How do you moms keep your child's head up when they fall asleep in the car seat? My daughter has a nautilus that has a recline on it but not enough I guess. She falls asleep and her head will go down like an owls when they sleep. It doesn't seem to bother her, but it worries me. I drive super tedious when she is like this b/c I'm afraid I'll hit a bump and hurt her neck. Is there some solution to this? Those travel pillow things haven't worked for her either.
So glad to know mine isn't the only one... I was just worried every time she does it that she will hurt her little neck with her head just moving around and hanging down like a sleeping bird. Thanks for the suggestion Marda P :)
Lol Lesley, you don't love undoing the chest strap and realizing drool is now all over your hand? hahaha
Dori, The car seat she has is only for forward facing and converts to a booster seat :)
I don't try to keep her head up as I am the one driving when she falls asleep, just seeing if it was something to be concerned about b/c it is hard to look at and wonder if it hurts. Lol Jo I'm amazed by it too, but I guess when I was a child my parents always thought it was strange for me to curl up in a ball in the chair and sleep... so it's probably the same thing.
I've never worried about it. They all do this. I have noticed though, since I bought my 3 year old the Britax frontier 85, that her head doesn't flop as much. The headrest is slimmer and I guess that helps.
All three of my girls' heads droop when they sleep and they've never had a problem....except for the drool that puddles out! LOL
I was always amazed with that position. It doesn't hurt them at all. Kinda hard to look at but you need to get over it. I found trying to keep their heads up bothered them more than the position itself.
I have always just stuffed a rolled up blanket or jacket under her chin but to the side so she is resting on it a bit. The problem is doing it quick enough at a light ;)
I've tired putting those neck pillows around DD but it doesn't help us, either. She's 3 now and car and stroller sleeping don't seem to have impacted her. I do try to keep it to a minimum if I can. No sleeping in the carrier when she was a tiny baby. I pulled her out to finish her nap on a flat surface.
Put the travel pillow on her backwards. Place it around her neck up under her chin to support/hold her head up. That solved the problem for us.
And be mindful to check your particular car seat to see if you can use the recline with a forward facing child (as was suggested as a solution). Most with most seats you *can not* use the recline while FF. My daughter's Britax has 2 positions. One more straight up and one with more of a recline. The manual specifically states that the recline position is only to be used while the child is RF.
When the kids fell asleep in their car seats I would stop and recline the actual seat a bit, not enough to allow the car-seat to wiggle but enough so the gravity would move the head to an upright position while they are asleep.
I don't worry about it at all. When my kids were itty bitty, I'd reach back and gently lean their head back so the seat was supporting them. The recline on the seat is for safety depending if they're rear facing or forward facing and shouldn't be adjusted for comfort. You can also have your installation checked at a local hospital or firestation. They might also have ideas about keeping her head supported.
There is a firm crescent shaped neck roll made specifically for babies that works well. It looks like the popular crescent shaped nursing pillow and I think made by the same company but I don't remember the brand.
It is usual for the baby's head to droop and I've not heard of any problems as a result of it.
