Convertible Carseat instead of Infant Seat?

[want2becrunchy]

Did anyone just use a convertible car seat instead of the infant seat?  Are there any issues when leaving the hospital without an infant seat?  I would like to baby carry when we are out and about as well as around the house.  I don't care if I have to take the baby out if s/he is sleeping.  That doesn't bother me.

I just want to make sure a convertible car seat is as safe as an infant seat for a new baby.  Also, any suggestions as far as which seat is the safest/best? 

Thanks!

[chickabiddy]

A convertible is just as safe as an infant seat if it fits the baby well.  Not all convertibles fit newborns, despite having a 5# minimum weight limit.  When rear-facing, as a newborn must be (for several years!), you need to make sure that the straps are BELOW the child's shoulders.  Convertibles that generally fit newborns include the Graco MyRide, Combi Coccoro, Cosco Apt, and Evenflo SureRide.

[skycheattraffic]

I would check with the hospital you will deliver at. Mine didnt let parents take babies off the maternity ward outside an infant seat. Before we got our discharge papers, a nurse came by to check our seat. She checked the sticker for expiry date and to make sure it was an official Canadian seat. The also checked the fit and the harness on baby and to make sure there were no bulky layers between baby and the harness. I doubt the nurses would have time to put on a coat (DD was born in March), come to the parking lot and check a convertible seat. We asked what would happen if we didn't drive and lived a block away. The nurse said we would still need a carseat to be discharged. I'm not sure how other hospitals handle it but that's my experience. Would it be possible to borrow an infant seat for the day from family or a close friend? That way you can check your convertible to make sure baby fits but at least have a backup in case you need it.

[fruitfulmomma]

I asked ahead of time and again while there and the staff was fine with coming to car to check it. My husband ended up bringing it up and carrying her out in it but the staff walked us out anyway and waited with with me while he brought the van up. Actually pretty standard practice around here to be escorted to your car.

[LeighPF]

We did a convertible from birth for Bee (the Combi Coccoro) and it fit her 8 lb well and was easy for us. If we really did not want to wake her sometimes we took the whole thing out since it was so light.

[Red Pajama]

I used a convertible at the start, and didn't have any trouble with the nurses checking. They just checked the seat in the car prior to discharge.

[BeagleMommy]

We did a convertible from the start with DS. The First Years True Fit. I liked that seat except it's a bit wide to fit in my car with DD's seat. Good fit for a 9 pound newborn.

There aren't any car seat checks with a homebirth, so I can't help with that part.

[Flopsy]

We've had an Evenflo Momentum since DS was born and love it. It's rated from 5-65lbs, so he could be in it from the start and it'll last us a while. It's a big, sturdy seat, but well-padded and DS seems pretty comfortable in it - he falls asleep every time we go for a car ride! It also has the LATCH system which makes it really easy to install if you have the hooks in your car.

[ananas]

Originally Posted by skycheattraffic 

 I doubt the nurses would have time to put on a coat (DD was born in March), come to the parking lot and check a convertible seat. 

That's exactly what the nurse did where we delivered. 

We've had DD in a Graco MyRide 65 since birth. She was born 7 lbs 3 oz, was 6 lbs 11 oz when we left the hospital. It's worked out great. She's not a huge fan of the in/out process but she probably wouldn't be in an infant seat, either, and she's getting used to it.

[Adaline'sMama]

We aren't using infant seats, and we've been told that if the babes are early or have any breathing problems then we will have to bring the seats inside to do a breathing test in the carseats. Otherwise, DH can pull the van up to the front of the hospital and the nurse that discharges us will walk us to the car. The babes can be transported in a stroller off the hospital floor, but they can't be held in arms on the way down unless I ride in a wheelchair.

Here is a really good chart for figuring out which carseats have harness straps that are appropriate for infants:

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdFZ0c0pkbkRlV1hfeklSWmpZY0kweEE&hl=en#gid=0

Personally, I have small babies and I assume that the twins will be even smaller than my other two, so I wouldnt go with straps higher than 7'' (that's lower than most bucket seats). 

[chickabiddy]

The hospital cannot refuse to let you leave with your baby.  Many convertible seats are safe and appropriate choices for most newborns.