8kg baby in rear car seat (9months - 4 yrs)?

[Pennies]

DD2 is 12 months old and weighs just over 8kgs - she's quite petite but also quite long. She's getting a bit too big for her rear facing baby carrier car seat and complains bitterly when I put her in it.

I've looked on the net for the car seat for the next stage and they all say suitable for babies that weigh 9kgs +, so she's still under that minimum despite being 3 months into the age range.

Would it be OK to put her in one anyway?

No you really need to wait until she is 9kgs. BTW mine complains about going in the car seat that is forward facing - it's just restricting and they don't like it. Rear facing is much safer for them in an accident.

Do you know if you have to wait until 9 months? I have the opposite problem in that I think DS is going to reach 9kgs before he reaches 9 months - does anyone know whether he can go in a front-facing one once he is 9kg even if he is not 9 months old?

I had this problem with DS as he was a real lightweight. I was advised to wait until he weighed 9kg as the seats are designed using this weight - although i was told that if his head came over the top of the seat then we would need to change as this is considered dangerous!!

No. It is designed to work safely with the minimum weight recommendation not the length or age of the baby. dd was almost 18 months before we switched her !

Alternatively you could get her a Britax First Class which can face either way and is a little larger.

As long as head is not over the top of seat she is much safer in rear facing until min weight. Its to do with weight of thier head in proportion to body can snap their necks in a collision if forward facing to soon.

Oh and Ceebee ages are an approx guide is best to go by weight, if they exceed weight limit for 1st seat move them up regardless of weight.

but they don't have to move at 9kg. They also need good head control and preferably are able to sit for a epriod of time (neck and body strength) Most infant seats go up to 10 or even 13kg and they really are much safer rearwards as long as possible.

This kind of answers both queries.

Thanks for that link - a very useful website.

She will have to stay put then and I'll have to put up with her complaining!

There are some carseats out there that are usable rearfacing (until 13KG) and then forward facing until 18Kg...I think....anyway, basically they are called stage 0-1 carseats!
We have the Britax Firstclass which is quite fabby

I would definitely be considering a forward/backward facing one at this stage. Not only is there a bit more space but they are generally a bit more upright which she might find preferable. It is frustrating when you have these petite ones sometimes.