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Car seat and beanstalk baby - Page 2

post #21 of 132
7/6/10 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
I took her with me. The guy there set it all up with her in it. These are salespeople, what do they know? I don't think they will replace the car seat, it has been with me a month. I will contact the company, yet again, maybe they have a clip they can add to the straps.

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post #22 of 132
7/6/10 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sondacop View Post
I took her with me. The guy there set it all up with her in it. These are salespeople, what do they know? I don't think they will replace the car seat, it has been with me a month. I will contact the company, yet again, maybe they have a clip they can add to the straps.
You have been given a lot of great advice on this thread. Do they have car seat techs in Israel? I don't know if the store will take the seat back or not but even if they don't, if you can't get the straps adjusted properly on your child because of incompatibility you will have to buy another car seat that fits her better.
post #23 of 132
7/6/10 at 8:25pm
There is no clip that can be safely added to that seat. Did the seat fit her when you bought it? It is not the store's responsibility to replace the seat if you have owned it for a month and just realized that it didn't fit properly.
post #24 of 132
7/6/10 at 8:44pm
I am a Canadian Tech:

Without getting into the rear facing or forward facing issues, here is something you can do to make the straps fit a little closer to her body: Try taking the thick pads off the shoulder straps. It might help.
post #25 of 132
7/6/10 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
I did receive a lot of good advise on this thread, I thank all of you!
I am going to rear face her tomorrow.

I don't know if they have techs here, it is the first time I have heard of it, so probably not.

The guy who installed it insisted that she fits properly. What would you expect him to say? Only after using it for a while did I begin to see the problem.
post #26 of 132
7/6/10 at 8:49pm
On many European seats, the shoulder pads are not optional as they have a grippy backing. Please check the manual to see if they are indeed removable.
post #27 of 132
7/6/10 at 9:15pm
Thread Starter 
They are removable, they just slide up and down anyway, and get in my way when buckling her. I can remove them.
post #28 of 132
7/6/10 at 10:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sondacop View Post
They are removable, they just slide up and down anyway, and get in my way when buckling her. I can remove them.
Just because they are able to be removed doesn't mean that they are optional. Usually they are required on seats without chest clips. Please check your manual or call the company before you remove them.
post #29 of 132
7/7/10 at 8:32pm
Thread Starter 
The manual is not clear about removing the padding. I took the whole thing apart today. The straps were not positioned right, one would tighten and the other would stay lose. After rethreading it now works fine. She is now rear facing, in a more laying position with the straps coming from below her shoulders and wrapping. They still don't touch her body from the shoulders to the clip. The straps coming from the sides to the clip hug her thighs not her waist.
I finally got a response from the manufacturer:
"This is a European car seat. We cannot send parts for this seat. I would recommend checking in a Toys R Us or Babies R Us if you have one of these retailers in your area."

This is absolutely outrageous! The manufacturer sends me to Toys R Us for safety advice?!?!? What do they mean by it being a European car seat, if their brand name is on it, it is their seat! Who made the seat I bought, who is responsable?
post #30 of 132
7/7/10 at 8:55pm
Sounds like you've got it working better. Make sure she's not more than 30-45° reclined, as being too reclined will be dangerous for her. More upright is fine because she's older and can sit well on her own. It's okay that the straps don't touch her tummy. They need to touch on the areas of strength - her shoulders and her hips/thighs. Sounds like a much better situation now!
post #31 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:03pm
It is correct for the hip straps to lie on the hips/thighs and not at the waist.

If the straps do not touch her body, they are too loose and need to be tightened.

The carseat manufacturer may indeed not be responsible if you bought a European car seat and you do not live in Europe. They support their seats in the countries that they are designed for. What exactly do you need from them?
post #32 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickabiddy View Post
It is correct for the hip straps to lie on the hips/thighs and not at the waist.

If the straps do not touch her body, they are too loose and need to be tightened.

The carseat manufacturer may indeed not be responsible if you bought a European car seat and you do not live in Europe. They support their seats in the countries that they are designed for. What exactly do you need from them?
I think that if she is very thin, that the straps may be correct IF they are in a tight, taught, straight line from her shoulders to her hips. If they are sagging or falling off her shoulders or otherwise loose, then I'd be concerned. But if they are taught and straight, I believe they are fine, just not touching a tummy that is thin. Would you agree with that assessment?
post #33 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:30pm
Honestly, that's something I'd need to see a picture of to be sure. I don't recall ever seeing a child with straps that didn't touch the chest or stomach and thinking that it was fine. Some harnesses are looser in the chest and some in the stomach, but they usually touch somewhere along the torso. I tend to believe that the straps need tightening and/or the seat just isn't suited for the child, but I'm open to being convinced (photographically or otherwise) that I'm wrong.
post #34 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:31pm
I found this blog that has many pictures of children in European seats just to show how they should look on the body!
http://kidsincars.blogspot.com/2007/...ll-enough.html

The gallery...
http://forum.nybaktmamma.com/showthread.php?t=524428%27

I'm glad it seems to be working now
post #35 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickabiddy View Post
Honestly, that's something I'd need to see a picture of to be sure. I don't recall ever seeing a child with straps that didn't touch the chest or stomach and thinking that it was fine. Some harnesses are looser in the chest and some in the stomach, but they usually touch somewhere along the torso. I tend to believe that the straps need tightening and/or the seat just isn't suited for the child, but I'm open to being convinced (photographically or otherwise) that I'm wrong.
This might be where the "pinch" test comes in. If it's slack, it's a problem. If it's a matter of it touching some parts of the body but not the belly (as is seen in some of the pics Eden posted), but is taut (eek! forgive my spelling errors earlier!) and in good contact with the shoulders and pelvis, then it's likely right.

Eden, thanks for posting the pics, for all of us! Hopefully they'll help the OP ensure her DD is in correctly. It's startling as an American to see the lack of harness clip (and one pic with a harness clip used wrong, actually), but clearly they have them tested that way and they work well.
post #36 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:47pm
(Well, I actually think a lot of those harnesses need tightening too, to be honest!)

I agree about the pinch test. If you cannot pinch any strap horizontally, then the straps are fine. If you can pinch a fold of strap, then they need to be tighter. If they can't be tightened further, then your child is too small for the seat.
post #37 of 132
7/7/10 at 9:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickabiddy View Post
(Well, I actually think a lot of those harnesses need tightening too, to be honest!)

I agree about the pinch test. If you cannot pinch any strap horizontally, then the straps are fine. If you can pinch a fold of strap, then they need to be tighter. If they can't be tightened further, then your child is too small for the seat.
Yep, totally agree.

FWIW, I'm a former CPST, but I haven't practiced in a few years.
post #38 of 132
7/8/10 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
Is there anyway to post a picture so you can see? I can get a fist between her and the straps, tightening them only pulls her shoulder uncomfortably downward. The straps are taut in the pinch test. I am worried that she could get out of them.

I want the manufacturer's advice on adding a chest clip and proper positioning. They linked me to the Israeli branch, which I e-mailed.

I really appreciate the advice I got here, it was eyeopening. I am sure she is much safer now. I now know that the guy at the store didn't install the chair properly. I have now been trying to get across to all of my friends that putting a baby in a car is much more than "sit and click".
post #39 of 132
7/8/10 at 9:54pm
You cannot add a chest clip.
post #40 of 132
7/8/10 at 10:22pm
Right, you can't add one, and don't worry about it, since they really don't do much
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