Extended RF - New Q pg. 3

[Caitie44]

Thank you ladies! That was super confusing for me, glad you all cleared it up. I'll definitely be calling the manufacturing company tomorrow first thing, and speaking with a representative about it. I mean, if I'm reading it one way, I'm sure there's plenty of other parents and grandparents that think it means to turn it around at 22 pounds! And how dangerous is that?? I really appreciate it!

DF is supporting me, now. We ended up speaking with his old teacher, who is a fire chief, who backed me up 100%. I guess when it came from a "pro" he realized it was legit. Whatever. As long as DD is rear facing, that's what I'm concerned about. And whoever disagrees with our choices will not be driving with my daughter in the vehicle. I've made it my hill to die on.

 

[Caitie44]

DF has turned the car seat RF again, but i can't tell if he did it because he truly believes its safer or just to stop my ranting and raving. I still plan on educating him about it. As for MIL, not sure if she'll ever believe me. So from now on we simply won't ride with her unless she goes by our rules. End of story.

Our seat is confusing though. I may just have to call the manufacturing company and ask about it... But on the site and info on the sheet at Babies R Us, it states it rear faces up to 40lbs - yet on the side of the seat it says it's only safe in the RF position for infants up to 22lbs. Anyone know why that might be?

What seat is it?

I'd check the manual. Mine says on the side MUST rear face to 22lbs, but it can rear face UP TO 40lbs. 22lbs is REALLY low for a max on an American seat. I am thinking perhaps it is the minimum?

I'll have to find it, but on the side of the car seat there's a sticker that talks about the three positions the car seat can be in - and says "Use in the rear facing position only with infants up to 22 lbs or serious death and injury can occur." Yet on everything else, it says 40 lbs. I'm looking for the manual now. I was thinking it was really low too.

I agree with the pp, its telling you to keep them rear facing until at least 22pounds, just out of curiosity, what are the three positions? Rear facing, forward facing and... I'm drawing a blank lol

1 is rear facing, 2 is forward facing, and 3 is the booster seat! I wish they would make things clearer, as it took me awhile to figure it out myself, but that's what it is.

 

[Vickie]

My DD RF until she was 3.5 and my son is 2 and is still RF and will be for the foreseeable future. Both kids are in Radians so the weight for RF is very high (DD actually never did hit the weight on it--still hasn't! But we found it was to hard to install in small cars RF. At the time we didn't realize that we could buy something made by Radian to help with the incline or she would have stayed RF longer. We have it for DS which is why he won't be moved FF any time soon).

All my DH required was the statistics and he was completely on board with ERF.

We are definitely the odd ones out (our 6.5 year old is still in a 5 point harness as she's still small enough to fit in her car seat just fine with it so I see no need to change to a booster just yet!) and most of our families just don't understand it (don't get me started on MIL and car seats and winter coats haha). But if anyone were to ever disobey our car seat rules (that are there for every good reasons!) they would never have one of my children in their car again.

 

[Hangin_On_AGS]

^ this sounds like our house... We have a radian just ordered a pacifica and a britax. My daughter started to get very uncomfortable rf in her britax which is why we ordered the pacifica. We will use the britax for the new baby. My husband is very pro rf and will make sure everyone keeps our kids rf as long as possible or until 4 years old and than harnessed until height and weight are surpassed.

Op I'm glad your dh's friend backed you up. It is really hard to convince people of new information that is why it takes so long for new regulations to take effect.

 

[Caitie44]

DF has the mindset that because MIL has had 3 kids, she knows what she's talking about. He's been like this since DD was born. It's incredibly frustrating and we're going to be going to a counselor soon to hopefully get him off his mom's tit. Ahem.

Anyway! New question. I've just printed out quite a few pages of proven statistics and facts from various websites on RF vs FF. I plan on highlighting the especially important parts, and then taking them to the ILs with our rules about car seat safety, including wearing puffy coats in the seats! Do you think this is a good idea? I feel that if I give her the info head-on, she can't argue with me about it... And if she tried, I'd simply tell her that until she abides by our rules, DD and any future LOs will not be riding with them. Yay? Nay?

 

[misspriss]

Yay.

 

[busytulip]

Yay
They should definitely abide by your rules/wishes. Taking your research and presenting is a great idea, it's much harder to refute doing something with evidence showing it is what is best. Good Luck!

 

[Caitie44]

Thanks! When it comes to the ILs, I still get really nervous when thinking about confronting them about something. I'm still working on strengthening my spine when it comes to them. My family I have no problem being forceful about things!

I'll probably post afterwards with what happened. :')

 

[Hangin_On_AGS]

Your daughter your rules. I hope it went well with the il's my parents are getting antsy about turning our dd because they swear she is froggy legging it and uncomfortable. Her legs barely bend. I know they will want to turn her at her second birthday but I'm going to stick to my guns and wait till she's 4. You want to turn her that's fine she doesn't have to ride with you. I would feel so guilty if I knew all this information and let them turn her and something happened.

 

[redneckhippy]

We just had our carseat checked by a technician and she was great. I'm not sure where in OH you live, but ours was through Akron Children's Community Outreach and she gave us so much information.

In America automobile accidents are one of (if not the) leading cause of death in young children. In Sweden, where they require rear-facing until age 4, in the entire country in the entire year of 2012, they had ONE death of a child under age 7 in an automobile accident. I mean, that's mindblowing. After I read that I was sold and so was my husband when I showed him.

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

Hi Caitie,

I know you made this thread a while ago but just wanted to say that my son was 5 in December and he is still rear facing. He's never complained and nobody has ever questioned us, not that I'd care if they did. We love ERF.

 

[Caitie44]

Hi!! I still check this thread every now and then, so thanks for replying!

I ended up not having to talk to MIL at all. DF did it, telling her we spoke to our daughter's pediatrician and he said that as long as they're comfortable, it's of course safer to rear face after 22 pounds. When she tried to argue, he shut it down, and said if DD wasn't rear facing, she wouldn't be in the car. Yay! The thing that irks me is the way the pediatrician worded it. I understand extended rear facing is considered a new concept. However when I asked about it, he said it was fine to turn her around, and he doesn't recommend rear facing "when their knees are in their face and uncomfortable". I explained her car seat RFs up to 40lbs and he said that was great! But he wasn't all gungho for rear facing like I was expecting... Ah well.

The car seat we have was a Christmas gift for DD from my grandparents, who knew how important it was to me to ERF. I'm incredibly thankful for it, but I think once DD reaches 40lbs we'll be looking for another seat that lasts longer rear facing. If any of you US ladies have any recommendations, please let me know!

 

[Caitie44]

Hi Caitie,

I know you made this thread a while ago but just wanted to say that my son was 5 in December and he is still rear facing. He's never complained and nobody has ever questioned us, not that I'd care if they did. We love ERF.

That's amazing!! I'd love to rear face that long. Hopefully, as time goes on, DF begins to realize the longer she's facing the back, the safer it is. For now he's fine with it, but I think once she's past 2 it'll be the same battle again.

 

[misspriss]

Clek foonf and fllo, 50lbs, as is Diono ranier and Pacifica.

 

[Caitie44]

I've heard great things about the Diono! Thanks!