Car seat - baffled about how to fit it!

[emeraldgirl1]

I thought Halfords offered this service but apparently only if you buy a car seat from them and we already have one!
Local councils appear to sometimes offer a 'checking' service (to see if it's been fitted right) but not a service that actually fits them...
This may sound really ignorant, but are you meant to fit it yourself?? I thought only trained people could do it!
Am I wildly off track??!!

[stargirl1701]

Our local police fit car seats. We made an appt with the road safety officer. She fits car seats one day a month. She was fab. Took an hour, both cars. We're really glad we did it. And, it was free!

[MrsBradleyCooper]

Can I just say that we started off without the isofix base, just using the seatbelt and found it took a long time to get the seatbelt right each time we wanted to go in the car. We borrowed an isofix base from someone to try it out and never looked back. Once it is fitted, you just leave it in the car and click the seat in place - so easy and much less faffing around. The bases are expensive but I wouldn't do without ours.

[emeraldgirl1]

Yep, tis the one FannyFifer

[FannyFifer]

Is it the maxi cosi infant carrier
www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/gb-en/products/car-seats/baby/pebble.aspx

[emeraldgirl1]

Yes, I get the general impression that it's one of those things that sounds IMPOSSIBLE until you actually see it/give it a try and then it becomes more obvious.

[BaronessBomburst]

x-post with everyone!

[pipsytwos]

I have an isofix too, love it. YouTube and give it a go. They are really simple once you've seen it done

[emeraldgirl1]

Thanks v v much everyone. A panicky pregnant lady is much calmer now.

[BaronessBomburst]

Depending on which Maxi-Cosi you've got, you either fix the base with the seatbelt, and then clip the seat in and out, or you use the base with the iso-fix, and then clip the seat in and out. You can also fix the seat with the seat belt and not use the base at all - eg you can take the seat on a flight abroad and then use it in a hire car.

I have no idea how iso-fix works as our car was too old. :(

[MrsBradleyCooper]

Sorry totally x-posted with you all

[emeraldgirl1]

Thanks MrsBradleyCooper (ps can I borrow your imaginary husband please?) :) it is good to hear that even a not-very-tech-savvy person can fit one!!

[pipsytwos]

Plus, if you're unsure YouTube the one you have, and it should have an instruction video. I've found YouTube to be amazing when I've been stuck with baby equipment!

[MrsBradleyCooper]

if you want to move between cars you will need two isofix bases unfortunately - they are heavy

[emeraldgirl1]

It is isofix...

[MrsBradleyCooper]

That's only if you get an isofix base which are more £££.

You can easily fit both the car seat and the base yourself, but I think some people just prefer to feel safe that someone else has done it properly IYSWIM?

I am rubbish at stuff like that and have fitted both a car seat and base myself - easy.

[FannyFifer]

Sorry my first post was meant to read fit it with just the seatbelt.

[FannyFifer]

Isofix base is easy to fit, just clips onto the isofix points in your car.

[pipsytwos]

The ones that click into cars are isofix they have a base that's clipped into the car then the seat clicks on top of it. Otherwise there are standard seat belt seats ones. Both types are fit yourself jobs. Do you have a seat with a base or the strap ones?

[emeraldgirl1]

Cunfuddled - yes, I am trying to get kind-of-organised as the idea of my (even more useless than me) DH trying to fit the thing in a panic the day I leave hospital is a scary one...

[CunfuddledAlways]

make sure you are confident at fitting it before baby - our 2nd came a bit early we had a different car seat only realised didnt exactly know how to fit it when leaving the hospital'!! was a nightmare!!

[emeraldgirl1]

FannyFifer - aha - it is the base thing that has been confusing me! I thought that had to be specially fitted by a man with a PhD in something engineering-based (joking about the PhD... )

[FannyFifer]

You can get a base for the maxi cosi that stays in the car.
Car seat clips in and out.

You can use the maxi cosi without the seatbelt though, I actually felt that was more secure

[emeraldgirl1]

Yes, I have a terrible tendency to ignore booklets at the best of times... I think I am in denial about needing to get all this stuff ready oh-so-soon...

[emeraldgirl1]

Cunfuddled thank you, you have both put my mind at ease actually as I am perfectly happy to have a good old go at fitting it ourselves, was just getting worried that there is some secret specialist fitting place I haven't found out about that would be the only option!! :)