Baby Only Wants to Sleep in a Carseat...

Get him out of that car seat!!! His head will end up flat in the back, for some reason even a swing is better!!

My son had acid reflux and rsv when he was an infant and slept much of his time in his car seat. We put the car seat in his crib so he knew both and this worked great for us. He doesn't have any problems with his back or anything if you are worried about that and he is 3 1/2 now. When it was time to go back to just his crib he adjusted after a few rough nights or so. Good luck!

I first want to say that I'm also a Mops mom. Isn't it great? Anyway, my daughter and nephew went through the same thing. My daughter actually never wanted to sleep in the crib and was always spitting up, so I didn't mind the car seat. We moved her once she did outgrow the seat and when we did we realized that she liked to be warm and cuddled. At one point the only way we could get any sleep was to let her sleep with us. That was a hard habit to break though. When my nephew went back to his bed my sister in law bought a really cuddly blanket and that really helped him. I think they just like the carseat so much because they feel so protected.

My son slept in his car seat until he no longer fit in it. At that point he went in his crib and was fine with it cause he was more comfortable then being stuffed in a little seat. As he gets mobile you are going to want to child proof his bedroom as well as gate his door so he can't wonder the house. My son was 10 or 11 months before he stopped sleeping in the car seat.

I wouldn't worry too much about his back right now, babies are rather resiliant. My daughter, due to asthma, slept in her car seat for the first 6 months of her life. She is now 13 and has no problems from having done so. What I did to help her was to put the car seat in a basinet. Ackward, but it helped as she was able to identify sleep with the basinet rather than the car seat. I slow transfered her to sleeping in her crib, but had one end lowered to help her with her breathing. Once she was on medication to help her with her asthma, she took to the crib and we were finally able to level her bed out. When she out grew the car seat, she was glad to be able to spread out in her bed, but until she got used to it, we bundled her like a newborn though loosly. You might try tucking the blanket around your son to help as that will make him feel like he is surrounded as he is in the car seat. Hope this helps!

Having the baby sleep in the carseat is not addressing the causality of the situation. It's a way of avoiding the discomfort. There is a way of gently and easily addressing the neuromuscular pattern that is causing the refulx. I am an Advanced Ortho-Bionomy® Practitioner and instructor and intuitive healer and I believe I could easily address the pattern at the root of the problem. He could then go back to sleeping flat. I would guess that you would like him to develop more normal sleep habits, as well as no longer suffer from the reflux. My website is: http://www.thehealingpresence.com and my phone number is ###-###-####. I'd be glad to discuss this with you, if you'd like. Good luck K..

I don't know about getting back in his crib- my son co-sleeps with me now. But as for it hurting his back, don't worry about that- my son slept in his swing for several months. As long as he still fits comfortably and hasn't exceeded the safety ratings for weight, the swing is just fine.

My health dept warned me early on about not letting him sleep in a car set because there have been some cases locally of babies becoming entangled and strangling on the car seat straps. (Used properly in the car, this is not supposed to be an issue, but using the seat in the home, they say is not safe. We opted not to let him sleep in the car seat at home unless we could actually see him the whole time, but use your own judgment.)

Another thing we used was one of those vibrating bouncy seats, which also kept him slightly elevated, and he really liked it.
Oh yeah, my son had reflux too.

Good luck :)

My daughter came 3 months early and had acid reflux and was on medicine till she was almost a year. if the dr's don't feel he is in need of meds, he'll probably grow out of it by the time he grows out of his car seat. we also put the carseat in the crib like mentioned. (my daughter never got close to growing out of the carseat before giving up the meds) after taking her off the meds at about a year she was fine. once my daughter started eating more solid foods she did better with the reflux (she also had a swallowing issue that we had to use cereal in her formula since she was born)
i don't think his back will get deformed or anything if that is what you are meaning. but yeah, as adults we can't imagine sleeping in such a tight space..lol
i also used to let my daughter roll around in her crib at non-sleeping times so she could get used to the feel of it. not for long times though, so she didn't think it was a place to just play. also once they reach a certain age and you don't have to worry about them getting sufficated on something in their crib, try to put them down in the crib with something cuddly. can sometimes help them feel like they are in such a huge space.

good luck.. i hope your son grows out of the relfux like my daughter did.
T.

My son is now 6 years old, but he also slept in his car seat until he absolutely could no longer fit. It seemed he just grew out of it and when he got too big,we plopped him in the crib. He just slept better and sounder in the car seat. Not sure if it was acid reflux, but if he was comfortable and sleeping it seemed ok and we were sleeping! He is now a very healthy, strong, big kindergartner and I don't see any ill affects from the car seat. I say do what works.... he won't sleep in the car seat forever.

My son did this too. I have three suggestions. I too put the car seat in the crib for a while. Atleast he would get use to being 'behind bars' again. The other thing, and I do this still when my son is congested, is I put a pillow UNDER the matress on one end so it is slightly inclined. My doctor suggested it and then you don't have to worry about the pillow being IN the bed, but still have it inclined. I'd suggest a lovey of some kind too...small blanket or stuffed animal. My son has a blanket with a bear head and arms - LOVES IT! Start putting it in the carseat with him and then when you transition to the crib, it will be a comfort thing. Good luck! Enjoy your 5 month old! I'd love to have a little one again...and now he's 3!!

Don' worry K.. My son was the same way he only wanted to sleep in his carseat, finally we gave in and just set his carseat in his crib, until he was older and bigger. He turned out just fine. He's now 18 years old, 6'4 and healthy as a horse. You'll be okay, so will he. Hope this helps.

Did you try swaddling your baby? When we brought our daughter home, she would only sleep in her swing or carseat. We found swaddling her and putting her in a corner of her crib made her feel more secure with out being in the carseat or swing. Hope it helps.

My son did same thing at 6 month only without the Reflux. We moved to a different state and shortly after he fell asleep but didn't stay asleep. They told us we needed to let him try to fall back to sleep on his own; we were to check on him, reassure him but not pick him up and each time allow more time in-between checks. It didn't work. We ended up moving back 6 months later to same house but had the same problem. His pediatrician asked just the right questions and came up with the solution immediately.We set up his crib in a different position and the orientation of the light in his room from the moon had changed. We moved the crib back to its original position and slept through the night until he moved to a regular bed. We would wake up to him sleeping between us. He's 13 now and still likes being close to his parents and trying to go everywhere with them. Sorry back to you. When you lowered the foot of the crib did you make any other changes? If so you may want to try putting those back. It is possible just lowering the foot of the crib caused enough of a change. I realize you need to do that but maybe another change in position of the crib might help. Hang in there. If this doesn't help I am sure some one WILL have the answer as happened with us.

I had a little one who was colic and sleeping in the car seat was the only way he could sleep. I have since learned a lot about colic and I wish I would have known these things. It is good to be elevated when you have any kind of reflux because it is more comfortable, laying flat will stir the "juices" so to speak. Have you considered chiropractic care. I just learned that sometimes having a drip during labor like petocin can cause your baby to have stomach problems. His back should be fine, if you think of them in the womb that was pretty cramped the fetal position seems to be comforting. My boy stayed in his seat for about the first six months and is fine. I always cushed his seat with an extra blanket and when he started to wiggle I would strap him in. I felt really bad about it at the time but then I realized he was getting better rest and myself as well. You can go to www.advancedhealth.topchiro.com to ask any questions about this. The Dr's here are a husband and wife team with children of their own and are very knowledgable in these types of matters. Hope this helps.

We had the same probably with our little guy acid reflux and all. He is now six months old and I thought that for sure he would never get out of his carseat, but he did about a month ago. First I put him in his bouncy seat in his crib so that he wouldn't be so confined and then we started a bed time routine and when we got that down to the point of him going to sleep on his own without me having to put him to sleep then I would lay him in his crib for the first part of the night and turn on his little light up toy on his crib and he'd fall right to sleep in his crib and then if he woke up I'd put him back in his bouncy seat and I just continued to do that till he decided to learn how to roll over. Then I took it away completely so that he wouldn't try and roll out of it. It only took him a couple of days to get it figured out. You can always start with nap times and then work your way to night time in the crib. I found night time to be easier then naps because he was more tired. I did have to let him cry it out a few times but babies are quick learner and then quickly develop habit and they love routines so just be consistant and he'll figure it out.

My 7 month old had the same problem. I put her in her car seat when she was 1 month old after she was diagnosed with acid reflux and had a bad cold. It helped her sleep and after the cold was gone I tried putting her back into her crib. She was not okay with that and was waking up every hour or two. So I let her sleep in her car seat until Christmas. I started introducing the crib again with naps and after a week I started putting her in the crib at night as well. I also reintroduced the swaddle and that really seemed to help. It took her a week or two of good nights/bad nights but she is sleeping through the night now in her crib. Also she started not wanting to be swaddled about a week ago. Try it, but if it doesn't work I would'nt worry. Do what works and if that is sleeping in the car seat let him do it. Eventually he will be ready.

I see a post suggesting putting the carseat in the crib for a while. I would try this, my daycare lady used this technique with an infant who just wouldn't sleep in the crib at her house, after a while of the carseat in the crib, she was able to put her to sleep in the crib alone.

Also, when you move to the crib alone, you could try a sleeper bag PJ type thing. I saw a post for swadling, which is a good idea, but if he's moving his arms and doesn't like them restricted, the sleeperbag might work. IT's what we used when our son was no longer able to be swaddled, but didn't like the crib alone...I think the closed feet helped him feel more enclosed and secure.

Just a couple ideas to add to the rest of the great suggestions.

Two of my kids have done the same thing and we let them sleep in the car seat - better than being up all night! As they got bigger and the carseat gots more uncomfortable, they moved back. We would "retest" the crib each day and if it worked, great, but if not, we left them in the carseat (strapped in, of course). It didn't last long before they transitioned back to the crib.

SAHM of seven, all good sleepers now

Hi K.,

If your baby is actually going to sleep in his crib, then waking up later, he is probably still struggling with reflux. My first baby had severe reflux, and actually the only way he would sleep in ontop of either me or my husband, on his tummy while we were propped up on the couch. For his first 6 months our couch was a second bed for us, we would take turns who slep with him on what nights. He was also put on Zantac liquid. It made a huge difference in his behavior, it did not stop his spitting up, but then at least it did not hurt him when he did spit up, he then was a very very happy little guy, and was able to sleep on his own. OUr son was on Zantac until he was 18 months old, then it all went away.

Best of luck!!

A.

SAHM to Max 6, Aiden 4, and Owen 2

This is gonna sound funny but I put the carseat in the crib. I have no idea why my son suddenly decided he would only sleep in either his car seat or his bouncy seat. But he was bound and determined to do it! LOL So I would put it in the crib with him in it. Slowely I would take it away until he was able to nap with out the car seat. And then eventually during the night too. I don't remember how long it took. This was all almost 10 years ago now. But good luck! I hope it all works itself out soon.

I wonder if the reason why he prefers sleeping in his carseat is because he feels tight and secure? You might try going back to the swaddling method just to see if that helps. Good luck!
L.

Hello,
I had the same problem with my 2nd daughter, although hers was from ear infections and when she laid flat she was in constant pain. Maybe that is what is happening with your baby, he might be in pain when he is laying flat. She did eventually grow out of the carseat so she moved to her bouncy seat. I felt that if she was sleeping that was better than not so I left her there, at about 9 months she did slowly move back into her crib where she slept for the next 3 years( why ruin a good thing huh). I would check with your doctor to see what he says about growing out of this(if and when) and if they give you a time frame, with my son they said it would go away when he was sitting upright more and by hisself, then slowly try and transition him back to the crib.
I hope some of this will help you.

As far as I know, sleeping in the car seat is fine. One of my 4 boys did it for several months, then finally switched to his crib. K. S.

I would try a bouncy seat and see if that works too. In a bouncy seat they aren't so cramped up and can turn their heads better. You don't want him getting a flat head from the pressure on the back all the time.
Is he on Zantac? It worked wonders for my kids.
J.
Mom to 4 and soon one more through another adoption.

Do you put the carseat in the crib or do you put it on the floor? My son was in a bassinet for a while in our bedroom at the begining and then when we decided to put him in his crib we put the top of the bassinet in his crib for a while. So, maybe you should try putting the carseat in the crib for a while and then eventually take him out and just lay him in his crib???

We put something under the mattres of our son's crib (7 months old) to elevate the side that his head is on. We use sheets just to give some incline, but not too much.

Where do you attend MOPS? I attend at Elmbrook church!

I had exactly the same issue with number three. The pediatrician told me not to worry about the car seat that she would let me know when she was done. She would get more mobile and uncomfortable. Sure enough one night she kept trying to move around and wasn't sleeping so I put her in her crib where she has been ever since. If you are sleeping, go with it.

Are you trying anything else besides having him sleep upright to control the acid reflux? There is probably a food culprit that needs to be eliminated from his diet. For my son it was milk. We switched to rice milk which helped but to be honest he never slept good anywhere but upright (me holding him in our recliner, in his car seat, in a bouncy seat). He hated sleeping flat on his back and when he was old enough he started rolling over onto his tummy when I put him in the crib. I also used some aromatherapy-lavendar is very calming. Also, try putting a peppermint stick in a bottle filled with water and let him sip on it before bed (peppermint helps to soothe the stomach). Hope this helps.

Hi Kerri-
You need a Danny Sling. You'll need to ask your pediatirician about it, since it is considered a medical device. The Danny Sling is a fabric & velcro creation that ties into the crib that allows the baby to sleep in a crib that is at a 60 degree angle. (Head is at the highest point and foot is at the lowest point.) Once the baby is velcro'ed in, they are able to sleep more safely than in a swing or car seat and are at the correct angle to keep the acid reflux from blocking their airway.

I received my Danny Sling from Children's Hospital in St. Paul. We were referred there by Izzy's pediatrician. I can't remember which department we were referred to, only that it was in what seemed to be the basement of the hospital. The staff there taught us CPR & proper baby Heimlich, the best positions to hold and breastfeed Izzy, and installation and usage of the Danny Sling. We were also told that having her stay in a "bouncy chair" instead of laying her down during awake daytime.

I know this is going to sound strange, but have you tried putting the carseat in the crib? My sister went through this same problem and her little guy slept like that for a few months. Eventually she took him out of the carseat - starting with nap time and then transitioned to nights. I am happy to say he is a happy healthy 5 year old now that goes to bed by himself and sleeps all night!

Good luck! :)
L.

I agree with one of the other postings, take your baby to the chiropractor. It's such a natural way to treat so many childhood conditions. Let us all know what part of town you live in and I'm sure we all know chiropractors who could help in your area.