Car Seat Screaming

Stina2012 · October 2013

Ok, help ease my mind. Riley is a car seat screamer. We had the meltdown of all meltdowns today after Gymboree, Old Navy and traffic. She screamed, and I mean screamed, on the way home. By the time we got to where I could pull over she stopped screaming so I didn't. But then she started again and we were 5 mins from home. I reach back to hold her hand and sing songs to her as well as white noise and opening the windows.

Is this CIO?

Sorry if this is dumb, but when we got home I had to change her and fed her. She gave me this little "I'm so much happier now" look that just about broke my heart!

jackson290721 · October 2013

I don't think it's CIO because you are trying your best given the situation to soothe her. I'm sorry she hates the car seat. I hate being stuck.in traffic when DD is having a melt down. They really need a "clear the road".button for moms with crying babies.

heatherbrownm · October 2013

I would have stopped when I got to a point where I could, depending on how far I was from home. However, DD doesn't usually scream or cry in her car seat, so when she does, I know she needs something.

That must be stressful. I hope she gets better in the car for you.

Erinm278 · October 2013

It breaks my heart when El does this. Since we got the mirror she can look In She hardly ever does it.
I don't consider it CIO because if you could you would be consoling her if you could. My thought was always that it was more important for you to get her home safe as the driver.

SimplySheree · October 2013

kdasr said:
No, that's not CIO. To me, crying it out is knowing your baby wants you and choosing to ignore them in an attempt to teach them a lesson.

DD hates her car seat too. She falls asleep eventually, normally in 10 minutes or so, but until then you'd swear we were trying to kill her. Unfortunately there just isn't anything I can do about it. But I try to comfort her by singing or talking to her, so that she knows I'm there and I'm trying to soothe her, and that's a main difference from CIO

This.

Stina2012 · October 2013

I'm just picturing her at some therapy session "Why can't I love? Have I ever told you about my mother and the torture of the car seat? She would strap me in and drive for 30 minutes to an age appropriate developmental activity focused solely on my needs. Oh sure, it sounds like she cared... But the drive, the DRIVE. I could never love after the drive."

MRads · October 2013

B screams in the car seat. Has since birth. I make sure he's fed and changed before we leave. Other than that, nothing I can do. Definitely not CIO. I also don't pull over bc I would never get anywhere.

Erinm278 · October 2013

@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!

opheliainwaders · October 2013

Agreed. Lyra screams so much in her car seat that when she ISN'T screaming, I feel like I should pull over and make sure she's breathing :-/

Stina2012 · October 2013

Erinm278 said:
@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!

The car seat guy who did my safety inspection told me not to use one. I'm thinking of driving to Target tomorrow for one. He said they can hit LO in the face in an accident. He seemed really safety conscious.....but that's like, his job.

jackson290721 · October 2013

Stina2012 said:

Erinm278 said:
@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!
The car seat guy who did my safety inspection told me not to use one. I'm thinking of driving to Target tomorrow for one. He said they can hit LO in the face in an accident. He seemed really safety conscious.....but that's like, his job.

I also havr been worried about this. I think I'm going to look for a soft one, so in the event of an accident it won't hurt too bad.

Stina2012 · October 2013

jackson290721 said:

Stina2012 said:

Erinm278 said:
@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!
The car seat guy who did my safety inspection told me not to use one. I'm thinking of driving to Target tomorrow for one. He said they can hit LO in the face in an accident. He seemed really safety conscious.....but that's like, his job.
I also havr been worried about this. I think I'm going to look for a soft one, so in the event of an accident it won't hurt too bad.

He was a bit of a safety zealot. But I see his side of it.

Have any of you screamed after being trapped with a screaming baby in a car? It's brutal being stuck in the car and not being able to help. That plus the traffic today almost exploded my brain.

lancomechica · October 2013

We have the mirror in both cars. I agree...it helps a lot. The way it fastens it doesn't seem like it could ever fly off. I got a new car end of Sept and I needed Wonder Woman strength to unfasten it from the former car. We have the Brica brand ones from Target.

lovemyminions · October 2013

Dd#1 wouldn't sleep in her carseat and would cry from point a to point b. I was generally hoarse from singing over and over her favourite song, which was the only thing tha would sooth the screaming. You could try singing, if nothing else it might keep you sane ( because you have something else to think of except for how upset baby is). Good luck!

[Deleted User] · October 2013

My LO is a car seat hater, too. It's the most stressful thing ever... The mirror hadn't helped my situation. I hope it gets better!

ljs4117 · October 2013

Stina2012 said:

...
He was a bit of a safety zealot. But I see his side of it. Have any of you screamed after being trapped with a screaming baby in a car? It's brutal being stuck in the car and not being able to help. That plus the traffic today almost exploded my brain.

It's interesting you posted this today. I just had this experience and the same thoughts today while driving DD home from jumping DH's car (sigh). LO was SCREAMING. I was trying to reach back and hold her hand and talk to her but it did not help at all.. then I suddenly got all freaked out thinking I was letting her CIO and that I was messing her up for life. I about screamed because I was so frustrated and upset! This makes me feel better! Not so much like a crazy momma anymore.

I'm now thinking about getting one of those mirrors.. I think I might have been given one at some point but I didn't get why they were good to have... hmm..

rondosa · October 2013

Stina2012 said:

jackson290721 said:

Stina2012 said:

Erinm278 said:
@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!
The car seat guy who did my safety inspection told me not to use one. I'm thinking of driving to Target tomorrow for one. He said they can hit LO in the face in an accident. He seemed really safety conscious.....but that's like, his job.
I also havr been worried about this. I think I'm going to look for a soft one, so in the event of an accident it won't hurt too bad.
He was a bit of a safety zealot. But I see his side of it.

Have any of you screamed after being trapped with a screaming baby in a car? It's brutal being stuck in the car and not being able to help. That plus the traffic today almost exploded my brain.

Yes. This happened last week. I was stuck on the highway in rush hour and I literally could not move. Short of stopping the car in a live lane I had no options. I got off at an alt exit and even that was bumper to bumper not moving. I melted down. I was crying, telling him I loved him and trying everything I could. The cars beside me must have thought I'd lost my mind. I even have a mirror (its shatter proof and has soft edges) and he could see me but it did nothing to soothe his heart destroying screams. No matter that we were coming home from picking up his jumperoo....

I finally pulled over at a condo and picked him up as fast as I could, nursed him in the front seat to calm him and 3 mins later he looks up at me with his blotchy red eyes and cooed/smiled. I was a wreak. I nearly plowed everyone off the road that day.

Sucks balls feeling so helpless.

KateJuly2013 · October 2013

DD is awful in the car. When I finally get to my destination and take her out, she has this awful look in her eyes...its like she's seen a ghost

she cries so hard she chokes. EVERY. SINGLE. CAR RIDE. We rarely leave the house.

KTZ17 · October 2013

Stina2012 said:

@stina2012 do you have a mirror back there that she can look into? I'm telling you it completely changed El's carseat traveling. She just chills back there and babbles at herself and I love it bc I can see her in it too!
The car seat guy who did my safety inspection told me not to use one. I'm thinking of driving to Target tomorrow for one. He said they can hit LO in the face in an accident. He seemed really safety conscious.....but that's like, his job.
I also havr been worried about this. I think I'm going to look for a soft one, so in the event of an accident it won't hurt too bad.
He was a bit of a safety zealot. But I see his side of it. Have any of you screamed after being trapped with a screaming baby in a car? It's brutal being stuck in the car and not being able to help. That plus the traffic today almost exploded my brain.

@stina2012 I could have written your original post, and the other day I had a meltdown in the car because DD was screaming, as usual, and we were stuck in traffic and I just broke down and cried. I was worried about the same thing, that it's CIO and she'll think I'm not there for her. I called my husband and he tried to make me feel better. Eventually she falls asleep but I feel so bad, like she thinks i've abandoned her back there. I'm hoping she'll grow out of it by the time I go back to work in January because I have to drive a half hour with her to drop her off w/ MIL/my mom. My mom ordered a travel white noise machine which is coming this week, so I'll let you know if it helps.

valstulas · October 2013

It's so stressful when they do this, but you have to be safe in the car. You're doing the right thing!

EagleWife · October 2013

Laurendag said:
Have you tried moving the straps up? D started doing this about a week ago and after a couple days I tried moving the straps up and he was good to go. May help

Definitely check the straps. Our LO was a freak out screamer in the car and cried just about every time until we moved the straps up to the next spot. The last week of sept was her last full on car seat meltdown, so she was right at about 12 weeks?

If it helps, I was sitting right next to her and it didn't help calm her at all.

Also, we have the brica mirror. She either looks at that or up and out the windows, but she seems to enjoy car rides now.

mandyrator79 · October 2013

sorry. I know how hard that is. Nadia started out as a bad carseat screamer, but has decided it's fun to give her brothers the stink eye instead now. but both my boys screamed in the car till over 6 months old. they were never truly happy till they faced forward somewhere between 18-24 months. actually even now they complain while riding in the car. it's just a whole lot eaiser then the screaming they used to do.

Stina2012 · October 2013

Thanks all for helping me feel better! I will check the straps. Her little head was slurping over too yesterday. I couldn't tell if it was bc she was tired or bc of the seat. I need to wipe her car seat down as well, it's icky from spit up.

jemasa33 · October 2013

Does it help if you Fred her before you put her in the seat? I've also found that a toy bar and a binkie goes a long way. Sorry if this was said before. I don't have time to read pp.

KTZ17 · October 2013

@stina2012 Just wanted to update you that I used the travel white noise machine and she went right to sleep in the car today. It could have been a fluke but I'll take it! This is it https://www.amazon.com/myBaby-MYB-S100-9CTM-HoMedics-SoundSpa-On-The-Go/dp/B0097D4ZMU/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1383093990&sr=1-2&keywords=homedics

lovemyminions · October 2013

The mirror I have fastens to the seat, so that would be okay in an accident. It also plays music and has a remote that attaches to your visor so you can turn it on and off while driving. I forgot about that until other posters mentioned it, but it helped out a lot. I think it was Fischer price and a jungle theme. Hope travelling gets better.

Lelo2006 · October 2013

Disney pandora is magic. I also think they just grow out of it. James just got better around 15 weeks.

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