Carseats for babies are a necessary thing for safety. However, as a pediatric chiropractor, I see that they sometimes cause problems. Babies aren’t meant to be in a C-shaped, curled forward position all the time – babies need lots of different positions throughout the day (and lots of interaction with people) for optimal development. I recommend limiting carseat time to just when you need it for the car. It’s better for baby and for parent ergonomics to carry the baby without the carseat whenever possible.
When you do have to do those long road trips, try to plan extra time for stops to let baby out of the carseat and ideally, stretch out and roll around. A good baby carrier that’s comfortable for baby and parents is much better positioning for baby’s spine than staying in the carseat – put baby in the carrier for the shopping.
Some babies just hate carseats. This is really tough living in rural Wyoming, where Walmart is a 90 minute drive away. Here’s a few tips that may help those drives be less miserable if you have one of these babies.
- Take a good look at your carseat, even behind the fabric cover. Some carseats have foam under the baby’s bottom that ends in the baby’s mid back. This can create a line that causes discomfort. Pull off the cover and check for anything behind baby’s back that could be causing discomfort.
- Take a look at the extra cushions that come with your carseat – baby may be big enough that these aren’t needed, and they may be causing discomfort. Some newborns are big enough that using the extra pads is too much.
- Consider a different carseat. Most parents these days use the infant bucket seat until the baby outgrows the seat (when the baby outgrows the seat is different for each seat). The next carseat is typically a rear-facing convertible seat. Some babies are happier in this seat as they’re often a little more upright. Many convertible carseats are also rated for newborns all the way through toddlers. If your baby hates their bucket seat, consider switching early to a convertible seat. Be sure to check all carseats for their guidelines on baby’s size, and how they should be installed.
- Your baby might need a chiropractor. Sometimes a baby who hates the carseat is a baby that has some areas of the spine that are tight and stuck. Being restrained in this position puts extra tension on those areas and can be the cause of carseat crying. Pediatric chiropractors use gentle, “non-cracking” adjustments to relieve these areas and often make babies more comfortable in general.
Remember to have each of your carseats inspected by a local child passenger safety (CPS) technician. In Worland, they’re at the Public Health department.
