Where do you have the car seat?

[Cupcake9596]

My DD is 6 weeks old and up until now, has been behind the passenger seat. However, we've just got a new car, and due to space, she may have to move behind the driver seat. Is this ok? Where do you put the car seat?

 

[Yo_Yo]

If the car seat had a proper middle seat, and it fit according to the manual, the Middle.
Failing that, behind the passenger side so I could see baby (obviously when stationary or stopped!)

Really not sure there is much in it though-we have a car seat behind driver side, as we have two seats.

 

[hanni]

The middle is the safest if it fits. We have our son behind the passenger seat. When he was still in his infant carrier he was mostly in the middle. Doesn't matter where really as long as it fits properly.

 

[Zephram]

The middle is actually the safest place, but doesn't work for all cars. If you only have one kid then behind the passenger seat is best if you can't use the middle. Two reasons - this is the curb side so you don't have to take baby onto the road to put them in and also in an accident if rear ended the front seats can collapse onto a forward facing child and injure them. Passenger seat is more likely to be empty, removing the added weight of an adult in the seat. Obviously a rear facing baby doesn't need to worry about this.

I have two kids and we cant fit the baby's rear facing seat behind the driver so we have the three year old behind the driver and baby behind passenger. Strictly one of them should be in the middle but our car isn't big and the three year old will probably kick the baby.

 

[jessmke]

Question to those who put the car seat in the middle, how in the world do you get it in and out of the vehicle? I drive a compact SUV and if I put the seat in the middle I would have to crawl into the vehicle, somehow try to lift the carseat off the base while crouched in the back seat, and then shimmy myself backwards while holding onto the car seat to get us both out of the vehicle. Even if I left the seat in the car I would still have to crawl into the back seat and awkwardly sit next to the car seat while trying to put the baby into the seat and buckle it up. I don't know how you guys do it!

 

[hanni]

Question to those who put the car seat in the middle, how in the world do you get it in and out of the vehicle? I drive a compact SUV and if I put the seat in the middle I would have to crawl into the vehicle, somehow try to lift the carseat off the base while crouched in the back seat, and then shimmy myself backwards while holding onto the car seat to get us both out of the vehicle. Even if I left the seat in the car I would still have to crawl into the back seat and awkwardly sit next to the car seat while trying to put the baby into the seat and buckle it up. I don't know how you guys do it!

Do that 😂
It isn't as bad as it sounds. Put the car seat in, sit in along side it and lift it in. I think car seats are just one of those things you have to accept to be a pain in the bum.

I've never known the struggle of a car seat until I've had to get my giant son in his ERF car seat in a 3 door car everyday. It was a lot easier when he was in his infant carrier and in our old 4x4.

 

[loeylo]

I am 100% sure that I read that the safest seat aside from the middle is behind the driver!

We have her behind the driver. We cant use the middle as our car is isofix and the points are only on the main seats.

 

[4magpies]

Middle is safest, then behind the passenger, then behind the driver, then front passenger seat (airbag off RF/on FF).

 

[jodilee6]

I have 4yo behind the driver and 8mo behind the passenger. This is the only way we could fit the seats in for DH to be able to drive as well!

 

[happynewmom1]

Question to those who put the car seat in the middle, how in the world do you get it in and out of the vehicle? I drive a compact SUV and if I put the seat in the middle I would have to crawl into the vehicle, somehow try to lift the carseat off the base while crouched in the back seat, and then shimmy myself backwards while holding onto the car seat to get us both out of the vehicle. Even if I left the seat in the car I would still have to crawl into the back seat and awkwardly sit next to the car seat while trying to put the baby into the seat and buckle it up. I don't know how you guys do it!

This is exactly how we do it. Hanni is right.. It's really not bad and we have two seats beside it for our older kids. Still manageable. I'd say less convenient but for our car it's really the way it works best anyway. You could always try it and if you don't like it, move her.

 

[RaspberryK]

I have the rear facing seat behind the passenger seat but it doesn't leave any leg room and ds seat behind that driver seat. If someone bigger comes in my car like my brother then I let him drive so that I don't have to switch the seats around. X

 

[Scout]

I have dd in an ERF seat in the middle back. I do have to get in to get her in and out, but when it's raining out it's nice to be able to get in the car to strap her in.