I don't know if I am being PFB or sensible?

[TakingTheStairs]

I am taking a trip home (another country) next week. My DM has very kindly borrowed a car seat for me to use during the trip to save me bringing my DS' car seat. I should point out that it is no hassle at all for me to bring the car seat and she sourced this other car seat from a family member without my prior knowledge but is trying to be helpful.

The car seat she has borrowed is a Maxi Cosi Tobi which is suitable from a weight of 9kg. DS is 8kg (8 months) and puts on roughy .5kg a month so he is about 2 months away from being the minimum weight for this car seat.

I worry that should the worst happen he will be too small for the car seat and wouldn't be protected properly.
AIBU to say thank you but no thank you and use DS' own car seat?

(please be gentle!)

I wouldn't put an 8 month old forward facing. Definitely bring your own seat.

As an aside, when do they go into forward facing?

Not pfb or U at all. He is simply not big or old enough to go in the bigger seat. It is not safe. just take your own, no worries then.

Taking, I left both of mine in their rear-facing seats for as long as they were comfortable. Both transferred to forward-facing at about a year, but you can get rear facing ones for toddlers, though they are hard to find.

Use your own. He fits it and you know where it's been

I'd take your own seat too, hopefully you Mum will react well to the message.
I keep them rear facing as long as possible, Dd was rear facing till about 15 months in a Britax Marathon seat. 8 months is way to young to turn around. If in doubt you tube is full of crash test videos of infant car seats, showing what happens if they forward face too soon. Internal decapitation or something it's called. Rear facing older kids can break legs, or hips which can heal.

Taking legally they can at 9kg (around 1) but safely they should rear face for as long as possible - my youngest is 2 next month and still rear faces. They're necks aren't strong enough to cope with the forces of an accident if they're forward facing too early

OP I wouldn't put my 11kg 2 year old (who's my second) forward facing so not pfb at all!

Should be 'their' not 'they're'

"Throwing it into the hold" is a strange suggestion from someone c

Sorry, from someone concerned about safety! You can damage the seat. Easy to take infant carrier, even on easyjet, bring the baby in it up to the plane and it will be placed in the hold then - you can ask for it to be set out for you at the other side, so it doesn't have to do the whole conveyor belt thing. Does it have a frame (is it part of a travel system?) even handier if so.
As for time rearfacing, ds2 stayed in his infant carrier till around 15 months until he reached the weight limit. He then moved into a Britax Elite so can be rf until about four.

Also, it has not been cheap! But to avoid the borrowed-carseat issue I've had seats I chose delivered to my parents' address, I visit often enough to make it worthwhile.

most stage 0 seats stay refacing until around 13kg I believe? (its a long time since we were there) DS was about 17 months when he went forward. If I had another I would probably look into extended rear facing

Igggi, and if you watch, they then still throw them in the hold.

I used a bjorn through airport, bubble wrapped the infant seat and checked it in with bags. More protected.

Iggi, "throwing it into the hold" was just a phrase.
I am, of course, aware of the dangers of throwing a car seat around.

But thank you for the info about the Britax Elite, that's very good to know.

Yes Pint, more or less damage though than travelling along conveyor belts, on and off those truck things, and then into the hold? We can only minimise risk after all.

Sorry OP have clearly offended! But as a first time flyer with first born, I had no idea that you could take the carseat up to the aircraft doors, until I saw someone else do it, so thought helpful to pass on. It isn't part of your normal baggage allowance either.

YANBU forward facing seats aren't as safe at such a young age. How can minimising risk for you dc be 'precious'? If you didn't think he'd like the colour of the seat that would be PFB.

Yanbu, you have made the right call.

DS stayed in his RF maxi cosi cabriofix until the very last second regarding the weight limit, think he was about 15 months (short arse baby ), it's just so much safer.

Iggi, no offence taken, honestly!

You absolutely can take the car seat up, but unfortunately I can't carry DS and the car seat because of a bad back and the airport will only let me bring a one piece fold buggy to the aircraft door, so if I attach the car seat it no longer is one piece fold and I can't bring it through. So popping it in the hold (as protected as possible) is my only option. And DS in a sling and carrying the car seat won't work for me either.

And thankfully, with BA the infant baggage allowance includes a bag for the child, a one piece fold buggy and a car seat all included. It's the main reason I fly with BA when I'm travelling on my own with DS.

Thanks to everyone else for your feedback.

DS is a short arse too slithytove, so hopefully he'll be able to stay in his infant seat for ages!

Oh that's a shame about the one piece thing, glad that didn't happen to me.
Hope you have a good trip - is there a collection of borrowed things waiting for you perhaps?!!

They can stay in the infant carriers until 13 kg, my 17 month old is just getting to thr point of needing a new seat

Joie now do an erf up to 18kg for £150, which is cheaper than any other ive found.

Id take my own if I was you

Id

Although I bought a second hand one when going away as I didnt like the thought of mine being thrown around and maybe being damaged.

Mil probably does not know the details of car seat sizes. The Tobi are great seats but mine were both over age 1 before they went into them. Say thank you but it's too big. Accept the offer next time