Baby who hates the car
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:07 am
A mom brought her 4 month-old daughter to me today. Baby is healthy, no illnesses, curious, cheerful, cooing away and blowing spit bubbles like crazy. Breast-fed, not vaccinated, not even diapered (this mom, like many her age, believes in training herself to pick up on her baby's cues that she needs to pee or poop). Easy, natural delivery.
First thing the mom says: "She absolutely hates the car -- she hates not being held and being confined in a car seat. She'll be okay the first five minutes in the car, then she loses it and starts up with blood-curdling screams until the end of the trip. She doesn't fall asleep in the car. I'll nurse her, but as soon as I put her back in her car seat, she's devastated."
Baby likes the fresh air when she's cranky and doesn't like being overheated. She has cold hands and feet. She's not yet turning over, but she's already cut a tooth. Teething doesn't seem to be a big deal.
When very young, she would start screaming when the sun went down, as if terrified. The mom gave her Aconite, which appeared to help. Now as soon as the sun goes down, she wants to go to bed -- doesn't want any lights, though it's dark, and no stimulation. She'll sleep from 6 PM to 7 AM, waking only to nurse. She'll scream if her mom tries to nurse her when she doesn't want to nurse.
She's very sensitive to noise, which can wake her; she won't fall asleep while people are talking around her. She cried a lot as a newborn, especially at night.
I'm concerned about this baby because her mom became pregnant shortly after leaving a house where she suffered chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. The mom was suicidal throughout her first trimester, probably from the depression that can go with CO poisoning. She was also on a bit of an emotional roller coaster with her partner. All that has passed, and she's a highly engaged mom who carries her child close to her.
No fear of downward motion, so I ruled out Borax. The crying in the car is probably because her mom is not holding or carrying her, rather than from the movement of the car itself. But I've never seen this before -- I always thought a trip in the car was a guaranteed ticket to dreamland for fussy little ones. Not this baby, however!
I've been thinking of Stramonium, but this baby loves her bath. Any other ideas?
Peace,
Dale
First thing the mom says: "She absolutely hates the car -- she hates not being held and being confined in a car seat. She'll be okay the first five minutes in the car, then she loses it and starts up with blood-curdling screams until the end of the trip. She doesn't fall asleep in the car. I'll nurse her, but as soon as I put her back in her car seat, she's devastated."
Baby likes the fresh air when she's cranky and doesn't like being overheated. She has cold hands and feet. She's not yet turning over, but she's already cut a tooth. Teething doesn't seem to be a big deal.
When very young, she would start screaming when the sun went down, as if terrified. The mom gave her Aconite, which appeared to help. Now as soon as the sun goes down, she wants to go to bed -- doesn't want any lights, though it's dark, and no stimulation. She'll sleep from 6 PM to 7 AM, waking only to nurse. She'll scream if her mom tries to nurse her when she doesn't want to nurse.
She's very sensitive to noise, which can wake her; she won't fall asleep while people are talking around her. She cried a lot as a newborn, especially at night.
I'm concerned about this baby because her mom became pregnant shortly after leaving a house where she suffered chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. The mom was suicidal throughout her first trimester, probably from the depression that can go with CO poisoning. She was also on a bit of an emotional roller coaster with her partner. All that has passed, and she's a highly engaged mom who carries her child close to her.
No fear of downward motion, so I ruled out Borax. The crying in the car is probably because her mom is not holding or carrying her, rather than from the movement of the car itself. But I've never seen this before -- I always thought a trip in the car was a guaranteed ticket to dreamland for fussy little ones. Not this baby, however!
I've been thinking of Stramonium, but this baby loves her bath. Any other ideas?
Peace,
Dale