10 Week Old Crys in the Car All the Way Home

Have you tried a mirror or dangling toy that attaches to the car seat? My youngest is almost 3, but he loved batting at different toys.

we did fostercare for 7 yrs and one of the babies we had did this also in the shopping cart. We found out it was the angle she was sitting at it caused her to aspirate and she would scream to catch her breathe. I don't know if this is the case or not, but if you have a friend with a baby maybe barrowing their carseat to see if it is the angle she is sitting at it causing something maybe pintching somewhere or uncomfortable. Just a thought????.....T.

That can be sooo difficult. Maybe she is tired and it is hard for her to fall asleep in the car. I know my son screamed all the time until about 15 weeks(colic) and sometimes the best solution was to leave him alone. It prolonged his "awake time" when I tried to "fix" the problem of sleepiness with more stimulation. Just know one thing to be true when dealing with situations like these....It is ONLY a phase, it will pass soon. Your daughter will soon love being able to look out the window on trips home..... so in the mean time, buy some earplugs!

C.,

I feel your pain. I was definately there as well. While other friends went out for a drive to put their kids to sleep, my second daughter just screamed at the top of her lungs for the entire car trip - short or long did not matter.

She did eventually outgrow it but I really did just make some changes for a while. I walked to the store with my stroller, I took my older child out of her once a week "babysitting". I want to say it was about 3 months when she could look around a bit more that she cried less. She is now 6 years old and gets carsick quite easily. I know it is super hard but when you have to drive somewhere just really try to concentrate on the road because it is so distracting and dangerous to drive with the screaming.

Hang in there you are raising a tender soul- my daughter now picks up any stray piece of paper and a pen and writes "I love Mom. Form, Nina" - I promise she will grow out of it but I know what an incredible test of patience you are living with.

K. von Raesfeld
www.mybarefootbooks.com/KvonRaesfeld

I bought a mirror for the back seat so you can see her and she can see you they sell them at TOYS R US.very helpful.

Try a mirror on the back of the carseat, and some special toys that are only for the car. My daughter loved the mirror with the bear around it they sell at babies r us. When she does start crying I sing, "if you're happy and you know it" or "the wheels on the bus." They can't cry and listen to you sing at the same time, so they have to start crying. If all else fails, just keep your patience till you get home, and praise being a good baby in the car if she is once you are inside. Let her know you understand how frustrating it is not being understood.

Hi C.,

I feel your pain. I had a daughter like that too. Oh, she is 5 years old now, but when she was little I thought I was going to go insane. My husband helped out so much though. I tried everything I knew and people would tell me to try. Colic! That was the culprit. I pretty much stuck with the Health food remedies. It seemed to help a little, but when she was 4 1/2 months old as they said she would she did grow out of it. It was the longest 4 1/2 months in my life. Oh, the thing that calmed her down the best was holding her. I didn't get things done at first because I was afraid to have her cry. I was so tense and in need a massage at least once a week. I said then and I still stand by it. She is very smart and my daughter to this day is still GOOD at getting what she wants. Once I learned to let her cry was half the battle. It is a battle of the wills. I did pray at first to go back to work but I did stick with it because my husband and I couldn't stand the thought of daycare. I know places are really good but if she was difficult and she was mine own child, then how would someone else handle the pressure. I got used to time outs for myself. The Tracy Mall has the Chinese guys that do a great job on your back.
I do want to say if you have help please get family to help out. I didn't have anyone here. Grace Baptist was the family I had to help me in so many ways. MOPS is a great source for Moms too.
Good luck to you in everything you do and I hope you can soothe your little one.
R.

My daughter has never liked riding in the car - she is now almost 2, and we've had to buy a portable DVD player stocked with sesame street recordings for any trip longer than 30 minutes. Like your daughter, I was never able to take the baby in the car to put her to sleep - in fact, a car ride usually just made the crying and not sleeping worse!

When she was an infant we tried changing the tilt of the carseat, and that seemed to help for awhile. We hung dangly toys from the handle of the infant seat, if only to keep her visual attention for awhile. I think our issue was that, even as an infant, the baby did not want to by lying back and cradled, she wanted to be sitting up in order to look around all the time (weird, I know). She went through phases throughout her infancy and now toddlerhood when she has absolutely hated riding in the car to the point where she will throw such a tantrum that she makes herself vomit; other times, she was perfectly happy with looking out the window. Its just one of those characteristic traits of your daughter right now - she may very well grow out of it, and may not. Try changing the tilt of her carseat, and get her some colorful things too look at that can attach to her infant seat handle.

Well the best answer I can give you is that she'll problaly just grow out of it. Usually, as moms our biggest conern is that our children are suffering. In this case I think not.

Each of mine were different. One did not like riding at night. One needed to see someone or touch someone while riding. My 3 mo. likes it to be absolutely quiet.

The bigger question is can you handle the crying? Cover your basis first to make her comfortable -diaper changed (not on too tight), dressed right for the weather, feed, etc. Also notice if she's cranky or fussy at certain times of the day. If everything is checked then know that she's fine and she'll grow out of it.

K.

Check her carseat it might be uncomfortable. Does she have a toy or lovey in there with her, a mirror that faces her while being attached to the back of her place in the cr. Try these things and see.

Check to make sure that her seat belt straps are not to tight. Or maybe she just doesn't like car rides. My oldest son was like that until he turned one and we were able to put him in a front facing car seat. If this is the case try getting a baby mirror and other toys so she has something to look at and play with, at the very least it will keep her occupied. Best of luck to you!

Hi C.,
I'm a mom of 3. With my kids I noticed they would cry everytime I stoped the car, but in your case I would suggest you make sure the car seat is comfortable for her. Check the belts make sure they are not to tight or too loose. Maybe put a little blanki on the seat before you put her in. Some infant carseats are just too deep and it always looked uncomfortable to me. If she is use to pacifier, maybe you should give her pacifire as soon as you put her in the carseat. good luck!

Hi my name is K.. You might want to try hanging something behind the seat where she faces. Maybe a toy that moves about or plays music for her to hear or look at. I am a home licensed childcare provider,when you are ready to return to work feel free to contact me and I would be interested in providing care for you and your little one. What city are you residing in? I know that was one of my biggest frustrations and one reason I have decided to provide childcare for parents. When I was looking I could not find anyone that I was comfortable leaving my children with. I decided I would provide parents with the kind of care and service that I was never successful at finding for myself. I have lots of toys and games that are age appropriate and I specialize in ages 0-5 years. She also may be getting a bit of a tummy ache the way she is positioned in her seat. Good luck and I hope I offered some good tips. Hope to hear back from you! =)

Try a new carseat. Sounds like shes not comfy... Does she like to feel secure and swaddles |(wrapped in blankets tightly)? and in peoples arms? That maybe the problem that the seat seams to big.

This may be a bit different but worth a thougth.,,,,,

I went thru this period of time that my daughter actually slept in the swing or the car seat. I talked to the doc about her crying when being layed down in her crib. I did the toys and all. He said it was to big for her.... it simply scared her. So try to put blankets or something around her..

You may want to try buying the little toys they sell that attach to the car seat. They hang down and give the baby somthing to concentrate on. Keep your head up, all stages pass quickly at this point.

I agree w/other moms, try some toys, a mirror or a lovey & also look to see if the seat is too tight or rubbing her funny. I'd leave buying a new carseat for an absolute last resort. Otherwise, you'll just have to go about your business & grin & bear it! She'll get used to the seat at some point. Our second son, now 2 yrs, used to HATE his infant seat but it was cuz he spent a lot of time in it while I was driving his older brother (4.5 yrs older) to school, etc. He would cry for the whole 20 mintues back across town from big brother's swim lessons. Not fun! I think he finally realized this was the way it was gonna be so he stopped...after about a month. Regardless of whether or not he understood, I always told him being in the car seat was the law. At 2, I still struggle to put him in sometimes but use the same line of it being the law. Don't worry, it will get better. Good luck!

Dear C.,

Well, the first thing you do is sit down and write in her baby book that she cried all the way home from where ever she had been, when she was 10 weeks old, and that you did all of those things to help her get over the crying, AND that they did not work. So when she is older, she can read her baby book and not be surprised when HER baby cries all the way home, or when getting into the car seat or out of it, or taking a bath, or getting her panties changed.

Kids just do that. She won't cry alllll the time, but she will cry for A time. That is just the way that babies are, they cry. My great grand daughter who is 5 months old, finally quit crying most of the time, now, she is more selective and goes to sleep on her own more easily. They change, they learn, and they cry. It is o.k. You are a wonderful mother and he is a wonderful father to have tried all of those wondrous ways to soothe her, she will appreciate your efforts when she is old enough to read her baby book.

Just think, if you have another one and they both cry as you drive down the road. That is what my gr grand children did. I laughed, and Mom wasn't happy. It is just the way that the world is.

Sincerely, C. N.