Rear-Facing Support, Questions & Answers

[lynnikins]

aww, i really do have big kids then to me he looks younger ( size wise ) than Nate whos 2 yrs 6 months

 

[mommyof3co]

Yeah Hayden is quite small for his age, he's still only about 36.5in and then maybe 30lbs even when fully clothed haha. His brothers were much bigger than him at this age.

 

[soootired]

Hi, no idea what the original q was but just thought i would say i had the britax lie flat and it was great. babies just dont look right squished up in some other car seats. I would get the newborn insert with it too. Which say its just as safe as the other seats (although i dont trust which anymore lol).
It is fiddly to fit but you get used to it. Also not that expensive as i didnt get an aditional pram for the buggy i just used the car seat.
Bad points, i have a renault modus and no way would fit that and another car seat in the back. especially a rear facing one. Could only just fit my skinny freind along next to the seat and I wasnt very happy with that as if we crashed she would have been squished by the seat (wouldnt put older kids in the back with it)
the buggy 3 wheeler was useless for anythin other than flat pavements
very heavy and bulky to carry
my little girl outgrew it at 7 months, and if you are as car safe paranoid as me its difficult to get a good isofix rear facer for that age. well the be safe izi is great but very expensive.

Ok that seemed like a long list of bad points but It was worth it for the lie flat bit for me. I am just disapointed that I cant put my next baby in one as it wont fit.

 

[soootired]

Oh to the lady with a which subscription have they bothered testing rear facing seats yet??? I cancelled my subscribtion in protest lol

Since you ladies will understand my excitement.....

We've just been approved for a new (well new to us) van!!!!! We should have it in the next few days which means Hayden can go back RF!!!!!!! After we moved Casen to a booster they wouldn't fit right and Hayden has been FF, plus we were having issues with him kicking his brothers but he's older now, plus he'll be in a captains chair and them on the bench behind him (other captains chair will be for baby on the way). I'm really excited to get him back RF, he still has loads of room to grow in his seat, he's only about 30lbs fully dressed still

 

[MidnightSun]

Erm ... if you can name a few RF seats I can certainly have a look for you.

I'll be cancelling mine soon, I have only done it for a month lol

 

[Eala]

Yay that's fab news about being able to turn Hayden back RF

 

[Dimbo]

A few questions for those who seem to have researched more than I have been able to.... big babies... what are the options once they outgrow their size 0 seats?

We have the Recarro with isofix base and was intending to get the next seat to move into. But LO, who's only 12 weeks is fast outgrowing the first seat and I don't want her to go into the forward facing yet. She's 16lb10, very nearly 99.6 centile, and 98th centile for length. She's only got about an inch left in the straps and they are already under her shoulder height So what are my options?

I really like the seat RachelC posted, but quite expensive considering we've already bought the base & group 0 seat.

Help! Thanks

p.s. I'm in the UK

 

[modo]

Back in October I bought the Pearl car seat from the Mothercare stand at the London Baby Show in Earls Court. Bobby was not ready for a stage 1 car seat at that point but thinking of the 10% discount. I went ahead and bought it early (intending to use it when he was older). I was told that the car seat was both front and rear facing because I wanted a rear facing car seat.

I found out that my stupid car seat was only front facing from a thread in the Baby Club. By then we had been using it a feeding chair for Bobby (I used to feed him his bottle in a chair before he could sit independently) and it had some stains. So obviously Mothercare refused to take it back (which I am furious about as I was misled) or the isofix base because it was no longer in its box.

I have listed both the care seat and the base on eBay. The base has now been sold and hopefully the car seat will be sold as well. Then we will be buying our rear facing car seat as Bobby is getting cramped in his stage 0 car seat!

I guess the lesson you can learn from my story is do your research before you buy the seat and don't get tempted by discounts even when the car seat sells I will have still lost money.

 

[Rachel_C]

A few questions for those who seem to have researched more than I have been able to.... big babies... what are the options once they outgrow their size 0 seats?

We have the Recarro with isofix base and was intending to get the next seat to move into. But LO, who's only 12 weeks is fast outgrowing the first seat and I don't want her to go into the forward facing yet. She's 16lb10, very nearly 99.6 centile, and 98th centile for length. She's only got about an inch left in the straps and they are already under her shoulder height So what are my options?

I really like the seat RachelC posted, but quite expensive considering we've already bought the base & group 0 seat.

Help! Thanks

p.s. I'm in the UK

I think most of the ERF seats are from 6 months. Ours (the BeSafe one) is officially from 0kg but it doesn't recline far enough for me to be happy putting a young baby in it. Theu shop we bought it from said it was only really ok from about 6 months. I think it will be the same with most of the big seats. You could get one of the seats that RF till about 2 years old though; I would be happier putting a young baby in one of those. The Britax First Class can be used RF from 0-13kg and FF from 9-18kg. So obviously if you wanted to RF past 13kg you would need to buy a proper ERF seat but it might tide you over until then. I've seen that seat for about £100 which I don't think is bad for that length of use, and it would give you time to save for an ERF one (and the Volvo one is a great price if it will fit your car).

 

[lynnikins]

we had this problem hun so had to get the britax first class+ for EJ as he was outgrown his infant seat at 4 1/2 months weighing 21lbs and to tall for it, i didnt like spending £100 for 5 months ish use that its had,
Talked to DH and we are going to buy the Multitech when we get back from holiday and put Nate in it as EJ has room to grow left in the First class before we have to turn him around about 1.6 kg or so lol so will save up and get the other one for when he gets to turning point in the FC, Nate has outgrown his FF seat thats supposed to last till hes 4 !!

 

[Dimbo]

Thank you both! I have done more googles (I didn't really know where to start before) and I've sent a whole long email to hubby to look at and read through. I think the first class is what we'll go with as it's not only the cheapest (not the biggest factor, but it's got to be weighed up against the time used!) but the only thing I can find that's suitable for now and rear facing for the longest.

Hope that made sense.

We shall then decide what we will do once she's too big for the rear facing part of it, whether to get a the likes of the besafe one or to turn her to forward facing. It all depends on where we are when she's that weight.

I then need to decide what to do with the current seat and isofix base. It's only had 12 weeks of use so far, although does have a bit of life left before we need to upgrade. Does anyone know if they sell on well?

It's actually not very good that there aren't many options available for bigger babies (which I am finding in all sorts of places at the moment. She's too heavy for her bouncy chair, but not sitting enough for other types of seats. But that's a whole other problem! )

 

[Rachel_C]

Thank you both! I have done more googles (I didn't really know where to start before) and I've sent a whole long email to hubby to look at and read through. I think the first class is what we'll go with as it's not only the cheapest (not the biggest factor, but it's got to be weighed up against the time used!) but the only thing I can find that's suitable for now and rear facing for the longest.

Hope that made sense.

We shall then decide what we will do once she's too big for the rear facing part of it, whether to get a the likes of the besafe one or to turn her to forward facing. It all depends on where we are when she's that weight.

I then need to decide what to do with the current seat and isofix base. It's only had 12 weeks of use so far, although does have a bit of life left before we need to upgrade. Does anyone know if they sell on well?

It's actually not very good that there aren't many options available for bigger babies (which I am finding in all sorts of places at the moment. She's too heavy for her bouncy chair, but not sitting enough for other types of seats. But that's a whole other problem! )

I'm not sure about selling seats on. I personally wouldn't buy a car seat from somebody I didn't know because when a seat is in an accident, the car insurer has to replace it but some unscrupulous people will sell on the old seat if it doesn't look damaged, even though there might be damage you can't see. Obviously you're not doing that but if I didn't know you, I couldn't be sure. Do you know anybody who might buy it? Or a friend of a friend type of thing?

My LO is about 99th centile for length so we had trouble with bouncers and stuff too. We originally had the cheapest M&P bouncer but then we bought a more expensive one from there that was longer and stronger. After she outgrew that, we bought this - https://www.mothercare.com/Precious-Planet-Newborn-Toddler-Rocker/dp/B0034JBZT4?_encoding=UTF8& If you search for newborn to toddler chairs, there are a few. They're a bit plasticky and bright but my daughter's lasted her till about 12 months/23lbs. She only stopped using it because she prefers sitting on the sofa, it still fits her now.

 

[Dimbo]

Thank you both! I have done more googles (I didn't really know where to start before) and I've sent a whole long email to hubby to look at and read through. I think the first class is what we'll go with as it's not only the cheapest (not the biggest factor, but it's got to be weighed up against the time used!) but the only thing I can find that's suitable for now and rear facing for the longest.

Hope that made sense.

We shall then decide what we will do once she's too big for the rear facing part of it, whether to get a the likes of the besafe one or to turn her to forward facing. It all depends on where we are when she's that weight.

I then need to decide what to do with the current seat and isofix base. It's only had 12 weeks of use so far, although does have a bit of life left before we need to upgrade. Does anyone know if they sell on well?

It's actually not very good that there aren't many options available for bigger babies (which I am finding in all sorts of places at the moment. She's too heavy for her bouncy chair, but not sitting enough for other types of seats. But that's a whole other problem! )

I'm not sure about selling seats on. I personally wouldn't buy a car seat from somebody I didn't know because when a seat is in an accident, the car insurer has to replace it but some unscrupulous people will sell on the old seat if it doesn't look damaged, even though there might be damage you can't see. Obviously you're not doing that but if I didn't know you, I couldn't be sure. Do you know anybody who might buy it? Or a friend of a friend type of thing?

My LO is about 99th centile for length so we had trouble with bouncers and stuff too. We originally had the cheapest M&P bouncer but then we bought a more expensive one from there that was longer and stronger. After she outgrew that, we bought this - https://www.mothercare.com/Precious-Planet-Newborn-Toddler-Rocker/dp/B0034JBZT4?_encoding=UTF8& If you search for newborn to toddler chairs, there are a few. They're a bit plasticky and bright but my daughter's lasted her till about 12 months/23lbs. She only stopped using it because she prefers sitting on the sofa, it still fits her now.

Yeah I thought he same about selling the seat. I wouldn't buy one from a random either. Obviously I don't mind keeping it for the next one, but it seems a waste if the next one is just as big... I do have a friend who is currently about 10 weeks, I'll see if she would like it.

I've seen that seat before and am now kicking myself we didn't go for that first! Again, I didn't know what to search for so all I ended up finding was bouncy chairs & high chairs. Thank you

 

[lynnikins]

at about 10/12 weeks we started putting EJ in his bumbo with it backed up agaisnt something and a pillow behind his head/back and he loved it , i dont know about your DD's head control but it might be an option for a seat

 

[Dimbo]

at about 10/12 weeks we started putting EJ in his bumbo with it backed up agaisnt something and a pillow behind his head/back and he loved it , i dont know about your DD's head control but it might be an option for a seat

Her head control's great, and she's even sat on my lap without my support for about 20 seconds (long enough for me to video it - luckily the camera was next to me [sorry proud mum moment ]) but wasn't sure about how much leg room the bumbo's have as she has hugely chunky legs. I have a friend who has one so I might ask her to try hers out next week and see how she does. Thanks

 

[Eala]

Haven't been on here before today to see your posts before, Dimbo, but have you seen the Graco DuoLogic series? You can see them on carseat.se - https://www.carseat.se/store.html

I appreciate that they are more expensive, but they are suitable from birth. We have the DuoLogic 2, and the seat part actually comes off like a normal infant carrier, and reclines pretty much flat (or as flat as a normal infant carrier anyway!)

Just thought I'd throw that out there as another option, in case you hadn't seen it

 

[pinkclaire]

Also just to add dimbo babies growth really slows down at 4 months, well it did for us anyway so you may have longer left in your car seat than you originally thought. I was panicking at 3 months as james was growing so fast bit he's slowed right down and is still in his infant carrier at nearly a year xx

 

[mommyof3co]

Just wanted to add a pic It's a really awful pic haha, it was late but we got the van last night so I was able to put him back in RF, he fell asleep on the way home and Mark had reached over and unclipped his chest clip so he was starting to move. But first ride back RF!!

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs040.snc6/167016_493921981266_515016266_6173982_2791297_n.jpg

See his horrible head He fell and slammed it into the corner of the wall a couple nights ago, we ended up in the ER it was so bad, there are some pics from the ER in my pregnancy journal and the rest of the story there.

 

[Eala]

Aww poor Hayden! That looks like a really nasty bruise. Hope it's not causing him too much pain and that it heals up soon But yay for RF again!

We're taking my Mum's previous carseat (she has a Volvo one now) to give to my childminder. Currently CM has our infant carrier (which does to 9kg) but my Mum's infant carrier is a 0+ and does RF to 13kg. Don't think CM will be happy, she was asking the other day if Roo can finally go FF... We were initially kinda worried about what we'd do when Roo grows out of the 0+ seat, but we have a plan now... All she has to do is not go over 13kg (or get too tall for the seat) until she is 2

 

[Dimbo]

Also just to add dimbo babies growth really slows down at 4 months, well it did for us anyway so you may have longer left in your car seat than you originally thought. I was panicking at 3 months as james was growing so fast bit he's slowed right down and is still in his infant carrier at nearly a year xx

I really hope that's the case for us! I measured her yesterday and she's 64 or 65 cm long (difficult to do yourself) which is almost 99.6 centile. Most of her height is in her body though, which is causing the car seat issue. I'm using vest extenders of 3-6 month vests and they are too small this last week. If she continues her own little curve she's making she'll be off the chart after next weeks weigh in. And she's not even 3 months yet I think it's time only her legs grew for a bit, then she'd fit the length of her trousers that are 6-9 months