Newborn Hates Car Seat
Our 3-week-old absolutely hates her car seat (Maxi-Cosi Pebble). The moment we strap her in, she screams like she's being tortured.
We've checked that the harness isn't too tight, looked for any marks or pressure points, and even had the seat checked by the hospital, but everything seems fine. We've also tried gradually getting her used to it with short trips. Occasionally we can manage a brief drive without too much crying, but most journeys are pretty awful.
The second we take her out, she's completely fine again, although she genuinely seems really distressed while she's in it.
Has anyone else experienced this with their newborn? Did anything help, or did they eventually grow out of it? It's really limiting how far we can travel, so we'd be grateful for any tips or advice.
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It may be worth taking her to somewhere you can try out car seats/ have a fitting to see whether it’s a generic upset or whether that car seat is uncomfortable for her.
It’s quite common in babies. My daughter is 10 weeks old now and is only happy if the car is moving. I have a 4yr old and can tell you it’s a phase that does pass.
It’s not stopped me going on longer journeys though but it depends if you can drive with the upset. If I know she’s fed, has a clean nappy etc I just crack on.
My son is 5 months and has always hated being in his car seat. I found a dummy and shaking a rain stick toy or a toy that makes a crunching sound in front of him to distract him helps… and stopping and taking him out frequently…
I took him to an osteopath to see if he had tension somewhere that was bothering him in the car seat - no luck..
I think some babies just don’t vibe with them!
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