Any ladies going to keep their LO's rear-facing longer than 1 yr?

Alecia - posted on 03/01/2011

my daughter is now 17.5 mnths old and still RF in her Graco MyRide 65! and she knows no different so is fine with it and is more comfrotable than if i had her FF and her feet were dangling over the side. its been a good choice for us and i hope others as well

Crystal - posted on 03/01/2011

as far as there feet it's not uncomfrtible or unsafe for them to be touching the back seat toddlers are flexible mine props her feet up on the seat or spreads her legs and doesn't complain rather safe than sorry

Crystal - posted on 03/01/2011

my daughter is 19 months23lbs and 31 3/4in and RF in her britax roundabout 50 i love this seat glad to see you want him RF past the bare minium

Alecia - posted on 06/24/2010

im surprised at the number of ppl who are facing their babies forward before even THE LAW says so. Hello....its a LAW!!! after that its ur perogative, but please do the research first. rear-facing is so much safer. for my daughter's 1 st birthday we are buying her a brand-new convertible carseat (she is still in her infant one at 9 mnths. she's a lil girl) that can hold her rear facing until at least 35 lbs. if i can potentially save my child's life, NOTHING will make me change my mind. not even if she screamed everytime in the car. i would rather hear that scream then go to her funeral.

Brenda - posted on 06/16/2010

I am amazed at the parents who use their child as an opportunity to "voice there opinion" or "make their own choice" there has not been one argument from a parent who has chosen to forward face early that has stood up to the facts that show rearfacing is safer, there are rf carseats for large children and for small cars and if you have taken the time to look at videos and see the difference in the event of an impact I don't understand how you can honestly argue, we owe it to our children to use the most up to date information out there to make the best and safest choice possible. I have 3 daughters, my first(now 21) was rearfacing until 4 months, my 2nd(almost 5) was rearfacing until 1 and my youngest (now 9months) will stay rearfacing until age 2 or 45lbs.(her seats limit) Before my 3rd I had never heard of internal decapitation or realized the difference that it made to be rearfacing but now that I do know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't use that information to keep my baby as safe as possible

Cristin - posted on 06/15/2010

My little one is 9 months old, and I also plan to keep him rear-facing as long as possible. It's much safer. =] His car seat actually converts to a toddler seat, so hopefully we can keep him turned around for quite a while.

KRISTAL - posted on 06/11/2010

I totally agree with Ruby! There will always be someone who beleives their way is the best way... Just give them facts and hope they do whats right! I myself thought I knew it all when it came to forward facing carseats and I did not, Ruby posted that website www.joelsjourney.org/ and I checked it out and she so changed my mind! Thanks for the website info Ruby, myself and my children thank you!

KRISTAL - posted on 06/11/2010

I decided to put my 21lb, 29in 9 mo in a forward facing carseat just as soon as he turned 1 as well as my 2yr who is already forward facing, and has been since he turned 1, that was until I read Joel's story. It totally changed my mind, I have even decided to read the height and weight restrictions on my 2yr old's carseat to see if it can be rear facing if not then I'm going to change carseats so he can be rear facing as well. I'm very protective of my 4 children and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and rear facing is the safest! I'm conviced of that! My 5 yr old is still in a carseat with a 5 point harness and my 7yr old is still in a booster seat. Please Please think about it research it! It's important, it's for you CHILDREN and their LIFE! So PLEASE be respondsible they can't decide for theirselves! If your not conviced please checkout the website www.joelsjourney.org/ it will change your mind. Believe me if you have a heart and are concered about your child's safety this website will change your mind! I know it's more convient to have them forward and they can see stuff but it's SAFER to keep them rear facing as long as possible!!

Tessa - posted on 06/09/2010

I have a Graco MyRide 65 (that rear faces until 40 lbs) and plan on keeping DS rearfacing until the limits of the seat - preferably as close to 4 years old as possible. After that, I'm going to keep him in a 5 point harness forward facing as long as I possibly can.

Adrienne - posted on 06/09/2010

Jennifer, have you thought about using a mirror to see your little one when they're rear-facing. Also, it varies from state to state but it's usually recommened by law and the car seat manual to keep them rear-facing until 1 year of age AND 20 pounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics even recommends keeping your little ones rear-facing until 2 years of age.

Here's ta few quick facts that Bridget was kind enough to post earlier about why rear-facing is safer than forward-facing. :-)

1. Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a child's back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash.

2. Rear-facing carseats are NOT a safety risk just because a child's legs are bent at the knees or because they can touch/kick the vehicle seat.

3. Rear-facing as long as possible is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatricians, and can reduce injuries and deaths. Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 overall cause of death for children 14 and under.

4. Unlike this rear-facing carseat, a child's legs and head are not restrained at all if they are turned front-facing. In a serious frontal crash with a front-facing carseat, the head and legs of the child are thrown forward like a rag doll, and serious forces are put on the child's spinal cord. In a front-facing carseat, only the harness couples the energy to the child's body. The smaller area of the harness means more pressure on the child.

I'm just trying to share some good information and hopefully it'll help you out. Goodluck out there!

Jennifer - posted on 06/09/2010

As soon as my son hit 20lbs i turned it forward facing. I love being able to look at him in the rear view while I drive so I know what he's up to. Otherwise I have to guess if he's just thrown up or if he's asleep.

Bridget - posted on 06/09/2010

Loretta I had exactly the same problem! I had a Civic and it was a struggle to get in and out. Luckily my daughter is small, she was weighed yesterday at 15lbs 4oz. We finally broke down and bought a Nissan Cube, which I love a lot more than I expected and the 4 doors makes getting my daughter in and out super easy! I dont know what we would have done in the Civic when my daughter outgrows her Snugride! My daughter is also a lot happier in the Cube, she doesnt sit so low and can look around and see out of the windows.

Loretta - posted on 06/09/2010

I am a fan of Extended Rearfacing. Our convertible seat goes to 45 pounds (and at 9 months my little peanut is only 17lbs) so we'll get good use out of it. I'm going to have to buy a bigger car, however. My 2 door Civic coupe is barely working for us now.

Adrienne - posted on 06/09/2010

Samantha, I feel like you're completely missing our point so it's useless to argue any longer. We've done our research and we're comfortable and happy with our decision just as you seem to be with yours. You say your 5 year old is fine but that's probably because your were never in an accident so I hope you are as lucky with your daughter.



On the bright side of this debate, I was happy to learn of several moms that found our information valuable and have decided to return their baby to rear-facing until they've atleast reached the minimum requirements or, even better, decided to do extended rear-facing.

Samantha - posted on 06/09/2010

Whatever you say, if i choose to at least have my child foward facing from a year and on then thats what i choose. Exactly until their feet are uncomfortable! My daughter is over 30in long and her knees are in her face when she is rear facing and she screams the whole time. You can keep saying for the safety but there is no possible way for her to wiggle out if the harness was done up. They can get out of their seats rear facing too when they are past one so whats the difference! I just dont believe that it is right to have your child facing the back of a seat when they are toddlers. Hey i did the same thing with my 5 year old and hes absolutely fine!
I posted this subject on my FB and got the same reactions that i have, alot of mothers think that once the kid hits 1 that they should foward face, but hey thats our opinions. Im not going to continue to argue over this.
I gave birth to my children so to let other moms tell me what to do is absolutely ridiculous. Like everyone on my FB was saying...the kids can get hurt either way! And back then our parents parents had no carseats and they all turned out fine!

If you all choose to have your child rear facing for years and years then so be it but with the law its 20 pounds and year old to foward face at least here it is and i have already went to the police station and her docs and they said its fine if i want to foward face her now because she is so tall for her age and she is hurting with her feet bent all up. My daughter is in size 2t clothes!
So once again thanks for the advice but there is no guarantee for complete safety when we are in a world with idiot drivers. You say i dont follow the law but the law does not state that you HAVE to keep ur child backwards forever! have a nice day and please find someone else to argue with.

KIMBERLY - posted on 06/09/2010

Hello, I just got a Britax carseat and she is still rear facing! She is only 8 months (born Sept 25th) but she is just about the 20lbs. I just think it is better to have them rear facing! So I still have her that way! They told me til her feet are uncomfortable!!

Noreen - posted on 06/08/2010

Samantha- It's not a matter of opinion if Rearfacing is better the Forwardfacing. It's a matter of FACT!!! And I too will wear the title of being an over protective mother with pride because my child's safety is the most important to me!! My 5yr 9mo old is STILL in a 5pt harness and will be until he's 65lbs. He's only 42lbs now, so we have awhile before he outgrows the harness part. And he'll be sitting in a booster until he maxes out on the height or hits 100lbs. The same goes for my 4yr old. And my 8month old will be rfing until she maxes out on her carseat. I've lost WAY too many loved ones from car accidents. I would die if I lost my babies in an accident when their lives could have been saved if I would have followed safety regulations.

Bridget - posted on 06/08/2010

Samantha, I believe that you would lay your life on the line. Im sure you make decisions every day with your childrens best interest in mind. This is just one topic where facts and research have so many reasons you should wait to turn your baby around. I normally dont get involved in debates on here, but this topic is so important to me. Its such an easy thing to do to keep our babies safe.

Many years ago my sister, who was about 18 months at the time, wiggled out of her carseat. My Mom slammed on her breaks driving out of our parking lot because a car came flying by. We were barely moving, no more than 15 mph. My sister was thrown from the backseat all the way forward and slammed her face into the center of the dash. I was sitting in the passenger seat and saw it all, I cant get that image out of my head. She was Ok, thank god, just badly bruised and sore. But after seeing such a slow speed throw her with such force I can only imagine those little babies heads in a higher speed accident.

I am truly sorry for zeroing in on you, I didnt mean to attack, and Im sorry it came out that way, I just implore you to read the information I posted and give it some more thought and ask yourself if it is really worth the risk The decision is yours, obviously, I just hope, if you chose forward facing, that nothing goes wrong.

Samantha - posted on 06/08/2010

I always write in caps, its a habit. Well thank you for the apology, i was feeling a bit attacked and with that had to defend myself.
I understand where you are coming from, dont get me wrong. But you have to undertstand that we are all different. Ya ok i should wait until she is at least one but i figure its only a couple of months away. I would lay my life on the line or kill for my kids!

Bridget - posted on 06/08/2010

Thanks Adrienne!

Im not intending to judge, I just want to inform. I could not care less if people breast feed or bottle feed, stay at home or work, etc. But when babies are put at risk because of ignorance or selfishness I feel sick.

I do have to say though, Samantha was right about one thing, I shouldnt have addressed her only. The person who faced their child forward at 6 months should be hearing the same information. Same with all of the other parents who are ignoring the facts and instead calling them as "views and opinions" being forced on them. For that, Samantha, I am sorry. You didnt deserve to be singled out.

Adrienne - posted on 06/08/2010

Bridget, you're my hero!

Samantha, you're the only one here typing in CAPS. Enough said.

Samantha - posted on 06/08/2010

AAHHH WHATEVER, THIS DEBATE CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON! IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS WAY. I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A NORMAL CONVO WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO COME BACK AT ME LIKE A LITTLE GIRL( NOT TALKIN ABOUT U). LIKE I SAID BEFORE THANKS FOR THE INFO BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE ITS RIGHT TO KEEP A CHILD FACING THE BACK OF A SEAT PAST ONE AT LEAST, ITS MY OPINION! IF I WANT MY GIRL TO FACE FOWARD RIGHT NOW I WILL THATS IT END OF STORY! I DONT CARE WHO JUDGES ME BECAUSE NOBODY ON HERE PAYS MY BILLS AND HAS NO RIGHT TO JUDGE ONLY GOD HAS A RIGHT! AND HES KEPT MY KIDS SAFE UP UNTIL NOW AND I KNOW HE ALWAYS WILL. EXACTLY SPEED IS THE FACTOR SO PEOPLE NEED TO SLOW DOWN OR GET THE HECK OFF THE ROAD!



PLUS I JUST STARTED FOWARD FACING HER BECAUSE SHE SCREAMS BECAUSE HER LEGS HURT WHEN SHE HAS HER KNEES ALL THE WAY UP TO HER CHIN FROM REAR FACING! ITS NOT LIKE SHES YOUNGER AND FACING FOWARD, ONE GIRL ON HERE SAID SHE HAS HAD HER KID FOWARD FACING SINCE THE BABY WAS 6 MONTHS, I DONT SEE U ALL JUMPING DOWN HER THROAT! I PERSONALLY COULD CARELESS BECAUSE ITS HER CHILD.



I HATE WHEN PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL AND TRY TO FORCE THEIR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON OTHERS AND THEN WANT TO JUMP ON A PERSON AND ACT LIKE THEY ARE BETTER, I KNOW YOU ARE SAYING ALL THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN BUT REALLY EVERYBODY NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR OWN KIDS AND STOP TRYING TO TELL EVERYONE ELSE HOW TO RAISE THEIRS! THIS POST WAS FOR OPINIONS OF WHAT ALL THE MOTHERS THINK NOT GO PERSON TO PERSON TELLING THEM WHAT THEY ARE DOING WRONG.

Bridget - posted on 06/08/2010

Samantha, you can not guarantee that your child will be safe. That is a completely irresponsible thing to say.

Your response made it clear you did not read any of the information I posted, and that you have not done any research on your own. If you had you would know that SPEED in an accident is a major factor in injury/death. Going over a bump in a carriage isnt comparable to a traffic collision. Making absurd statements like that doesnt make the facts any less factual, and doesnt make your decision any more responsible.

No one is being harsh, reality is harsh. The immaturity on this board comes from silly comments based on opinions that ignore facts and laws. If being overprotective is doing research and following the law then I will wear that title with pride, and so will most of the mothers on here.

I wont continue to debate this with you, your refusal to have a discussion based in reality makes it pointless.

Ill end by saying I truly hope that your children won't suffer because of your irresponsibility. Good luck.

Samantha - posted on 06/08/2010

my daughter has been holding her own weight on her legs since the day she was born, her docs are completely amazed with how well her muscles are already developed, im not worried at all because i hardly go anywhere in the car anyways, i love to walk and stay in shape. But it doesnt matter what anybody thinks, i am my own person and my kids are well taken care of and thats whats important. Oh so i guess i should have my child rear facing in the carriage to until its alright with society because you never know i could hit a bump LOL. Really this discussion is not for everyone to judge each other and be so harsh and immature. I think some mothers are way to over protective and need to loosen up a bit but thats my own opinion. You have your own parenting skills! thanks for all your info but its up to me if i choose to use it or not and i guarantee my child will be safe.

Ruby - posted on 06/08/2010

HA HA HA... I'm sorry for laughing, but did she say the nurse has her child ft facing and therefore was going to do it? Really?!? I know nurses that smoke too. Lmao. Wow...I think I'm going to fb that one!

Bridget - posted on 06/08/2010

Samantha, the difference is those few months are months they dont have to develop their neck muscles. Just because they are bigger than average doesnt mean they are stronger than average, especially in their necks. You can find TONS of information on this topic, including an explaination of how they get broken/injured necks if you take a few minutes to do your own research. But to make it easy on you here are a few links....
For the US
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Chil...

For Canada, better info than on the US site, still applicable to babies in the US
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safed...

Offers an explaination of HOW a child can be protected during a crash in a rear facing car seat, also a LOT more information about crashes of all types.
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

To make it even easier here are some facts for you
1. Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a child's back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash.

2. Rear-facing carseats are NOT a safety risk just because a child's legs are bent at the knees or because they can touch/kick the vehicle seat.

3. Rear-facing as long as possible is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatricians, and can reduce injuries and deaths. Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 overall cause of death for children 14 and under.

4. Unlike this rear-facing carseat, a child's legs and head are not restrained at all if they are turned front-facing. In a serious frontal crash with a front-facing carseat, the head and legs of the child are thrown forward like a rag doll, and serious forces are put on the child's spinal cord. In a front-facing carseat, only the harness couples the energy to the child's body. The smaller area of the harness means more pressure on the child.

I found that information in less than 10 minutes. It doesnt take much time to educate yourself.

Of course there is no such thing as total safety, but does that give us the excuse to be reckless? Of course not, if you can prevent injury or fatality isnt that your obligation as a parent? Isnt it your responsibility to put your childs safety BEFORE your convenience? And as a parent, or a responsible citizen, isnt it EVERYONES responsibility to make sure helpless babies and children are as safe as possible?

Facts are facts, laws are laws. If you chose to ignore both you should expect to be judged.

I truly hope you spend time to educate yourself, especially since you don't understand how a child can be injured. And I hope for your childs sake, if you dont chose to follow the law, that you are lucky and never have to experience first hand the reasons for the laws.

Good luck.

Samantha - posted on 06/08/2010

So really the moms who are saying we are bad parents for facing our children foward a couple months before they are a year old are getting at that we should all be in carseats rear facing even as adults LMAO what is safe anymore these days?!! Maybe if there wasnt drunk drivers and moron drivers who dont watch where the heck they are going then we wouldnt have to worry about accidents! Even a nurse on here faces her child foward, i think ill go with her on this one. And how does a child get a broken neck from just facing foward, thats what i would like some proof on........anything can happen in any situation so dont judge

Samantha - posted on 06/08/2010

YOU SAY IT IS NOT BAD FOR THEIR LEGS TO BE SCRUNCHED UP BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR LEGS ARE SCRUNCHED UP FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME? DONT CRITICIZE HOW PEOPLE PARENT! IF WE WANT TO FACE OUR CHILDREN FOWARD BECAUSE THEY ARE WAY BIGGER THAN BABIES THIER AGE THEN SO BE IT, WHATS THE DIFFERENCE WITH A FEW MONTHS FROM BEING A YEAR OLD WHEN THEY ARE BIGGER THAN AN AVERAGE 1 YEAR OLD

Kisha - posted on 06/08/2010

This post is more for the mothers who want to keep their child rear-facing or know they should but aren't because of a small car.

My daughter was born 9/20 and is very very tall for her age. She is 32" tall and only weighs 19 pounds. Any time I taker her out in public people think she is over a year old and clothes wise she is wearing 18 month or 24 month clothing because of the length.

I have a car with a very small back seat, a Saturn Ion Quad Coupe, it is the car that looks like a 2 door but actually has 4 doors, the back doors open opposite of the regular doors similar to what you see in some extended cab trucks. My backseat has bucket seats with a hard plastic console in the center of them with cup holders in it.

When I bought my infant carrier I found out it wouldn't fit in my car (not something I thought about before buying the first one) so I had to take it back to the store, it was an evenflo. I had also been given a graco snugride and that would not fit in my car while allowing the front seats to be back far enough for me to drive comfortably ( and by comfortably I mean with enough leg room to actually be able to move my leg between the gas and brake...not having enough room could be a major safety issue as well.) and my husband to even fit (he is 6'5"). I went to a store that allowed me to try them in my car and found the baby trend flex lock infant carrier, it fit great in my car, gave me enough room to drive and had a lot more conveniences than the other car seats. (didn't have to take straps out to change their height, movable head rest, etc..)

With the issues I had with a carrier I knew that finding a convertible car seat was going to be a hassle so I have been looking since my daughter was 4 months old. Her infant carrier had a max height of 28.5" and she hit that mark at 6.5 months old. I found the evenflo triumph advance DLX, it fits in my car great. I still have enough room to drive comfortably and she is rear-facing until 35 pounds or the top of her head is less than 1" from the top of the seat back of her car seat.
When she reaches one of those maximums I will determine whether to face her forward or to look for another car seat that remains rear facing longer. I don't see weight being an issue but there is a good chance she will be too tall for the rear-facing position of this car seat before I feel comfortable facing her forward.

It is possible to find rear facing convertible car seats that fit smaller cars, I know this because I had this issue. Many stores will allow you to take the floor model out to your car to put it in and make sure it fits.

Adrienne - posted on 06/07/2010

Ruby, you're right on. I hope anyone who's involved in an accident after disregarding what they heard about the benefits of rear-facing, doesn't play the "What If" game. It's just like what you were saying about "I should have taken the water" except with much worse consequences. The "What If" game is the stuff of nightmares.



My mother was recently in an accident, she was t-boned when properly crossing an intersection, and she wonders "what if" constantly even though she did absolutely nothing wrong. What if one of her beloved dogs had been with her? What if a loved one had been with her? You could go on and on.



What if you're in an accident with your child in the car? What if you pay the price with your child's life? What if they had been rear-facing? To me, it's no different than not smoking when you're pregnant. Some babies are born fine. Some aren't. Same with alcohol while pregnant. If you chose to not smoke or drink while pregnant, it's because you didn't want to play "What If". Simple as that.

Ruby - posted on 06/07/2010

Adrienne, his is one of those instances when we can hear our parents and grandparents say to us "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink." However, what they didn't say, is when that horse gets thirst it still may not have the sense to say "I should have taken the water" do you see where I am going?
You, along with other moms, have enlightened and informed others but only those moms will have to figure out what is truly important for that child. I just hope its a wise choice.

Adrienne - posted on 06/07/2010

Ruby, I'm definitely feeling blue in the face now. I think we've all done a good job though of explaining what should be the obvious safety of keeping your baby rear-facing, atleast until the minumum requirements in the manual and set by law have been met. Good luck, ladies. To those of you who aren't making safety a priority, may you never regret your decisions.

Jessyca - posted on 06/07/2010

I'm glad there are so many other moms out there keeping their babies rear-facing as long as possible. My son, Cash, born September 14, is 19lbs and didn't really fit his infant carrier he was too long and he was squished so I bought a Graco convertible car seat that will let him stay rear facing as long as we want him too. It's also side impact tested! I love that feature.

Ruby - posted on 06/07/2010

For the life of me, I am trying to figure out if some people are looking to simply play what I call "the devils advocate" and just want to see if they can debate with such an issue.
when, as a parent, do we put a child's wants before a need? I have seen this time and time again and can't understand this. we are not offering our child a toy here! I rather hear my child fuss about being uncomfortable, than to hear an artificial respirator, or possibly never hear him ever again!
I realize we can keep reiterating the importance of rf our children until we are blue in the face. Unfortunately, there will always be parents who feel "you can't tell them what to do" because "only they know what is best for their child". In those cases all we can do is walk away and hope they don't ever have to regret such decisions in life. Best of luck to all of you!

Samantha - posted on 06/07/2010

My daughter is 9 months old and 22 pds. She hates being in rear facing position, shes a busy body and likes to see everything and everybody. When i put her in rear facing her legs squsish up because shes so tall!! So on that note she is foward facing now.

Joy - posted on 06/06/2010

I live in Canada s well and i'm so looking forward to having my little girl forward facing however it will be a long toime coing with her slow wieght gain. She is 9 months old and just 14 lbs. .6 oz.

I've noticed other fellow canadians comment on what is law here and i'd lke to kindly correct them. According to the Ministry of Transportation the law is 22 LBS. and 30" in length in order to go forward facing. The age of one year is only a recommendation not a requirement and there is absolutrly NO requirement thet your child has to be walking.

When my lil girl hits that 22 lbs mark which at her rate will probably be well into her 2nd year she will be going forward facing without any hesitation. She will be much happier to go into her car seat and stay in it for longer durations if she can see me, her brother and what's going on.

Bridget - posted on 06/06/2010

Angie
How many people do you know that have been in an accident on purpose? No one tries to hit another vehicle. They are called accidents for that reason. And usually accidents are one drivers fault and the other driver is a victim. I rear ended someone, so for me it was a frontal collision, when they came into my lane to swerve to avoid a driver who had swerved into their lane. There was nothing I could do to prevent the crash, no matter how safe you try to be, accidents happen.

You are right, there was a time when babies didnt sit in carseats. Im only 28 and I didnt sit in one, and yes we are were talking about it, because we werent the ones the worst happened to. They arent here to tell you their story and beg you to be responsible and follow the law.
2 might be excessive, and thats a choice you an make for yourself. But 1 and 20lbs is not a decision you are legally entitled to make.
For all of you Moms out there who are willing to put your babies at risk because of convenience I pray you dont ever have to regret your choice.

Adrienne - posted on 06/06/2010

Angie, if you could always prevent a frontal crash you would never hear about fatal frontal collisions on the news. I know I'm a good driver and pay full attention to my driving when behind the wheel but I will not put my faith and my son's life in the hands of others that are on the road. Choosing to do extended rear-facing is a parent's decision but not following the minimum requirements set by law and what's stated in your car seat's manual, strictly to help ensure your child's safety, is irresponsible. Yes, times have changed but the child mortality rate in collisions has also dropped. Lastly, in a rear-end collision, the car about to be struck is moving in the same direction of the approaching car which dramatically lessens the severity of the accident and it's also much less common than a more severe, frontal collision. Do your research.

Angie - posted on 06/06/2010

Adrienne,
From your post on 05/29, frontal crashes are the most dangerous. Please explain to me why you are not able to prevent your vehicle from hitting another head on. There's not a whole lot one can do to prevent a rear end collision, but there's no reason to hit another vehicle head on.

I understand the topic here. There's not a single mention of paying attention when you drive. It's mostly your child is going to die or be a vegetable if you have them forward facing. I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that I will not keep my little ones rear facing until they're two. That's excessive in my opinion. I know times have changed, but I think people forget that there was a time when babies didn't even sit in a carseat and they are alive and well today. I understand that bad things happen, but so do good things.

I'm not relying on anything to keep my children safe other than myself and my husband.

Kristina - posted on 06/06/2010

Nope. My son is currently 8 months 3 weeks. He is already too long in the torso and legs. I can guess by his 1 year birthday, he will be (passed) ready. My husband and I had to move our son out of his Infant seat to a Convertible Evenflo Symphony seat at his 6.5 month mark because he was so uncomfortable. He was crunched at the shoulders and feet were hanging over the end. If I had my way, I would flip his convertible seat to face forward now. . . .But I know there's that law.

Lisa - posted on 06/06/2010

I plan on keeping my son rear facing as long as I can. I saw all the videos when I was searching for a carseat, and it is pretty scary not to. This video probably sums up Adrienne's post the best:



I have a Saturn Coupe - pretty small back seat. My passenger seat has to be all the way forward to get a car seat back there. It was hard to get an adult back there before the baby was born. Now it is just me and him in the car because we cannot fit anybody else. The Britax Roundabout fits great. I can also get my Marathon back there.There is no reason to compromise safety because it is "Too Inconvenient" for me. It is a challenge to get him in and out of the car - but I do it because I do not want him to be a vegetable - or dead. You all are making the right decision. I just wish there was a way to spread the word.

Melinda - posted on 06/06/2010

hi, I was just talking to a friend yesterday about this... I will keep my son rear facing as long as possible. I have heard that if you get into a head on collision that the force can pull their heads forward and they could sustain a very bad spinal injury or even death.

Raven - posted on 06/06/2010

Personally I would rather have my daughter SURVIVE a crash with 'squished legs' then die from being forward facing.

Raven - posted on 06/06/2010

Jennifer - posted on 06/05/2010

I bought the Sunshine Kids Radian b/c it can be rear facing until 45 pounds. We intend to keep our son rear facing as long as possible. Highway safety states that the minimum is 1 yr 20 lbs, but they recommend until at least 2 years old. Hopefully we can make it that long. Good luck!

Sheri - posted on 06/05/2010

I'm not sure what seats and cars some of you mothers are using but....my 9 month old is 28" long...and about 24 lbs...his legs are by no means squished and he's a big boy! I also drive a Chevy Aveo which is a very tiny car...step up from the Smartcar...so veryt tiny!!! Maybe you should nchange carseats so you have an appropriate seat to sit rear-facing????

Sarah - posted on 06/04/2010

I would love to keep my daughter rear-facing as long as possible. She isn't old enough to join in a conversation so why not let her have the added security of a rear-facing seat? She is still in her carrier but her convertible seat is waiting and will be rear facing for a while

Sheri - posted on 06/04/2010

omg it's amazing what you see out there, even with our checks here in Canada. I've never been stopped but I do know the laws and am an informed mother. Some people are so ignorant to what they should be doing to keep their little ones safe. My son is 9 months and I'll keep him rear-facing as long as possible. My other son who is now 11 was in his booster seat forever. Long enough that if his friends saw him he would have been embarassed!.If the seatbelt didn't fit properly ...he was going to be in a booster seat...simple as that...common sense for most of us mothers!

Rachel - posted on 06/04/2010

My rear facing car seat says to have baby rear-facing until he is 36 inches long or 35 olbs. My son was born the 3rd of Sept and he weighs 21 lbs and is 30 inches long so He will probably be a yr old or a few months before he will be facing front.

Adrienne - posted on 06/04/2010

Again, there is no evidence that shows it's bad for their legs to be bunched up. Also, check to make sure the car seat back is at a 45 degree angle which often gives more leg room. Lastly, a broken leg is better than a broken neck. Please check out some of the earlier comments for more information. You CAN keep them rear-facing and it IS safer. :-)