My baby girl was a car seat crier. Those mothers who have experienced it know what it feels like to refrain from strangling the mother who brags about her infant falling asleep every time they put her in the car. It’s extremely frustrating to have to stop and pull over numerous times during a trip to try and calm a screaming baby. Here are some tips that we used to make car trips a little quieter.

First of all, make sure that your baby doesn’t have an ear infection. If fussing in the car is sudden or new for your baby, the pressure in the car may be irritating the ears. You should also make sure that the car seat is the appropriate size for your baby.

Now, what worked for us?

1. Soft car toys. We had certain toys that were only for the car. We found that taking the toys into restaurants or Grandma’s house made them lose their allure. So, the toys that we have designated as “car toys” were only for the car. Soft ones are the best choice because, in case of an accident, hard toys can become projectiles. Soft toys are safest.

2. Soft music or white noise. While it’s not my first choice of things to listen to, it’s better than a crying infant. Give it a try!

3. Give your newborn baby something to look at. There is something called The Car Seat Gallery by Manhattan Toy that works wonders. It has interchangeable pictures that you can hang from the seat in bold, contrasting colors that a newborn baby loves.

4. Finally, you want to make sure that your newborn baby girl is dressed comfortably. So many of the clothes that they sell for babies today are cute, but not very practical. Try SophiasStyle.com for a huge selection of comfortable, cute and baby girls clothing.

If your baby is a car seat screamer, remember that they will likely outgrow it before you puncture your own eardrums in self-defense. In the meantime, try some of the mentioned tricks or some of the great ones on About.com: Parenting: Babies and Toddlers to make your time in the car more peaceful.