Car seat and beanstalk baby

[sondacop]

I am very worried!
I recently transfered my 18 month old from an infant rear facing car seat to a front facing car seat for babies a year and above. I recently had her weighed - she weighs 8 kg. Her hight is 78 cm, she is long and skinny. The car seat instructions say not to put it forward facing till the baby is 9 kg. She is too tall to be rear facing! The shoulder straps are tight on her shoulders, but don't touch her body from the shoulders down to the waist. Sometimes I see that a strap is close to the elbow, and not around her shoulder. Once I saw that she had gotten out of one shoulder strap entirely. I am very concerned! I sent an e-mail to the company - Safety 1st, but have not received a reply yet. I tried re-adjusting the padding, but I really don't know what to do.

[chely7425]

I would get a new seat. My son is 31 inches and 24 pounds (not sure what the is in cms/kgs) but he is still RF just fine. My older son could actually still be RF but we just turned him around.

[MariesMama]

Which seat are you using?

[HeatherB]

Where are you located? UK? CA? AU?

Your baby absolutely needs to be rearfacing at under 20lbs (9kg is 19.8lbs). If she is not fitting well in the infant seat, then you need another rearfacing seat. In the US, they're commonly called convertible seats, and will hold a child to about 30-40lbs rearfacing. They'll also have a much taller shell to accommodate the taller child.

Be sure, in any seat, that the straps are snug on the child. Rearfacing, they should come up from slots that are below her shoulders, then wrap over her shoulders. If you are in a country where a chest clip is used (some European nations don't use them), it should be at her armpit level. That will definitely help prevent her from moving straps, but a snug strap shouldn't move much, anyway.

When looking at a new seat, make sure you get one with a front-adjuster for the strap length and tightening. That way, you can adjust it every time you put her in, and ensure she's safe and secure on every ride.

[Mrs-Mama]

Have you tried installing it rear-facing? At that height, she should not be too tall for rear-facing. My DD is taller than that and still RFing...she just folds her legs or flops them over the side to be comfortable. If you turn it back around, remember to re-adjust the straps so that they are at or below shoulder height.

[chickabiddy]

If the OP is not in the US, she may be using a carseat with significantly less rearfacing capacity than we are used to in the US. Some UK and AU carseats truly do not accommodate tall rearfacing babies.

OP, what country are you in, and exactly what seat are you using?

[sondacop]

Okay I converted the numbers 17 and a half pounds and 34 inches.

She is much too tall to be rear facing and she is 18 mo.
I have a Babygold by Safety 1st, it is a convertible and can be placed rf, and it has a front adjuster.

The instructions in the booklet say the straps should be above the shoulders not from below wrapping up-wards, but I will try that. Is your advise about the straps for rf only?

It does not come with a chest clip. Can I buy one separately? What would a chest clip do to the baby's chest in a crash?

What do you think of getting extra padding?

I can't afford to buy a new seat, I just bought 2 of these!

[sondacop]

I am from Israel, here is the link to the car seat:
http://www.motsesim.co.il/store/prod...99&lang=hebrew

[HeatherB]

Can you clarify where you are? Also, what are the stated weight limits on the seat for rearfacing?

For height rearfacing, your child's head needs to be at least 1" (2.4cm) below the top of the shell of the seat, and the the straps need to come from a slot at or below the child's shoulders. (This is NOT the case for forward facing, where they need to come at or above.) As long as she is within these guidelines, her total height is irrelevant. For instance, long legs can be comfortably curled up, but her head is the part that needs protection from the seat.

ETA: Thanks for the location and link! We cross-posted.

[HeatherB]

I don't read Hebrew, but it looks like maybe it says rearfacing up to 10kg? If so, that's 22lbs, which makes sense. Since she is only 8kg, you still have some good room for weight, at least, to keep her rearfacing.

As for the chest clip, if it doesn't come with it, you can't use it. In the US, they are nearly always used to keep the straps in proper position. In other countries, they have other methods of keeping them in proper position.

DO NOT add extra padding. You need to snug the straps, not add padding that will compress in a crash and leave her with loose straps and no protection.

[sondacop]

I think she is within the limit, but she was not comfortable rear facing in the infant car seat, and this one cannot be placed in the front.
I also don't understand the difference: the problem is the straps don't hold her, not witch way the seat is facing. I like the idea of a clip, could you suggest one?

[HeatherB]

This is a new seat, right? Not the infant one? She is too small to be forward facing, so if at all possible (and it sounds like it is), she needs to be rearfacing. It's the safest way for her to travel. In a bigger, cushier seat like the new one, she will have a very different ride and experience than in an infant seat. Many children who don't like their infant seats are MUCH happier in a rearfacing convertible seat.

Unfortunately, you can't add a chest clip if it's not permitted by the manufacturer. Basic rule is, if it doesn't come with the seat, don't use it. This goes for anything - padding, buckles, etc. Of course, if you contact them and they approve it, that's fine. But your seat should be quite functional without it.

If the straps are not snug on her, then they need to be tightened. That's essential, regardless of which way she is facing. Are the issues with straps coming off of her shoulders in the current seat, or in the old seat?

[sondacop]

My problem is with the straps of the new seat. I don't think the direction of the seat will solve this problem. I would rather have her facing forward, so that I can see her, she can see me and her surroundings. I need a solution with the straps. I just sent another e-mail to the company asking about a clip. You'd think they would promptly reply when a baby is in a dangerous situation in one of their seats!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Strap rear facing need to be at or below the shoulders. Straps for forward facing need to be at or above the shoulders. So depending on how you have your child front or rear, you will need to move the straps in the slots in the seat. You cannot use or buy a chest clip for the seat, if the straps aren't on your child, you need to adjust them to the proper height. In the USA, chest clips are not used for keeping the straps on the child either, they aren't made to take any sort of impact weight, they just position the straps in order to tighten them properly.

I also really encourage you to turn your baby rear facing...meet Joel, he might help you understand why it is so important...http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read...g_Joel_s_Story

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by BathrobeGoddess

Strap rear facing need to be at or below the shoulders. Straps for forward facing need to be at or above the shoulders. So depending on how you have your child front or rear, you will need to move the straps in the slots in the seat. You cannot use or buy a chest clip for the seat, if the straps aren't on your child, you need to adjust them to the proper height. In the USA, chest clips are not used for keeping the straps on the child either, they aren't made to take any sort of impact weight, they just position the straps in order to tighten them properly.

I also really encourage you to turn your baby rear facing...meet Joel, he might help you understand why it is so important...http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read...g_Joel_s_Story

Though I know in Europe some of the seats are above for rfing. So the OP should read her manual to make sure she is using the seat properly.

[BathrobeGoddess]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

Though I know in Europe some of the seats are above for rfing. So the OP should read her manual to make sure she is using the seat properly.

Very true but she did say in an earlier post that her child has not yet met the weight requirement to FF in this seat, was not yet 9kg, so if the child is truly too tall to RF in this seat, the OP will need to purchase a new seat that can accommodate her tall, skinny baby RF until her child has met the weight limit for forward facing.

[DahliaRW]

Oh, agreed the child should be rfing. Just saying when she does she should check her manual for correct harness height placement because it's not the same everywhere.

[BathrobeGoddess]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

Oh, agreed the child should be rfing. Just saying when she does she should check her manual for correct harness height placement because it's not the same everywhere.

Ah...I see! I misunderstood...I thought you meant the child's height not the strap height. That is crazy though...I would think physics of the child moving too far up in the seat work the same way in Europe as they do here in North America

[sondacop]

I have her FF because of hight and to be able to see her. The problem is not the hight of the straps, the problem is the width. She is narrow and thin. The straps come off because she has narrow shoulders, and because from the shoulders to the waist the straps do not touch her body. Neither FF nor RF would solve the problem. A clip armpit high would keep the straps on her. You say that I cannot purchase one separately?

[chickabiddy]

You cannot safely use an aftermarket chest clip on a seat that was not designed for one.

The child cannot use that seat forward-facing: she is too small. And she would be much safer rear-facing anyhow.

Are the straps as tight as they can be? If so, it seems as if the seat simply isn't a good fit for the child. Take her with you next time you go carseat shopping.