what are the rules on moving up a carseat again?

[Mum2b_Claire]

I only read the first page before replying.

But to be honest, weight has nothing to do with how strong a babies neck is. Yeah, a 6 month old COULD weigh 20lbs and be FF, but that is such a huge risk to such an underdeveloped baby IMO.

Rear facing should be encouraged for as long as possible.

Exactly - if it isn't weight AND height, it bloody should be!

Ruby weighed 20lb at 4 months.

 

[KittyVentura]

I only read the first page before replying.

But to be honest, weight has nothing to do with how strong a babies neck is. Yeah, a 6 month old COULD weigh 20lbs and be FF, but that is such a huge risk to such an underdeveloped baby IMO.

Rear facing should be encouraged for as long as possible.

Oh absolutely. I do not disagree with that at all. You'll see I have already stated this in my initial post and given the recommendation to remain RF for as long as possible. I'm not defending the rules, just stating them.

However the OP did ask for what the RULES are and the rules in the UK are on weight only. Fact is what she asked for and fact is what I gave. I point out the incorrect information to ensure any misunderstanding is corrected.

RF and ERF are ideal and should be promoted. However giving incorrect information about what the legal requirements are is not the way to get mothers to stay RF for longer. Everyone deserves the correct factual information when asked for it, even if you feel they might make a choice you don't agree with on the back of it.

Many of us might think that the rules SHOULD be both. But that is our opinion and not what the current UK law is xxx

 

[KittyVentura]

To the OP.

This is a link to a page on the same official website detailing child car seat laws. It is their information about remaining RF past the limit for the infant car seats. I'm not going to preach as it is so unbecoming however I can direct you to an unbiased and reliable source of information to help you.

https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/latest/rearfacing.htm

xx

 

[lozzy21]

If its weight only then why wont mothercare ect not sell you FF carseat before 9 months?

 

[LPF]

I've just read that the current seat he is in has a weight limit of 13kg which he's 0.5kg off at the moment.

When people say keep him it this seat for as long as possibly, i'm guessing you don't mean over the 13kg weight limit?

 

[Siyren]

no sweetie, dont go over the weight limit,
is there a reason you can't leave a seat at nursery? do they actually prohitbit it? as lyssa's nursery is fine with this,
the RF seats over 29 lbs are expensive, but well worth it imo, lyssa's is one of the cheaper ones and is the only one that would fit our car, its the two way elite and cost £196 x

 

[LPF]

There isn't room at nursery - they don't let you leave prams or anything. It's a small rural nursery and the baby room only has 3 babies in.

Car seats are so stressful. I really want to use the isofix base for added protection but currently, I don't think I can afford 1 car seat that is deemed 'safe'!

 

[LPF]

To the OP.

This is a link to a page on the same official website detailing child car seat laws. It is their information about remaining RF past the limit for the infant car seats. I'm not going to preach as it is so unbecoming however I can direct you to an unbiased and reliable source of information to help you.

https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/latest/rearfacing.htm

xx

Thanks, i've just had a good read of this.

I'm getting a bit bogged down it in all!

Trying to match up safety, car, size of baby and cost is a flippin mindfield.

Somedays I really wish for an average sized baby!

 

[Siyren]

if it helps, isofix isnt deemed necessary in a correctly installed rearfacer- its safer in FF cars as it reduces the movement of the seat, and lessons the force of the car hitting the baby (i cant think of a better way to say that, essentially, as the seat is attached to the car it moves with the car if that makes sense)
so rf, it wouldnt be necessary, i cant really speak on FF seats though i dont know much about them, i just read that on carseat.se
x

 

[KittyVentura]

Thanks, i've just had a good read of this.

I'm getting a bit bogged down it in all!

Trying to match up safety, car, size of baby and cost is a flippin mindfield.

Somedays I really wish for an average sized baby!

Same. We have a very large nearly 9 month old. He's around 23lbs now.

We tried to match everything up but short of getting a new car we couldn't work a way to get an ERF car seat for Fin. Fin went up to FF at 7.5 months however he is OBSCENELY strong and had been sitting unaided for about an hour at a time at that age. Reason we moved him is that his head was coming out over the top of the seat meaning it was no longer safe for him to travel.

You can only weigh up the pros and cons and make your own choice on what is best for your situation love. Yes, staying RF IS safer. It's a fact that cannot be denied and should play a part in you making your choice. However as the website says "The evidence shows that it is safer for children to travel rearward-facing for as long as possible, although that does not mean forward-facing seats are ‘dangerous’"

What is important overall is that the child is in a car seat, that it is the correct car seat for their weight, that it is the right one for your car AND is fitted correctly. You get those right and you are doing all you can to protect your child if ERF cannot be done.

xxxx

 

[KittyVentura]

If its weight only then why wont mothercare ect not sell you FF carseat before 9 months?

We were sold our by mothercare. Fin was 7.5 months. The girl DID try and say it was both however, having already spoken to our local head of transport (official government guy - came into our baby club to deliver a car seat talk) and researched the correct rules I asked to speak to the manager who then checked with someone (on the phone, nto sure who but it seemed internal) and then apologised for initially giving the wrong answer. xx

 

[LPF]

thanks kitty - thats interesting.

Evan is very strong too - he sits unaided all day bar naps so can sit fine for 2hrs plus and it isn't an issue for him.

ERF would fit DH car but im not sure about mine - his current seat only just fits!

 

[pinkie77]

Don't forget weight gain usually slows down a huge amount on e they're mobile. DS was 2.5 stone at a year and then only gained about 7lb over the next two years. So they'll probably fit for longer than you realise right now!

 

[Siyren]

Don't forget weight gain usually slows down a huge amount on e they're mobile. DS was 2.5 stone at a year and then only gained about 7lb over the next two years. So they'll probably fit for longer than you realise right now!

i agree, lyssa's only gained 2 lbs's since her first birthday, and she's still on her 75th percentile mark

 

[Mummy_2_1]

I am having this problem too my little one "well not so little" is 20lb and 5 months and very long!

 

[bathbabe]

Just to throw this out there....

There is no law in sweden about rearfacing, they do it because they know its safer. Its very rare to see a child younger than 4 FF, and their child death rate in car crashes are almost 0.


(Im not saying if you FF you child will die if you crash before somebody makes it sound like thats what iv said.)

 

[hattiehippo]

Weight gain usually slows alot once they get to 1 and are much more mobile - I would be very surprised is Evan carried on putiing on 2 to 3lbs a month for much longer so he may well fit into a seat with an 18kg limit for a lot longer than you think. Tom has put on no weight whatsoever since he was 14 months in March - he's just got taller.

Isofix is good in that it makes it virtually impossible to fit the seat incorrectly but if a seat belted carseat is fitted correctly I don't think there is a difference in terms of safety but I can't remember where I read that.

 

[Siyren]

Just to throw this out there....

There is no law in sweden about rearfacing, they do it because they know its safer. Its very rare to see a child younger than 4 FF, and their child death rate in car crashes are almost 0.


(Im not saying if you FF you child will die if you crash before somebody makes it sound like thats what iv said.)

is it bad that i know thats from Hakan onn carseat.se

 

[hattiehippo]

I meant to also put about if you need 2 seats that getting 1 ERF at least is better than nothing.

We need 2 car seats for the exact same reason but DH's car will not fit a ERF seat (fiat panda!) so Tom has a very good FF seat in there and only uses it for max 3 short journeys a week. We have a ERF seat in my much bigger car that he spends the majority of the time in and we do lots of high speed driving in. It was the best we could do with the cars we've got.

 

[Siyren]

I meant to also put about if you need 2 seats that getting 1 ERF at least is better than nothing.

We need 2 car seats for the exact same reason but DH's car will not fit a ERF seat (fiat panda!) so Tom has a very good FF seat in there and only uses it for max 3 short journeys a week. We have a ERF seat in my much bigger car that he spends the majority of the time in and we do lots of high speed driving in. It was the best we could do with the cars we've got.

that sounds like a plan to me!

to the OP- its about doing the best you can for your LO with the money you've got, be that FF or ERF or both
i hope this thread helps you,

if ERF is something that interests you, you could always get a good erf seat in one car and the britax first class plus in the other, at the very least that would take him to a little older before you FF him?