Carseat confusion!

[NewMummyx]

I genuinely had no idea LOs had to be in a rear facing carseat up till 9mths as any seat I have seen says suitable from WEIGHT, is there a right age if you want your LO to go forward facing??

I am not looking for a debate just asking when my LO can move into forward facing as OH says from 6mths and any tips on keeping LO happy in his rear facing for the moment as he hates it with a passion

 

[mommyof3co]

Is he in an infant seat still? A more upright ERF seat might help with him hating it...because he probably doesn't hate the fact that he's Rf because he knows no different you know? It might just be the seat he isn't comfortable in, he might want to see more of what's going on...which a more upright ERF seat would help with

9mo is the absolute minimum (12mo is here in the US) BUT those are minimums...kids are much MUCH safer RF long after those minimums. I have a bunch of links and videos if you are interested, it shows you why that is the case. But they are proven 500% safer RF from the ages of 12-24mo and we know that they are still safer long after that.

That said, Hayden was RF until 3yrs old and Preston will be until at least 3 if not older.

 

[Tor]

It is generally recommended 9 months absolute minimum

 

[Tor]

have you already got the next car seat? if not get a combi seat like britax first class plus then lo will be higher up and can see out the windows my LO loves it now he can look around, then when he reaches the right weight etc and you choose to ff you can just turn the seat ff

Y ou can also get these mirror things which attach opposite your lo when rearfacing so you can see each other

 

[NewMummyx]

this is the travel system i have, you can see the carseat

https://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_54_10751_-1_14601_125406_10001_14051

i have no problems with Anton being rear facing provided he is happy and he very much isnt atm, if i can buy another seat he would be happy in id do it now lol!

Rear facing is unusual where i am tbh, but i very seldom go with the norm

OH has the Ferarri carseat his daughter has used, its 4yrs old tho so maybe outdated??

 

[ke29]

try a different seat perhaps. We have a Britax First class plus which is much higher than group 0 seats so LO can see out the back of the window.

 

[Tor]

Well with a combi seat your money wont b wasted because you can use it ff from 9 kg if you want to but it will rf until 13kg if you want to rf longer and he is happy in the higher combi seat.

 

[nicole_]

its nothing to do with age. its all weight, at 20lb they can move to the next seat
yes its safer ERF blah blah, but they can move at 20lbs.

 

[kirmal12]

its nothing to do with age. its all weight, at 20lb they can move to the next seat
yes its safer ERF blah blah, but they can move at 20lbs.

It has everything to do with age, the absolute bare minium for FF is 9m and 20lb weight

 

[going_crazy]

I genuinely had no idea LOs had to be in a rear facing carseat up till 9mths as any seat I have seen says suitable from WEIGHT, is there a right age if you want your LO to go forward facing??

I am not looking for a debate just asking when my LO can move into forward facing as OH says from 6mths and any tips on keeping LO happy in his rear facing for the moment as he hates it with a passion

In the UK, "The law requires all children travelling in cars to use the correct child restraint until they are either 135 cm in height or the age of 12 (which ever they reach first) . After this they must use an adult seat belt." (taken from https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm)

There is no LEGAL age for a baby to forward face in a car, however the RECOMMENDED age is at least 9months. (see the forward facing section here: https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/types/index.htm)

Most places are now recommending rear facing for as long as possible as it really is the safer option see here: https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/latest/rearfacing.htm

Althought ERF seats can be hard to find in the UK, group 0+&1 seats are widely available and are a good option as the can keep a baby rear facing for quite a while, then you can forward face them when you choose to without needing to buy another seat.

Basically your baby MUST be at least 20lb to forward face, but you should also ensure their neck and spine are strong enough to withstand the force of a crash. I have heard that babies should be able to sit unaided for at least 30-40 minutes as this shows they have good neck muscles & strong spine, but I cannot find any evidence for this.

Car seat laws are different in different countries, and there are plenty of rear facing vs forward facing videos on youtube if you want to have a look.


HTH

 

[minties]

Of course it has to do with age as well, it does in most countries. Here it's 12 months.

I only bothered with the infant carrier for the first 8 weeks, then I got Thomas a britax convertable. It reclines so suits newborn up.

 

[bunnyg82]

My son absolutely hated being in the rf seat and at the time, I thought it was 9 months that you swapped them and I was waiting for that day and couldn't wait. Then I found out in the information that we were given when he was born, that in the UK, they say you shouldn't change them to FF until 12 months at the very minimum. So glad I found that out first!
My son is so much happier in his rf seat now too, he grew out of hating it thank goodness, cos those journeys were a nightmare when he was screaming! Our car seat lasts until he is 29lb and as he is a small boy, he will be in there for a long time thankfully as it really is safer for them to stay in the seats as long as possible x

 

[starlight2801]

mummyof3co please could you send me your links?

I'm trying to talk my DH into going for ERF so as much evidence as possible would be good.

The extra cost of ERF in the uk is a bit of a tender point but he's willing if he sees enough evidence that it really is safer.

Thanks x

 

[aliss]

I have to admit it is really a shame that your UK laws have not been updated like many other countries - my LO was 20lbs at 4 months, yeesh!!

 

[minties]

Yikes! My almost 10 month old is 18lbs 15oz. That is a decent chunker you have there

 

[aliss]

Yikes! My almost 10 month old is 18lbs 15oz. That is a decent chunker you have there

Oh lordy tell me about it, he's 15 months and wears size 3toddler clothing LOL!!! Have no idea how I birthed that thing!

 

[NewMummyx]

OK can anyone recommend a 0+1 car seat pls?

 

[Tor]

OK can anyone recommend a 0+1 car seat pls?

Britax first class plus and is normally around £100 at mothercare they do price match so if you find it anywhere for a cheaper price they will match it. I liked the look of the maxi cosi opal as well but it was around £200 which was a bit much but it does look nicer i think lol.

I'm sure there are loads tbh, maybe have a look on kiddicare or something.

 

[binxyboo]

Yikes! My almost 10 month old is 18lbs 15oz. That is a decent chunker you have there

Daniel weighed 18lbs 5 oz on his first birthday!!

 

[Mindy_mini]

It is generally recommended 9 months absolute minimum

They shouldn't be forward facin before 9 months because their muscles arent strong enough to handle an impact. Or something like that. There is a reason why it's 9 months