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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Car seats - when to go to forward facing?

50 replies

milkyman · 23/06/2013 14:58

We are off on a 3hr car journey soon and our DS with be 8.5mths. He has a backward facing car seat but it seems too small for him - he is a long baby and weighs approx. 25ilbs. I asked in mothercare and they reckon he has some time left it it but I am concerned that it causes his head to drop forward when asleep (it's a graco car seat).

Would it be wirth us getting a forward facing one and any suggestions as to which one?

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KrazyKurls · 23/06/2013 15:07

DD has just gone into hers today she is 11 months, but only 19 lbs.

Our seat goes up to 13 kg but most forward facing can be used from 9kg.

It is best to leave them rear facing for as long as you can but obviously not safe if he's too heavy.

CatInWellies · 23/06/2013 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hellymelly · 23/06/2013 15:13

Stay rear facing as long as you can. They far far safer. You shouldn't even be thinking of ff with such a young baby. Have a look at www.rearfacing.co.uk . My tall thin 8 year old only went ff last year, and my average height slim six year old is still rf. They both had the Britax two-way. I think it goes up to 25kg.

RobotElephant · 23/06/2013 15:21

Keep him in the current car seat until he's over the weight limit or his head is over the top of the seat. Squished legs are fine.

There's a new maxi cosi that you can keep rear facing past this stage, and then change to forward facing, that might be worth a look.

hellymelly · 23/06/2013 15:44

There is a reason why in Sweden (by law) children are rear facing until at least 4. It is to do with the ratio of the weight of the head compared with the body. Forward facing increases the risk of death in an accident for toddlers and babies. I think it should be law here too, to stay rf until 4.

YoniBottsBumgina · 23/06/2013 15:49

As long as possible preferably!

I wouldn't personally put a child forward facing before a year, preferably 15-18 months. 25lbs is still well within the limit for the seat - 20lbs is the minimum for forward facing in the UK but the maximum weight limit will be 13kg or 28lbs and their weight gain slows down dramatically when they get to a year.

FF seats are more upright anyway so more likely to make his head loll, not less.

Marrow · 23/06/2013 15:51

You don't need to worry about cramped legs. He has only outgrown the seat if he exceeds the weight limit or his head is over the top of the seat.

50shadesofbrown · 23/06/2013 16:01

We put our DD in a fwd facing seat at 10 months. She is a very big girl, our reasons were:

She literally didn't fit down into the rear facing seat (she was too wide for it)
Her legs were pushing against the rear of the car seat, we were told she was supposed to keep her legs straight as much as possible as she was born with positional talipes on both feet (club foot due to being a big girl with long legs all squashed up inside me before she was born).
We asked our HV & she said in the circumstances it was fine.

MoreSnowPlease · 23/06/2013 16:07

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Original poster

milkyman · 23/06/2013 20:12

Thanks everyone - I didn't realise all this so def rethink. Robot Elephant - do u have link for new maxi cosy seat?

OP posts:

RobotBananas · 23/06/2013 20:25

I'm trying to find it but I'm worried I've imagined it

I'll have another search.

RobotBananas · 23/06/2013 20:28

Ah - Maxi Cosi Opal

RobotBananas · 23/06/2013 20:29

(it might not be new btw, it's just new to me)

MousyMouse · 23/06/2013 20:32

ideally until they start school...
not joking, extended rearfacing seats last that long.

your ds will be fine until his head reaches the edge of the headend of the seat. rearfacing is much much safer at hs age.

MissTriangle · 23/06/2013 21:15

We have just put our DD2 into a forward facing car seat- she is now almost 2. We had her in an extended rear facing seat (a BeSafe izi combi). We only moved her into the new seat as she has become a master escape artist ... We bought a cybex pallas-fix from mamas and papas. It is fab- i would recommend either of these two seats for the next stage. However my DD1 was in her maxi cosy cabriofix until her first birthday and she was quite a chunk - so you may not need a new one just yet.

Belmo · 28/06/2013 09:45

I had to put my dd forward facing at 10 months as she was 13kg and we couldn't afford a rear facing one. I really stressed about it at the time but it was fine and she finally stopped screaming in the car seat!

ComfortablyDumb · 28/06/2013 10:13

My DC was very tall, but after reading a bit about it we stayed rearfacing (still rearfacing now at 2.5)

Have a look at really helpful website We got a Britax 2-way Elite. Expensive, but will last for ages.

estya · 30/06/2013 22:55

I think the law is going to change so they have to start tear facing until 15 months old in the uk.

estya · 30/06/2013 23:11

That was rubbish swyping, sorry. What I wanted say was:

I think the law is changing so they have to stay rear facing until 15 months in the uk.

AppleYumYum · 30/06/2013 23:19

Never, rear facing until 4 with something like a Brica mega mirror, once you read the research you will understand. They are changing the law in the UK to 15 months rear facing this year, USA just changed law to rear facing until 2. Highly recommend the BeSafe iZi Kid.

RobotBananas · 30/06/2013 23:25

Do you have any links about it changing in the UK, or when it will happen? Thanks

katykuns · 01/07/2013 01:04

you'd think with the pressure to go rear facing they would make it affordable
we got a forward facing one but not beating myself up about it... especially as we go out in the car so little anyway.

hellymelly · 01/07/2013 23:06

Maybe they will come down in price. I was really lucky in that my MIL bought ours, but if she hadn't I would have gone without anything to have one, they really are that much safer. And as it fitted DD1 until 7 and a half, and DD2 still has growing room in hers at 6, they have at least been good value that way.

mrscog · 01/07/2013 23:14

My 16 mo DS still fits into his Maxi Cosi pebble! He's average height but quite skinny - he's about 10.5kg. At this rate I think he'll still be in it at 18months. Have also got an ERF seat for him as well once he outgrows the Pebble!

babySophieRose · 02/07/2013 09:42

We changed to forward facing car seat at around 9 months,as the backwards facing car seat was getting too small.

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