Infant Fussy Baby - Oklahoma City, OK

My son got really fussy about his car seat around 4 months as well. He has seemed to grow out of it though. You may just have to wait it out.

The only things I can think of are maybe that the harnesses are too tight on him, maybe he gets hot (or cold?), the sun is in his face, he's bored... I recall that by about 4 months my son was pretty aware of what was going on around him, we bought a toy that hung where he could see it that actually had a remote control we could control from the front seat, it played music and had lights, etc. It was a good distraction for him when he needed it.

Maybe try putting on some music for him.

Sun, position, and car sickness all come to mind. My younger boys got better about it when I switched from the carrier to a convertible car seat. The angle is higher and he could see more.

R.-

My son used to be fussy in the car and I found out it was caused by ear infections. Apparently the vibration just sent him over the edge. I am not an expert, but it could be a possibility. You might want to ask about it at his next doctor's visit. :)

well Bev my 1st was like this but as soon as we got one of those little mirrors you slide on the back of the seat he was fine. b/c he had something to look at hope this helps. good luck

Your baby may have a hearing problem which doesn't allow him to be soothed by noises in the car. My friends baby had this issue and it was easily resolved. :) Good luck!

We had this problem too although ours started from the minute we brought her home from the hospital. It got better when we got rid of our infant seat carrier thing & got a convertible car seat w/ lots of cushion... we chose the Britax decathalon. Now she doesn't mind being in the car on most occasions. So I think w/ our baby it was the seat was uncomfortable & it did not sit up enough for her.

Something you might check is if the straps are too snug. A couple of months ago Oprah had a lady on her show that learned how to decifer the different cries of a baby by the sound they made at the beginning of the cry. One mom said her baby would cry every time the baby was put into the car seat. After she listened to the cry, she knew her son was in pain. She adjusted the straps and then her son didn't fuss or cry when she put him in the car seat.
Hope this helps.

Hi, all of my children have gone through this at one time or another. Chances are his car seat makes him uncomfortable. You might try buying a different style of car seat, or there is this thing that I attatched on to my daughters car seat and it seems to keep her entertained. It plays music. Anyway I would have a ton of suggestions if your child was older, but just to reassure you he will grow out of it

I never had this problem, but maybe it is that he can't see you, maybe try talking to him so he can hear your voice or put easy listening music on the car stereo...or put a musical toy by him or put one of those plastic strips of toys across in the front of the carseat to get his attention. They fuss when the sun gets in their face, do you have a sunshade for the car window? That's all I can think of right now. I'm anxious to see what others post. Good luck.

Hi R.,
I feel for you! My fourth baby was like that, no matter what I did she would cry. She hated her car seat. As soon as I put her in it and carried her out to the car. I tried the toys, the mirrors, singing, talking to her, even the older kids would try and sooth her nothing worked. My older ones got to the point when the whole family went they wanted my husband and I to drive seperate so they wouldn't have to hear her scream. It broke our hearts to listen to her cry. It did get a little better when she went from infant car seat to the convertable type. She loves music so I have all these kids CD's for her which helped. But it took her a long time to be comfortable. I wish I had the majic solution for you. I would try the other suggestions maybe something will work for your little guy. Good luck!

Hi R., I am a CPS(Child Passenger Safety) Advocate, pursing my CPS Technician Certification. I research CPS everyday for many hours, and may have a solution to your problem.

For the two people on here that answered "the harness strap might be to tight", or "Check to see how snug the straps are" are completely WRONG! Please make sure your harness straps are nice and snug. If they are not your child's carseat can not properly perform, and it also raises the chance of your child being ejected in a car crash. How to tell if they are tight enough is make sure you can't pinch the harness strap together near the shoulder area (not anywhere else). Please DO NOT loosen your child's straps. Most parents have their straps "Too Loose" as it is....

Also, you may consider moving your little boy to a convertible seat, but I caution you to be sure and pick the right seat that fits your vehicles, your child, and will be used properly everyday. Another service I do is help people pick out a carseat. It can be very overwhelming since there are so many choices.

We have many parents that have fussy babies in the car, and find that moving them to a convertible seat helps or completely eliminates the fussying. It has NOTHING to do with scrunched up feet like another person said. My almost 3 year old is still rear-facing (she is much safer that way), and does not mind her legs crossed or propped on the back of the seat. A child crossing or sitting frog legged is more natural position anyways for a young child. I have photos if you would like.

Some other people also mentioned toys. They toys are NOT crash tested, and should be avoided if you can. If though however, you find a toy or mirror that absolutely want to use then do the "Ouch Test" This seems silly, but it is true. Take the toy and hit your self in the head with it, if it hurts then don't allow it in the car, but if the toy is soft and doesn't hurt then it should be ok to use.

Also, when your son is able to hold his head up on his own then you no longer need that required 45 degree angle for his carseat. That will probably make him happier also by sitting up more.

Please contact me, and I will help you pick out a convertible seat. Please avoid the Graco's, Alpha Omega's, Eddie Bauer Seats, and most cosco convertibles, and there are some others to avoid. Some of those are the same seats with just a fancy overpriced cover on them. Many of those also have very low harness slots and seat backs, therefore many children outgrow them way to early and force the parents to either prematurely put their child in a Selt-Belt Booster, or they end up having to spend more money on another Convertible. I can help you eliminate that...
Thanks, M. ____@____.com or you can call me at ###-###-####.

His he still in the infant carseat/carrier? My son hated being in the infant carseat because his legs were so long he couldn't stretch them out. I had to get the convertible carseat that was a little bit bigger and he wasn't so scrunched.

Also a mirror helps too.

i had a friend whose baby cried only in the car--it ended up she had a small intestinal hernia! that exact position of the car seat was extremely painful so it was the only place she felt in pain. that is probably pretty rare but just a thought.

Both of my boys hated being in their car seats b/c that meant they weren't being held. I've always been jealous of the parents that can go shopping and such with their babies in the carrier seats. Still, both of my boys (now 3 and 1 1/2) have been able to enjoy shopping trips in my arms or in a back carrier. They were able to see what I was looking at, and not just the ceiling. Anyway, as for the car...
Well, we made our trips as short as possible and gave ourselves extra time for road trips. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to pull my hair out at a red light. Car trips have gotten better as the boys have gotten older.
Your son is probably fine. He is just telling you he wants to be held and not strapped in the car seat. Of course, he doesn't have a choice.

My 1 year old does not like the car unless we are actually moving so I can somewhat understand. The first thing that comes to mind is car sickness. Does your son seem to spit up alot in the car or shortly after a ride? If so you my try to give him some gas drops just before a trip and see if that helps. Hope it gets better soon, rush hour traffic is nerve racking enough without having a fussy baby to boot :o).