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Parenting

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Original poster

help with car seats.

21 replies

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:06

ok, not sue how to begin and dont wznt to start an arguement, but how do you work to the car seat guidlines? e.g what is more important, the weight of a child or the ability to sit up?

as example i have a dd who is 25 weeks and she weighs just under 18 llbs. she is very long about the size of an average 5 month and a very happy baby, she is quite advanced eg smiled at an early age and grabbed things etc. ( not meaning to boast) she sits up alot as doesnt like lying down and when in a reclined seat will pull herself up with her tummy muscles till she is up right, im guessing she will be sitting on her own soon. but not before she reaches 20 llbs.

which ids the weight limit for her baby car seat. the next stage is for 20llbs and having to sit un attened for 5 mins.

so do i keep her in the bay one till she can sit or is this too risky,

i think go for the next seat but ne ideas would be great.

by the way i can not use the britax big seat which is suitable from birth as it is not adaptabel with the car.

please help.

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Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:07

ok typical BIG MISTAKE by dd is 15 weeks not 25!!! so sorry.

OP posts:

misdee · 20/08/2005 11:09

i'd leave her i nthe infant seat till she hits the 9kg and is big enough for the next seat.

Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:18

but she will hit the 20 llbs before she can sit alone im guessing, so do i move her on the basis of her weight?

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misdee · 20/08/2005 11:19

what is the actual limit on your crrent seat? what make/model is it?

Nbg · 20/08/2005 11:20

I would go by the weight but to be sure ask your HV or nip in to Mothercare. They have properly trained car fitting staff so they could give you some advice.

Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:20

it is a mama and papas and came in the pushcair combo. i believe it is a 20 llb limit.

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Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:21

well mothercare said that sitting on her own was more important. im so confused. dont want to put her in danger,

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misdee · 20/08/2005 11:22

its a 13kg limit on a prin viaggio car seat. is that the one u hafve?

Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:26

i think so. im sorry im terrible with names. her head istill safe in it though her feet r starting to stick out

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misdee · 20/08/2005 11:28

she'll be fine in it. my dd feet poke out the end of her seat, but isnt strong enough for 2nd stage seat yet. she is 6months old.

Original poster

girrafey · 20/08/2005 11:32

thank yo mnisdee. im being silly i know but i hate the thought i might of been putting her in danger. hope all is well with ur dd. x

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Monstersmum · 20/08/2005 11:44

My sister had this confusion as her DS was really long and she went to buy the next stage seat and was advised to come back when he was the right weight as that was more important.

alittlebitshy · 20/08/2005 13:41

my dd was too big for her stage 1, but not strong enough for forwards facing so i had to get a stage 2 that also does rearwards facing. there was not much choice in seats but it meant she fitted, was still very safe and we have not had to buy one since.

Wallace · 20/08/2005 20:20

I think she would have to be 20 lbs and 9 months old

Wallace · 20/08/2005 20:23

I don't think it matters about her legs being to long

loupylou · 21/08/2005 17:45

I'm not sure which way to comment, but i think i would ring trading standards and see why each specification is made, and hope i get someone helpful who might have a clue, Halfords also have trained staff, i wonder if the people who train these trained staff could help??

Kittypickle · 21/08/2005 17:51

I had a nightmare with DS who was a long baby and the Primo Viaggio. Mamas and Papas told me that the length of their legs does not matter, the important thing is when their head reaches the top of the seat. Once it goes over, the seat is no longer safe. According to Britax a baby has to be 20 pounds and able to sit unaided for half an hour before they go forward facing . The reason for this is that their neck muscles are too weak and they would be likely to break their neck in the event of an accident if they are put forward facing too early. I ended up buying a First Class and had it rear facing until he was the correct weight and could sit for the correct amount of time, having spent ages on the phone and going round shops to try him in just about every car seat going.

matnanplus · 21/08/2005 18:02

I go by the weight of the baby and secondly the age, if your seat is rated to 13kgs [stage 0] then when your dd reaches this weight she will need a new seat, if she is less than 9 months then the seat you need to buy would be a stage0-1 seat that can be rearward facing till 9-12months of age then it can be fitted forward facing to 18kg/4yo.

easy car seat user guide

alison222 · 21/08/2005 18:17

I had similar problems to katieickle.
i was advised that if it come to a choice between forward facing before she could sit for so long, or a rearward seat that she was too small for (straps well below shoulder level, and weight exceeded, then if the forward facing one reclined it would be safer fully reclined and forward than in a rear one that didn't fit.
We did eventually find a seat that could go both ways - an old britax one, so the problem was solved and I dodn't haave to put her forwards

luckylady · 22/08/2005 09:39

Just wanted to say that the weight thing i think is just a guidline. DS has been in a stage two car seat since he was 7 months he was sitting up etc by himself didn't like being in the car seat.. (mamas and papas one viaggio). So we bought him a bebeconfort one, which you can make the sides come to fit the child better as he is only slight. It was always set to fully reclined as is our new one as he is 14 months now and still doesnt weigh 20lb!! he is now in a Britax car seat purley because I wanted and isofix one and our new car ment we could do this.

But i do think 15weeks is still a bit little i would wait until she is sitting up on her own and supporting her own head properly.
HTH.

It is a very tricky situation.

Original poster

girrafey · 24/08/2005 08:41

hi there, just hought i would let you know,

i rang around trading standards etc. they said that the weight was the main factor to go by, but if your baby was 20 llbs and completley floppy etc then that was a no go and if you had a baby who was only 18llb but could sit unattened then that was fine.

i said what weight she was and how she can sit for 5 mins on her own but alot longer with pillows etc on her own.

they said keep her in her baby one for a couple of weeks as long as her head is safe and when she is lasting more like 15 mins then move her.

we went shopping at the weekend and we were lucky enough to get a seat that is rearward from birth etc,( was told before on the fone from britax that it wasnt compatible with dps car, but we had them fit it in and check it and it was fine. )

so she is in that and can swing it around when she is strong enough. she loves it as it is bigger. ( likes her space)

thanks for all your advice.

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