Car seats

[eatplaysleep]

I would really like some advice on car seats. Ds is 15 weeks and is very long. We currently have a maxi cosi cabriofix which apparently is from 0-12 months. However, I just don't see how on earth ds will make it anywhere near 12 months. I know it's a guide but going to be very expensive if it only lasts around 4 months. Ds's feet are already touching the back seat and head is only around 3/4 inches from top of the seat. If this means I will need a new seat soon any recommendations out there which might last a bit longer? Ds not keen on car seat and not sure if it's his lack of room, how hot it makes him (comes out sweaty even if only dressed in a vest), or dislike of rear facing being quite boring as he can't see anything (nosey baby) or us.

Grateful for any advice.

You only need to look at the head - legs are not a problem as they will fold them/cross them. Once his head goes past the edge of the seat, then he will need a bigger seat.

Which seat is it? A lot have extra padding under the bum which is designed to be removed as they grow. Or have a back which can be pulled up a notch or two.

There are seats which rear face to four year old which can be worthwhile costwise if bought early enough.

It's the maxi cosi cabriofix. Yes we have just taken out the padding and raised the straps as he is getting a big boy and we felt he needed the extra room. We mainly bought this seat so we could use it with our pushchair but as I said he gets so hot in it that I don't really use it for this anyway so tends to just be for car journeys. He just looks really uncomfortable in it.

How heavy is he?He can stay in it til 13kg or his head goes above the back.

Id ask for MNHQ to move this to the carsear section as theres some good experts iver there. I must admit ive only heard good things about your carseat.

Feet touching the back seat is not a problem. Head above the edge of the back is the problem - but it will take him some time to grow 3-4 inches.

Bored - yes, my DD is like this. A different car seat may not help much with this I'm afraid. Some children just get bored in the car. We try to time car trips with nap time/bedtime for this reason. You could try a baby mirror, might help a bit.

You can get cotton liners for car seats which may help with the sweatiness.

If you want to get him a bigger seat, you could consider something like the Britax First Class Plus which is suitable from newborn to 4. We had the Maxi Cosi Cabrio and have now bought the Brtiax First Class Plus as our "next stage" seat for age 1-4 - slightly wish we'd bought it in the first place and just used it from newborn! It wouldn't have fitted on the pram but, like you, we never really did that anyway.

Joie Stages rearfaces til 4ish and forward faces til 7ish. Costs around £150.

3 or 4 inches will take much longer to grow than you think. Their growth is really rapid in the first 6 months, then it slows down, by 12 months it slows down a LOT, once they start walking they just don't seem to grow as fast!

Be careful if you've raised the straps - with a rear facing seat the straps should come from below his shoulders, being moved up only when his shoulders reach the next set of holes.

Not sure about it being hot - I think all car seats are hot because they're so padded. You could look at the Maxi Cosi summer cover that they sell?

He needs to be rear facing until (legal minimum) 9kg, sensible minimum is more like 12-15 months. Some feel that even this is too early and you can buy extended rear facing seats which keep them RF until 2-4 years. These also tend to be higher up so they can see out of the windows a bit better.

You could try some toys dangled off the handle of the car seat, DS used to like those, or a mirror on the seat back will let him see you, or sit someone in the back with him.

We moved my DD into a forward facing car seat as soon as she hit 9 months. She is so so much happier now that she is forward facing and can see everything that is going on. She was miserable in the rear facing car seat.

Oh yes - I forgot - we also bought a play arch which attached to the car seat - Tiny Love Sunny Stroll I think it was called. that helped with the boredom quite a lot.

If you do end up getting a new seat early, the maxi cosi pearl and cybex sirona are both extended rear facing but can be turned forward facing. They go up to 4 years. DD is rear facing in the cybex and seems much happier than in her infant carrier, she is higher so can see out the window.

Only the 2way Pearl, trilby, not the normal one.

In the meantime something if he is bored - can you switch off your front passenger air bag? I do this so that DD is in the front with me as most of the time its just the two of us and it keeps her happy.