How can I make travel in a rear-facing car seat make more enjoyable for baby (and me!)

[emkaren]

Hi
dd2 is nearly seven months. I want to keep her rear-facing for as long as possible, but the problem is that she's not very happy most of the time while in the car. I think it's to do with not being able to see what's going on. What can I do to make things easier for her? She has a mobile toy thingy hanging from the handle of the seat, but has lost interest in that now. I'm thinking a mirror would be good, but I can't find one. Any ideas anyone? Or any other tips how to keep her happy? Thank you!

realy speaking at seven months as long as she can hold her head up fine its perfectly safe for her to turn around we have just done our ds car seat and he loves it plus its handy for me because i can look in the mirror and keep an eye on him while im driveing if not then has she ot a fav toy like a teddy or something mine has fun just sitting in his car seat and babling to his also try different musics

I bought a mirror through Jojomamanbebe.co.uk which has a sucker to attach to either front or back windscreen. When she is facing backwards (i.e. now), stick to back window so you can look in your rear-view at the mirror which shows her face IYKWIM. Then when you change the seat to be forward facing, you can stick to front windscreen angled so you can see her face (not always that easy in the rearview which after all is angled for safety not to look at a small person in the back seat!)
Although she might not actually look in the mirror you can at least check her face easily to see if she's getting upset.
I found music helped. Also dd got quite distressed by sun on her face (still does) so a screen is useful.

and buzzbee i agree with the mirror being ste up for safety but where i live you got alot of traffic lights so i always angle my body to have a look at a red light

We had real trouble finding ff car seat for our relatively old car. Britax first class was only one that fitted because it has an alternative fitting mechanaism. Is a brilliant seat really.

Our council has a list of registered and trained Car Seat fitters. The one we used, at a local nursery shop, was great. Perhaps your council does the same, think it is a nationwide idea.

We've got a bee mobile from Mothercare which suctions to the window and dd still plays with. She used to hate travelling backwards too. Also you could get a couple of Clippsafe toy ties and hook a couple of smallish toys (we had a really cheap activity toy from a warehouse in the shape of a boat with mirror one side and fiddly bits the other) onto her harness so she can't drop them.

this

or this one

Mummytojames are you sure about recommending forward facing at 7 months? Form everything I've read, you should really wait until 9 months when the neck has strengthened properly.

I have the bee mobile from Mothercare too and dd and ds have both loved it.

It's 9 months or 20 lbs. Our Daughter was 19.5 lbs at the age of 7 months and we were having trouble squeezing her into the back facing car seat. So we changed her to a forward facing one, which she loved. She was strong and her neck was fine. The main problem we had was not having the ease of the back facing car seat when she fell asleep to take her out of the car.

I changed my DS's seat when he could get into a sitting position on his own, as I got a shock one day when he obviously struggled to sit up straight as I took a corner a bit fast and his little seat tumbled over. The next seat I got had a reclining action so that he didn't have to sit ramrod straight - even now handy for when I know he will be having a snooze. I also got the Isofix so I don't have to rely on seat belts. When he was still rear facting the only thing I had for him was a lovely bright Janosch screen on the window, and of course singing to him helped keep him entertained.

It's apparently the weight which should be the primary reason for changing to forward facing, once a baby weighs 20lbs or more they can be forward facing.