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Original poster

Car seats - Almost 8kg baby "stuffed" into Group 0 seat - what to do?

35 replies

twelveyeargap · 13/11/2007 14:19

Hello

My baby (5.5 months) is almost 8kg now, but she's really looks stuffed into her Maxi-Cosi Cabrio. Her shoulders look to wide for it; I have to kind of wedge them in and she's never happy about it.

I see the Group 1 seats start at 9kg. Is it hugely unsafe to put a lighter baby in them?

She can sit up well on her own and happily sits in a Trip Trap high chair, so there's no issue with the strength of her back or neck. (She's almost crawling in fact.)

Any thoughts? I'd rather buy another Maxi-Cosi than say a Britax Group 0/1 seat...

Thanks.

OP posts:
RubySlippers · 13/11/2007 14:24

is there a way of adjusting the straps?

IIRC it isn't just about weight with changing a carseat it is also about head control etc

Original poster
twelveyeargap · 13/11/2007 14:27

The straps are at the highest level - it's as if the seat itself is too narrow. (The head hugger is out, btw!)

OP posts:
Bramshott · 13/11/2007 14:28

My DD2 (7.5 months, but smallish) looks pretty 'stuffed' into her Cabrio now, especially with a big coat on, but I'm trying to persever for as long as I can as I think they're the safest kind. She always complains when I put her in, but looks okay and nice and cosy once she's settled.

SuperMonkey · 13/11/2007 14:31

I know what you mean TYG - my DS is 10kg (only just 6 months) and is getting really cramped round the shoulders. He can't stretch his legs out either. I've decided to buy the next seat.

RubySlippers · 13/11/2007 14:31

hmmm - my DS stayed in his group 0 carseat until he was just under a year

some of them are suitable until baby is 9 kg or up to 13 kg -- i would check what yours says

lailasmum · 13/11/2007 14:34

I switched my daughter over to a forward facing car seat because she was so tall, she was only about 17lb when I did it but was about 14 months old. We had a britax first class Si so just had to switch it round. Your daughter may just be more comfy in a proper car seat rather than the infant carrier ones as they are more generously proportioned. If you get something along the same lines as the britax first class SI then you will still be able to have it rear facing for a bit longer but hopefully she would be a bit less squashed.

ConnorTraceptive · 13/11/2007 14:37

we bought the next stage car seat that can be used rear facing and then forward facing for ds when he was just 10 weeks old as he was so squashed in the infant carrier seat.

I would just get one of these tbh

TheQueenOfQuotes · 13/11/2007 14:40

We have DS3 (5 1/2 months and nearly 9.5kg) shoved into a Group -0 car seat......and there he will stay until we either buy a next stage one that can be used rear facing as well as forward......or until he fits all the "requirements" for a forward facing one (knowing our budget it will probably be the latter poor little mite)

Original poster
twelveyeargap · 13/11/2007 14:54

Okey dokey. Will look at the birth to 4 yrs type seats then. Thanks.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 13/11/2007 14:59

ooh when do we need to buy the next one up, DS's legs dangle out of his but it's OK for now.Is it just the weight, or do we need to worry about length / abilities too?

lailasmum · 13/11/2007 15:10

My reason for changing to a forward facing seat was that my dds legs were so long she would not have escaped injury in a crash as she probably would have broken her legs but as I said before she was well over a year but very light. I think its has to do with their ability to sit up properly too but the weight guide is 9 kilos/19lb I think.

SpacePuppy · 13/11/2007 15:16

at about 6 months ds' feet hung over and the top of his head started peaking over the top and as I was not sure what to do as he was not on weight etc. it so happened that I went to the gp for something and he immediately pointed out "He is to big for that car seat". So we bought the Maxi Cosi Priory Xp, He is now nearly 2 and is still in the same seat. It reclines to 4 positions and he is has only been on the highest setting for the 5 point harness for the last month.

SpacePuppy · 13/11/2007 15:17

I should add that we went to Mothercare and made him sit in every available car seat until we found one that was suitable.

StealthPolarBear · 13/11/2007 15:20

silly question, does the isofix base that comes with the maxi cosi fit the bigger seats? or do you buy a new base each time?

lailasmum · 13/11/2007 15:21

I found the concord trimax car seats the most generous in the up to 4 age range. We have a britax first class SI and a concord trimax car seat and in the forward facing mode they cover the same age range but the concord has a lot more height available in it. Its a slightly different shape.

Original poster
twelveyeargap · 13/11/2007 22:16

Re: the base for the seats. I think the maxi-cosi priorifix has a "leg" as on the easyfix/ easybase, but you don't actually use the base after the cabrio.

OP posts:
runnyhabbit · 13/11/2007 22:27

The safest way for a baby to travel is to face the rear for as long as possible.
Children can face forward when they are 9kg. It doesn't matter if their feet are dangling over the edge as their legs have plenty of give, iyswim I mean (ie knees can bend into chest without too much injury) However, their head should not exceed the height of the seat. If it does then you need to get a bigger seat.

hth

hana · 13/11/2007 22:57

dd3 is still rear facing at 14 months! She has just reached 9kg !

Piffle · 13/11/2007 22:59

bizarre
I have a 9kg 8 mth old and he is fine in his maxi cosi cabrio

Piffle · 13/11/2007 23:00

also legs being too long is ok, not sure it's that comfy all told but safe it is... the head over the top of the seat is not safe...

mistlethrush · 13/11/2007 23:06

We got a Britax seat that would be OK for rear facing which would later face front. Ds/s shoulders were getting stuck too often in traditional rear facing seat - in the Britax seat, no problems - a friend of mine used same seat for similar reasons with no problems. We are still using the same seat at 2.6. Really recommend this route - you keep your baby facing backwards when it is still really important, but you can still continue to use the same seat for quite some time.

Best of luck

hettie · 14/11/2007 10:03

hi there have just been researching this very same thing and was told rear facing much the safest until you have to move them up..... you don't need to worry about bent legs but if the babies head is starting to poke over the top of the seat (the actauly plasticky shell bit) then you need to move. This advice from John Lewis so make of that what you will....

ShowOfHands · 14/11/2007 10:11

tyg, you may well have guessed we have the same problem with our 10+kg, 6 month old BabyTank. My Grandma phoned yesterday and offered to buy us a new carseat for her (she fits neither length nor widthways and the straps won't do up). Gawd only knows where to start with getting a new one. When you find the perfect solution just let me know which one to get. It took me three months to choose a pushchair.

mejon · 14/11/2007 12:19

DD is 15 months (was just over 9kg at the beginning of Oct) and still in her MC Cabrio - her head is still not over the top. When I was just browising in Mothercare a while ago, the assistant told me there was no need to move up yet as she had plenty of room to grow. Hopefully it'll be a couple of months before we need to do so.

Turkeyandsproutsx3 · 14/11/2007 12:24

The maxi cosi isofix cost so much ds3 will be in forever I was planning to wait until his head reaches the top tbh

A rear and forward facing seat would be best - we did this with ds2.