car seat already in the car?? - Page 2

[Reha]

I finally got my car seat this past week, and have the covers all washed and dried. I am thinking of installing it this week, mainly because I'm so excited about it. but, I also want to make sure I can install it with no problems.

[EdnaMarie]

as long as the angle is correct (thank goodness for the handy ball thing on the side) what could be wrong?

Crashing- if it moves more than an inch, or some would say 1/2 inch, in any direction, then it's not in properly.

[christibale]

I actually installed mine this past week but that does not mean much. I installed it to haul around some friends' babies over the next couple of weeks.

[Marlet]

Saw this on new posts.

Even if you don't keep it in I'd suggest doing a trial install. We've had seat/car combos where the base DOESN'T fit and will not work. Sure throws a kink in your plans when it doesn't work as easily as you think.

[Ianthe]

I haven't installed ours yet.. it's ready to be installed, but I need to vacuum out the car before I put it in. I might put it in the trunk, just in case I need it before 3-5 weeks from now.

[sdmomma]

We installed ours today. I just figure it is one less thing to think about in the coming days. It actually took me a lot longer to clean it out and became a bigger project than I thought it would. I also reread the manual and double checked on any recalls.

[Vilde]

We haven't installed ours yet and probably won't before the baby is born. But I should try it in the car soon, just to make sure we can fit 3 car seats in the back.

[an_aurora]

We don't even have one yet And I'm a CPST (child passenger safety technician, aka car seat nerd).

[Amberoxy]

I'm still waiting for my carseat - my sister in laws son is still using it . I do want to get it installed as soon as possible, just in case. When Sam was born, I think I had it installed around a month in advance! It's one of those things that I like to see in the car just to feel like the baby is coming soon. The car seat is the same one Sam used so we know how to install it. The first time I had it installed, I did have the police do it. By the time Sam was born, it was wiggling all over the place. Now, my husband does the installationing and they don't wiggle at all!

[serenekitten]

I started bugging boyfriend about installing the car seat a week ago, and he just looked at me like I was crazy. I accidentally left it at his place, or else I probably would have attempted installing it myself, by now.

[alicewyf]

I think we will probably install it at 36 weeks. We need to see if we're going to need to get/borrow a bucket seat for a while...the one we have is a convertible. I've heard of putting pool noodles under those to make them recline more? I dunno. I think we will end up taking it to the fire station or something to make sure it is installed properly.

[DahliaRW]

I plan to have ours installed by the time I'm 36 weeks. It's going in the middle row of our van, so it'll make it harder for my oldest ds to get in the back row, which is why I don't want to do it now. It's a SR32 and I'd assume similar in installation to the SR I used previously, so I'm not too worried. The next car seat check is when I'm 37 weeks, so I plan to go get it inspected then to be safe (as well as have my other ds's seats checked since I haven't since we got our new Sienna). If baby came now and needed to be transported, my ds2s radian is at almost 45 degrees and in a pinch I could move the straps down and put the baby in it. If I have baby early, though, most likely I'll be at the hospital for a day or two and I totally trust my sister to install the seat while I'm there (she's as big of a car seat safety geek as me).

[gossamerwindweb]

I keep thinking to myself... if we install it and then get in an accident, we'll have to deal with getting a new one before the baby even comes! So I keep holding off. I think we'll install them (2, one for each car) around 36 weeks.

[leighann79]

I plan on installing ours at about 37 weeks. I think that's longer than I've put it off before. LOL I like having it in so it feels even more real that the baby is coming. Plus, it's nice for the kids to get used to it being there.
We need to switch what side DS and DD2 is on in the back (so DD2 can see the baby) also. We'll do all of that around 37 weeks.

[mags]

Do you all get your carseats checked by a tech every time you re-install them? I ask, b/c a month before I had my first baby, we met with a carseat tech, she took the time to teach us how to install the seats properly and since then we don't go to checks (well actually, our area doesn't have any, if you want one you have to set up a private appt with the health dept, like we did, b/c ppl in our area generally don't give a rat's ass about carseats, nobody shows up to them). In fact, we help to make sure our friends' seats are installed correctly as well.

[georgiegirl1974]

I'll do it once I hit 36 weeks, so probably the weekend after next. It is DD's old snugride so I've installed it before. On the weekends, I usually sit next to DD in the back, but once this seat is in, then I'll have to sit in the front when DH drives.

I did wash the car seat cover and wipe out the crumbs that had been sitting in there for 3 years (ick!)

[treehugger75]

I haven't done it yet and probably won't for another couple weeks (when I'm 38 weeks). It will mean DD has to move all the way to the back, and since we're moving this weekend I want DH to be able to take out the rear seats so we have more packing room. Moving will probably take a while, so I'll put off installing it as long as possible.

We did find the car seat, though, so that's a plus. And we checked to make sure it's not expired. Now I need to clean it and wash the cover...but that's kind of on the back burner what with moving and all.

I'll probably get it checked out at the police dept, too. We've never installed an infant seat in our van and I never got DD's and DS's seats checked when we moved over to the van . It's a good idea to get it checked! Plus, since we've used this seat for 2 kids already it's probably a good idea to have someone check it over for plastic fatigue and such. Like I said, it's not expired, so it should be fine, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

[LilMamiBella]

I haven't even bought a car seat yet. Really it bugs me not to have one yet. With the last baby I had bought the car seat 4 months before the due date.

[koalove]

i keep thinking that if i put it in, people will think im weird, like if i pushed the empty stroller around the park. i think since were having a homebirth ill hold off for a while. someone mentioned that if were homebirthing it would be useful if we have to transfer after the birth in case of emergency, but i visualize an ambulence at that point.

[pastrygirl]

Originally Posted by koalove

so, if 80% of seats are in wrong, what are folks doing wrong?

Here are a few things:

• Not tight enough -- should be less than 1" of movement at the belt path
• Seatbelt and LATCH together -- it needs to be one OR the other
• Seat protector or mat underneath the seat -- a thin towel might be OK, but generally not a good idea and not necessary
• Handle used in a position not allowed in a car -- some seats don't allow the handle to be left up when the car is in motion
• Wrong harness slot used -- needs to be at or below the baby's shoulders when rear-facing
• Chest clip too low -- should be at armpit level; I see many babies with a "belly clip" instead!
• Harness too loose -- shouldn't be able to pinch a fold just in front of the shoulder
• Bundle Me or other bunting blankets that go behind the baby -- should never be used; only use blankets that go over the car seat
• Heavy/puffy coats -- should never be worn in a car seat
• Using aftermarket accessories that didn't come with your car seat -- (head supports, padded strap covers, seat belt tightening devices) weren't tested with YOUR seat, no way of knowing what would happen in a crash
• Using an expired seat, or one that should've been replaced after a crash
• Seat cover/harness not cleaned properly according to manufacturer's directions

It's a good idea to have it checked by a CPST. I tend to take at least 30 minutes with new parents-to-be... sometimes even an hour... and this would be more comfortable earlier on before your due date.