LO is 2 months old and we have the Chicco Keyfit. We don't drive that often bc we live in the city but when I try to take him out in the seat w/ the stroller and when he is in the car he eventually breaks down into the most intense scream-cry he has. I feel so bad but I don't know what to do. I've checked the straps repeatedly to make sure they are not too tight and that are fine.
Anyone else have this problem? How did you deal/help LO?
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
Does your LO have reflux? Reflux babies generally hate car seats because the positioning can exacerbate the symptoms. But there are lalso ots of babies without any problems who just hate the car seat.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
olive hates the car seat. she's not used to it since we don't drive. a lot of babies just hate them alas! charlie didn't like them either. it finally got better around 2 1/2.
grapefruit / 4442 posts
my DD hated the chicco key fit. She is a super hot child and she would sweat up a storm. It could be your LO is hot.
persimmon / 1153 posts
Is he getting too hot in there maybe? I had that issue with my baby when she was a tiny baby. Does his skin seem irritated when it touches the fabric? That was another problem we had and I had to wash the cover a couple of times and it helped. Other than that I have no real advice. My daughter eventually got used to it and would calm down when I would let her hold a lovey. I hope it gets better soon!
olive / 71 posts
@bunnylove08: actually it's interesting you mention the heat. While I wouldn't necessarily think to categorize him as a generally hot baby, he does sweat himself up a storm...I thought it was caused by his intense crying spells rather than the reverse (the heat causing the crying). One time I pulled over and actually changed him from his pajamas into a onsie I had with me bc he was so warm after crying so hard do about 5 minutes straight (until I cld pull over).
I'll try to pay extra attention to keeping him cool an see if that helps. Thanks!
persimmon / 1198 posts
@bunnylove08: did you do anything to help with your LO's heat issues in the seat? My LO is an extremely hot baby and screams in his keyfit on a regular basis (which makes him even warmer). I'm wondering what I can do to help him?
grapefruit / 4442 posts
@debbiei8: we cranked the AC and would use the frogg towel behind her neck when we first get in the car. But in the end we got her a convertable car seat when she was 1.
We also made sure she had light clothing on like a short sleeved onesie and cotton pants no socks
pear / 1614 posts
@merbaby14: My DS both hated riding in the car (6 mos and 2 years now). We have that same car seat but it didn't change when we moved the older one into the convertible car seat. And the younger one would get mad as soon as we put him in the seat unless we were bouncing it around and making funny faces - then we just endure the screaming while driving and try to take short trips. I thought that all babies loved their car seats and fell asleep in the car but it is NOT true. 
pear / 1639 posts
@debbiei8: @merbaby14: I had the same overheating issue in the Chicco...one thing that helped was removing the extra support inserts once she was at right weight/support. I'm not sure that you're there yet but it's definitely worth looking into because the extra padding heats them up even more!
kiwi / 500 posts
I really have no advice, just empathy. My DS was like that from day 10 to 17 months. I tried so many things but nothing helped. Then after our vacation he suddenly came back accepting being in a car seat. It's been great ever since. I wish your LO will like her car seats soon. Some babies just don't like being in them.
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
Oh gosh, mine did that until 3-4 months. Eventually, she'd chill out if I sang to her. Many many rounds of Mary Had a Little Lamb. And then eventually I didn't have to sing anymore I have no idea what was wrong with her. Crazy baby. Actually, she's started getting mad at being in her car seat again (at 8 months), but she doesn't do that "I'm being murdered" scream anymore, thank goodness.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
DD2 HATES her car seat and DD1 loved it (the same one!) who knows. I just try to ignore the screaming because I know she's okay (clean/fed/burped). But it breaks my heart. Can't wait until we move to NYC and don't need it anymore.
honeydew / 7687 posts
We just took him out every.single.day for slowly increasing amounts of time and it got better! THe convertible car seat helped too, we switched around 4 months.
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
My LO hated the car seat too but if she was sleepy enough the motion would eventually put her to sleep after crying for a little while. From pretty much the beginning until she went down to 2 naps, I would plan outings so she would be tired & sleep on the way there & on the way back. That worked petty well!
I've also heard some babies do better sitting straight up in a convertible car seat instead of an infant bucket sea, regardless of reflux. You'll need one eventually anyway so you can try that, or borrow someone's to test it.
persimmon / 1339 posts
My son hates it but it is getting better. At 4-10 weeks he would make himself sick screaming from the moment we strapped him in til we got to our destination. For a while we'd stop halfway and calm him down cause we were worried he'd have a stroke or something, but it just pissed him off more to be put back in after being calmed down. Now at 11 weeks, he kind of sometimes tolerates it, and if he's sleepy before we strap him in he'll cry himself to sleep usually in about 5 minutes. It SUCKS. Although, if I ever do cry it out with him, I think I'll cope okay cause I have driven 45 minutes with the most insane screams i've ever heard.
Good luck, hope it gets better for you!
olive / 71 posts
@bunnylove08: here's the update: since the last post I removed the infant inserts as he was right at the cusp (now over) 11 lbs and that actually seemed to work. We were able to go on walks with the stroller in the car seat and he had a couple of good car trips. Then a week later he decided that he still hated the car seat unfortunately. We are pretty much back to square one.
Fortunately, he usually falls asleep on longer car rides (highways) but will break down at some point at traffic lights if it's just a local trip.
What's even worse is that he also decided he hates his bassinet attachment for the stroller now so walks of any sort are vehemently protested. (I live in the city so this is our primary mode of transportation).
Sorry I don't have better news or a solution. I'm chalking up the stroller hating to a phase and he just may not be a car seat baby.
The best advice I can offer based on our experience is to remove the inserts if they are nearing the 11 lb mark, dress lightly (I put him in a short sleeve onsie covered by the thin cotton a+a swaddle blanket), pump A/C, also think about keeping one of the back windows open slightly for the white noise.
I wish someone would invent a stroller seat thats just a mesh sling like in the infant baths! I don't know what we're going to do this summer getting around in the heat in the stroller...
pear / 1614 posts
@merbaby14: Do you ever wear him? Sorry lady - that's rough. Hopefully he gets over his dislike of transportation soon!
grapefruit / 4442 posts
@merbaby14: do you keep the visor down? I noticed that restricts air flow. how old is your LO now?
olive / 71 posts
@shellio: I do have a baby born that he's ok in so we do use that for local errands. I guess my concern will be again the hot weather when it really arrives here bc the Bjorn is so thick. Maybe there's a better carrier for summer?
@bunnylove08: my LO is 10 weeks. I've had the visor in various positions just depending on where the sun is for walks. In the car, it's never down.
grapefruit / 4442 posts
@merbaby14: Is there any way to put him in a recline position in your stroller so you don't have to use the car seat or bassinet?
blogger / pomelo / 5361 posts
Our boys are 14 months old. And they still hate the car seats. I have no suggestions but a lot of empathy! I'm hoping they'll like it better when they are forward facing and can see.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 2 | 1 |
| Posts | 0 | 1 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
23 comments