infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

So our little DS hates the car seat, screams his head off every time. We hoped that once he'd get a little more alert and aware we could entice him with his favorite toys, but its a no go.

DH has to swing him in there the entire time to keep him calm until we get to the car. He gets drowsy while we move but cries out every stop sign. He falls asleep if we hit the highway.

We've been contemplating take him to lunch with us, but if he wont sit in the carrier calmly its a no go.

We thought it was just being strapped in, but after a few seconds of sitting in it he screams.

Any advice, DS is 2 months.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

No advice here. DD started this at 2 months as well and hasn't stopped. I DREAD taking her places (esp where it's stop and go traffic/lights) cause all she does is scream. Like that terrible "cry so hard I can't breathe" type of crying.

Unless i'm on a straight highway, no stop signs and lights, it's a horror show

Everyone keeps telling me she should grow out of it..we will see!

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

dd hated and still hates the carseat, but i took her out all the time. i either held her or had her in the carrier. she liked to be part of things.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

DS hated it too around that age. But he got over it about a month later.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

You mentioned that your DS is gassy right? My DS was too and hated the car seat and anything like it, but once I got him on the right formula for him he was totally different in the car seat. I think it hurt him to be stretched out in the seat maybe.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

Message edited 5/9/2010 6:36:46 PM.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

Neither of my girls loved the car seat and would scream when put in - with DD#2 who is still in hers - I have to still swing her or put her right into the car b.c she will scream the second she goes in. It got better for drives. Since they didn't like the seat - if we wanted to go out I simply timed it so she would sleep and sleep until close to the end of the meal when it wouldn't matter if we took her out - or I would just put her in the stroller and bring her in that - which honestly sometimes is easier b.c if they get fussy you can rock them a bit in the stroller.

It is a pain. The only thing I like about the seat is that it is much easier when you run a 2 sec errand into a store so you don't have to get them in and out of the seat which is time consuming and then they fight that to - so a quick errand becomes a long one. Plus with a second one to chase the seat is all about my convenience at this point. I am sad that she will outgrow it soon so I'm stretching it as long as I can.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

Ahhhh....and this is why I run through red lights. I never did before DS, but the agony of hearing him scream when the car stops moving is too much to bear. I only travel when he is ready for a nap. Thus, my entire life is lived in 2 h our increments! No advice....only commisseration!

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

Abby hated it from the time she was a newborn - still does. She has no choice or she doesn't leave the house.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

DS hated his infant seat from birth until about 4 months. now he has no problems with it. i think its cause hes more alert and is too busy looking around at everything to realize hes in there . my point is...theres hope.

Message edited 5/9/2010 8:41:59 PM.

Re: infant hates being strapped to car seat, how do you deal?

I won't even tell you how long my ds hated it. Everything you described too.

once we switched to the convertible car seat, he got a tiny tiny bit better. Then at 11 months when we changed him front facing, it got a tiny bit better. Tiny bit.

It was bad. I ran many red lights, many stop signs and drove like a lunatic. Nothing helped either. Although around 11 months, he did love this personalized CD we played for him in the car. That would help sometimes. Drove us crazy, but made him calm down sometimes.