to be annoyed that SIL has started forward facing her DD?

[GnocchiNineDoors]

She is 9 months. I know this is the 'minimum' age, however when I said "god, they grow so fast didnt realise she was passed the minimum weight" she said it was age. I replied that I thought it was weight, but apparently "some are age, some are weight"

I have seen the videos of 'internal decapitation' and have read up on rear facing and the benefits and want to do it as long as possible.

I actually feel cross that they don't look into these things and have turned her forward.

Our Britax two way elite was in the region of £200 from InCarSafety centre.

The Britax 2way and tethers are coming up at £280 from the website Grey linked, so I shall start a penny jar.

Gnocchi I have the Bizi Besafe in the back of a Polo, in the reclined position & there is enough leg room for me to sit comfortably in the front (but not 6 ft 4 DH!)

I am assuming the InCarSafety Centre doesnt post seats out?

Both my DC stayed in the MaxiCosi until they were 14 months (DS is 91st centile for weight and 75th for height) as I didn't move them up until I had to. DD then went RF until 3 when we needed the seat for DS (no room for two RF due to DH's driving position) and she is now in the Kiddy Guardian Pro as the research I did suggested this was pretty safe for a FF.

No one else that I know has a RF seat so I think people think I'm slightly bonkers and OTT but I just do what I think is right for my family as I'm sure most people out there do. But I do think the lack of information given to people is shocking ? at the very least is should be emphasised that the minimum weight/height restrictions are just that, minimums and you don't have to automatically change up once they reach them.

Oh and I drive a Volvo .

And for £200, it getting used a maximum of 8 times before he was too old for it at 4yo, a RF car seat that does for that age group would not be cost effective. Plus it is used in different cars each time, so no isofix, and this was the only seat that fitted all 3 possible cars that I could afford before I first needed to use it.

I don't like it, but I don't have a financial option when it is so rarely used.

They do, we live in NE Scotland, they are in Milton Keynes. £220 on their website.

I can't fit a larger rear facing seat in my car but The britax first class which costs £100 can be rear facing until 13kg. I'm guessing that's at least until age 2 given my 4 year old weighs 16kg. For the same price and size as the forward facing ones you can get ones thy rear face for longer although not as long as 4 years old.

As someone who suffers with travel sickness I really hope we don't have rear facing back seats!

I think www.securatot.co.uk posts them out if that helps?

www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/46?osCsid=gjsrgihgb287hr6o65hrlji1d0

they post? that's bloody brilliant. Was considering dragging DH down to MK for a car seat which he would find bonkers.

"To those who "can't afford" a rf car seat. Really? If your child needed life saving surgery and it cost £300, you'd find it surely?"

most people would rely on the nhs. There are people in this country and on mumsnet who cannot afford £200. I expect they feel like shit whenever they are told they can't care for their children enough if they can't find the money for an extended rear facing seat

Toomanydaisies - it would take me almost a year to save up for that £300 'lifesaving' surgery. And before you carp about my Internet use, I don't pay for it.

yabu and i suspect more interested in competitive parenting than anything else. When we were babies we were in an unrestrained carry cot laid on the back seat and nobody 's baby was killed in a road accident that i ever knew .butt out chance in a million oe something happening .we all have to take much bigger risks with our kids as they grow up eg letting them cross the road by themself

I am sure there are a lot of people who can't afford £250+ given that food seems to have gone up by £££ over the last few years. I am not on a budget but do watch what I spend and trying to reduce my food bill appears to be pretty futile unless I go to Asda on a Tuesday MOrning (reduction day). A part of me suspects that the advice against second hand car seats although valid also helps to perpetuate the ridiculous price of car seats . As an industry with a guaranteed market I am sure they coudl be cheaper.

I agree about the cost. When I say we are not well-off, that was a vast understatement, so it was not an easy amount to come up with. I mean it - we didn't pull that money out of thin air. We saved for her car seat and cut back on other things, because it was the most important thing to us. She would not have gone in a car without a decent car seat. Tyres are expensive too, and yet if you have a car, you know you have to replace them sometimes or your car is unsafe - that's how I looked at it, a required expense before we could drive our kid in our car. I'm not saying that everyone should or can spend £200 - I think people should buy the very best car seat they can stretch to afford, and I see that some people would rather spend money on a vast wardrobe, or a pricey buggy, or a lot of toys - I wouldn't.

Rear-facing seats cost so much because they are not the 'norm'. That's a problem.

Frilly My 10 month old would be too big for that seat.

I just post links to rearfacing.co.uk on my facebook and share statuses from rear facing the way forwarf FB group.

Some friends may not like it because of their choices (more so the ones who know about ERF and have decided not to do it for reasons other than cost ). If they feel its a criticism thats their problem. Im doing it to help raise awareness of these seats. In the past few months more and more friends have asked for my advice on ERF purchases.

Ive saved since pregnancy for ERF. Been savvy in my purchases and we are nearly ready to buy one.

Im sure my SIL and sisters will think Im bonkers for doing ERF but hey who cares. My child is safe. My choice.

YABU if she wasn't using a carseat you might have a point but for goodness sake! The risk is so minimal, you cannot spend your whole life worrying about what ifs.... you'd be a nervous wreck.

When we were babies we were in an unrestrained carry cot laid on the back seat and nobody 's baby was killed in a road accident that i ever knew

So because nothing happened to anyone you knew personally, that proves.....what?

It's not "competitive parenting" to be concerned about car seats.

dueling sorry. I don't want to upset anyone.

It's just that running a car is expensive. Tax, mot, service, oil, petrol, insurance etc etc. We only have 1 car because the running costs are so high. So £200 (as some people have quoted) doesn't seem much more when you look at the overall running costs. And ff car seats aren't that much cheaper.

hapless housewife - I think the minimum height restrictions ARE pretty important actually as impacts neck positioning etc. Agree that weight ismore arbitrary.

"Rear-facing seats cost so much because they are not the 'norm'. That's a problem"

And hopefully the new law change to make RF complusory til 15mths will change this. Fingers crossed.

hapless oh sorry you said minimum and I read maxmium. So please ignore

gnocchi, i found our receipt. We got ours from Paul Stride, but it was on a special offer (I think it was a discontinued model/colour) - the cheapest they have now is around £250.

www.paulstride.co.uk/p0/besafe-rearfacing-car-seats/398949.htm

I also told myself that it was going to last three years - that helped. :)