Front facing car seat?

Kellie - posted on 08/25/2010

hay you can get a rear facing one that can be turned around later at walmart for like $50.00+ but under 100.00 for sure I think I posted one but its not the one we have also some police station will give you a new one for a small price cuz i guess they cant give them away the one I have in from our police station brand new unused and only payed 20.00 instead of 50 or 60 I hope that helps you

Marlana - posted on 08/25/2010

I dont think you actually read my post....I said my son was 20lb...93cm.....tiny? I think not!! The manual on the new seat states 20lb/ 9 months, my son is that!! As i told mary "He is too long for his rear facing seat...I went to the guarda station and asked was it illegal and and they told me NO that it is more dangerous to have my son rear facing in the seat he is in as his neck would surely snap in an accident. If you can find me a rear facing car seat that is less than 100euro that I do not have to order online i would gladly buy it for him provided it fits in my small car " I really think if i handed my son a loaded gun it would be completely different i would be arrested....eating lunch in the road i would be reported for child abuse...so if u want to be all smart fair enough but i'm doing something that is legal and not abusing my son!

Holly - posted on 08/25/2010

My take is this... if she is in a carrier, you can switch to a back and forward facing convertible car seat that will take her from this stage thru being a toddler. (A great investment in my opinion). By doing this you will not need to worry about her head being above the top of the carrier (if that is also a concern). As far as her legs are concerned, you are correct... they could break, but better her legs than her neck, which is the risk of facing forward too soon. In fact, there is legislation being tossed around to push rear facing requirements out to 2 years or longer for the reason listed above. Kids heads are too heavy and the thrust of an accident could snap their necks. Watch this from youtube... hopefully it will help you come to your own conclusion.

Marlana - posted on 08/25/2010

Well actually mary, I find your comment very insulting. Your talking as if im some sort of bad mother or something?! Have you forgotten my son is 20lb? 93cm? He is too long for his rear facing seat...I went to the guarda station and asked was it illegal and and they told me NO that it is more dangerous to have my son rear facing in the seat he is in as his neck would surely snap in an accident. If you can find me a rear facing car seat that is less than 100euro that I do not have to order online i would gladly buy it for him provided it fits in my small car but other that id appreciate if you didnt make out like i was a terrible mother as I AM NOT! im just on my own with not a lot of money, no credit card and a very big baby!! Ive done my research too but unfortunately do not have the money or a credit card to buy a rear facing seat!! Its also a fact that if a child breaks his/her hip bones they may never walk again...semi paralyzed????WOW!

Crystial - posted on 08/25/2010

hi was was just wondeing if u all live in the u.s.a because in canada ur child can face forward at one yr and 20pnds and is in a buster seat at 40pnds ???

Kristen - posted on 08/25/2010

yes try to get a car seat for infants that are longer in the rorso and legs, my son had the same problem. try going to wal-mart where is it cheapest.

Lacey - posted on 08/25/2010

I had the same problem except my son was 22 pounds and 9 months. The Dr. just kept telling me it was not allowed to turn him forward. I thought his legs would break too, so I turned him around. I would wait til she is 20 pound and turn her around, so fatten her up a little! :) hope this helps you feel better to know that ur not the only one considering it!

Joey - posted on 08/25/2010

they do make converitable car seats for infants and rear facing to 35 lbs look at the stores they have them. i dont undserstand why most parents dont care about the law (if u get pulled over you could lose your linese or you rights to your kid at least in this state) and the worse thing that could happen you can lose your baby.

Joey - posted on 08/25/2010

they do make converitable car seats, which work for rear facing and forward facing i beeen using one for the past four months or five months my daughter is long for her age she wont be a year until the end of september but she was getting to big for the infant rear facing one, most stores carry them i know for sure target and walmart have them so do toys r us/ babies r us

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/25/2010

Cherie underwood,

Tiffany plotts,

Kimberly mead,

have you all read all the posts from the beginning?

If not , please do and then tell us why you are comfortable placing your children forward.

Lindsay - posted on 08/25/2010

Its not the carseat manufacturer that is going to say something about the age it is where you live. Where I live the law is that your child has to be 1 yr and 20lbs to turn them around. I waited until DD was over two years old. There are plenty of seats on the market now that allow for higher weight and height limits. If your child has to cross their legs this is not an issue. Too many people seem to think that this is one of those milestones that they can't wait for their child to reach and turn them around far before they should. Same with switching them to a booster early. I would rather that my child is safer in the vehicle.

Cherie - posted on 08/25/2010

I had to put my son in a front facing car seat at 10 months too, he was already 20 pounds and really tall for his age. He looked like a 18 month old. He did just fine and was actually alot cooler with the AC being able to reach him. We bought a reversible car seat at 9 months.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/25/2010

Wow some moms can't take the hint.......even when it's in bold dark letters.

Why don't you care about your Childs safety??

Life or death choice here, only one right answer.

No room for opinions when the facts are so completely in one direction.

Keep your children rear facing until 35,45lbs or you are not showing that you care about your Childs life.

Hard facts but so simple to follow.

Allison - posted on 08/25/2010

I also wanted to add that my guy outgrew his infant seat at just 4 months old (he was HUGE) but of course we had to find a good one that would go rear facing. The first one we got was a Britax Wizard, and there is NO space for long legs rear facing, I think it must be designed only for front face. Still, we just used it RF until we could afford one with more RF legroom, and saved the Britax for a year. You can't use infant seats forever anyway, so just be sure the next step is to buy a bigger RF seat, not one that only does FF, as I hear many moms saying on here. Of course it's a personal choice, but there is surely NOT ANY controversy about which choice is safer...no matter leg length, RF is always safer.



EDIT: My son was 20 lbs at 5 months old, and very tall as well, and screamed through every car ride b/c he didn't like rear-facing. We had to buy an expensive new seat for him on our credit card. Still doesn't mean he "needed" turned - what he needed was to be kept safe in case of an accident. Please do the same for your precious ones.

Angie - posted on 08/25/2010

What I'm reading here is pretty disturbing to me :(. At least some of the answers are. Here in CO you would be braking the law if putting your LO in a FF car seat if they haven't reached 20 lbs AND 12 months. It's not either or. It's AND.
My daughter is 25 months old and still in her rear facing seat (True Fit). She will stay this way until she reaches the rf limit.
Here is one of the many videos on youtube regarding ff and rf.

Amanda - posted on 08/25/2010

Thank you for the good information, I knew that rear facing was best due to head and neck injury but it's always nice to be able to see/read the supporting documentation.

Tiffany - posted on 08/25/2010

my daughter was seven months old when she reached the full length of her infant car seat ( i'm mean her head was at the top of the car seat and her legs were hanging out) so me and my husband sat down and talked about putting her in a front facing car seat for weeks to finally we had no other choice.

so what i would do is sit down with you b/f or husband and talk about it. I mean no one can make the choice for you its something as a parent that you have to make the right decisions.

Melinda - posted on 08/25/2010

i would like to throw my 2-cents in here. i wasn't well informed when i had my daughter (8 years ago) on such things like car seat safety and i thought it was a right of passage to forward face her at 1 year old. now that i have my son (4 months old), i am a lot more informed on such things. i will def be rear facing until he reaches the height/weight limit on his seat (which is 35lbs). i would rather him have to scrunch his legs or hang them over the side of the seat than for him to break his neck if i'm in an accident. here is a link to a Car Seat Safety board on my message boards that show pics of a lot of children who are Extended Rear Facers. i don't see any that look too uncomfortable there: http://www.justmommies.com/forums/f705-c...

Amanda - posted on 08/25/2010

It's better to just stick it out to the first birthday and then turn her around. I am still scared of my son suffering head trauma in the car now that he's forward facing, maybe knowing that you are protecting his brain will give you some comfort over a possibility of leg injury.

Audrey - posted on 08/25/2010

Our pediatrician recommended that we keep our son rear facing until the age of 2. There has been research done that if in a car accident children under the age of 2 who are forward facing are 5 times more likely to endure head or neck trauma than children who are rear facing. Our son is 17 months old and still rear facing.

Nikita - posted on 08/25/2010

My son is 11months old and weighs 24.5-25 lbs and hes still in a rear facing car seats but his birthday, sept 18th, we are getting him a front facing one. The only reason we havent yet is because his doctor said to leave him in the rear facing one as long as possible.

Kimberly - posted on 08/25/2010

We just switched my daughter from rear facing to front facing this past weekend. She will be 10 months old on Friday and currently weighs 23 lbs and is 29 in long. I had the same problems with her legs in my carseat which is why I turned her around. If my baby was 17 lbs I would definately keep her rear facing. Go with your instinct.

Gemma - posted on 08/25/2010

You can get a rear facing car seat for your little one to stay in up to the age of 6. My little boy is nearly 14 months and is in the new car seat (Britax 2 way Elite) its alot more spacous and he loves it and soo much safer plus not having to get the car seat out the car is a plus. I had it fitted by a safety team & in Europe they only sell rear facing x

Megan - posted on 08/25/2010

Please, before you decide anything, watch this youtube video..
it will change your perspective on switching her, here in canada it is now recommended that a child stay rear facing until at LEAST 2 years old.
My daughter is tall for her age, and is 37.5 inches long, she is rear facing still, at 18 months old. She will remain rear facing in her carseat until she hits the 40lb mark (her carseat allows for that specific weight)

I'm not trying to be a pain in the butt, but this is the ONE thing you can do to save your childs life in an accident... please do not change her forward facing!

Caitlin - posted on 08/25/2010

Believe it or not, police officers have some kind of training in this department. And more than likely, you will come across one on a stop for gas or at Dunkin Donuts some day (tehe)... Ask them, and they would gladly explain to you safety and car seats :)

Melissa - posted on 08/24/2010

Hi Nicole,
For your lil peanut's safety, leave 'em rear facing as long as possible. Some European countries require children to rear face until they are 4 years old. When kids legs get to long, they cross them.

The risk of neck injury is super high in the event of a forward frontal crash. Someone mentioned internal decapitation - definite truth to this. A child's neck muscles aren't strong enough to keep their head attached to their neck until they are at least 2 years of age. The bucket of the carseat absorbs the force of the crash, protecting their little heads and necks from wrenching in an unnatural way. Here is an excellent link from Car-Seat.org with information as well as some imbeded links to video that will make you want to leave your babe rear facing as long as possible: http://carseatblog.com/?p=5168 .

Just remember, you can fix a broken leg (if it were to happen), but a neck injury is typically life threatening, non-fixable and extremely permanent.

Kellie - posted on 08/24/2010

I agree!

Brooke - posted on 08/24/2010

Laura, I LOVE our Radians. More importantly, so do the girls. The car seats are heavy but very easy to install. My youngest hated her infant seat; it was horrible to take her anywhere. As soon as we switch to the Radian, she loves car rides.

When my oldest is asleep in the car, her head slouches. With the Radian, her head rests comfortably on the head wings.

I am more than happy with our Radians and will buy another if we add to our family.

Deanna - posted on 08/24/2010

Some places (such as here in Canada) it is in fact the LAW that they be rear-facing until they are at LEAST a year old. Carseats dont say the age on them because they are sold all over the states and Canada and laws very from state to state province to province. A baby under the age of one is at a HUGE risk of a severed spinal cord should you get into a huge accident. I highly suggest all moms watch this video on youtube



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCG...



I should add- Many doctors do not know the LAW in regards to carseats. Call your local police non-emergency line and they will tell you what the laws are for your area.

Lisa - posted on 08/24/2010

Monica, your pediatrician in California was completely clueless and gave you completely false information with no basis in reality.

Monica - posted on 08/24/2010

I lived in Cali the first year and a half of my sons like, he was 24inches long and 21lbs long before he turned 1yrs old. I talked with my pediatrician, she told me he should have been front facing 2 inches ago. I was told that if I were in a car accident that both his legs and heel bones could be broken if I left him rear facing. Now again he was right at the weight limit. But we did wait until he was 11 months old to turn him around just because of the law. We did have a convertible infant car seat though, so his head did not go up over the back so we did have to rely on the fact that he was so long and weighed the right amount. Im not recommending any body break the law, just stating that we turn him a month early because he was so cramped for so long and the ped had me scared that we would get into a car accident and his legs and feet would be broken.

Mikal - posted on 08/24/2010

I just bought my daughter her new car seat this week (9 months) We tried it backwards, but it did not seem secure AT ALL, so we turned ours forward facing. Her legs were all folded up too. We just figured it was close enough.

Kellie - posted on 08/24/2010

you can get a coverable seat that lets them sit rear facing and forward facing it has 4 stages for 5 point harness move the seat belt up so she sit in it better keep it rear facing till she is 1 then turn it around!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Evenflo-Tribut... you can get lots of diffrent kinds colors and styles & prices also go to your local police station & they will tell you what is safe and can some times even give you brand new unused care seats for a low price! they do care seat and seat belt checks all the time they can tell you what is safe for your child in your area never turn them around until its time! broken legs can heal but you can't take back death or a snapped sin or neck better safe then sorry look at the bigger picture of safety and talk to your local law reinforcement they will help!

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

hey Brooke, how are those seats? I really want one when Eric outgrows his seat, are you happy with them?

Brooke - posted on 08/24/2010

Pediatricians are not trained in car seat safety. Read the car seat manual cover to cover. If you have questions, call the manufacture and take it to a certified car seat tech.

FWIW, my 2.5 and 1.5 year old daughters are still rear facing in their Radian XTSL and will be to the limits of the seat, 45lbs.

Ash - posted on 08/24/2010

doctors, companies, researchers and everyone else wouldn't tell you to keep your child rear facing if there was a big concern of your childs legs being broken. they are meant to be rear facing for a reason and that is to keep your child safe. putting them forward facing before a year or before 20lbs is not smart! I would definitely wait if I were you! and anyone who tells you differently is putting your child in harms way.

Lisa - posted on 08/24/2010

It's also important to consider that a lot of pediatricians are not up to date on the research involving this. I had to educate my pediatrician regarding rear facing being safer......it was well received by her. Pediatricians are people.....they don't know everything.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

yes Lauren they are fine forward facing unless a drunk driver hits you, or a distracted teen hits you. Or a busy driver hits you. If your child is rearfacing in a crash they most likely will be perfectly safe.
If your child is front facing in a crash they will most likely break their neck, or die.
Honestly moms, why are we not protecting our children???
Why dont we care about if they live or die????
This is a simple no brainer question. If we choose wrong it could mean the death of our child.
I dont want to have to tell every single mom in the world about this but I will not stop repeating it until I see that other moms are getting it right!!
Jacqueline, if you are in an accident and your child were to die from front facing then maybe you could sue your dr for giving you deathly advise. Its like a Dr telling you its ok to smoke.
Gosh how do these drs live with themselves after giving such dangerous advise to moms who naiively (sp?) trust their every word.

Lets actually make an effort to protect our children ok? and stop doing reckless things that will put their lives in jeapordy. we are their life line, its up to us.

Allison - posted on 08/24/2010

Wow, there are a lot of comments - but my son was also 99%-tile and HATED riding rear facing, and his legs were totally smushed, but we waited until he was 18 months to turn him. His Dr even said it was OK to turn him before one year, but we did not because ALL the research shows that rear facing is MUCH safer in an accident. No matter the age, rear facing is safer (even for adults!) If you are NOT in an accident, of course they will be fine front facing, or even if they are not even in a carseat. But carseats are made to protect in an ACCIDENT, and kids don't have strong neck muscles - so a front facing babe is very likely to die from the whiplash of an accident :( I understand why moms turn early - mine was a SCREAMER in the car - but I still don't feel it's ever worth the risk.

Jacqueline - posted on 08/24/2010

Well personaly i had this problem with my son and i turned my son around at 10 months. His doctor said it was fine and he was 18lbs. Talk to youre doctor and discuss what he thinks what you should do. But my son is 15 months old now and i have had no problems with him and i did turn him around earlyer then what the car seats do say!

Lauren - posted on 08/24/2010

my son outgrew his infant carrier at 5 months and we switched to a convertible and had it rear facing for about three months then he went forward facing at about 9 or 10 months and it never hurt him...just don't get in a wreck and ur kid would be fine forward facing.

Megan - posted on 08/24/2010

broken leg = cast it
broken neck = casket

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

Katie, just cuz you can, doesnt make it safe.
You can buy and smoke cigarettes but that doesnt make it safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can ride a motercycle without a helmet but that doesnt make it safe either!!!!!
laws are bare minimums, safety is usually way above and beyond the law.

Lisa - posted on 08/24/2010

She should be rearfacing at least until age 2. My son is 3 years old, 32 lbs, and 38 1/2 in tall and still rearfacing. The legs touching the back of the seat is no big deal....she can stretch them out, let them dangle next to the seat, or cross them. There are no documented cases of a child's legs being broken in the rearfacing position. Broken legs is a common injury in forward facing children....and as PP's have said, the risk of a neck breaking is great in a forward facing seat (in the event of a high impact collision).

Katie - posted on 08/24/2010

i think you can move to stage 2 car seats at 9 months!.My first son was very long and he moved to stage 2 seats at 9 months.
http://www.mothercare.com/Maxi-Cosi-Prio...

most recline for a good sleeping position.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

Megan, even at 17kg your son could still be rear facing. conversion 17kg is approx 37lbs and there are seats available up to 45lbs in usa and up to 55lbs in sweeden so there is no reason he couldnt STILL be rear facing now.
Eric was 20lbs at 4 months too but he is still rear facing at 26lbs. and will be rear facing until 45lbs minimum.
just cuz he is bigger doesnt mean he doesnt deserve to be safe too.

oh and the 45lbs seat i mentioned has a height maximum for rear facing of 53inches.
i bet you he isnt 53 inches yet... thats really tall

btw. the 3 year old in the 95% for both height and weight will be 39lbs and 41 inches. still capable of being rear facing in the sunshine kids radian xtsl up to 45lbs and 53inches rearfacing-- and then up to 80lbs in a 5 point harness. AWESOME choice for safety.

Megan - posted on 08/24/2010

My son is 2yrs old and is big! He is tall, as tall as a 3-4yr old. We turned him around at 6mths due to his legs coming up around his neck and him screaming the whole time. He was still in a relclined position ( lying back) until 12mths. He is over the 17kgs mark and has out grown the harness. He uses a lap belt now is safe. Most car seats have the age, height, weight on them. Use your brains, if you think baby is uncomfortable they most likely are. My almost 4 yr old daughter was rear facing until 12mths and didn't come out of a harness until 3.5yrs. She is lighter than her littler brother! At 4mths he was 19lb6oz so he was always bigger, he was born 10lb7oz so some children need to be moved around at different ages. Like I said he was in the lying down in car seat until 1yr than sitting up. Every child is different if they are small born then they are going to be in the car seat for longer rear facing than if they were bigger born.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

oh and walmart has a 40$ convertable car seat that stays rear facing until 35lbs. cheap as all get out and can save your childs life.

Bryanna, if you see the story about joel he was 6 months older then your son and about 10 lbs heavier and he BROKE HIS NECK. think about it. it happens to innocent babies all the time, it doesnt have to be your son. He can be safer. Its up to you to find out the car safety facts, which are posted here and keep him safe!

Marlana, that just sounds like letting your son play with a loaded gun. or playing in a bull fighting ring. or eating lunch in the middle of the road.
seriously its that dangerous. and completely unneccesary. and I fear for your tiny baby's life if you are involved in a crash.
remember even good drivers can get hit by a bad driver.......it happens.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/24/2010

A N, one great example was the boy Joel that I mentioned. he broke his neck and was in critical condition. but the real kicker is he was 33lbs!!! and 18 months. serious injury and such a big strong boy. makes me cry to think about his poor mom who probably would have kept him rear facing had she know it was safer. I guess no one told her............

Carissa - posted on 08/24/2010

I would ask her doctor about it. When it comes right down to it, I would do what an expert says. You would never want to be in an accident and lose your child and wonder if you had done it the other way if they'd still be alive. (Gosh, I sound morbid) I say this because my husband bought a booster for our son. He is very small for his age. We have been driving around with the booster with no back for a while and it's been on my mind every time I drive with him in the van. I finally just stood up and said, "we have to bite the bullet and buy one with a backing because I would never want to possibly cause a mistake that could cause our son his life." I feel better about a seat that is made for his weight.