Getting out of car seat

[purpleme12]

My little girl, 20 months, is still in a newborn car seat because her head's well below the top of it and she's not even 20lbs so well below the maximum weight too. But twice now she's managed to get her arms out of the straps and so her whole upper body's been free so she's turned round to us in the front of the car and obviously this isn't safe. I don't think it's that the straps aren't tight enough there's always going to be some pull in them because the attachment to the seat is below the top of the seat so they come up the back of her then down over her shoulders if you get what I mean and because she's 20 months she pulls to sit forwards in it. She's not even the minimum weight for the next stage. Has this happened to anyone else? I guess we're going to have to move her up now aren't we

It wont necessarily solve it. DD2 was terrible with this (in forward facing seat). You can buy a strap to clip them together to make it harder for them to get out. There is some controversy over whether they are a good thing but I didn't see there was any other option.

Yeah you need to add an extra clip in the straps. I have heard 'Houdini stop' is a good one which stopped my friends wriggly monster!

Houdini clips have been safety tested and approved. Great little product and worked well for my dd2

Some extended rear facing seats go from new born to 4 using an insert bit they have 5 rather than 3 straps. Might be worth try if one would fit in your car.

I've talked to OH about it he thinks it's because she wants to see us so I might try sitting in the back with her til we can get her a next stage car seat when she's the minimum weight. Although we may change our mind so I will keep what you've suggested in mind thank you

Your DD is really, really tiny. Is there a reason she is so small?

Tbtc - some babies are small And healthy. Someone has to be the smallest. My DN is tiny too. Her bone structure is small but she's well padded and doctors have never had an issue. She makes my DS look like a giant. Mind you he still fits in a group 0+car seat at 20 months

20lb isn't that small is it? It's 9kg which puts a 20month old exactly at 50th percentile on the red book growth chart

Have you made sure she is in thin layers and the straps are pulled tight enough you can't fit more than 2 figures between them and her body?

[shrug] maybe I am out of touch. The chart I'm looking at puts a 20lb 20 month old well below the 5%.

I've just had a look at the Red book I believe she's approximately 25th centile

My DCs are tiny for their age, we have used on both of them the extended rear facing car seats until they were around 2. I found moving to them from the baby seat kept them happier as the seats are higher up so can see outside the windows and also seem to have more room for them to have toys etc on their laps which make them much happier. We got the seats that can face either direction so just changed the direction when big enough.

She may be finding it too reclined. Can you swap to one which rear faces then turns, or extended rearward facing.

Yes she won't need one that is even classed as extended rear facing at that size. We've used the britax first class plus that does both, this isn't isofix but if you look at this to get an idea and if you want an isofix should be able to use that as at least a guide and get something similar. Hope this helps

It's because the straps go up, then over her shoulders. Straps on car seats need to be level with or just slightly above shoulder level, it's not safe otherwise.

I'd move her up to the next seat. Even if she's under the maximum weight it doesn't sound like this one is safe for her anymore.

Sorry just realised she's under the minimum weight. Something like the britax first class plus would be good.

robot sorry you're wrong

In a rear facing seat straps should come out of the seat slightly below the shoulders. It's the opposite for forward facing seats.

My DS is almost 11 months and when last weighed was 25lbs!

Anyhoo... As a pp mentioned, I would personally buy a new car seat that grows with a child so suitable for a newborn then take an insert out when needed.

Sorry I meant at level or slightly below. But surely if they're going up and over then that's too much?

What I mean is that the op makes it sound like the straps are quite far behind her back.

I think but an extended rear facing car seat now. besafe do a few that have no minimum weight and they go up to 18 or 25kg so you would get lots of use out of it.

Thanks everyone we might look at extended rear facing then I guess. But is this harder to move between cars if you need to? Aren't they more expensive than forward facing?

Look at the britax first class, usually under £100

I have a cybex rear facing car seat, which my 27 month old DS can wiggle out of, by contorting himself, getting his shoulders and arms out of the straps regardless of how tight they are. I wrote to the manufacturer explaining what was happening, and asking them what I should do, or if they have any accessories to attach the straps together at the chest. Their reply was very unhelpful tbh. They told me that under no circumstances should I use extra straps across the chest, because in the event of a collision the straps could cause fatal pressure upon the chest. They told me not to over tighten the straps either, but to teach my son to sit still instead! :(

In the end I bought a dvd player which attaches onto the back of the seat in front of him for £60, and (for now) this is working and he sits still, transfixed to Peppa Pig in the car.

20lb at 20 months is not 50th centile, I dont know what chart you are reading. That said I know someone else whose child weighed that at the same age and its not what the thread was about.

In terms of the strap across the chest you have to weigh it up I think against no straps at all. I came round to the way of thinking that the risk of no straps had to be greater. ime it goes on till about 2.5 then you can reason with them over it.

I don't think ff/rf will make a blind bit of difference to whether they wriggle out of straps. I would personally think it is easier to keep an eye on them ff but then there are advantages to rf too......

I've also got a cybex, which faces forward and rear. When it's in a forward facing position, it uses a cushioned bar across the middle instead of shoulder straps as the restraint, so nothing to wriggle out of. Might be an option? Only downside is that they are expensive...