Newborn Hates Carseat

Both of my son's hated their infant carrier. My best guess is that it 1) made them hot and 2) was unfomfortable. So I did something risky/unsafe and took the cover off, added 1/2 inch foam pad and put the cover back on. That helped somewhat as their crying decreased quite a bit. But it wasn't until I converted them to their Britax car seat (for newborns - 50 lbs.) that the crying really stopped. Now, the only reason they cry is when they are hungry. Perhaps you know a friend who can loan you their carseat for a quick trip to see if your baby cries less. The seat just might not be comfortable. Good Luck.

Sometimes nothing will help. My daughter was like that until she was 9 mths old. We tried all of the suggestes mentioned and nothing worked. The only suggestion I never thought about was that she could be getting car sick. It wasn't until she starting taking a pacifier at 9mths that she was ok in the car. She is now 26mths and we still have bad days. i know how hard it is. I never went anywhere unless I had to. The crying was so aweful.

Hi B.,

I don't think there's an easy answer to this one... at least there was not for us. We stopped the car and nursed when our daughter cried to the point that reached the "Help!" level. Yes, we were late to things, but her sense of security is worth it. She's 11 months now and this is rarely a problem now, but I avoided going out as much as possible for many months. It is/was one of the toughest parts of having a baby IMHO.

Both my kids hated their carseats for about the first two and a half months. Once they were able to see more and grasp toys it seemed to get better. I just didn't go on long car rides and I tried to time outings around times that I knew they would be sleepy enough to fall asleep in the car. It helped if someone rode in the back as well, but that isn't always practical or possible.

My daughter is 6 months now and finds her 2 year old brother to be a great source of amusement in the car. She hasn't really had a problem with the car seat at all since about 3 months. Hopefully this will be the same for your son.

Good luck.

Babies are going to cry. All those suggestions are nice, but they take time to figure out what's wrong. It could be nothing or it could be one of the things the other moms suggested. My advice is to take short trips only when needed. He'll get older and this will eventually stop. Don't overreact to his crying. It's not fun at this point, but it will get better. I'm sure you already know to not take him out of the carseat in the vehicle. You've got an older child, so you should be fine with this. It's all a stage, it will all pass in time. Grin and bear it.

I found a little "mirror" with toys on it at Target. It has a velcro band around it that wraps around the handle of the baby car seat. That amused and entertained my babe until she was older. Besides that, I'd check the carseat for anything that may make it uncomfortable - does the material make the baby too hot? Is there something scratchy? Is the sun hitting your baby in the face? Try and get a baby's eye view of the carseat and see what you might be able to improve.

B.,
We had the same problem with our son and figured out that he was hot. When they are in those seats, especially when they have to face the rear, they don't get much air and that's very hot in the summer. Especially if you don't have good tenting. We went out and purchased one of those little battery operated fans with a clamp and let it blow towards him, and that was perfect, no more fussing unless he was truly hungry or something. We also got a little mirror that has lights and music which he loved. He is now seventeen months and still loves both items. Our son nursed and would never take a passy, so we had to get very creative, very quick because we have long commutes to work, church, etc.
Good luck.
E.