BIG baby and rear facing car seat. Advice please.

[scaryt]

My 19 week chunk of a son is just over 19lbs. I know he should stay in his current car seat until at least 9 months (I think it goes up to 9kg) but I just don't think we'll make it without having to go on an origami course and learning to fold him into it. His neck strength is great but he's not quite sitting unaided. Has anyone got any advice?

He really is safest in the rear-facing seat, until he's 9kg. Rear-facing seats are safer than forward-facing, generally. (In fighter planes, everyone but the people flying the plane, sit backwards.)

I definitely want to keep him in the seat as long as possible. I suppose I want to check whether it's unsafe to keep him in it when he weighs more than 9kg - he's 8.6kg now. We bought a chair for 9kg up but I feel he needs a few months before using it and I'm sure he'll weigh more than 9kg before then IYSWIM. I hope I'm making some sense!

Maybe you could try a combination seat inthe rearward facing position? they look bigger than a carrier style seat or take him to be checked in the seat somewhere that does car seats as i believe there are several factors that affect when the seat is too smallk and no longer safe.

I think the rear-facing ones go up to 13kg. Definitely safest to keep him in it till he's older (I know you're doing this, but I feel I have to say it anyway )

DS1 was very big (98th centile) and I mananged to keep him in his rear facing car seat until 6 months. I then swapped to a 5 point harness forward facing one. With the winter coming though you may have to remove his coat to get him in more comfortably, that's what I used to do for DS1 and he seemed ok and quite warm enough even on the coldest days.

A freind had a very long baby. She could only fit him comfortably into one of the Britax rear and backward facing ones. That was the only one which his legs didn't dangle over the end of.

I had dd in a rear facing car seat until she was 2 (actually it was 13 months normally but we used it for holidays up til 2). She was not a small child.

It doesn't matter if their legs are a bit squashed so long as their head doesn't go above the seat. Babies under 12 months are not strong enough to go forward facing. It is more unsafe to put a baby under 12 months forward facing than it is to keep a baby over 13kg rear facing.

There's a Britax one which you can get which they stay in for much longer than most of the other baby seats. Try John Lewis i guess?

Just make sure his head doesn't stick out at the top, we had to move ds at 6 months for the same reason, they do say go according to weight, but if he doesn't physically fit the seat then move to another one. We took ds to Mothercare and strapped him into all the seats until we found one we were happy with. You get nice once that can tilt for them to sleep in too.

It's not just weight that is important. Children should stay in rear facing seats until they are over 9kg AND can sit unaided for 20minutes. Saving their life in an accident is more important than whether you think they might be uncomfortable because they have to bend their knees to fit in.

You will probably also find that his weight stablilises a bit soon, especially once you start weaning him. My DD (7.5months) was almost 19lbs 11 weeks ago, and is now just over 20lbs.

the jane matrix seat can stay rear facing up to a heavy weight i think - but doesnt fit in all cars - probably cos its so big. is also pricey.