When did your carseat hater finally get over it?

[*Liz*]

Liz, Megan and F must be related somehow! 

Oh the irony!!

Megan is prone to overheating and has a very cheap seat that I think is crushing her tummy. So I think it is that. But she screams in it even if it is just in the hall waiting to go in the car.

God knows how we are ever going to get anywhere. J always slept in the car seat as well.

[~inbalance~]

But she screams in it even if it is just in the hall waiting to go in the car.

This was F a few weeks ago.  He would scream as soon as I put him in.  Now he is better about that, will even smile at me as I'm buckling him in.  So I'm sure Megan will start getting a little better soon too.

I wonder if F overheats easily in the seat too.  I always noticed with T that he got really hot in it, but I guess T never cared!  I'm not sure what to do about it though.  We can't afford another seat!

[Tweakster]

Around 7 mths I think, or maybe even later and only after we moved from the bucket seat to the convertible seat.  He's not a great fan of it now but since it's been forward facing he squawks about it less.  Still screams the car down if he's tired and can't figure out how to get to sleep.  And other days he crashes in the seat before we even get on the motorway.

He hated both car seat and stroller and any kind of carrier for the first 6 mths of life lol

Hugs ladies!

[~inbalance~]

F is getting better about it already.  Last weekend we had a 2+hr trip to make, and I was so dreading it, but there was no marathon screaming and he slept some of the way there.  On the way back I sat in the back with the kids (the dog got shotgun  ) so I was there to comfort him a bit and he slept most of the way.  Then on Monday I had to drive 1+hr to the doctor and back again.  Not a peep from him all the way there, he just slept, and only a little fussing on the way home.  Progress!!  Now that we've moved we're right in town so any car rides we have to do will be less than 5mins, I think we can manage that!   

[Mrs. A]

Glad to hear he's doing better! It's such a relief when you don't have to dread getting in the car anymore.

[skatty]

Leorah hated the carseat but being a sicky baby we didn't make the connection of carsickness until she was over a year, we switched her seat to the middle so she could look out of the windscreen window and got a dvd player and she was cured sometime around 18 months if I remember right ( she started being sick everytime we were in the car more than half an hour), all was well until we got a new carseat recently that we thought couldn't be placed in the middle and the sickness came back, every single journey of 40 mins or more  We have put the seat in the middle again now as it could go there after all and no more sickness!! Definitely worth a try 

[~inbalance~]

Skatty that is a good idea!  Don't think we could do it with two carseats in the car though, it's pretty cramped (you should have seen me try to squeeze in between the two! ).  My goodness, maybe we're entering minivan territory soon? 

Was Leorah physcially sick as a baby, and that's how you knew?  F doesn't throw up, he just screams.  But I do wonder if it is the motion that sets him off because like I've said he doesn't mind the actual seat. 

That is interesting to know for DS1 though as he has been carsick twice, and both times during longer trips.

I do hope though that since we've seen some improvement that he will continue to get better. 

[skatty]

As a baby leorah spat up constantly until about 12 months so I never noticed if she was particularly car sick but in early toddlerhood she started being properly sick whenever we were in the car for a fair journey, once she was moved to the middle and hadn't been sick for a while her aversion to the carseat was much better, being spirited she still didn't/doesn't like being restrained but she feels much better. We were recommended moving her seat to the middle by someone and I have since read that it is something to do with being able to see the horizon which helps balance something in the ears. Actually now I think aout it, she was just about the only baby I have ever known not to sleep in the car (hardly ever!) so I reckon she probably was feeling sick.

[tigerlilly905]

Actually now I think aout it, she was just about the only baby I have ever known not to sleep in the car (hardly ever!) so I reckon she probably was feeling sick.

I know that feeling... people can't believe DS hates the car... and can't sleep in it... we have to try and schedule any trips during "A" times... expect him to sleep during his "S" in the car... forget it... he will if he absolutely HAS to, but it takes a LONG time for him to settle, and he never gets a restful sleep.  I don't blame him, I'd find it hard to sleep too if I were car sick.

We're trying the motion sickness wrist bands... but not sure if they're helping just yet...

My guy is touchy, so I think the motion really throws him off... and he usually throws up during each car trip... poor babes.

[Tweakster]

I always suspected the car seat caused Finn actual discomfort because of the way he cried - purple crying just like your F.  But then who knows?  It's hard to say.  If he had motion sickness I think he would still have it...and he doesn't seem to.  He only cries now when completely overtired but isn't happy about being in the seat.  It will be sooo nice when they can tell us what the issues are lol

[*Liz*]

I'm SO SO hoping Megan grows out of this. I dread dread dread any trips ATM. She goes mental - purple howling and always had beads of sweat all over her when we stop as she has got SO wound up.

Every now and again she doesn't do it though.

I wonder if it is OT related with no coping mechanism for the car seat? And discomfort from her silly amount of wind?

Not sure but really hoping there is an end to this one.

[Mom to M&M]

I always suspected the car seat caused Finn actual discomfort because of the way he cried - purple crying just like your F.  But then who knows?  It's hard to say.  If he had motion sickness I think he would still have it...and he doesn't seem to.  He only cries now when completely overtired but isn't happy about being in the seat.  It will be sooo nice when they can tell us what the issues are lol

Actually, Wendy, this could have been the case. Especially since you say it got somewhat better after you switched to the convertible seat. Bucket seats are notorious for aggravating reflux...

OP - luckily both my kiddos like the carseat BUT my niece HATED it until almost a year...

[JJshappymum]

Ds also HATED the carseat. I don't know if it was sickness but he would scream the entire time. DH put the carseat in the middle so he can see out the windscreen (just like pps said ) and he has been fine ever since. He actually likes car rides now and SOMETIMES falls asleep.
He also gets really annoyed when the light shines on his face or in his eyes. The carseat keeps him from being able to move away from it. Even though we had the window shades, some cracks would still let the light into his eyes. In the middle that is also less of an issue now.

[Tweakster]

Finn is 18 mths and still screamed last night for about 15 kms the finally fell asleep for the last 3 lol  I am seriously getting ready to buy a DVD player.  I've had it, I absolutely hate going more than 10 kms with him.  I was driving by myself on the motorway and had to keep blasting the music at him and singing at the top of my lungs.  He didn't like that either.

[~inbalance~]

Oh Wendy, that must be so frustrating!  I would buy the dvd player, just for some peace!

Funny that this thread was reopened today.  Just got home from a 1.5hr trip to see my dad (1.5hrs there and then back again) and F made it both ways without any crying!!!!     There was a bit of fussing, but he mostly slept and when he wasn't asleep he was just hanging out.  He's already so much better!  Still don't think he cares much for it, but he's dealing with it which is great.