When did your babe outgrow infant carseat

[BellaMay]

I'm starting to make my To-Buy list (please, someone, help me....) and am wondering about the usefulness of babe's infant carseat.

I'll most likely buy one, but am wanting to weigh the length of time used against the price.

Thanks in advance for your help

[vein]

We bought a Portabout 5 Travel system a month before Gavin was born with plans to purchase a Britax Marathon (now debating about the Wizard when it finally comes out) when he outgrew the infant seat.

I've got to say, the car seat alone was well worth the purchase. Depending on your climate (and when the baby is born), it's REALLY helpful - on days here when it was -5 in the morning, I could get Gavin in the warm seat, put a blanket over his head for running out to the car, and I didn't have to worry about a weeks old baby being too cold in a freezing car seat.

He's 5 months on the 2nd and is almost too large length wise (about 1.5 inches from the top, and I know 1 inch from the top is the largest he can safetly be) however, even when we get the new carseat we plan on using the infant seat inside - like when I'm taking a shower and my SO isn't home (I put him in it and then take him into the bathroom with me) or I'm trying to do dishes and he wants to see me and isn't happy on his playmat where he can only partially see me.

I've also heard that smaller babies (and even not so small babies) can't fit well in a convertable car seat - apparently on most the straps just can't get tight enough, so in a crash there would be a chance the baby could fly out of the carseat just like it wasn't buckled in at all. That, IMO, would be enough to go without something else in order to afford an infant seat until big enough for a convertable.

[grian]

My dd just ougrew her infant car seat at 5 months. We did a not so accurate length measurement which told us she was right at the height limit so she might actually have been ok for a bit longer. I really love having an infant seat and think it is well worth the money. Sometimes you just want to let a sleeping baby sleep and having the infant seat means you can move them around much more easily. They are also great in the winter or in the rain when you want to keep the baby warm or dry as you go to and from the car. The other thing to consider is that although there are some good convertable seats you can use from birth they are big and sometimes a bit too upright for a tiny newborn. They must be safe as they have passed all of the "tests" but the babies look sort of out of place in them for a bit. Evan now my dd's head flops more than I'd like and she is 5 months. All of the extra head support "thingys" that are out there are, from what I've read, dangerous to use for any size baby as they keep the seat straps from being snug enough. HTH

[Clarity]

with a smaller than average babe, a convertible just did not fit. I agree with Grian. Most babes seem to outgrow at 3-4 months...maybe an item to borrow from a friend who had a baby recently?

[mags&jordy]

It's true that my dd belongs to the small babes...she'll be 8 months next week and juuust about to be out of the infant seat. But again, she's little.
I myself always thought that infant seat was more than great.
If I had to run errands and baby went to sleep, I could take her in and out without waking her up. It was easier to pick myself up, considering all the things you carry with you - purse, diaper bag, blanket, BABY - so the infant seat served perfectly and a stapped baby was safe.
A friend of dh is buying the Marathon for us next week, so the little seat will retire to the basement.

[eclipse]

liam was barely 4 months when he outgrew it lengthwise (could have waited a few months on the weight). it was useful to an extent, but he was never a good sleeper in it, so he would wake up as soon as we took him out of the car and want to be held. it was nice when we were in a hurry to be able to strap him in and run for the car, or if it was raining. it was also good for sitting inside if i had to set him down or take a shower. now that i'm going to have #2, i think the sling will be easier, because i can't imagine trying to lug the carseat AND round up a toddler - even though i'll still be moving the carseat, its a lot lighter wihtouth the baby in it.

[kofduke]

Aaron hit 26" at 12 weeks so we had to move up to the convertable seat then. I had stopped carrying it about 2 weeks earlier, as I couldn't really lift it with baby in any more. I agree with everyone else, however, that the convenience of the infant seat makes it a worthwhile purchase - I wish he had been in it longer!

Kristin
Mama to Aaron, 1/26/03

[mcsgo]

DD was 6 lbs when we took her home from the hospital and she looked sooo tiny in the infant car seat, I couldn't imagine putting her in a convertible seat. Around 6 months her head started sticking out beyond the top of the car seat (she was still about 1/2" under height limit but we cloth-diaper, which adds more bulk).

We would strap her in the infant seat in the house and then cover with a light or heavy blanket to protect her from either the sun or cold/wind. Also, our infant seat had a very adjustable canopy which really helped block the sun (a feature that we sorely miss on our convertible seat).

[NWmama]

We really loved the infant car seat. Even when we headed out for a walk we could get her all ready inside then just pop it into the stroller.

We don't do much driving (maybe one or two outings a week), but I do miss the days when I could just strap her in once then carry her around in the infant seat instead of having to put her in and out of the car seat. The infant seat fits really well in shopping carts for trips to the store. It was really great for travel too--the convertible is *a lot* bulkier!!

Honestly it was one of my favorite things. Ah, I miss those days!

edited to add: dd grew out of the infant seat around 5 months. When we moved her to the convertible she looked really small in it--I'd hesitate to put a newborn in it. The infant seat seems to offer better protection for newborns.

[Evergreen]

I recomend an infant carseat. We, however, bought one for each car which was a big waste of $$$ because they are so portable. Dyl just out grew it (Graco SNugride) at 4 mos. So, we had to go out and buy 2 convertables, because those are not as portable.

[huskrkid]

My dd was in her infant carseat until almost a year. My ds, however, grew out of it at around 3 months. (hit both the length & weight limits!)

IMO they are a great thing to have. It's so easy to pop them in & out of the car, stroller, shopping carts. It's convenient. I didn't have a good sling with dd so it was a blessing. Thankfully I did with ds because there was no other way to get through the store!!

[Brooklynn'sMommy]

We just had to buy Dd a new carseat this week. We bought the Evenflo Triumph since it had a really good CR rating (and we could afford it). I really like it and Dd seems to like it too!
I took her to her 4 month check up and she was 27" I was sooo surprised! I thought she would be in her infant seat for a year. :LOL
I think that if I were you I would get an infant one b/c they are so portable and you don't have to wake a sleeping baby. Plus, you can keep it inside so that it won't get cold sitting in the car (not really a problem until winter anyway).

[annakiss]

DS is a small babe, but I got a convertable when he was 6 mo because he was just about at the 26" height limit. I see babes all over town WAY too big for their infant seats. I don't know how to say anything about it. I still use the infant seat to sit him in when we take baths together (for getting out) and because I exclusively pump, when we get up in the morning I feed him in it while I pump. We also set him in it for naps sometimes. So it's still getting used on my living room floor.

I would suggest borrowing one though rather than buying. Someone bought me mine as a gift and they are useful, but not absolutely neccessary.

[michelle1k]

uhm, remind me again...

...what are the height and weight restrictions on a convertable baby carseat?

Michelle in NY

[vein]

It depends on the car seat itself as to the weight/height restrictions. Ours is 22lb and (I believe) 27in height.

That being said, I know they say no matter what the babies height is, if there is less than 1 inch between his head and the top of the seat, it's too small.

[mama_kass]

What I loved about the infant carseat is that you do not have to disturb the baby upon destination. You can leave them in the seat until they wake on there own. In a convertable carseat you have to take them out of the seat.

We used an infant carseat, convertable, and booster. Our oldest is 7 and loves his seat! He can see more, is more comfortable, and says he feels safe.

[Piglet68]

I voted 7 months. We had a Peg Perego infant car seat. It was handy for the occaisonal time when I was running errands and didnt' want to wake her, and when the weather was too hot or cold. DD wasn't that small or light, so I'm surprised at how many voted earlier ages.

We now have a Cosco Alpha Omega and I hate it!!! The stupid thing tips over sideways all the time b/c of poor design, when DD falls asleep she's always folded over in half, the straps twist so easily...nobody buy this peice of !!!

But I'm too cheap to get another one. Sorry, I just *really* had to vent about that.

[kofduke]

Re: uhm, remind me again...

Originally posted by michelle1k
...what are the height and weight restrictions on a convertable baby carseat?

Michelle in NY

Our infant seat restrictions were 26" or 20 lbs.

Our convertable seat is 30 lbs. rear-facing, 40 lbs. front facing (the Evenflow Triumph)

Kristin

[mama_kass]

Originally posted by Piglet68


We now have a Cosco Alpha Omega and I hate it!!! The stupid thing tips over sideways all the time b/c of poor design, when DD falls asleep she's always folded over in half, the straps twist so easily...nobody buy this peice of !!!

You can get it checked at the fire department for free to make sure it is adjusted correctly. Most carseats are not put in correctly. (They are pretty hard to get just right.) If that's not the problem call or write the company. Tell them you had it checked out to see if it was correctly adjusted and that you are displeased and would like some compensation. You may be very sirprized by what they do for you.

[aMie]

We switched ds into a Britax Roundabout at about 4months. He was still within the weight & height requirements for the carrier but it got to be such a hassle carring him in that carrier. He didn't like being so constrained. Also it is much harder to unbuckle them out the of the carriers than the regular carseats. We were all much happier when we made the switch.
HOWEVER, for those first couple months, it was invaluable. I would have hated waking him up all those times that he crashed in his carseat as a newborn! So much easier to just leave them in there when they are so young. I say you should slurge for that expense.