Did I get the wrong car seat?

NicsW11

Hi There, 

Any car seat experts out there? I'm just trying to figure out if I have the right seats! My 20-month-old is currently in her infant car seat - Chicco Bravo. She's tiny for her age - only 20lbs and below the chart on height. 

When I registered I also received the Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 car seat. I assumed it was rear facing, but now I'm realizing it isn't. 

So here's my question, do I need to get another car seat? Something to transition between the two I already have? Or will I be able to keep using my infant seat until my daughter is ready to face forward? 

Thank you!
-Nicole 

meggyme

Oops, thought I was on a different board. Read your car seat manual, it will tell you the heights/weights you car seat is safe for.

Technically your baby could stay in an infant carrier until they go forward facing if they don’t exceed the height restrictions.

Personally, both my babies were in convertibles by the time they were 9months. I make big babies, but even when they were well within weight limits squeezing their butts into those tiny little bucket seats (and more importantly trying to get them back out) seemed uncomfortable to me. And it’s not like you’ll be lifting it very easily with a 20lb kid in it. Convertible seats are way easier to get in and out of.

NicsW11

So the weight/height technically overlap, so I could just transition from one to the next, but the annoying part it the Graco seat is only forward facing. I know you're technically allowed to place a child forward facing at 2, but will that be too early for my tiny bean? 

I thought I did my car seat research before my LO was born, but apparently I didn't do enough. 

coldlife

That's really a decision only you can make. Most people I know forward face by 2 if not before. It is not unsafe. 

meggyme

Some states have laws against forward facing before 2.

renatalan

Hi! Read the instructions, usually the chair can be used in different ways. We only changed the seat when our son was 4 years old, before that the old seat was adjustable.