welcome to car seat purgatory

[magpiedee]

Well, we tried to install our car seat today, the infant bucket that will go in my car. My mom and I had the car seat instructions, my car manual (2000 Honda Civic, year before they put in LATCH, thanks a lot...), etc. And after an hour, we finally think it's in, but it just doesn't seem tight. So we use a rolled up towel to level it out, and it wiggles. And then we flip back the handle of the bucket part, and it leans against my driver seat back. So now do we put it behind the passenger seat, where it will have more room?

We had planned on taking it to the fire or police station to have it installed, but upon calling, we were informed that not only does this "public service" not include installation-- just a "check"-- but only two people in the entire city are certified, and they can't see us until "maybe Monday". WTF?? Why do commercials and public service announcements and car seat manuals talk up the car seat installation by trained policemen and firemen if they don't actually do it?

We are intelligent, well-educated consumers, and installing this thing has turned into the family Rubik's Cube. How on earth do people do it? And in August, no less. Blech. Sorry to rant-- I'm just so irritated that something so very, very important to my baby's safety is so very, very difficult to accomplish.

Any advice for us first-timers battling our first carseats?

[ColoradoMama]

I wouldn't call the fire station first - I'd just go. Put it in best you can - go to the fire station (or police station) - ask them if someone can check it because you're really unsure that it's in there right, and you want your child to be safe. Most likely someone will come out - check it - and fix it. They want your little one to be safe as well. We had a car seat check at one of our World Walk for Breastfeeding events a few years ago. I though we had our carseats in good, but let me tell you - the police got those babies in their GOOD! Those suckers didn't budge when they were done.

[veganf]

My Honda Civic is a '97, so no Latch either. I put it in as tightly as possible, then there's this $0.99 item that looks like a big metal belt buckle that can make the seatbelt hold it tighter. Pretty much you or someone else can hold the carseat as tight as possible with their foot while at the same time securing the clip around the looser sections of the seatbelt to make itmore snug. Sounds crazy, but it works.
If/when you get a convertible carseat (we have a Britax Advantage, similar to the Britax Roundabout), they usually have a long seatbelt-type extra strap that you can secure to the passenger or driver's seat (when rear-facing) to make it super tight; you secure it around the base of the seat near the floor so it's essentially attached to the frame of the vehicle--very secure.

Best bet, go get it checked at the police/fire station though.

I always figure anything's an improvement over the seats we were all in as babies!

- krista

[Ary99]

It looks like you are in Atlanta so I pulled this up for you


http://extension.caes.uga.edu/gtipi/...heckevents.htm

It looks like it has some helpful information. And I agree with you, if people with resources and education are challenged, what about single teen parents? It shouldn't be so hard. One of our cars is pre-latch too and I'm dreading installing it (which reminds me, we should probably do that since I'm due Wednesday!)

[eleven]

I hadn't even thought about installing the infant car seat! With the heat the way it is, it may be sometime in September before I actually do it.

I found that trying to use a towel made it more difficult (and off kilter) than just going without. The bases of those infant seats do seem pretty wiggly anyway, since they're only secured at the back.

[mamamilkers]

I am sure it has something to do with the car seat/car combination, but that is one reason I LOVE my DD's Britax seats. They're really easy to install correctly, even without LATCH (my car is a 2000, as well).

It really does seem like it should be easier. Belive me, though, you will get the hang of it. I think when you look at them for the first time they can be pretty confusing.

Also, it sounded like you were trying to install the seat behind either of the seats in the front. I have found that a rear facing seat fits easiest in the middle, where it has the extra room. Just a thought.

Good Luck!

Oh, and here sometimes the Children's Hospital does car seat checks. I wonder if you have anything like that where you live?

[rebeccalizzie]

I just did mine the day before yesterday. I do have LATCH, but with or without it, my best advice is to kneel on the base and yank on the seatbelt. Hard. Then harder. Kneeling on the base shoves it down really firmly so it's easier to get the belt or latch super tight. I do have mine behind the drivers seat because in my car it fits much better there. The middle seat isn't quite a hump, but it's not as wide as the base so the base wobbles.

I agree, check with your local Children's hospital, if nothing else they probably have a list or something of car seat techs.

[HomeBirthMommy]

Jumping in from September (and so jealous of you ladies! ). Magpiedee, the VW dealership on Mansell will do installations, but you have to call and set an appointment. You don't have to have a VW.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by pease

The bases of those infant seats do seem pretty wiggly anyway, since they're only secured at the back.

That's what we thought too!

From one first-timer to another, I hear your angst magpiedee! We have the Graco Snugride & it fits really well in the niddle seat of my '96 Camry. But DH has an '06 Corolla & is 6'4"... the only place we can make it fit is behind the passenger seat & even then that has to be squished up pretty far Me thinks the Camry will be the baby-mobile.

[BCmamaof6]

I don't know if you've already tried this: but sit or kneel on the seat/base really hard while tightening the belt as much as possible & make sure you're using a locking clip.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by BCmamaof5

I don't know if you've already tried this: but sit or kneel on the seat/base really hard while tightening the belt as much as possible & make sure you're using a locking clip.

Yes, we did that. & that makes it VERY tight at the back where the infant base attaches. But since there's nothing "strapping it down" in the front, it's quite wiggly in the front. I guess it's meant to be like that? We're taking it to get checked next week too.

[*~Danielle~*]

You have to get in the back seat and shove your knee down in the middle of the seat and put all your weight on it while at the same time pulling the seatbelt tight. That is the only thing that will keep it from moving.

Jam your knee into that bad boy and put all your wieght on it.

[thepeach80]

www.seatcheck.org will give you a list of people who can check your seat. I WOULD NOT start w/ the FD and PD, most of them will check your seat, but have no idea what they're doing and are not certified.

Very seats I install require a locking clip. I'm trying to think, but I'm pretty sure Hondas have locking seatbelts. You should be able to to buckle the seat in (take out the towel and just use the recline function on your seat, what seat do you have btw), pull the top shoulder part of the seatbelt all the way out to lock it, kneel in the seat and tighten the heck out of it. Now this is IF you don't have a Chicco Keyfit and I'm thinking a Britax which has built in lockoffs. Your best bet though is to have it installed by a tech.

[NewAtThis]

Oh! And I thought we were the only ones trapped in carseat hell! We think we're close...according to all the manuals...but of course, it's Saturday, all the fire dept admin offices are closed, and I'm in early labor. This is great!:

At least we're having the baby at home, so we'll have a day or two more to check it out.

Does anyone know where to get one of those locking clips? Our carseat came to us second hand and we don't have one...

[JenMidwife]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. NewAtThis, there are lots of car seat accessories @ my Babies R Us & also the manufacturers websites have been a great resource for us.