Baby screams in carseat

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:46 am

DD is 3 months old. The first week or two when we had to go to the doctor, etc, I got really excited, because she would sleep for hours in the carseat. And then, it was like a switch flipped and she started screaming every time.

It's gotten to the point where I can't take her anywhere farther than a 10 min drive away, which is depressing in its own right. Even when DH drives and I sit in the back, eventually she starts screaming too.

Any solutions to this or is it just a matter of time? She seems ok when I put her in but the hysterics start when I buckle her. We've adjusted and readjusted the buckles within the realm of safety and nothing has made a difference.

We have an Evenflo LiteMax seat (comes with the Evenflo Pivot stroller).

amother

Zinnia

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:48 am

Hugs. We had the same thing. Eventually she outgrew it. But yes it's a very frustrating stage and makes you think five times before leaving the house.

No advice.

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:49 am

amother Zinnia wrote:

Hugs. We had the same thing. Eventually she outgrew it. But yes it's a very frustrating stage and makes you think five times before leaving the house.

No advice.

Oh man

how long did it take?

amother

Papaya

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:50 am

Is she wearing a coat in the seat? I’d she is remove it and layer her with blankets tucked over the straps and around her body instead. Make sure the crotch buckle is in the right slight it shouldn’t be under her and shouldn’t be digging in. Do the reverse pinch test to make sure it’s not too tight. Make sure the chest clip is by her armpits and not higher or lower. Also when you put her in make sure you scoot her tush all the way to the back of the seat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byUOMqu40As

amother

Obsidian

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:52 am

I'm sorry, most of my kids were like this. It's so, so stressful. One of my kids was more comfortable in a convertible car seat so I used that. The ages that they outgrew it varied by a lot. I limited trips to absolute necessities. My kids also were a little more calm if I sang to them continuously.

amother

Zinnia

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 8:52 am

amother OP wrote:

Oh man

how long did it take?

I feel so bad... I wish I knew. I'm really bad with remembering ages and stages. And also I just stayed home as much as I could.... but I'm thinking around the time that she started liking the car seat toy we put on. It wasn't instant but she did start being happy longer.

I think - but I could be wrong - that the car is soothing and she just didn't want to sleep in that position. So once she was old enough to not need to sleep as often she was happier distracted.

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:03 am

amother Papaya wrote:

Yea, she wears a coat and we also have a warm zippered cover. Is that too much?

smss

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:05 am

May or may not be why she's uncomfortable but no coats in car seats! In the event of an accident c"v the coat would compress leaving the straps too loose.

amother

Zinnia

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:06 am

amother OP wrote:

Yea, she wears a coat and we also have a warm zippered cover. Is that too much?

My baby was born in the summer. She screamed without a coat.

(Happens to be now I remember that her crying slowed down around the time that we got the cocoon. So let's say 4 months ish?

Does that help? Give it a month and see if it gets better Smile

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:07 am

amother Obsidian wrote:

What age did you switch to the convertible?
I've tried singing, white noise, shushing, and it helps, but only for a limited time. She starts screaming to the point where she chokes on her own saliva, and if I can't pull over, she'll continue screaming until she knocks herself out. Essentially an accidental cry it out session but so heartbreaking.

amother

Hosta

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:09 am

My 6-week-old is the same, and she’s not my first so there are many unavoidable car trips… it’s stressful. One of my other kids did it too. I know she’ll outgrow it eventually but for now it’s hard! I have a Graco snap n go. No coat in the car, that’s unsafe.

I’m dreading winter vacation because we’ll have to go somewhere with the kids and she’ll scream.

amother

Papaya

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:10 am

amother OP wrote:

Yea, she wears a coat and we also have a warm zippered cover. Is that too much?

The coat is dangerous and extremely uncomfortable remove it right away. You can’t buckle properly with it. They also sweat once you turn the heat on and it’s not safe. Buckle baby in with just clothing. Then take a thin blanket and wrap it over the straps tucking it inat the sides. Then put a thicker blanket on top, remove the thick blanket once you are in the car with heat. This is very important for both her safety and comfort. Make sure you buckle with the reverse pinch test and have the chest clip at arm pit level.

amother

Obsidian

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:11 am

amother OP wrote:

Yes exactly. One summer I ended up in a situation where I had to drive some of my kids to and from camp every day. It was by far the most stressful part of my day because of the screaming. I switched to the convertible at a month or two. There's no safety difference, you just can't take it out of the car easily like an infant car seat. But something about it was a little more comfortable for that baby.

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:12 am

amother Zinnia wrote:

Sounds doable... let's hope so.

amother

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:14 am

amother Obsidian wrote:

Is there one you can recommend? What do you when you need to take baby out?

GLUE

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:45 am

amother OP wrote:

Is there one you can recommend? What do you when you need to take baby out?

Read the weight limits on different car seats, how much does a baby have to weight before you put him in.

When one of my kids at 6 months out grew his infant seat(yes it was the 30lb car seat, he weight only 19lb but the car seat was made for tall skinny babies not babies that are build like foot ball players- Fatphobia in babies)I got a baby carrier that I would put him in when I went shopping, other places I would put him in a stroller.

Tzutzie

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 9:59 am

Not much advice but lots of commiseration...
We've tried different car seats for different children. They all screamed and then at some point just stopped. I'm not sure what changed. But it was like you flipped a switch and then they were happy in the car.

My now 1.5 yo cried until she was over a year. And now LOVES the car.
Eventually they outgrow it.

When possible I took public transportation leaving her in her stroller and holding onto it so that I didn't have to strap her into a carseat. She loved that too.

amother

Sunflower

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 10:00 am

My baby also started crying hysterically in his car seat at around 4 months. I switched to using a toddler car seat instead and he was immediately happy about it! We used one that sits straight and is very high which allows the baby to see out the window. I don’t think there is any difference safety wise, just make sure to adjust the straps accordingly.

watergirl

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 10:03 am

amother OP wrote:

Yea, she wears a coat and we also have a warm zippered cover. Is that too much?

NO COATS IN CARSEATS and YES I’m screaming!! I’m sorry, but I’m honestly shocked at this day and age where there is a class and book and social media influencer for everything else under the sun, why are people still putting their babies in coats in car seats? It is so incredibly dangerous. This is common knowledge, where it’s supposed to be.

Dangers aside, your baby is probably so hot and uncomfortable. Could you wear a coat and a warm zipper blanket and not overheat?

amother

Butterscotch

Tue, Jan 09 2024, 10:13 am

I had a baby like that, convertible carseat did not help at all so maybe borrow one before you rush to buy one now. It only stopped when we switched to forward facing. This was years ago when switching at 1 was the norm and it was a lifesaver for us.
Major sympathies, it's a most incredibly frustrating experience, I hope it calms down soon.