How would you fit 3rd child in?

[Mummyof3tobe]

Baby 3 due shortly, we have a maxi cosi CabrioFix with EasyBase. We also have 6 year old and 4 year old both using maxi cost Rodi high back boosters. Can't fit all three across the back!

This isn't as bad as it sounds as I don't use car for school run, so only actually have to put all children in about once a week (and probably less often in first few months as I can't see us doing big days out with a newborn).

So I see we have a few choices:

1. put baby in rear facing seat in the front (air bag off)
   
2. put 6 year old in front seat (air bag off still?)
   
3. put 6 year old on narrow boost cushion in middle - but I'd rather keep her in a high back booster. And not sure how comfy she would be with rear facing baby seat on one side.
   

Options 1 and 2 would mean that on (fairly rare) occasions we all 5 go out in the car DH or I would have to squeeze in middle back seat!

I don't see any of these as long terms solutions as we may be able to change car in future or in any case the rear facing baby seat is only going to be for about a year from memory (and then we have a different problem).

Any advice or other things I should consider from those that have already had this problem?

[notfarmingatthemo]

Have you tried the easybase in the middle for when there is all 5 of you. or take all the seats you have down to a shop with a good range of seat and try some different ones might be worth trying the next stage in as well.

[Indith]

I can just fit baby seat in the middle with a HBB on either side in my car, they won't fit if I have them in any other order. The baby is now out of the infant carseat though and in a bigger rear facing one so we have the biggest one in the front. tHe airbag is still on (we can't turn it off) but the seat is pushed as far back as possible (this is what we were told to do by a carseat person) then I squish in the back between the other 2 seats. It isn't ideal but it works, everyone is as safe as possible and at some point they will get bigh enough to not need seats!

My biggest one in quite dinky in size so I prefer him in a seat but if your 6 year old is more normal in size then him in the middle might work well for you as he will be in less need of side impact protection anyway being in the middle and the other seats will give him some protection anyway.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

went to Halford's and got their booster seats and can manage 2 and a Stage 1 car seat in the back... Not ideal...

[Mummyof3tobe]

Thanks for those suggestions. Yes we've tried the EasyBase in the middle and while it does all physically fit, it is virtually impossible to actually access the seat belt points for the other two. Certainly they couldn't do their own and would mean I have to lift baby and seat to middle (which as I recall quickly becomes very heavy) and then strap in one child each side. I think I'd rather walk!

Indith - I keep telling myself it isn't actually for that long and they need smaller/more portable car seats, so doesn't really matter squeezing in back a few times vs. buying a new car.

[Indith]

We've got used to the squeezing, we did NE England to SW France and back like that! Granted it means dh does 99.9% of the driving when we are all in the car because he can't really fit but it isn't so bad, means I can keep an eye on the baby too, if I have all 3 in the back then dd is next to him and I don't trust her to keep her hands off! It won't be much longer til I can stick ds1 in the middle though tbh I don't think I'll but all 3 dcs back in the back until ds2 is forward facing as they get so impulsive if the baby is fussing and sometimes do daft things to him.

[Aldwick]

I found Britax Adventure seats to be much narrower and easy to do up than my maxi cosi rodi because it doesn't have 'arms'.

I managed two of these and a maxi cosi cabrio fix and now two of these and a britax duo plus in a zafira. Have also done the one in the front and me squeezed in the middle on long trips. Never much fun!

[Vickisuli]

We had the same issue from when DD1 was just 4. She went into the front in her 5 point harness seat and the other two in the back, and that's the way it has stayed though she and DD2 are both on high back boosters now. DH has to squeeze in the middle but we don't travel as a family that often.