When do they switch to a forward facing carseat? - Page 2

[kdtmom2be]

Originally Posted by eclipse

It would be really rare for a baby to outgrow a convertable seat before they turned one - really rare. My daughter was ginormous and she didn't out grow her seat until she was 18 months old - she was 30 lbs and I don't know how tall, but she still fit for height even being really tall and long torsoed. Her seat only rear faced to 30 lbs, so we turned her then. The legs are not part of the equation when it comes to outgrowing a rearfacing seat. The baby/toddler will just prop their feet up, put them off to the side, or cross their legs.

Thank you, that's the info I was looking for.

[Twinklefae]

Originally Posted by eclipse

It would be really rare for a baby to outgrow a convertable seat before they turned one - really rare. My daughter was ginormous and she didn't out grow her seat until she was 18 months old - she was 30 lbs and I don't know how tall, but she still fit for height even being really tall and long torsoed. Her seat only rear faced to 30 lbs, so we turned her then. The legs are not part of the equation when it comes to outgrowing a rearfacing seat. The baby/toddler will just prop their feet up, put them off to the side, or cross their legs.

But what do you do when it does? I have a friend with a 30lb 7month old. (He's tall too) Suggestions?

[eclipse]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

But what do you do when it does? I have a friend with a 30lb 7month old. (He's tall too) Suggestions?

Well, the height would probably not be a problem because there are seats that rearface that have high shells. The weight is another issue, though. I've heard Britax is about to come out with a seat that rear faces until 35 lbs, but I don't know much about it. That's something that you should probably ask about on the Family safety board - we have a lot of car seat techs that hang out there.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

But what do you do when it does? I have a friend with a 30lb 7month old. (He's tall too) Suggestions?

The scenera is a cheap seat that RF to 35lbs.

The radian rf to 35.

Then new recaro seats rf to 35.

-Angela

[annettemarie]

Moving to family safety

[Zwillingsmama]

I can tell you what the recommendations in Germany are.

If the legs start sticking out is not a problem. But make sure the head still has full support. If the head starts sticking out at the top we are no longer allowed to use our infant carrier car seats and have to get the next bigger size (the forward facing one).

My twins outgrew theirs when they where 10 months old. They are very tall and didn't have the full head support any more.

This is coming from a country with VERY strict safety regulations by the way.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by eclipse

The weight is another issue, though. I've heard Britax is about to come out with a seat that rear faces until 35 lbs, but I don't know much about it.

The Britax Diplomat (fancy version of Roundabout) and Advocate (should be out next month, fancy version of Boulevard) both RF to 35 pounds . They are pretty spendy, though. Thirty pounds at 7 months is alot, but honestly I highly doubt the child will gain that last 5 pounds before 12 months. Children generally slow down their weight gain when they start crawling & walking, and I have heard of many children who were 30 pounds before a year, and at 3 or 4 are still under 35 pounds. Hopefully he will be one of those kids!

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by Zwillingsmama

I can tell you what the recommendations in Germany are.

If the legs start sticking out is not a problem. But make sure the head still has full support. If the head starts sticking out at the top we are no longer allowed to use our infant carrier car seats and have to get the next bigger size (the forward facing one).

My twins outgrew theirs when they where 10 months old. They are very tall and didn't have the full head support any more.

This is coming from a country with VERY strict safety regulations by the way.

Are there no convertible seats in Germany?

[bechand0128]

In Sweden, children rear-face to 4/5 and 50 lbs.

In the US, children have to (by law, in most cases) rear-face until they are 1 yo and 20 lbs, and for optimal safety, SHOULD, per the AAP, Safe Kids, NHTSA and just about every other major organization who researches the issue of carseat safety, rear-face to the limits of their convertible seat, generally between 33-35 lbs.

[bechand0128]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Are there no convertible seats in Germany?

In Europe, there are very few convertible seats, but as far as I've seen, they do exist, just not to the level that they do here.

[hottmama]

My toddler is a big guy-- he will be 2 in December, is 34-35" (with a 13" torso), 30 lbs. and rear-facing in a Cosco Scenera. He will be too tall for the Scenera when his torso grows another 3/4" so we will buy another convertible that will allow him to continue RFing until at least 33 lbs. before FFing. If we buy a carseat with a 35 lb. RFing limit he'll make it to at least 2.5 rearfacing, 3 if we're lucky.
I would not consider turning a child forward-facing before 2 unless they weighed over 35 lbs. which is pretty rare.

[MissE]

My husband has a coworker whos daughter is two weeks younger than DS (so she is 7 mo) and they already have her forwardfacing...because she likes to feel the wind of the AC... :. That is sooo sad, what will those people tell their insurance in case of an accident? I don't think they let "She liked the wind of the AC" count. Also, I've heard of parents facing the seats forward because that way it is easier to give cookies to their babes...

DS is 8mo and about 25lbs, he's got long way until we will face his seat forward and he doesn't mind looking out the back window.

[LizaBear]

DS is almost 11 months, 27lbs and about 32" long. He'll be rear-facing as long as we possibly can keep him that way.

Right now, he's in a Graco SafeSeat1 which is good until 30lbs, and his head is still more than an inch below the shell.

After that, I'll have to put him in our Regal Ride, as it goes to 35 lbs.

Beyond that, I'm not sure.

[s_kristina]

Originally Posted by hottmama

My toddler is a big guy-- he will be 2 in December, is 34-35" (with a 13" torso), 30 lbs. and rear-facing in a Cosco Scenera. He will be too tall for the Scenera when his torso grows another 3/4" so we will buy another convertible that will allow him to continue RFing until at least 33 lbs. before FFing. If we buy a carseat with a 35 lb. RFing limit he'll make it to at least 2.5 rearfacing, 3 if we're lucky.
I would not consider turning a child forward-facing before 2 unless they weighed over 35 lbs. which is pretty rare.

Rare and upsetting if you realize how much safer they are rf. Not unheard of here though. My ds was hanging out at 33-35 lbs at 22 months and his shoulders ended up over the top of the Scenera harness rf at the same time. Looking at it we probably only have a couple more months before he will be too big for it ff, but he is probably closing in on 40 lbs and will be 2 years old in a couple weeks. He is a very big almost 2 year old.

[Twinklefae]

Thanks for all the responses! And while it's great that there are carseats that go to 35lbs, that's not going to help much in the long term. (He's put on 2lbs in the past month, and wears 24m clothes. 2T fits too.) I suppose my question is, once he's over the weight limit, is it safer for him to be FF or RF?

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

Thanks for all the responses! And while it's great that there are carseats that go to 35lbs, that's not going to help much in the long term. (He's put on 2lbs in the past month, and wears 24m clothes. 2T fits too.) I suppose my question is, once he's over the weight limit, is it safer for him to be FF or RF?

I would bet he stays 35 or under by a year. I'd bet big money.



But it's always safer to follow the guidelines of the seat.

-Angela

[lifescholar]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

Rare and upsetting if you realize how much safer they are rf. Not unheard of here though. My ds was hanging out at 33-35 lbs at 22 months and his shoulders ended up over the top of the Scenera harness rf at the same time. Looking at it we probably only have a couple more months before he will be too big for it ff, but he is probably closing in on 40 lbs and will be 2 years old in a couple weeks. He is a very big almost 2 year old.

Yeah, my son was 35 lbs. at about 20 or 21 months....he's 27 months now, and is just about to hit 40 lbs!!! He's very TALL, too....last time I measured him he was just under 39"...I had to replace his AO and AOE with 2 Evenflo Chase combo seats...just praying he slows down a bit so he makes it to almost 4 before he has to go into a booster!

[Valian]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

Thanks for all the responses! And while it's great that there are carseats that go to 35lbs, that's not going to help much in the long term. (He's put on 2lbs in the past month, and wears 24m clothes. 2T fits too.) I suppose my question is, once he's over the weight limit, is it safer for him to be FF or RF?

So he's now 32lbs or he's still 30lbs at 7mo?

The safest thing to do is leave him rearfacing until he hits the limits of whatever convertible seat your friend can move him to. The worst possible choice for you would be somthing like the ComfortSport. A number of really good choices for your situation include seats already mentioned such as the Scenera, Evenflo Triumph Advance, Radian, or a Britax model (not the Roundabout for you). You are correct that your baby might outgrow rearfacing before the *optimal* ages of between 2 and 3 years old, BUT you can still do a whole lot better than turning him around at 1yo.

ETA: Sorry, I had the numbers wrong for the kiddo in question. The short answer for your friend would be that there isn't a great safe option for her kiddo after he outgrows all the seats in question. How was he too tall for the seat?

My Ds was 21lbs at 11mo and is 23lbs at 18mo. He's wearing the same 24mo and 2T clothes this winter that he wore last year too. I'm not kidding.

[Valian]

Originally Posted by lifescholar

Yeah, my son was 35 lbs. at about 20 or 21 months....he's 27 months now, and is just about to hit 40 lbs!!! He's very TALL, too....last time I measured him he was just under 39"...I had to replace his AO and AOE with 2 Evenflo Chase combo seats...just praying he slows down a bit so he makes it to almost 4 before he has to go into a booster!

Your son might do well in a Safty 1st Biltmore or the Apex (same seat, different names), if you're looking for a budget way to harness up to 65lbs and avoid a booster. You just need headrests of high seat backs in your car. This seat has been on sale for $89-99 at Albeebaby.com

[thepeach80]

There have been several children here at MDC who have been too big to rf by 1 or right at 12 mos. If my child were 1 and that big, I supposed I'd ff them in the best seat I could find and make sure their tether was nice and tight! If they were younger than 1, I don't know. Officially I have to say they should be ffing, but unofficially I'm very torn. We know the straps will hold past the 35# limit (to 40# at least in most seats) so the real problem is the overrotation. I guess I'd put them in a seat that has a rfing tether and brace the seat till at least 12 mos.