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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Car seats and isofix

29 replies

Pugsleypugs · 17/01/2018 16:55

At what point in your pregnancy did you install the isofix and car seat in your car before baby arrived? I've heard so many stories of babies coming early but will feel a bit silly driving round for weeks with the isofix in. I'm 34 weeks at present.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Bez9087 · 17/01/2018 17:14

With my previous two we did it (dh did) when I was in hospital after having baby. It literally took two mins to put the isofix base in and I needed car seat to bring them off the ward. Both times have dh something to do when he wasn’t able to be at the hospital. Will be doing same this time round.

NC1990 · 17/01/2018 17:29

Think I was around 36 weeks, DD arrived at 38+6. It takes no time at all to click it into place though, I just wanted it out of my house as the boxes were taking up space!

JeansAndANiceTop · 17/01/2018 17:30

I have a belted car seat and I installed it at about 35 weeks as I knew it was likely I would be induced early. Which I was.

QueenAravisOfArchenland · 17/01/2018 17:33

When you're actually bringing the baby home is fine. It takes two mins. No point in lugging it around for weeks beforehand, and if you got into a fender-bender, you'd have to ditch and replace it.

mommybear1 · 17/01/2018 17:44

We installed ours at 35 weeks for no other reason than we were moving house and needed them out of the way! Good job we did however as baby came 4 days later

citybzg · 17/01/2018 17:49

I didn't. I put the seat in when I needed it.

Mol1628 · 17/01/2018 17:50

After having the baby. My husband went home and fetched it. You have to stay in a minimum of 6 hours so there’s plenty of time. We had familiarised ourselves with how it works beforehand but no need to have it permanently installed.

PotteringAlong · 17/01/2018 17:50

I didn’t. It takes 30 seconds to put in. Just do it when you need it?

Mummaofboys · 17/01/2018 17:56

Have your husband have a practice putting it in and out but then just leave it until you have given birth, either put it with your bag and hospital things or could your husband pop back after the birth and get it, you will prob stay in at least half a day if not more after giving birth.

citybzg · 17/01/2018 17:58

Have your husband have a practice putting it in and out

You could practice too OP.

chocolateiamydrug · 17/01/2018 18:41

putting the isofix base in takes not more than 2 mins. no big job at all and nothing that needs to be sorted well in advance.

I reckon you are having your first baby

gryffen · 17/01/2018 19:08

We got ours with our silver cross travel unit and our car has the ports but we had to get the plugs installed at a garage for anchoring the isofix into the car - that was an extra 90£.

With any isofix make sure your car has the ports and if the cost includes the anchor points to be installed (yellow capped anchors that are screwed into the ports).
Not all use them but they are mentionable on car insurance.

Original poster

Pugsleypugs · 17/01/2018 19:14

Yes, first baby and had no idea how easy it is to put in the car so I'm glad to hear it only takes two mins. I've not even looked at the thing other than lug it upstairs when it first arrived and put in the junk room.

Have your husband have a practice putting it in and out

You could practice too OP

Sounds like I might not even need to practice clicking in and out which would be fab as I can't be bothered to lug it downstairs till it's actually needed. Im avoiding lifting anything heavy too as it activates my SPD pains so I wouldn't even be the one practicing.

It's just I've had friends tell me they put theirs in before their due date in case baby came early and as it's my first I've kind of been following their advice. More than happy to wait though if its easy to suss out.

OP posts:

stardust18 · 17/01/2018 19:36

How cares if you feel better with it in do it now. I put mine in about a month before in both mine and my husbands car. just in case and to make some room in my house

ooos · 17/01/2018 19:40

I'd put it in now, then it's ready to go and isn't in your house in the way. You aren't going to be using that seat for anything anyway (I'm assuming as you have no other children).

And I don't know why your worried about feeling silly having a baby seat in your car, when have you ever purposely looked in a strangers car and been shocked that there was an empty baby seat inside

drinkyourmilk · 17/01/2018 19:53

We had ours fitting at the shop- so around 34 weeks.
One less thing in the house!

Original poster

Pugsleypugs · 17/01/2018 20:19

And I don't know why your worried about feeling silly having a baby seat in your car, when have you ever purposely looked in a strangers car and been shocked that there was an empty baby seat inside

True but for every friend I've got saying to put it in now I no doubt will have friends who will think I'm being an eager beaver if they see it in there and I've still got weeks to go till due date. Sometimes it's like you can't win as a first time parent in terms of opinions, dammed if you do, dammed if you dont.

OP posts:

AnUtterIdiot · 17/01/2018 20:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnUtterIdiot · 17/01/2018 20:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tealandteal · 17/01/2018 20:29

Definitely one of you should practice putting it in before so you're not trying to figure it out with a new baby. Then if you want to leave it in you can, or just leave the base in and even if someone did look in they would hardly notice

GlitterRollerSkate · 17/01/2018 22:43

Definitely practice putting it in and out. Either you or your OH. i don't mind who like other have said don't install it before hand if anyone hits you, you'll have to replace it.

My dh and I had never put a child in a car seat before. We couldn't get the straps to tighten or release and had no instructions with us. To be fair we did figure it out after awhile but it was a stress we could have done without! I might have cried

Best wishes

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 17/01/2018 22:56

My baby came at 35 weeks and a very sleep deprived dh had to drive home from hospital, figure out how it worked and then get back to pick me and ds up. As with so many things, we wished we had done it earlier!

missadasmith · 18/01/2018 06:34

just put the isofix base in. You will take the seat in and out all the time once your baby is here. The seat usually just clicks into the base.

eurochick · 18/01/2018 06:51

There's no harm in having a trial run but it is really quick to do. We switch ours between our car and our nanny's at least twice a week.

olicat · 18/01/2018 09:22

Out of interest, if you're coming home in a taxi (central London and don't drive) then do you just hope for the best that you can do it?! I'm using a belted one so hoping it'll be relatively straightforward as we obviously won't be able to practice on the exact type of car...

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