Do I really need to buy a brand new carseat? « Back to Group Discussions

[hotsauce]

My mom is a nurse and she teaches car seat safety classes.  She is adamant that I buy a new seat for the new baby, even though there's nothing wrong with the one I have from a few years back.  Moms of multiples, surely you reuse the seats?  I just can't see why she wants me to throw out a perfectly good car seat, but she insists that I need to get a brand new one.  

[Gr8fulMama]

Aren't there expiration dates on carseats?  I think the plastic can get brittle after time and more likely to break on impact.

Check the back of yours, it may have a "manufactured on" date, and then you should be able to look up if it's still good.

[broodymama]

Yes, check the expiration date on the carseat, I think it's on the side of a lot of them.  If it's not expired and hasn't been in any accidents then you should be fine to use it.  They usually expire in 5 or 6 years, depending on the brand.

[hotsauce]

It's a Snug Ride, and I'm not seeing anything clearly marked 'expiration date', but that's probably easy enough to look up, I suppose.  It hasn't been in any accidents and was only used for less than a year, but that was five years ago.  Man, I really don't want to have to buy a new one since this one fits in the stroller that came with it.  

[kawa kamuri]

Does it have a date of manufacture on it? I believe that model expires after six years. 

I just replaced all the kid's seats earlier this year due to them expiring. It seriously cost about $1000  so I'm happy to be able to use the Chicco Keyfit 30 that my son was in last year. 

[broodymama]

Oooh, if it was 5 years ago it might be expired.  Check out this link, it might help you find where either the expiration or manufacture date is:  http://blog.gracobaby.com/2010/02/11/car-seats-have-expiration-dates-too/

I handed down my Britax Marathons from #1 to #3 and then from #2 to #4, but they've both expired and been destroyed now.

[almadianna]

i second what is said above.
i reused carseats with my first two who were born 20 months apart. with this new one i am getting new carseats since they are now over 5 years old... SUCKS but necessary.

[GoBecGo]

It's age, not useage (unless it's been in a crash, then it's dud right away).  We're looking at buying a new bucket AND a new besafe (up to 18kg rearface) which is looking like about £500 for the two....  Pretty costly for a 3rd and final baby...

[almadianna]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo 

It's age, not useage (unless it's been in a crash, then it's dud right away).  We're looking at buying a new bucket AND a new besafe (up to 18kg rearface) which is looking like about £500 for the two....  Pretty costly for a 3rd and final baby...

same boat for me, even with the third and final baby... except I need a set in Houston and in Sweden. Not looking forward to it but oh well...

[broodymama]

Yup, I'll be needing to buy a new one here too.

[hotsauce]

Any ideas if a replacement Graco seat would fit inside the stroller if it's an older model?  I would really like to just replace the seat since the stroller is in perfectly good condition.  I primarily use a sling/ergo but sometimes if babe fell asleep in the car and it was so much easier to pop the seat in a stroller and roll that way without waking baby up.  We just found the expiration date... DP is cracking up right now.  Expiration date is December 2012!  Just my freaking luck... 

[2sweetgrrls]

Originally Posted by hotsauce 

Any ideas if a replacement Graco seat would fit inside the stroller if it's an older model?  I would really like to just replace the seat since the stroller is in perfectly good condition.  I primarily use a sling/ergo but sometimes if babe fell asleep in the car and it was so much easier to pop the seat in a stroller and roll that way without waking baby up.  We just found the expiration date... DP is cracking up right now.  Expiration date is December 2012!  Just my freaking luck... 

I'm cracking up, I'm not laughing at you, but that's what happened to us with my youngest! We were just going to use my oldest's convertible since it could be used rear-facing and went all the way down to 5 lbs, checked the expiration date...and it was 3/2010. She was due on March 5th. ;) I don't know about the stroller and the newer models fitting, but I hope they do for your sake! A new carseat is literally the only thing we'll need to buy (besides diapers) for this one if it's another girl, but I really wish we didn't have to.

[hotsauce]

I still have my sling and ergo, bike trailer and Wee-ride, stoller and umbrella stroller for when he/she is older but that's all I kept.  My MIL is buying us a co-sleeper and some diaper covers and I know my mom will be ALL over buying us baby stuff but I feel like I need SO MUCH CRAP!  High chair, clothes, cloth diapers, bouncy seat, nursing bras, etc.  Fortunately a friend of mine brought over a big bag of maxi maternity dresses and some maternity tops to last for awhile.  I really want to buy a lovely and expensive sheepskin and new diapers but dayum, everything is so expensive!  My mom is insisting on getting us the carseat new, so that's a relief.  I think I'll throw two baby showers for this one because we have tons of friends and family who want to pitch in and I'm really trying to save $$ now so DP won't be so stressed when we're down to just his income.  I keep reminding myself to just breathe and let the baby make room in my life for it's arrival, but it's so hard not to worry about money sometimes.  I forgot how much baby start-up costs!  I literally got stressed out just reading that Kawa spent a grand on car seat upgrades.  

[almadianna]

Originally Posted by hotsauce 

I still have my sling and ergo, bike trailer and Wee-ride, stoller and umbrella stroller for when he/she is older but that's all I kept.  My MIL is buying us a co-sleeper and some diaper covers and I know my mom will be ALL over buying us baby stuff but I feel like I need SO MUCH CRAP!  High chair, clothes, cloth diapers, bouncy seat, nursing bras, etc.  Fortunately a friend of mine brought over a big bag of maxi maternity dresses and some maternity tops to last for awhile.  I really want to buy a lovely and expensive sheepskin and new diapers but dayum, everything is so expensive!  My mom is insisting on getting us the carseat new, so that's a relief.  I think I'll throw two baby showers for this one because we have tons of friends and family who want to pitch in and I'm really trying to save $$ now so DP won't be so stressed when we're down to just his income.  I keep reminding myself to just breathe and let the baby make room in my life for it's arrival, but it's so hard not to worry about money sometimes.  I forgot how much baby start-up costs!  I literally got stressed out just reading that Kawa spent a grand on car seat upgrades.  

I got rid of everything too, because i just KNEW I wasnt having anymore... no diapers. no clothes.. no anything. Did I mention that we also need a new house and all new furniture because I gave my house to my exhusband so that the kids could be in a nice stable home?

Yeah, I am homeless.

[daniellenichole]

Look at this as an opportunity to get a nicer, easier to use, easier to install car seat. Most buckets fit really well in the Graco Strollers. Get a Snugride 35 if you can swing it, they are MUCH nicer than the old Snugride 22's, plus they fit newborns much better than the 22lb seats and they go up to 35lbs, so you could use the seat longer. :-)