He thinks his carseat is a torture chamber!

[smilequeen]

My 5 week old. We have a Keyfit from DS2. It's the 22lb version. Henry screams like he's being tortured in the car. I have a 25 minute, each way, drive to my older boys' school. 2x a day.

Any tips? He won't take a paci. He has mirror. I hung one of those chime toys. He is miserable and making me miserable.

I was also thinking that a new, cushier infant seat might help? Any ideas? I honestly don't care what it might cost if the screaming decreases. But I'd like it to last if I get a new seat. He's so far on the long thin side.

[Joolsplus2]

Oh dear, my third was a car screamer, I remember how bad it was :(.
I'd probably go with a convertible for awhile (or ever, depending on his mood and your need for carrying him around)., it may be that the curvature of the KF isn't comfy for him (have you had any reflux issues? That wasn't the problem with my kid, but I hear it's an extremely common problem in car screamers). In the meantime, like, today, maybe take out the extra padding, make sure the recline is good...changes in that might help some.
What convertibles do you normally use? Do you need shopping advice on those?

[Dream]

Oh dear... I feel for you. No advice here as I couldn't find a solution. DD1 was a screamer, so hard to the point she would throw up and gag. We pretty much stopped travelling unless we really had to be somewhere. And I did the unthinkable.... I took my mom everywhere I went with her and when she reaches her boiling point I had to take her out of the car seat. I know its the worst thing to do but I didn't have a choice. No matter how much I avoided going places she needs her docs visits etc.

Since you mentioned your car seat is Chicco, I'm wondering whether its actually to do with the seat as mine is a KF30 by Chicco too and I'm planning on using the same for DD2 and hope and pray she likes it.

[HIU8]

I bet it's the curvature of the seat like Julie said. My DS had severe GERD. He hated the infant seat b/c he was so uncomfortable. He vomited in it every single time and screamed bloody murder. By 11 weeks he was in a MA and it was soooooo much better.

[goldenpig]

My kids were both car seat screamers too. It was horrible. I tried to limit taking them out as much as I could but when I had to, they screamed bloody murder. Both of them had silent reflux so I think that was a big factor. I think it was worst around 4 months and got better around a year for us. Have you had Henry checked for reflux?

We had a Graco Snugride 22. I attached this carseat toy (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3502333) to the handle of the Snugride, which helped a little. It has a button to press for music and spinning toys. And one of us always sat in the back to try to distract her/him. Or you could try changing to a convertible to see if that helps. :hug: It's so hard. Hope your little one does better soon!

[rin]

My DD also hated her Keyfit 30 and would scream her head off every time we got in the car. It was brutal, and I totally feel your pain! :hug5: We switched her to a Radian XTSL when she was about 5 months old, and my only regret is that we didn't do it sooner, since once we switched to the convertible seat she was fine in the car and has been ever since.

Since you'll have to buy a convertible seat anyways, I'd try your DC out in one now, and if it doesn't fix the problem all you've done is bought the seat a few months earlier than you would've.

[smilequeen]

Thanks everyone.

I was planning on getting a Boulevard70 for my car (Sienna) and a Radian for DH's Car (MDX, harder to fit 3). Are the new Britaxes more appropriate for newborns? Being able to take the seat out isn't a huge deal since he won't happily stay in it anyway.

[edurnemk]

My DS was exactly like that. OMG it was torture to drive anywhere. The only thing that worked, was switching him to a convertible, and I still wonder why I didn't do that sooner?!

A couple of my friends had the same issue, but they decided it was the RF that made them scream, and they both turned them FF at around 7 months knowing full well it was against the law and not as safe as RF, yikes! I discovered that it was not the RF that made him scream, but the seat itself (the curvature, not being able to see out the window, who knows).

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, the new Britaxes have lower bottom slots, should fit him fine.

[candaceb]

DS screamed in the car starting at about 4 weeks until I had a day when I was going to have to be alone to drive an hour with him, and got desperate. I finally decided that the reason he was screaming was because he was tired and he couldn't sleep because he wasn't swaddled. I started using a swaddle blanket in the car, and we had peace. He would sleep quietly and everyone was happy. I used the t-shirt thin swaddle blankets - kiddopotamus brand, and they have a slot for the car seat buckle. I am sure some people would say that I shouldn't have used it because it goes in-between the baby and the car seat, but I decided that it was safer than me being distracted by a screaming baby while driving. I swaddled him in the car up until about 14 weeks, when he outgrew the swaddle at night too.

[smilequeen]

Great! The prices are not bad atm either. Will give it a try.

[Joolsplus2]

DS screamed in the car starting at about 4 weeks until I had a day when I was going to have to be alone to drive an hour with him, and got desperate. I finally decided that the reason he was screaming was because he was tired and he couldn't sleep because he wasn't swaddled. I started using a swaddle blanket in the car, and we had peace. He would sleep quietly and everyone was happy. I used the t-shirt thin swaddle blankets - kiddopotamus brand, and they have a slot for the car seat buckle. I am sure some people would say that I shouldn't have used it because it goes in-between the baby and the car seat, but I decided that it was safer than me being distracted by a screaming baby while driving. I swaddled him in the car up until about 14 weeks, when he outgrew the swaddle at night too.

Hey, that's a good idea, actually. I used a Teddy Toes for my kiddo when she was little, similar thickness and idea, so I know there are way, way, worse things you can do in terms of misusing a carseat. Huh, maybe Graco (and every other company) should make an approved add-on product...maybe if newborn sized crash test dummies screamed and puked, they'd think more about those little details :tongue5:

[nfowife]

Both my younger kids have been screamers. I moved them both into convertible seats around 9 weeks. With ds it made a big difference and with dd the difference has been less dramatic, but still some improvement. Though much less convenient without the infant carrier. It stinks!! My dd seems to be getting better too as she's grown and now at 13 weeks she only cries about 40% of the time. So just hang in there and turn the radio up high!

[carolinamama]

I feel (felt) your pain with DS1. He screamed the.entire.time in the car. Not fussing but full on screaming. I remember asking my pedi if I should just stay home and never go anywhere. And this was with just one kid so I wasn't in the car a whole lot. I switched him into a Britax RA at 8 weeks and it improved his screaming. Not perfect but much better and bearable. DS2 liked the infant seat (Chicco 30) and I guess we shall see how DD feels about it. The swaddle idea isn't a bad suggest either. I'll have to remember that one.