Car seats too small

Amanda - posted on 03/14/2010

we got a convertable car seat that held from 5lbs to 65lbs and i also heard that is safest to keep a child rear facing for as long as possible!

Rebecca - posted on 03/14/2010

No Casey guidelines have not changed, not where i am anyways, Canada. My oldest is 2.5yrs old and nothing has changed since he was a baby to now. It absolutely does not go by weight. Get a new Dr in my opinion. They are putting your child's safety at risk by telling you it's weight. If it was weight then my husband nephew would have been turned forward facing at 6 months...well before that actually becuase he was 26lbs at that age. If you take your car seat to a person who is certified to install them, they will tell you the truth, not what you wish to hear. A child should not be turned until they are 1yr, 22lbs AND walking(in some places this is the law also). If you are in Canada go to www.childsafetylink.ca This site has loads of information on the guidelines for our country and is province specified too. If your child is forward facing before they should be you can get a fine for it.
Just think of the force of impact people if your child is turned too early. Think of shaking a baby how much damage is done...there is NO support to the neck, which in turn breaks the spine or just snaps the neck...now think of the force of a vehicle getting hit and the damage that will do to a child. Why rush your child's development?? Because it's more convenient for you to get them in and out...please.
We have to travel 3800km in the summer to move and I can tell you, my son, who has been forward facing for over a year now, will be changed to rear facing like our 8 month old daughter is currently because IT'S SAFER. If we were to get in an accident now i'm sure he would be able to withstand the lashing out of his neck but why risk it. For those of you who take your kids for granted, don't. Kids are a blessing and some people don't play around with a child's life. I was told when I was 17 I wouldn't be able to have kids and I went through surgery to be able to get pregnant so I will do anything in my power to keep them safe...it's our job as parents to keep our kids safe, not to do what is convenient for us and easiest. It wont be easy to bury your child if you got in an accident would it. I posted earlier to go to youtube.com and look for a video so I hope some have or will.

Rebecca - posted on 03/14/2010

My daughter is a little over 7 months old and she is 25 lbs. and 30 in. tall. You have to get the next size up carseat and make it rear-facing.

Ashley - posted on 03/14/2010

My doctor told me my LO is to face front at 22 lbs so I would just ask your doctor....

Casey - posted on 03/14/2010

I'm not sure where you are all from or weather the guidlines have changed recently, but I turned my sons car seat around when he was 7 months old and he never had a problem with it, he is now 19 months old and I honestly couldn't even imagine him being in a rear facing carseat when he was 1 year old, he was walking when he was 1 so there is no way he would still lay down in a rear facing carseat, sorry but it just seems absurd to me, our carseat goes on the weight of the child not the age.

LaWanda - posted on 03/14/2010

We are in the same boat at you our! Our son is getting TOO TALL not weight size too big. Its hard to leave them backwards when there feet are all pushed up! We have the birth to toddler/booster carseat. The weight limits don't have anything to do with the height and I think that is where the car seats are having trouble. Our like one is 7 months but is a tall boy like his daddy!

Crystal - posted on 03/13/2010

I know that our local laws say that after the certain height you have to put them forward facing because it's a saftey hazard for their legs if you are in a carseat rear facing. I think the child's legs can be broken if rear, I dunno for sure. But a cop told me when I had my daughter in a infant seat her legs where hanging out and the cop to me that You can get a ticket. Soo I hope that helps, honestly just call the non-emergency number for your local cops and ask the laws.

Mikah - posted on 03/13/2010

I have heard of the car seats that stay with the baby from birth to toddler ages maybe you should invest in one of them. It should be able to withstand her weight and height with becoming a forward facing seat. But Im pretty sure you'll get a ticket if you have her in a foward facing car seat.

Rebecca - posted on 03/12/2010

I ask all of you mom's who think it's appropriate to turn your child forward facing before the time to go on youtube.com and search the following...Front facing or Rear facing? Car seat safety TRUE STORY crash test videos
This is a man's true story of his grand son who was WELL OVER the age to change to forward face...i beg you to change your child back to rear facing, it is MUCH safer whether they can hold their head good or not, the guidelines are in place FOR A REASON!

Tiffany - posted on 03/12/2010

I am sorry I think I need to further elaborate my post. When I say "don't fit" I mean once they are too long, when their feet are hitting the back of the seat.

Melissa - posted on 03/12/2010

If she outgrows the limits of the seat I would suggest getting a different seat. What kind do you have? I wrote a essay for my college English class about the advantages of keeping your children rear facing until they are 3 or 4.

Rebecca - posted on 03/12/2010

A child should not and can not be turned forward until a year old. If the seat does not fit her anymore i hate to say it but you wasted your money on a convertible seat that doesn't go to 35lbs rear. Both of my kids convertibles go to 40lbs for rear and forward is 20-40lbs so in short, i can keep them in rear the whole time they're on the seat. My son is 2.5yrs old and is only 28lbs and my daughter is 8 months and we just moved her to her convertible seat a few weeks ago. My only suggestion is to sell the one you have and go buy another one. A friend of mine moved her 2.5yr old so to a booster seat becuase he kept taking his hands out of the straps and she was pulled over and no she has to go to court. Remember the head can not come up over the top of the seat. It does not matter if the legs of the child are on the seat rear facing. So just because she is too long for the seat doesn't necessarily mean she is too big for it. If she has long legs take it in to the Dr and ask them if it is still ok. Or if there is a car seat installer in your area, like the fire station, go there and ask them. Our fire station does it for free and we go there all the time to make sure the seats are getting installed properly.

Tiffany - posted on 03/12/2010

My son is already forward facing at 8 mos. He is about 20 pounds and pretty tall (can't remember the number) He is very sturdy, He is crawling and pulling himself up on everything he can get his hands on. He likes forward facing much better and is much happier in the car. You can keep them rear facing till they are too long to fit. Or once they reach the weight and height requirements.

Chiara - posted on 03/12/2010

hi, I went to John Lewis to look at seats for my little girl who is the same age, I was told that they can stay in the rear facing car seat until their head passes the height of the seat, for some babies this may be at 9 months and for others a bit longer, however the longer she can stay rear facing the better

April - posted on 03/11/2010

My Daughter was uncomfortable in her infant car seat, we switched her to a full size car seat that goes up to 65 pounds I think. I believe it is 45 lbs -or 1 years old which ever comes first before they can go facing forward. But switching her into a larger car seat will help and allow her to be more comfortable - it has made a huge difference for us, and she enjoys car rides alot more.
I also found out that american manufactuers of car seats (Graco, Chico, safety first, eddie bauer) Only test thier seats up to 30 miles per hours european models are tested up to 60 Miles per hour.

Ailey - posted on 03/11/2010

My pediatrician told me to get a new car seat as well. I have the 30/30 peg perego car seat and my son is 22lbs almost 29 inches and will be 8mos on Monday. With only 1 inch to go on that car seat, she told me to buy a regular car seat but face it rear as their heads, even though they hold them up well, are still not strong enough for front facing car seats until they are around a year of age.

Desiree - posted on 03/11/2010

1st, Shanna, your doctor should NEVER tell you ur babies are fat!!! Both my boys, (2.5yrs, and 8 months) were both in the 90% of the charts. If they get sick and loose a couple pounds, its better they have extra "fat" to loose, than to he skinny, and loose everything they got.
Next, the car seat issue...BE SMART, AND KEEP THE BABY FACING BACKWARDS! Like another lady was saying its law in other places to keep the kids facing backwards beond their 1st birthday. Even some doctors are now saying to hold off getting a front facing seat for them. Kids neck mussels are not strong enough to with hold a fast/hard collision. Why take the chance?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Shanna - posted on 03/11/2010

I went through the same issue with my first son, and now again with our youngest. He is 29" and 24lbs... I personally won't turn him around till he hits the 1 year mark. You may need to get a different seat, try www.diapers.com they often have sales going on their seats, I got the convertible I have now for 15% off and it's up to 35lbs rear facing and up to 80lbs forward.
Good luck!
P.S. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has bigger babies! I'm SO tired of the Dr.'s telling me he's too fat! His brother outgrew it, he will too! LOL

Jodi - posted on 03/11/2010

Katie, I understand what you ment. You have a convertable car seat, and your child is already outgrowing the weight and height restriction for the rear facing position. I agree that you should contact your car seat manufacturer, because they will probably tell you that it is in your best interest to keep him rear facing until 1 year. It's not about the weight, its about the ability to tighten herself up during an accident. I agree that at 7 1/2 months she is (or seems to be) very independant, but being in the car is a completely different story! I feel your pain. I have a daughter that is 8 months. :o)

Krissy - posted on 03/11/2010

wre in australia and my son got too tall for his rear sitting seat by this age but his weight was under the ristrictions . we were told to keep him in it but on other advice they said if we were in a acident then he'd likely do damage to his neak.
as we now have new laws stating htat all children up to 7 need to be in a car/booster seat they still haven brought in the rear facing seat up to 1yr of age. my daughter was the same in weight and hight rear facing and we hadto put her in a front facing 'bucket seat' that they have just brought out. i still dont like it much but untill the laws change for up to 1 yr we have to put up with it. i'd say buy a rear facing up to the largest lbs you can and hopefully she wont grow too tall for it.

Rebekah - posted on 03/11/2010

I had to buy a child seat that goes from 5lbs to 80lbs and in those you can keep the seat rear facing until they are 35lbs. the problem is that you cant take those out of the car, so, we have to bring her stroller or port-a-crib everywhere. my daughter is 29in and 19.5lbs.

Christi - posted on 03/11/2010

I would not put her forward facing yet, in fact they now recommend by the American Association of Pediatrics that babies stay rear facing as long as possible - two to even four years, it is much safer. Here is a random article about it I pulled off line http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html - There are a lot of brands out there now that allow rear facing for much more weight. We have a Britax Boulevard, which we highly recommend, it allows for rear facing up to 35 pounds and forward facing up to 65 pounds - so it will last you a long time. I know Britax, as well as, several other brands have variations of this. - Good luck!

Diane - posted on 03/11/2010

you have to buy a larger car seat that is both rear and forward facing. Keep her rear facing until she is 1 then turn it. That is what we just did with our 8 month old daughter. This is what I bought. It is the 3rd highest rated by consumer reports and you can get it for under 60 bucks!! It got the highest rating for safety!!

http://www.target.com/gsearch/192-726640...

Amanda - posted on 03/11/2010

I just bought a 3 in 1 convertible car seat. You should leave your daughter rear facing until she is 1 year, not just because of possible bylaws' in your area, but also because it is much safer for baby. The great thing with these combination seats is they are the one and only seat you're going to need until they are big and old enough to seat without one. I just bought the Evenflo Symphony 65. It goes rear-facing, forward-facing and also converts into a booster seat. She has almost outgrown her infant car seat so I had no choice. You dont have to face them forward just because they don't fit in their infant seats. I am happy with my purchase, plus she looks much more comfortable now. It is much more cost effective to buy a seat like this, because its good until they are 100lbs (and by that time, they will likely not need a booster seat) :) Check out the babies R Us website for 3 in 1 car seats! Watch out though, because they are some "combination seats" that are only forward - facing & booster.

Mynique - posted on 03/10/2010

I don't know if the law is the same everywhere, but here in idaho, the fine for turning a baby around in a car seat before they are a year is huge. When i went to the hospital and they gave me a car seat because i am on wic and qualified for a free one, they gave me a car seat that was stationary not one that has a base that the seat snaps into..It's an infant to toddler one that goes from birth to 50 or 65 lbs (cant remember exactly) but the baby can be put in it until they are a toddler..at the time they cost 50 dollars at the local walmart and when i took the class to have it installed, the hospital class adviser came out to the car and made sure we had them installed properly...You just install them facing backwards and put the little piece in the back in the folded down position so that it doesn't have support piece that keeps it upright like forward facing seats do..It is not as easy to get the baby in and out of the car cuz the seat doesn't slide right out or snap into a handy base that's perminately locked in..but it keeps the baby safe and you don't have to worry about getting fined....Just don't turn them around till they are a year old...Good luck

Judi - posted on 03/10/2010

I am facing the same problem as well, I am getting a convertable car seat that can turn around later. I also recently did some research on turning the car seat forward. It is much, much safer to keep them rear-facing as long as possible! Many countries keep them that way up to 3-4 years. It sounds uncomfortable, but I would definitely research it and get all points of view.

Katie - posted on 03/10/2010

the wieght restrictions go up to 85lbs forward facing but only 30 rear thanks for all your comments guys I will try to check in with the manufactuer and there is a nurse that did my prenatal classes that also had her car seat class.

Lisa - posted on 03/09/2010

We just bought a convertible car seat that will fit rearfacing until 30 pounds. The most important thing is to make sure that your munchkin fits in it well and is snugly restrained. We are still under that 20 pound limit on the baby carrier but we have stopped carrying it in everywhere because she sits so well and prefers the highchair or shopping cart. I would check with your peditrician or the local fire department for more info. Also the children's hospitals should have someone who has taken the 48 hour car seat class that could advise you better.

Rebecca - posted on 03/09/2010

i asked my health visitor the same thing today,as i only have a small rear facing car seat which my daughter is to long for,she said that i need to look for a car seat that is suitable from 19lbs which can be forward or rearward facing.i found a maxi-cosi car seat that is actually forward facing from 9kg/19lb up 4yrs approx,because it reclines,so i would contact the company that make your car seat for the weight restrictions. but just in case, i got a maxi-cosi priori sps car seat.take a look at one to see what you think

Jessie - posted on 03/08/2010

Although my father bought our travel system for us (so we didn't personally waste the money I suppose...) I would agree.. if I had realized how theses things really worked with weight restrictions and such I would have gotten something different, like a 3 in 1 seat. Hale is actually still in his infant carrier since he is a small little guy not yet 17 lbs but we are buying a new seat next week that can rear face at a small weight and then forward face and become a booster seat also.

Michelle - posted on 03/08/2010

I've heard of some moms making the switch to front facing early. Once the child head is to the top of the shell of the car seat it's time for a new one. My friend based her decision of the fact that her sons was kicking the seat b/c his legs were long enough to do so. My preference was to buy a new seat that was a 3 in 1. I am keeping him rear facing still. The seat is larger so it works great. My son is at least 26 inches or longer and about 22lbs. At 35 ponds you can use this seat (Britax) front facing. I want to keep him rear facing as long as I can. I just feel it's the safest this way.

Stacey - posted on 03/08/2010

You have to get a convertible carseat that has a higher weight/height limit to be rear-facing until she's at least one. We had that problem with our son. He was too big for the infant seat by 6.5 months so we had to buy a bigger one. Had I known I wouldn't have spent all the money on a travel system.
With our last daughter we bought the Graco Snugride 32 that holds bigger babies so we won't have that problem again.

Amberlee - posted on 03/08/2010

You can get rear facing toddler carseats they would be your best bet

Christine - posted on 03/07/2010

the car seat that faces forward can also face backwards. My son is the same age and he grew out of the first car seat that goes with the stroller. He is now in the car seat that faces forward but it is still facing backwards. They can't face forward until they are a year old

Jacey - posted on 03/07/2010

you may want to keep her rear facing i think since law enforcement knows the guidelines and if shes underage you may get in trouble, i would assume, i had the same thoughts because the guidelines are silly, they give you two different requirements that may not coincide. mayeb call the manufacturer to see what they think would be safe?