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HELP! He hates being strapped in

My son is 19wks and has recently developed an absolute hatred for being in the car seat. He now also hates being in the pram since the weekend when we converted it from the basinette to the upright seat, meaning the straps now need to be used. We relocated to oz 5 weeks ago so there has been a lot of change, including being in different car seats to his own, but since returning him to his own car seat (capsule) a week ago the stress continues. He is now at the point of growing out of the capsule so we have to buy a new car seat anyway and start conditioning him in that - we are going to drive around and around the neighborhood and apply the pick-up-put-down method this weekend to see if that works as it worked when we taught him to settle himself to sleep back when he was 9wks.

Any other suggestions? Or advice from anyone who's lo did/does the same?

It's become an absolute nightmare as I can't drive anywhere or take the buggy out without him screaming his head off the whole way - arching his back and thrusting himself around. I have to keep stopping and take him back out to settle him which is far from practical. A 5 minute journey can take 20 minutes!! And now he also does it in the swing so it's a nightmare indoors as well. It seems to be anything involving strapping him in,

Please help as it's driving me insane, upsetting him, and Im so worried it will just continue for months and months if we dont find a way to get him settled.

Thanks heaps.

Replies

  • Hi

    My Lo was the same from birth, loved being her her pram, but hated the rear facing car seat, she would scream the whole jouney from the minute I put her anywhere near the car seat until i got her out at the other end, It was so distressing for me to hear her so distressed that I used to avoid using the car and walked places or got the bus!

    I used to wonder if she got car sick like I do, especially facing backwards, and I couldn't wait to buy her a forward facing car seat to see if that helped, but it was quite awhile until she weighed enough to change her over.

    When we changed her from pram mode to the pushchair mode, she was very small at first, didn't move yet and didn't really need to be strapped in as I still used it mostly lying down, with the footmuff too.

    The car thing definately improved when we changed her to a forward facing one, she has even occasioaly fallen asleep in the car - previously unheard of!
    The buggy thing she has got used to, as she got bigger and we had to start with the straps, and we never really used bouncer chairs/swings as again she didn't like being restricted and was much happier lying on the playmat.

    I'm afraid I can't be much help hun, just let you know to ride it out and it does get better.........
  • Have you toys etc stuck to the window? I found onec lo was able to grab and play with the window mobile he was much happier to go in carseat. We had the same with the pram but it only lasted a couple of weeks and infact he was much better when the seat unit was facing forwards on the pram as it distracted him. Now at nearly 9 months he is fine being strapped in anywhere but the highchair!
  • I do the exact same as Mr&Mrs Pumps.

    Isabelle is all smiles until the dreaded car seat makes an appearemce. She too arches her back screams ect I sometimes rock the carseat which sometimes work sometimes not. Othertimes I get a toy out to distract her.
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