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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

3 Door Car - Baby Seat?

25 replies

Bejeena · 21/02/2013 15:16

Does anyone have any experience with a baby seat and a 3 door car, in particular 1 Series BMW?

We don't particularly want to change the car unless we really have to and probably won't be using car car on a daily basis as we live so centrally.

What have others done?

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TinkyPeet · 21/02/2013 15:29

We had a 3 door Volvo c30, we tried the car seat in and out if it with some weight in it (about the same as you would expect a 6mnth old to weigh) for a few days and just thought no it's not gonna work for us (we had a base that made it easier but still awkward) so we bought a bigger car. So maybe try getting it in/out a few times and see how you manage x

Original poster

Bejeena · 21/02/2013 15:33

Hmmm not a bad idea but I don't have a car seat yet and of course if we change the car the seat might not fit or do they all fit all cars? I am a bit clueless on this.

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TinkyPeet · 21/02/2013 15:36

The seats are pretty universal yeah, if you get a base make sure it goes with your seat, and ask the sales assistants about fitting in cars etc, I have graco seats and bases and they have fit in all my cars x

TeaandHobnobs · 21/02/2013 15:42

I have a maxi cosi cabriofix (using an isofix base) in the back of my 3-door Clio, and I'm managing ok - DS is 9kg now.

You might find it is harder when they move up to a group 1 seat - certainly I think we will have to change our car at that point, as I don't think I can get the kind of seat I want in the Clio.

Minty82 · 21/02/2013 15:45

We're managing with a 3-door - much easier since we progressed to the second stage seat actually as when they're rear-facing it's a bit fiddly, but fine.

TheTiger · 21/02/2013 15:46

I have a ford ka and 4 month old DS in a maxi cosi cabriofix. It's easier because I have the easybase so just click the seat in and out. It can be a pain in tight parking spaces. I can see its going to be harder as he gets bigger!

WildRumpus · 21/02/2013 15:47

I was using a 3 door recently with my 3 DC. I found it pretty irritating clambering in and out to get the baby out of the back so I kept her in the passenger seat unless I had DH with me. She is currently in a Graco rear facing car seat with a base. It was pretty easy to shift the base from front to back seat when necessary but pretty tricky to lug the seat carrier out from the back of the car with baby in it if I wanted to take her somewhere while asleep (eg supermarket shop). So unless absolutely necessary she travelled up front with me and the other two were in the back. I actually loved having her next to me and miss it now that I am in a bigger 5 door with all 3 car seats in the back.

Original poster

Bejeena · 21/02/2013 15:48

Ok great thanks.

Baby is due August 2013. I guess it will be at least the middle of next year before we move to front facing seat and by then I think I'd be happy to consider changing the car, but we have only had this one just under a year so would rather not change it yet.

OP posts:

MajaBiene · 21/02/2013 15:51

Can you have a baby seat in the front seat if you have airbags?

NaturalBaby · 21/02/2013 15:58

A mini is good because the seats go forward a long way, so easier to get a car seat in/out the back. The stage 1 seats are the worst, particularly if you have a wriggly toddler who is having a tantrum about getting in and it's pouring with rain!
They're safest in the back behind the passenger seat, I'd avoid the front if you can.

StateofConfusion · 21/02/2013 16:06

first things first it is vital they stay in the rear facing infant seat for as long as possible forward facing is very dangerous for babies before 9mnths and even then its really not recommended. it would be very usual for a baby to be too big for one before a year, average is more 14/16months.

also they're not pretty universal at all especially in the case of bmw and audis its tricky to get seats that fit well. op you were right to assume the seat needs to be brought for the car you will use.

personally id say get a base and use it up front with airbags switched off and move to the back if/when necessary. i have the Britax baby safe shr II and belted base and find it fantastic the base is so quick and easy to fit as is the seat on to it and the base has a wedge that can be removed to fit different seats. 3 door car is possible just a bit harder work.

monsterchild · 21/02/2013 16:14

If you turn off the front airbag the baby will be ok in the front seat. You shouldn't have them up there if you can't turn off the passenger airbag.

Original poster

Bejeena · 21/02/2013 16:24

I think the problem we face is from what I have read it is not so easy to deactivate the airbag in a BMW. It has to be done at a dealer and assume it takes a couple of hours labour for a mechanic to get up and in there and then putting it all back. Would cost a few hundred ? from what I have read, plus another few hundred to reactivate it again.

Hmmmmmm good things to consider here. I'd also prefer to stay rear facing as much as possible.

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Original poster

Bejeena · 21/02/2013 16:24

As long as possible I mean, not as much!

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worldgonecrazy · 21/02/2013 16:30

We had a Jane Strata with isofix in a Nissan Micra. It was easy enough to get in and out when she was small, and once she was big we just put her in through the boot rather than through the door. It made life much easier though we did get a few strange looks from passers by.

I've read the BeSafe Izi Combi X3 isofix is suitable from birth to 4 years, but you may want to check that out with BeSafe. That way you won't need to buy two car seats.

WildRumpus · 21/02/2013 16:54

Goodness your airbag sounds a pain. Every car I have driven you just turn the passenger seat one on and off with a little dial (usually in the glove compartment).

I have found car seats pretty universal and easy to move from car to car. I have 3 DCs and have moved assorted seats in and out of hire cars, grandparents cars, friends cars etc.

With baby number 1 I had a fab lie flat car seat by Jane. It took up the whole back seat but she slept like a dream and it was good for long journeys.

AmberLav · 21/02/2013 22:16

With my 3 door Clio , I had the maxi cosi pebble with the family fix base using isofix. DS stayed in that till he was 13 months, and then moved up to the pearl, which fits the same base. I currently tend to use DH's car as bump gets in the way, but otherwise it was fine...

StateofConfusion · 21/02/2013 23:03

oh crikey that's a pita our car we just pop the key in a switch in the glovebox to deactivated them

Snowflakepie · 22/02/2013 09:17

Go to somewhere that does seat fitting and try it. Isofix bases are a godsend for the back seats in particular. DD has always ridden up front in my Mini as the airbag turns off with a key like others. DC2 will have to go in the back as I can't get the pushchair in the boot with the bigger seat but we will manage! All seats have fitted fine in my car and in DHs Avensis. The first stage seats are quite narrow in the base so I would think you would be ok to see how it goes and change car when you need the next size up if its an issue. I've found it so much easier with the stage 1 and now 2/3 as they stayed in the car so it was just DD to shove in. Always look out for wide parking spaces as the doors on a 3 door car are so much longer than on bigger cars with 5 doors. That's been the hardest bit. I've had people give me hell for parking in large parent spaces with the mini (with DD, I might add!) but really I find I have to, and anyway it's the child not the car!

Cantbelieveitsnotbutter · 22/02/2013 09:24

I fitted my car seat and just took baby in and out rather then yanking the car seat in and out. To be fair I couldn't easily lift the car seat and baby together as it was too heavy. But I found that bit to be the more awkward bit. Once I just took baby in and out it was fine.
A local BMW specialist will be able to turn the airbag off, have a google.

Original poster

Bejeena · 22/02/2013 09:40

A local BMW specialist will be able to turn the airbag off, have a google.

Yes have googled, they sure can turn it off, but the cost is 500? because you have to go into the back of the engine. So assume it'll be another 500? to get it switched back on after we finished and want to sell car. Financially this is not a sensible option, so we won't go for that. You have to have the airbag deactivation as an extra add on option (as is most things with BMW). Something we really didn't think of a year ago when we bought the car as baby wasn't really in the pipeline then.

Thanks all for the advice, it seems like it is still feesible for us to keep the car. As I said we don't use it on a daily basis anyway so even if it is a bit more fiddly this probably won't bother us too much. Luckily our parking space at home is underground and has lots of space around it so we won't be fiddling in the rain when going somewhere and getting home, only when we are actually out. That is a bonus (and something I hadn't actually considered).

OP posts:

MiaowTheCat · 22/02/2013 12:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

worsestershiresauce · 22/02/2013 13:05

Changing car over a baby seat does seem a little extreme, and very expensive. I have a three door fiat. The seat fits in the back fine, it certainly isn't a 'students in a mini challenge'. I expect the couple miaow saw outside the hospital were struggling because they didn't know how to fit the seat, rather than they couldn't fit it. I wouldn't have had a clue had I not asked the sales assistant to show me how to fit it when I bought it. It is one of those things that is easy when you know how, but not necessarily obvious.

My advice would be to go to Halfords, or babysrus as they will show you how to fit a seat before you buy, and then decide whether you need to change car. I really don't think you do.

Original poster

Bejeena · 22/02/2013 13:28

Ok so had a good think about this over lunch and blimey I have just realised what a silly first world problem this is. We won't be changing cars that is daft as worsestershiresauce says.

The options are simple.

We put up with the fact that it might be a bit more fiddly but can use the car every now and then or whenever we need to (as I said would probably only be 1x a week)
We don't transport the baby in the car and go everywhere either by foot, bus, train or plane. So when you look at option 2 then maybe option isn't so bad

Really is not a huge problem when you think about it!

Thanks for all the tips and advice.

OP posts:

Dogsmom · 22/02/2013 17:53

We're going to have the same problem, my husband has also got a 3 door BMW but it's a V reg so doesn't have isofix, we're going to have to belt it in and out each time, we didn't realise at the time when we bought the Silvercross pram that they don't do belted bases so we haven't even got the option of clipping it in and out, we've literally got to belt the seat in and out each time.

Our plan is to only fetch it out when we're doing short trips, they say no more than 2 hours in a car seat anyway because of their backs which isn't much by the time you've factored in the time they are in it while you're getting ready to go out, then the travel time to your destination and back so we'll probably be fetching her in and out of it to put her in the carry cot bit that clips to the pram and leaving the seat in the car.

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