few short weeks and then you can limit trips if you need to! :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511233 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 09:18:51 +0000 snowjewelz 2511233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD just didn't like the carseat either. We had to drive her 30+ minutes each way, 3 days a week, between 3-10 months and it was painful! She didn't scream/cry the whole way, but on and off. Music helps sometimes... </p> <p>She got a little better when we eventually moved onto the convertible pretty early on, like by 8-9 months. Now I have a thing to hold my phone in so she can watch videos. Or I'll keep giving her snacks... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511086 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 07:41:05 +0000 edelweiss 2511086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>with LO1, nothing made him like the carseat. it took a long, long time for him to grow out of it. it was painful. </p> <p>although one thing we didn't try with him was one of those toys that you hang from the handle--we do that for LO2 and i think it helps. it's a little hippo that makes a light chiming noise when it moves. of course there are a ton of hanging toys out there, but i think the sound of this one kinda soothed or interested him enough to make him stop crying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511017 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 04:44:48 +0000 Portboston 2511017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: it's worth a shot! We went to one chiro who claimed she did Cst but didn't really know what she was doing. Once we found someone who was legit, it made a world of difference. My labor was long (36 hours) and LO turned from posterior to anterior a ways into it (at 26 hours) so he was already in the birth canal. The chiro thinks he more then likely had some residual pain from that and the car seat aggravated it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2511006 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:59:37 +0000 ElbieKay 2511006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It took us awhile -- well past six months -- to switch to our convertible seat, but our son was much happier when we finally did. It might be worth the experiment to try one and see if it helps. We only drive on the weekends so it was not as big of a deal for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510977 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 22:42:49 +0000 DesertDreams88 2510977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I can schedule errands around naptime (and I do!) but childcare drop-off/pick-up is what it is :-/ he VERY half-heartedly takes a pacifier but it only stops his crying if someone is holding it in his mouth for most of the time. </p> <p>@Portboston: interesting! I have a chiropractor that I loved for pregnancy and postpartum, I'll have to see if he knows how to do the therapy. I read that it's recommended for babies with difficult births and torticollis.... we have a vacuum-assisted birth and the ped is minorly concerned about torticollis.</p> <p>@peaches1038: Interesting, I have some gripe water but haven't tried it yet, maybe now I will! Maybe that will be the trick to get him to keep his pacifier in. </p> <p>@gingerbebe: good ideas! But yes, we already took out the infant insert and I use put the sunshade up all the way &amp; drape a Aden &amp; Anais blanket over it. We've been meaning to get our car windows tinted, maybe this will be the push we need. </p> <p>@Apples4Teacher: @autumnlove: @Mrs. Pickle: sounds like 4 months is a pivotal time! Ironically, when he turns 4 months it's the start of our summer break soooo way less time in the car, haha... but it will be nice to have the option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510970 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 22:16:14 +0000 gingerbebe 2510970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not to show how dumb I am, but is the infant/newborn insert out of your carseat? I forgot to take mine out well after DS reached 8 pounds and he was much better in it once I removed it. He still didn't LOVE it and he's much happier in his convertible carseat - he's always preferred to be upright - but that insert pissed him off so hard. Also, do you have a sunshade? DS still gets flippin' angry if the sun is in his eye. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510964 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:59:24 +0000 smores 2510964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I just want to commiserate and let you know you're not alone in this! My LO hated the car seat too when he was an infant. I always wondered how that could be when all I'd heard before was how much "babies loooove being in the car!" Well, not my baby! He would be ok if he could keep his pacifier in his mouth - otherwise he would scream and cry the whole trip. :( There is hope though! He did eventually grow out of that phase and is usually ok in the car now. It got better when he was about 4 or 5 months old. I'm sorry I don't have any tips but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510962 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:56:00 +0000 peaches1038 2510962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just started going through this last week with my 4.5 month old. Like screaming so much he couldn't breathe for our entire 30 minute commute. I was stopping at least twice each way because I could not take it. My coworker suggested dipping his binky in gripe water and it was seriously magic. Falls asleep almost instantly for the whole ride. Every.single.time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510953 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:31:15 +0000 autumnlove 2510953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO 3 (almost 8 months)hated the car seat when she was 4 months old. It was a miserable month of crying but she outgrew it for the most part. We were stuck in traffic yesterday and she cried a lot! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510947 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:19:01 +0000 Portboston 2510947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ds hated his car seat. Like wailed the entire ride anywhere we went. People told me that he just didn't like being away from me but the cry was a painful cry. I knew it was something more. Especially because he would cry even if someone was in the back with him. I eventually took him to a chiropractor for cranial sacral therapy. Within two visits it was like I had a new baby in the car. Granted he's still a bit fussy here and there but compared to how he was before, night and day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510939 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:09:40 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2510939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD hated the car seat too. She eventually outgrew it, but it wasn't until 4 months. She still gets angry while riding sometimes at almost 6 months. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510938 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:09:25 +0000 hilsy85 2510938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does he take a pacifier? That sometimes helped my first LO. Unfortunately, it just was bad until we switched him to a convertible seat, and then he was better, but still didn't really like it unless someone was sitting back there with him. </p> <p>Is it possible to schedule the car rides around naptime? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-hates-the-car-seat-please-help#post-2510932 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:03:29 +0000 DesertDreams88 2510932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my LO is 2.5 months old and he hates his infant car seat 75% of the time. He'll be calm for the first 5 minutes of a car ride, MAYBE, and then cry/wail/sputter/cough for 10 solid minutes. Then he usually passes out from exhaustion... but not always. </p> <p>It's a tiny bit better when the car is in motion, and it helps to have a Aden &amp; Anais blanket draped over his seat and the white noise CRANKED. </p> <p>Any other tips / ideas? I have to go back to work in 10 days and LO is going to be spending 1.5-2 hours in the car daily because of childcare. It makes me so anxious and sad. </p>