Why do people refer

[new2this]

Mods if this in the wrong forum please move, I just didn't know where to put it.

But I see it on various threads around here and in other places, but I am assuming when buckets is being used it is being referred to as infant carriers. So I am asking why is there such a negative overtone towards them? Like is their a safety reason behind it or is it something else? I honestly never thought anything about them besides them being a car seat that was easier to take in and out of the vehicle. So I am just asking. TIA

[Ditto]

I can't speak to the safety of bucket infant seats.

I am skeptical of them because they seem to enable parents to have less contact with their babies. It's easy to put a baby in the bucket, carry them to the car, carry the bucket in to the store, carry it back to the car, go home, baby's asleep, leave baby in car seat in the house, etc. It seems that baby would be better off getting out of the bucket and having some personal contact and different positions and views of the world.

But... I've not had a baby of my own yet so that theory might fly out the window when the time comes.

[GoBecGo]

I think people don't like them partly because they aren't great for the babe (seem to remember being told they inhibit breathing if the kid is in them for too long) but mainly because they mean the baby isn't being carried in arms, just carted about in the plastic seat.

I personally know a few kids whose day went

crib-bouncer (prop fed a bottle in bouncer)-moses basket (for nap)-car bucket-bouncer (prop fed another bottle)-moses basket-swing-bouncer (prop fed)-bath-crib

They were literally NEVER held, carried or cuddled. And for a 2 week old that is really really sad (to me anyway).

[ann_of_loxley]

And - have you actually carried a baby in one?...Whenever I see someone carrying a baby around in one trying to do shopping, etc... I want to tell them about he wonderful world of slings! lol

[Llyra]

I think there's a real bias against the bucket car seats among MDC mamas because the buckets tend to be so overused in the mainstream parenting world. There are babies that ride in the car in them, spend their entire waking time in them, and even have strollers, highchairs, and swings where the bucket just snaps right in. It has now become possible, with these products, to have an infant and almost never hold or carry the baby. I've seen plenty of mamas who don't even pick up the baby to feed-- they just hold a bottle in the baby's mouth while baby is still in the carseat. And with seats having ever-higher weight and height limits, babies that should be on the floor crawling are now often confined to the bucket, because it's easier and more convenient for a busy mother.

The trouble with the buckets is that they were designed to position an infant for maximum protection in a vehicle collision. The position however that the infant is in when in the bucket isn't one that's an appropriate one for a baby to spend a large amount of time. There has been an increasing incidence of babies with flattening of the head, for instance, because they spend too much time in devices like car seats, as well as bouncy seats and swings and similar devices. Babies need to be held or carried or rocked or put down on their backs and bellies on the floor, to develop optimally. They shouldn't be spending all day in a car seat, when they're not in a car.

There's nothing wrong with the bucket seats themselves. They do the job of safely protecting a baby in the car, and they're fine when used in careful moderation to move a baby from the car when baby is sleeping or the weather is bad. But it is so easy to overuse them. Hence the bias.

[heidi526]

I don't think people object to infant travel systems, which is what I think you are referring to. They object to people who leave their kids in them for hours and hours and hours. I had one of those for my girls when they infants. It was great cause when they fell asleep in the car, you could bring them inside without waking them. It was also good when we were in the grocery store and they were too young to sit up. I would just set the seat in the cart and off we would go. That being said, I didn't leave them in the seat after we got out of the car, unless they were sleeping or we were in the grocery store. They only were in the seat when necessary, which I dont think is a problem.

[mrspineau]

I think its silly to associate a carseat carrier with a child not being held generally. They make certain things easier - transferring child from carseat to stroller while sleeping, grocery shopping, and keeping the child warm and covered in the winter (i had a nice warm cover with a face flap for mine). My child was and is held a lot, played with a lot, and never prop fed. sometimes, it is better to make your life easier where you can.

[dogretro]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo

I think people don't like them partly because they aren't great for the babe (seem to remember being told they inhibit breathing if the kid is in them for too long) but mainly because they mean the baby isn't being carried in arms, just carted about in the plastic seat.

A baby is a person, not a handbag. I love them for the extra recline in the car, but that is where they belong: in the car. Plus it is quicker to type "bucket" rather than "infant seat".

[GoBecGo]

Originally Posted by mrspineau

I think its silly to associate a carseat carrier with a child not being held generally. They make certain things easier - transferring child from carseat to stroller while sleeping, grocery shopping, and keeping the child warm and covered in the winter (i had a nice warm cover with a face flap for mine). My child was and is held a lot, played with a lot, and never prop fed. sometimes, it is better to make your life easier where you can.

It depends largely on the life in question as to whether it makes it easier. We rarely used a car, so she was rarely in her seat. She was never in a stroller, i wore her, which also kept her warm in winter. I always managed to buy groceries with her in a wrap. I agree that making life easier can be a good thing, but some of the mama's i referred to above seemed to feel the easiest thing would be to ignore their LO altogether. That is not a statement about general bucket use, it is merely the bias i have gotten from spending time with those people.

[MJB]

They are definitely overused, and they're really hard to carry anyway so I don't see how they are more convenient. I had one when my boys were little, and since they were born in the winter it was nice to be able to put them in/out of the carseat in the warm house instead of standing out in the cold, but other than that, I didn't take the carseat in anywhere. It's a carseat, not a permanent baby-holder.
My third is going to be a summer baby, so we're skipping the infant seat and using a convertible carseat from birth. I see no need to buy a carseat that will last a year or less.

[GoBecGo]

Aw, wait a minute, LOOK how comfy this mama looks!

http://www.twinkleandwhimsy.com/flyi...rierstrap.aspx

[bandgeek]

Are you referring to just the term "bucket"? If so then "bucket" in itself is not a negative term for an infant car seat. It's a standard term used all over, not just on AP parenting message boards.

As far as the negative attitude toward them in general? Well it's mainly because they are often over-used and not conducive to an AP style if you rely on them too much outside of the car. They are certainly useful, particularly during winter in a colder climate. It's nice to be able to get baby snuggled and covered with a blanket, then just carry them to the car and pop the seat in. It's when they are used for sleeping, playing, every single errand, ect that they become a problem.

[leaveit2beeker]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo

Aw, wait a minute, LOOK how comfy this mama looks!

http://www.twinkleandwhimsy.com/flyi...rierstrap.aspx

WHY, WHY in the heck wouldn't you consider a sling?! OMG, I can't believe this stuff even exists!

[texmati]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo

Aw, wait a minute, LOOK how comfy this mama looks!

http://www.twinkleandwhimsy.com/flyi...rierstrap.aspx

That *is* funny. It sort of looks like a sling too, if you squint just right!

TBS, I thought I would *never* use the bucket, but we do use one now. DS screams like you are killing him when you try to put him in the car seat. If I *have* to go to the store with him, I'm not taking him out and putting him back in.

It's also so nice to be able to strap him in in the house, since it takes 2 people, 15 minutes, and a lot of singing, dancing and begging.

I'd prefer for my neighbors not to see me doing the carseat can-can.

[new2this]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

And - have you actually carried a baby in one?...Whenever I see someone carrying a baby around in one trying to do shopping, etc... I want to tell them about he wonderful world of slings! lol

not sure what that has to do with my question on if I have carried one or not. But yes I have many different kids. When I had them it was used for a car seat, shopping because they were to young to sit up yet or they were still sleeping and I didn't want to disturb them. If they were able to sit up then I took them out it before even going into someplace unless they were sleeping.

Yeah I guess for me when i was looking at them that was one of the things that drew me more into wanting one the ease of things. And also because I am not a sling type person and I have tried it but it just wasn't for me. Maybe I will try it again but at this point I just have no desire for it. But I guess I just never equated someone using a carrier as someone who doesn't hold their kid or treated them like handbags.

As far as the mainstream parenting I do have to ask if its more of an assumption thing or is it a more of a generally in my experience every/majority person I saw use them used them the wrong way type thing?

But thanks for the replies and yeah I can see why its easier to type bucket over infant carrier.

[Sharlla]

Because they are carseats and some babies rarely ever get human contact other than feeding (sometimes not even then) and diaper changes.

And - have you actually carried a baby in one?...Whenever I see someone carrying a baby around in one trying to do shopping, etc... I want to tell them about he wonderful world of slings! lol

me too. i wear my baby everywhere and hope that people see how easy it is and opt to use one instead of lugging a heavy carseat around.

[new2this]

Yeah I was referring to the term bucket as I have only seen it used here and I lurk and frequent all sorts of mom/pregnancy boards trying to do some research on people's personal experience type things. And I just felt like there was a negative almost superior attitude against those who do use them like. Even if it is used as intended. Thats all.

I am still learning things and while i have my opinions on things I know once my LO is here I will also form new or change my opinions on things.

[Sharlla]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo

Aw, wait a minute, LOOK how comfy this mama looks!

http://www.twinkleandwhimsy.com/flyi...rierstrap.aspx

that has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen next to the fake arm you put in babies crib LOL

[scottishmommy]

I haven't read all the posts but I just wanted to warn people not to carry their babies around in these. My dh and I used to bundle baby up in a bucket seat during the winter and he threw his back out big time. After that we always just picked her up out of the car seat. No more back problems! Also, these things are not safe on top of grocery carts. I have a friend whose baby fractured her skull falling out of a grocery cart in one of these. Use a moby wrap or ergo for grocery shopping.

[tmwmommy]

I personally used the bucket for a few months before we decided it was much easier to just carry her in and out of the car. I didn't realize back then how much easier it was to wear baby in a sling. I didn't get a decent baby carrier until dd was 5 months old just because I didn't know all of my options. I foudn that putting the bucket in the main part of the cart (not the top) took up too much space and I could not fit any groceries. Next time I plan on either keeping the bucket in the car or just buying a convertible from the start.