Attachment Parenting

Fussing and crying in the car

DD2 HATES the car. It doesn't matter if she ate recently or it's been two hours. I've tried covering her legs with a blanket because I thought she was cold and uncovering them because I thought she was hot. I've tried singing (this seemed to always work for DD1).  The only thing that helps is getting her out of the car, but sometimes we have places to go. Any suggestions for how to comfort her?
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Re: Fussing and crying in the car

  • We had this problem.  Switching from the bucket to a rear facing convertible helped a lot!  But sometimes we still had screaming - sucks I know!  I had to remind myself that it wasn't the same as leaving her alone to cry as I was always trying to comfort her the best I could while driving.
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  • I've found that opening the window helps a lot. I've also heard that turning the radio to static helps. Or a mirror on the headrest so LO can see the reflection.
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  • My guy screams the entire time to the point where he spits up, chocked, and pops blood vessels on his face. The only thing that works for us is to make him fall asleep in the cars eat before we get in the car. I schedule everything around trips in the car. It's awful. I have talked to the pedi and he claims he will out grow it. We have tried so many things. At times I feel like I am going to just never leave the house.
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  • We had this problem too! I nearly had a heart attack every time he would freak out. My LO loves pacifiers so I found myself pulling over every chance I could to give him his pacifier. It became a game almost. My two recommendations that worked for us: 1) If your baby likes pacifiers--could you try a Wubanub?? Since my guy kept spitting his out he'd go bonkers. He doesn't spit out his Wubanub hardly ever now and when he does he picks it up and stares at it. 2) My other recommendation is buying a taggies blanket. Your LO might be a bit young to be all "OOOOOOO" over it but it keeps him occupied. He stares at all the colors and tags and will even suck on it sometimes. It's kind of crazy how different he is in the car when he has his taggie. GL! 

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  • DS1 hated the car seat until nine months, when we switched him to a convertible. I would nurse him to dozing before putting him in it, with the hope that he would fall asleep. It sometimes worked. Hang in there, it's horrible to listen to.
    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • Sooooo hard...I cried with him so many times.  It was only better when we switched to a convertible seat.  We did that at 4 months but I was kicking myself for not doing it sooner. 
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  • Thanks for the suggestions!  The switching to convertible car seat is funny bc DD1 preferred the infant seat. 
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  • No advice, but sympathy. Both of my girls did that (Kate until I moved her to a convertible seat at 6 months, Caroline still going strong at 18 months - thinking it's going to be like this until I turn her). it's hard, it sucks, but you're right...sometimes you just have to deal.
    "Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies. God damn it, you've got to be kind." - Kurt Vonnegut
  • I have this problem too. Trying to time it so she falls asleep or giving her a favorite toy are both 50/50, but they're all I've got right now. Good luck!
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  • It sort of helps. I don't have this problem but a friend of mine did. She found a cheap portable DVD player at a garage sale and lets her little one watch a movie on it. The baby actually plays with the buttons and rewinds and replays songs she likes. (really annoying but better than screaming) While I'm not really a big fan of letting kids watch a lot of tv I don't think a little hurts. Especially if your daughter doesn't watch much at home and you just use it for running errands.

  • I give DD non toys to play with....her favorite is an empty twix wrapper
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  • Nothing worked for us but time. DD is 3 months now and as long as she is not tired, the car seat is no longer an issue. She's also gotten to the point where if she is tired, she'll fuss a bit and go to sleep. It took some time, but things are so much better now. Hang in there.
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