Seriously, we need help for dgs in the car - BADLY!!

[StaceyinLA]

Someone has got to have a suggestion we haven't tried! Dgs is just absolutely miserable in the car. Tonight he cried for an hour non-stop, and I mean deep, throaty, gagging on his own spit crying for most of that time.

 

We are driving 11+ hours to WDW in a little over 24 hours. What are we gonna do to make this remotely bearable?!?

 

 

He is 13 1/2 months, rear-facing in a convertible seat. We aren't turning him around, and I will say that we actually tried turning him for a 20-minute trip the other day (we were just curious as to whether it would make a difference), and he still cried.

 

HELP!!!

[Dobela]

Is it possible that there are holes in the plastic that are pinching his legs? Sometimes putting another thin piece of foam or filling those holes with something makes them more comfortable. I have heard of people putting folded towels under kids, but i know that effects how effective the car seat is. Around that age is when we let ours begin watching videos in the car.

[Whereneverever]

DVD player?

[Lara in Colo]

ear infection?

[sparrow]

DVD player?

 

Yes, maybe a DVD player? It wasn't really an option for us 9 years ago, but you may be able to rig something for a rear facing seat these days.

 

My daughter was screamer, too, and typically it didn't stop until she exhausted herself and fell asleep :(. She improved at around 18 months.

 

It's stressful. Best wishes you can find something that works.

[busymama7]

Suckers. A big bag.

 

Sorry! I know it stinks.

[GAPeachie]

Could it be motion sickness?

[VeganCupcake]

Snacks, electronic diversions (iPad, DVD player, iPhone, etc.), more snacks, kids' songs . . . .

 

My DS is a car screamer, too--not quite that awful, but it is still no fun.

[Stacia]

My ds was like this until we got a dvd player. (He's also prone to car sickness, but concentrating on watching a video vs. looking out/noticing the motion of the car helped a lot.)

[I.Dup.]

Dramamine/benadryl in case he is sick.

 

Suckers (we like the dum-dums because they're smaller and not as messy)

 

Lots of snacks

 

Electronics of some sort always help

 

Someone sitting back there playing games with him or showing him electronics of some sort.

[staceyobu]

We bought a portable DVD player that could attach to the headrest. There is some risk of it being a projectile in a crash, so be sure that sucker is attached super well!

[Dobela]

Dramamine/benadryl in case he is sick.

 

Suckers (we like the dum-dums because they're smaller and not as messy)

 

Lots of snacks

 

Electronics of some sort always help

 

Someone sitting back there playing games with him or showing him electronics of some sort.[/QUOTE]

My mom once made a trip with my son when he was about that age. He only stopped screaming when she had some stupid moose playing 'grandma got run over my a reindeer.' I think she played it the last 4 hours of the trip nearly nonstop. Yeah, she still hates that song, but she kept the moose.

[Denisemomof4]

When we drove 8 hours to VA with a one year old, we got TONs of snacks and juices she would love. I would hate to promote suckers, but I would resort to that if all else failed.

[serene]

I believe my screaming-in-the-car baby was car sick. It only helped a tiny bit by turning her seat forward. She is now 18, and still suffers from motion sickness. As she grew we tried the wrist travel bands with some success. Ginger is good for settling the stomach, so we tried ginger snaps, but she also can't do too much sugar or the sickness will worsen. You can buy ginger tablets at CVS, but I'm not sure about the dosage for a baby.

 

Benedryl/dramamine was a necessity for long trips, or she would be miserable.

[tex-mex]

Travel at night to allow dgs to sleep while the trip is in motion. We used to do this all of the time for our 11+ hour trip to see grandparents from CA to NM when our son was a baby. HTH

[DaffodilDreams]

My child was a car screamer, too. We sang endless rounds of Old McDonald to distract her. As soon as we'd quit, she'd start screaming again. I really despise that song now.

 

The posters who mentioned car sickness could be on to something. Dd now gets VERY carsick very easily. She also has SPD, and one of the things out of whack for her is the vestibular system. The vestibular system would be engaged during a car ride. Kind of like swinging. She hates swinging and screamed in the baby swing just like she did in the car. Not really sure what you could do for a carsick baby, though.

Edited September 22, 2012 by kimmie38017

[Elizabeth in MN]

I sat in back with my dd so she didn't feel alone. That helped a lot. Maybe some homeopathic car sickness meds would help?

[Soror]

-Lullaby CDs helped here

-sitting by them if possible

- travelling when they are tired

[nd293]

Ds improved a lot when we gave him something to distract him. One day, in desperation, I gave him my phone which had some kids' music loaded on it. Although he succeeded in deleting lots of things in the 6 months we did this, it was a small price to pay for being able to take a short trip without him getting hysterical. In the end we bought him a small MP3 player with built-in speaker. We also turned the car seat around, which although it did not help on its own, combined with the distraction of the MP3 player / music to more-or-less solve the problem.

[LaxMom]

Yes, maybe a DVD player? It wasn't really an option for us 9 years ago, but you may be able to rig something for a rear facing seat these days.

 

My daughter was screamer, too, and typically it didn't stop until she exhausted herself and fell asleep :(. She improved at around 18 months.

 

It's stressful. Best wishes you can find something that works.

 

That's what we ended up doing with my now 11yo. She would scream from our driveway to our destination. It was horrible. We turned her around and rigged a portable tv/VCR between the front seats. We turned her around because she was old enough and big enough, but the Blue's Clues and other happy videos were what stopped the screaming.

[Parrothead]

Could it be motion sickness?

:iagree:This was my first thought too. I know you don't want to turn him around but I can tell you if I had to sit in the back seat facing the back of the vehicle I'd be screaming the whole way too.

 

There is no point in him being miserable.

[melissad2]

We bought a portable DVD player that could attach to the headrest. There is some risk of it being a projectile in a crash, so be sure that sucker is attached super well!

 

:iagree:

[Parrothead]

I wouldn't give a baby a sucker in a car. Any sudden stops and that thing could become lodged especially with a rear facing kid.

[Hockey Mom]

I wouldn't give a baby a sucker in a car. Any sudden stops and that thing could become lodged especially with a rear facing kid.

 

:iagree:

[Denisemomof4]

I wouldn't give a baby a sucker in a car. Any sudden stops and that thing could become lodged especially with a rear facing kid.

 

I was assuming someone would hold the sucker. The baby is too young to have it on his own, car or not.:001_smile:

 

I understand it can still be a hazard but we have always done it. Yet I don't allow them to walk around with suckers.

 

Oh well.....

Edited September 22, 2012 by Denisemomof4

[Denisemomof4]

Also agree with a pp that someone is sitting with him.

[Tammyla]

Is anyone sitting in the back seat with him? He sounds miserable, and listening to him must be just about as bad; I can only imagine an 11 hour road-trip.

 

Other ideas:

 

Little mirror he can see himself in

Toys

Snacks

Plenty of stop with bubbles

Sit with him

 

 

Check his car set for fit and comfort.

Edited September 22, 2012 by Tammyla

[Denisemomof4]

Can I just ask why at 13.5 months he is not forward facing? Is he under 20 lbs? I haven't had a baby in years so maybe this is new?

[8circles]

Can I just ask why at 13.5 months he is not forward facing? Is he under 20 lbs? I haven't had a baby in years so maybe this is new?

 

I believe its still legal to switch FF at 12 months (& 20 lbs) but the recommendation is to RF as long as the seat allows (or 2 years or something).

 

Crash tests show that RF is incredibly safer.

[Julie in CA]

...but I'd be puking into my shoes if I had to ride in the back seat, facing the rear of the vehicle. :001_huh:

 

Just how safe is safe enough? (Not trying to open a can of worms here)

Our kids would probably be safer if we made them wear a helmet when playing in the neighborhood, but we don't make them do it.

 

I'd turn him around, get a dvd player, and have someone sit in the back to distract with snacks/drinks/conversation (whichever works).

 

I'd also bring some Benadryl along for "emergency" use. My usually conservative pediatrician heartily endorsed it's use when there was an unusually long trip, and little guy was visibly agitated for long periods of time. I only used it twice that I can remember, and both times were on 10 hour car rides. :auto:

[sheryl]

Stacey,

 

I don't know. Is he teething? Maybe he does want to be turned around to "see" his family, but it hasn't clicked yet.

 

Will anyone be sitting in back with him or is it all suitcases? Could that frighten him?

 

Saying a prayer.

[TXMomof4]

I'd bet the farm that there is motion sickness involved. 3 of my 4 will puke their brains out if we drive very far and they attempt anything other than watching a video. They were all screamers as babies. Dramamine/benadryl was the only thing that allowed us to drive without losing our minds.

[Parrothead]

Beware of benedryl. It does not make everyone sleepy. There are people who react to it totally opposite. Hyper baby won't be very pleasant.

 

I'd front face him and see if that helps before medicating him. But I'm not one for many meds in the first place. That is always my last resort.

[Parrothead]

I was assuming someone would hold the sucker. The baby is too young to have it on his own, car or not.:001_smile:

 

I understand it can still be a hazard but we have always done it. Yet I don't allow them to walk around with suckers.

 

Oh well.....

My comment wasn't meant personally toward you and yours. :grouphug: I'm probably not the only one who didn't read it as someone holding the sucker for the babe.

 

(I gave dd suckers that young. But they were a rare treat to be had only in the bath tub.;))

[Soror]

She says in the OP that they have tried him ff'ing and it doesn't effect the screaming.

 

AAP now recommends ff for a minimum of 2 years.

[CalicoKat]

Someone has got to have a suggestion we haven't tried! Dgs is just absolutely miserable in the car. Tonight he cried for an hour non-stop, and I mean deep, throaty, gagging on his own spit crying for most of that time.

 

We are driving 11+ hours to WDW in a little over 24 hours. What are we gonna do to make this remotely bearable?!?

 

 

He is 13 1/2 months, rear-facing in a convertible seat. We aren't turning him around, and I will say that we actually tried turning him for a 20-minute trip the other day (we were just curious as to whether it would make a difference), and he still cried.

 

HELP!!!

 

Turn him around....his poor feet & legs are cramping. And watching the scenery in reverse makes most people car sick. :auto:

 

Or buy yourself some ear plugs.

[athena1277]

My kids always calmed when I put in a CD of kid songs. But not just any kid songs. It had to be kids doing the singing. The best was Cedarmont kids. If I tried something where adults sang the songs, like The Wiggles, the calm was gone.

[celticmom]

Dd7 was not a screamer but she was very prone to carsickness. In her case the projectile vomiting started after less the 30 minutes if she was rearfacing.

 

She is still happiest if someone is sitting in the backseat with her.

[TheReader]

No advice on getting him to stop screaming; with mine, he had ONE song that would tame it and we had to play that song on repeat, LOUDLY, until he was asleep. Every time.

 

BUT. For the car ride. Just go ahead and plan on frequent stops and the drive taking twice as long as normal. When mine was about that age, still a car screamer, we drove from Houston to St. Louis. Normally a 12 hr drive it took us 18 hrs because of stops for his sake.

 

We did around that age get a DVD player, too, but he was forward facing and we were in a rented mini-van; we had on Tom & Jerry DVDs for the older boys. Turns out, my youngest loved --LOVED-- it. So, maybe? If you can figure a way to have him watch while rear-facing, and no one is opposed to introducing him to TV/Electronics at such a young age?

 

((hugs)) I totally empathize.

[LostSurprise]

Frankly, we just had to drive at night if we were driving for any length of time.

 

I would do test drives with a DVD player and maybe facing forward, but if the trials didn't work I would recommend night driving.

[sweetbasil]

Turn him around....his poor feet & legs are cramping.

 

???

 

My 4 yr old was still within the height/weight limits of our seat to rear face. No cramping at all.

 

OP, have you tried borrowing a different seat from a friend just to see if it makes a difference? My DC are used to their enormous cushy Britaxes, and when we had to use different seats one time on a trip, they were miserable.

 

Anyway, can't hurt to try. Hope you figure it out!

[Element]

Yes, maybe a DVD player? It wasn't really an option for us 9 years ago, but you may be able to rig something for a rear facing seat these days.

 

My daughter was screamer, too, and typically it didn't stop until she exhausted herself and fell asleep :(. She improved at around 18 months.

 

It's stressful. Best wishes you can find something that works.

 

:iagree: Blech. I don't miss those days. You might have to have someone sit back there with him. Dd screamed nonstop in the car and it would always make her throw up.

[sparrow]

That's what we ended up doing with my now 11yo. She would scream from our driveway to our destination. It was horrible. We turned her around and rigged a portable tv/VCR between the front seats. We turned her around because she was old enough and big enough, but the Blue's Clues and other happy videos were what stopped the screaming.

 

Oh, goodness, yes. Those were the days. I remember getting my daughter all dressed up for some outing, in the cutest little outfit, and we'd arrive with this slimy, sweaty, snuffling creature. Poor thing.

 

All the talk of motion sickness does make me wonder if it doesn't have something to do with it. She still has to watch DVDs, on a player *centrally* located in the car, or she gets car sick.

[caroljenn]

Can someone sit back there with him? He may be carsick, have an earache, or just be fussy, but if he's facing the opposite direction, he may also feel a bit isolated. Maybe just someone sitting with a hand on him and reading books together or singing songs, or watching the DVD with someone else will help. Good luck!!

[Susan C.]

Lord have mercy! Turn him around! Dodging tomatoes, but I turned mine around before 6 mths. They are strapped in the car, strapped in the car seat, usually have a roll of foam around their heads, I would say precautions have been taken! I would say he cries when you turn him around because he already doesn't like being in the seat. And most likely he is car sick.

 

You will probably have to drive at night while he is sleeping. One of you can sleep in late, drive halfway, then the other driver that got up early and slept the first half can take over so first driver can nap.

[I.Dup.]

Front facing is incredibly unsafe for young children. I still have my 3yo rear facing and he isn't cramped at all. I recommend googling a video of what happens to kids in a crash when they are forward facing. It is not pretty. Their tender vertebrae can be stretched 5-6 inches as their heads are pulled forward in the force of a crash, often leading to brain damage. They are MUCH safer rear facing.

 

From what I have read, true motion sickness doesn't even begin until age 2 because of the way the vestibular function in the ears develop so I doubt it is motion sickness. I still might give dramamine though, just to be on the safe side. Also, especially when driving at night, a couple of mine have been traumatized by the bright lights they see flashing out of the windows as we pass other cars, etc. so it could be he's just freaked out. But I think it is most likely he just doesn't like to be strapped in a seat (regardless of what direction he is facing). In that case, the distractions of snacks and someone sitting back there and electronics would help.

 

Either way, I'm sure they are already on the road by now and I hope the drive goes well.

[Mandy in TN]

Duct tape is of course my go to response. As that isn't a legitimate answer and since ff didn't make a difference, I will vote for doing whatever shuts him up.

 

yeah favorite food, candy, blankies, toys, movies, music

 

Talk to the pediatrician. Is there something that can knock him out or take him down a notch?

 

There is no way that I could listen to a little one cry for 11 hours. I would be a nervous wreck with a migraine. The first couple of days upon arrival would be spent in a dark room. So, if keeping him happy isn't an option, I would look into good ear plugs and/ or medication for myself and everyone else in the vehicle.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[Denisemomof4]

My comment wasn't meant personally toward you and yours. :grouphug: I'm probably not the only one who didn't read it as someone holding the sucker for the babe.

 

(I gave dd suckers that young. But they were a rare treat to be had only in the bath tub.;))

 

I never took anything personally, friend! :001_smile:

 

I only remember one long trip when we stocked up on juice and snacks for dd12. I limit juice but on this road trip to VA we just wanted to be sure she was happy. My brother was on the trip with us and sat next to her and gave her an ENTIRE large bottle of Trader Joes cherry juice. My brother never had kids so he didn't realize that THAT much juice would cause issues. We had to strip her down, bathe her in a sink, wash the car seat...... It was NOT FUN. And it smelled horrendous!!! :lol::lol::lol:

[dirty ethel rackham]

Someone has got to have a suggestion we haven't tried! Dgs is just absolutely miserable in the car. Tonight he cried for an hour non-stop, and I mean deep, throaty, gagging on his own spit crying for most of that time.

 

We are driving 11+ hours to WDW in a little over 24 hours. What are we gonna do to make this remotely bearable?!?

 

 

He is 13 1/2 months, rear-facing in a convertible seat. We aren't turning him around, and I will say that we actually tried turning him for a 20-minute trip the other day (we were just curious as to whether it would make a difference), and he still cried.

 

HELP!!!

:grouphug::grouphug: I don't have any advice for you. We seriously didn't go anywhere for the first 18 months of dd's life because she hated the car so much. She was such a pleasant baby except in a car ... crying so hard she turned purple. Sometimes she threw up (and she almost never spit up.) I think 20 minutes was my maximum. After that, needed a valium or something.

[SonshineLearner]

Sponge Bob! We hated Sponge Bob before we found out that our son loved it! Then we listened to it over... and over... and over!!! My husband and the girls had him memorized. Anything is better than screaming :)

(So, whatever he likes!!!)