Newborn screams in car

Hi

A good friend of mine has a 14 week old who will cry and scream until he is red in the face when traveling in the car. She says it starts after about 5 mins of driving. It is a proper car seat rear facing of course and she has had it checked by a professional fitter to ensure that's not the problem, and it's not.

It is becoming a depressing situation for her as she feels she can't go anywhere. Has anyone else been through this? Did you find a solution or did your baby grow out of it and when? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Than you

Some babies really hate the car. I think some have found one of those mirrors helps, so baby can see the front & mummy. They do grow out of it in time, but it's pretty awful and stressful for mum in the mean time. Does she need to drive much?

My DD did this too! It used to reduce me to tears on many occassions. I think the fact that she couldn't see me didn't help (as rearward facing). I put a mirror on the headrest so that she could look into it and see herself and also see me. This seemed to help a bit. She eventually grew out of it.

I wonder whether the sensation of travelling backwards made her feel a little sick - you know like travel sickness? Not sure if there is anything that can help with the motion sickness in a bub so young.

Hope it passes quickly for your friend - I know how upsetting it was for me.

Janie xxx

It might be that bubs just doesnt like not seeing anyone, or the motion of the car??? Or sun in bubs eyes???

I know you can get these mirror things that you attach somewhere and bubs can see the driver and the driver can see bubs.. but im not sure where to look for one- i have just heard of them. Maybe a wondow shield cover for the window incase its the sun or just too much for bubs to see stuff flying past the window.

Both my kids have had moments of hating the car, but generally they have been ok. Usually its just that they are over being in the car, or they are hungry or its the sun. At the moment DD is really hating the car coz she is at the walking exploring age and she hates been constricted in the car for even a ten minute drive. Distraction works a bit, but once she starts the tanti, it isnt over til she is out of the car!! I hope for your friend that something changes for her and bubs so she can happily go out and about!!! :hug:

My DS was like this pretty much up until 6 months when we turned his seat around and he could see us. He still throws a fit on occasion. I think it was less about the car and more about his personality than anything. He just wants what he wants and he wants it now. Can I say want again? lol.

The only thing I could do was put down all the windows, to let the screaming out and to feel less insane. Going out around naptime helped, as he was tireder and more likely to sleep rather than scream. Turning the radio up loud seemed to soothe him also. Sorry I don't have better advice..................... I'm still flying blind, it seems. I really feel for her though.

Poor little bub :( My DD did this too on longer trips. So I was alright, I never went far, but when we went into town or to visit family it was horrible! I used to sit in the back with her but that didn't always help, sometimes I'd just end up crying with her :( It got to the point that DH hated driving anywhere with her because he was always driving when it happened.

I think she was about 3.5 months when it just stopped. I don't really know why it stopped. I guess she was more able to play with the toys I gave her, and look around a bit. She really likes the mirror on the headrest (got ours from RAA). Timing car trips helps too if it's going to be a long one - family is 3-4 hours away, so I feed her and we leave just as she's ready for a nap.

Good luck to your friend, I hope it passes soon!

My DD was another who hated the car with a passion! She started at about 8 week and would cry and scream unless someone was in the back with her. We tried mirrors and cardboard stars hanging from the roof and toys etc etc and it did ease a little. Unfortunately for us she still hates it. On a good day we can go about 1 hour and 10 minutes from home without to much bother, on a bad day 30 minutes max and she is tantruming (shes 2 now). I do hope your friends bub settles, it is awful and it has caused many tears and meltdowns here :(. FWIW turning DDs seat did nothing to alter the situation either- I turned it at 14months.

I've been there it was terrible!!

My boys never did it unless the timing wasn't right for feeds but DD did it not matter what i tried. She suffered from silent reflux and i did read that the positioning of the carseat can play havoc with the issue. I wonder if this could be an issue with your friends little one?? No amount of pulling over, feeding or soothing could change the fact that the second she was in her seat (and not even driving again) the screaming would recommence.

Even now we are yet to turn her around to front facing so that was never the issue for her and she always had her brothers in the car and could see them quite clearly. Me personally with my daughter i believe it was the reflux.

For us it lasted for the most part of 5-6 months. We went away at easter time (when she was 5 months) and we were so worried about the drive but we managed, it wasn't easy though.

Thankfully this second part of the year she's much better and sleeps and plays happily in her seat.

It can be so distressing for anyone in the car. I'm really not too sure if there is anything you can do if it's a reflux issue, but the only other things i can think of would be is she hungry, tired, too hot... all those sorts of things.

My DD did it up until about 5 months when we put her in a seat instead of her capsule. We just used a sling and public transport/walking rather than the car, because it truly was hell.

My DD hated rear facing so would scream and scream. She loves the car now she can see where she is going.

My DD did this. I found she was getting hot. Undressing her & putting the aircon on helped. Also limiting it to short trips as much as possible. She is fine now that she is in a different seat. She was in the capsule provided by the ambulance at first & we changed her to forward facing at 7 months.

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My DS was like this pretty much up until 6 months when we turned his seat around and he could see us. He still throws a fit on occasion. I think it was less about the car and more about his personality than anything. He just wants what he wants and he wants it now. Can I say want again? lol.

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Haha, yes, same here :)

I found in the early days once we put one of those dangly toys you attach to the hand rail thingy that makes noise on movement and he was sooo intrigued by it that he just lay there in amusement for a while. But what really helped was when he was turned front facing so he could see us, and also as they grow up and can occupy themselves and play with toys it does get much easier. Still now though we have to bring a bag full of toys and food to keep my boy entertained as he just cannot stand just sitting there doing nothing! But yes importantly i would Try to make car trips scheduled around nap time, so that way bub is more likely to fall asleep. What was very soothing for my son when he was ready to sleep was traveling at a fast speed with the windows slightly opened. The white noise makes him fall asleep easily, and he isn't an easy baby to put to sleep, put it that way! Also tell her that it will pass, sooner than later. But try to not let baby get distressed for too long without comforting and pulling over etc otherwise it may make bub associate the car with negative/ fear, and may not like it later on.




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My DD1 absolutely HATED the car. It would start as soon as we started moving until she got out, every single time. It was horrible. It stopped at about six months when I was able to turn her carseat forward facing.

DD2 doesn't like the car, but she isn't quite as bad as DD1 was - but she has a big brother sitting next to her to pop her dummy back in and and help entertain her. She cries probably 50% of the time.

Strangely, the boys were both fine in the car. But then again, maybe its not so strange as they both had my DD1 sitting next to them entertaining them.