MOving from a "baby" car seat to the next stage?

[chloemegjess]

Hi. My DD is 11 months old, so OLD enough to go in the next stage car seat, but she is small for her age so I have held out for now.

I haven't hqad her weight for ages, so don't know how much she actually weighs, but she was nearly 17lbs last time and I can see she has put on quite a bit as she has realled filled out. Since getting cold, I have been having trouble getting her into the seat. She sits in it fine, and doesn't look too big. BUT I really struggle to get the straps on properly. They are as long as they go and I have to really put effort in to get them on. But I know if she didn't have the coat on then she would be fine.

DO I need to take her to get weighed? To make sure? Or is it ok to move her now? We have the car seat already (britax).

what do you think?

My Ds2 is 14 months old and still RF-ing. He is 21lb 11oz, so heavy enough and old enough to FF but its safer for him to RF.

Well I got her weighed today and she is only just over 18lb so can't do it anyway! I am just really worried about the straps. We walked to the school run this afternoon and to baby clinic and libery! BUT can't do that on days it is chucking it down with rain (like tomorrow).

The Essex In Car Safety officers are great. Impartial advice on all matters to do with car seats (including where the straps should be!)

If you are interested in RFing seats, there are links on the www.rearfacing.co.uk website forum, with details of RF seats now available in the UK. They start at around £200 for a Recaro Polaric - £330 for those imported from Sweden (where kids go backwards to 4 or 5 yrs of age).

Ironically the UK manufacturers of some of these safer seats (e.g. Britax) have not marketed them in the UK until very recently as they think the UK consumer is, basically, too inept to install the seats properly. The Britax Multi-tech (which you can now purchase in the UK for £260 inc. P&P from a shop in Millton Keynes) is the rear-facing equivalent of the Evolva 1-2-3 - the FF version can be purchased for about half that price. It would lead you to think that the retailers are exploiting the fact that it can be more difficult to track down RF seats in the UK.

Despite the extra cost though, it is worth looking into as in a frontal collision they are 5 times safer than a forward facing seat. I know the OP has said she cannot afford a different Group 1 seat, but I thought this info might be of interest to other parents currently looking into their next seats.

I have a very stupid question about RF car seats

If the group 1 RF they are meant to go up to 4 years? Where do their legs go at that age? I look after a 4 year old and her legs would def be longer than the care seat? But if RF then surely there is nowhere to put their legs? Sorry I do realise this is probably a sill question. I just can't work it out in my head!

smellen - as I understand it, Britax still don't market their RF Grp1 seats in the UK: they are made in Andover, exported to Scandinavia and then re-imported by any British retailers that wish to sell them... which I guess explains, at least in part, why they're so expensive relative to their FF counterparts. Other reasons why manufacturers don't market them here include "there's no demand" and "UK parents prefer the colour options on FF seats"

chloe - DD's legs are already longer than her car seat and she's 20 months. She either crosses them or sticks them up the back of the rear seat - and seems perfectly happy with either solution. That's a Concorde Ultimax, which fits more or less like an infant carrier when RF. We're just moving her into a proper Grp1 RF seat - and they tend to have a gap between the two seats so the child can sit with their knees bent (like an adult) if they want to. Apparently most still tend to either cross their legs or wave their feet up the rear seat back, though!

My DD rear faced until she was 2- she just crossed her legs or stuck them on the head rest! She was quite comfy!

We then turned her round at just past her 2nd birthday. She is now 3.5yrs and still fitting into the same seat (Britax First Class).

Our new problem is that DD is growing out (height wise) out of the Britax First Class but we want her still in a 5 point harness- where does one find a 5 point harness that harnesses about 18kgs in this country?! She is only just 13kgs right now but height wise, the seat wont last much longer.

Take her coat off.

Seats are not designed for the child to be wearing a big coat.

tiger meow, Evolva 123 is the way to go.

We have a Evolva 123 in DHs car (doesn't fit in mine), but that only harnesses to 18kg. In the US there are some seats that go to 80lbs in a 5 point harness (Britax make them) but you cant buy them here.
The Evolva 123 is an excellent seat though, DD is so comfy in it.

As I said before, it wasn't a "big coat". Just a coat. What are children actually meant to wear in this weather in the car? Out of interest as I am struggling with this

My kids love blankets in the car. Snuggly. Over the top of the carseat.

Lurcio - the Essex Road Safety Centre has 6 RF group 1 car seats to try (one is isofix). We will be travelling there next week. I found them to be extremely enthusiastic and helpful.

For us it will probably mean a car change, as I understead the RF seat is tied to the seat in front. In a coupe I just don't see how one could get a child in easily, but we shall see.

The cost of RF seats and the fact that they take up more room in the car, are also cited as reasons why the British would not go for them.

What about baby in snowsuit or waterproof fleece lined all-in-one when in the car seat?

So do those not count as a coat? We have the same problem in the snowsuit but I just call everything a coat!

still count as a coat I'm afraid. All I can recommend in that case is getting in the car from the opposite side and pulling it on in the relative non-cold of the car.
Any better today?

Sorry tipsey, can't work out what your last post means? Sorry!

I mean instead of standing outside the car, sitiing on the back seat to put coat/snowsuit on with the doors closed.

To be honest, we mainly use the car for the school run, which is only 5 min in the car. So the car is usually still just as cold when we get there. AND I am a childminder so the backseats are used and couldn't leave the kids outside while I went in and shut the doors iyswim. Also, we are usually rushed (not because I am running late but if children are late getting to me, or my DD pooes everywhere when walking out the door or whatever.

We have been using blankets, but when we went out this morning, my DD was so cold when we got home, as she didn't have a coat on and I got some funny looks. The balnket at the end of the day, doesn't cover her shoulders, arms etc. She look a good hour or so when we got in to warm up and I feel awful. There is ice on the floor and she is in not coat .

Surely in todays technology they can make car seats that are safe with a coat on?

true. do you have a flaaece lined cardy or a fleece? these don't take up near as much bulk as a coat because they give a bit more.

Can I ask about your source of information concerning your coat/outerwear recommendation?

[[http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/a/carseatcoat.htm here it is arabica]