Stop carrying them in their infant seats?

Jen0204

At what age did you stop carrying your babies in their infant seats?  It's getting to the point where they just feel so heavy when I'm trying to carry both of them down to my car in the mornings.  I wonder if it would be easier to just leave the seats in the bases in my car, but logistically would it work to carry both down and then try to put one in their seat while holding the other one?

mrsemily08

At 9 mo, we leave the seats in the car 90% of the time.

UsedToBeGoldie

i changed Gibby to a convertible seat at 4mo b/c he was 18lbs and too heavy to carry in the seat... but i kept Grayson in his seat (until 1y) b/c he was much smaller.

You do NOT want 2 out of the seats that young - esp if your car is not RIGHT near your front door. 

When I had both out of the seats I had a PNP right next to the front door that i used as a holding cell   I'd bring one out- buckle him in- then bring out the other.  My car was literally steps away from my front door.

I would never leave one in the car if i had to walk up to an apartment, etc.

Jen0204

Yeah, we live on the second floor in an apartment-style condo, so I have to go down a flight of steps and then down a sidewalk to the parking lot.  I don't really want to leave one inside while I bring the other out, but carrying both car seats, plus a bag of stuff for them (just a plastic bag filled with stuff I can't keep in the diaper bag in the car like a bottle with leftover formula we made the night before and their swaddlers that they use for sleeping), plus my work stuff is just getting really heavy.  I'm trying to avoid two trips because I'm lazy and because I don't want to leave one in the car while I run up and grab the other.  They're really not heavy (they were each about 10 pounds about a month ago), so I guess I need to suck it up and hit the weights

masked_rose86

My girls are between 12-13lb and I use their snap & go whenever I am alone because I live in an apartment but also have an elevator.  There is no way I could carry them both in my arms let alone snap them in a carrier in my car.....

Do you have only stairs available to get to your car?  Can you use a stroller? 

katezta

Still using them at 8 months.  I live in a TH and while the car isn't far, I hate leaving one in the car or house.  Plus, I have one crawler, so he can't be left in the house.  It is super heavy, but I don't have a good alternative yet.  We have steps between the house and parking lot, so a stroller isn't even a great option.

LALASEPT05

Probably about 5 months. We had snugride 22's and by 5 months DS was near 20lbs so we switched to the convertible car seats. I figured that by the time they got to 20lbs I would not be able to carry them in the seat anyways. So it was pretty early for us.

festivus

My boys are huge and already switched into convertible seats (at about 6mo). Before switching, I was still carrying both of them at the same time when they were each over 22lbs (without the carseats)! My car is right outside my door, but I still hate taking one at a time. I sometimes use the double stroller and have thought about getting a basic single umbrella stroller so I could carry one and put one in. I know when this question has been asked before, people have suggested "wearing" one in a carrier or sling and carrying the other.

jennie13

I cried when I had to give up my infant seats - they outgrew them for height around 11 months.    It is SOOOOOO much easier when they are contained in their bucket seats. 

Temp123197812503460

I just switched to convertibles at 9 months (and 18 pounds). I could still carry them but it wa just too much.If I need to carry them out to the car I put one in the ergo and then carry the other one, gives me a free hand and the ergo is pretty fast to get on.I switched to the convertible seat once I stopped carrying the buckets because I find it much easier to get them into the seat in the car since it's more upright/open.

TheBachelorette

We have the Chicco Keyfit so we have higher weight limits on the infant seats.  We just switched B over the weekend.  He is getting too tall for the seat.  G is still in the seat and she will remain there until she outgrows it.  She is 5% for weight but 53% for height.  I am hoping to get through the summer with her in the infant seat.  I complained that B was too heavy in the infant seat but it is SO MUCH EASIER with the infant seats.  B does not like his new Britax and screamed every time we put him in it over the weekend.  Getting him in and out out of the seat is a huge pain.  IMO, wait as long as you can.  

jcath

My girls were almost 20lbs at their 6 mos check up and I have old borrowed infant car seats that only go up to 25 lbs.  We just moved them a few weeks ago.  They like the bigger carseats and I'm learning I have to use the stroller for everything.  That being said - we live in a house and can get to the car easily and have a nanny so there is no daycare drop off.  

Jen0204

We have only stairs, no elevator, so using a stroller is out unfortunately.  I'm not looking to switch to the convertible car seats yet because we have bases for my car, H's car, and my mom's car so it's really convenient since I do all of the drop-offs, H picks up once in a while, and my mom can just drop the car seats in when she goes out during the day.  She also loves using the DSNG.  Currently we only have 2 convertible seats, but I'm guessing we'll buy two more for H's car.  I was considering leaving the infant seats on their bases in my car and just taking the girls in and out of them but it sounds like it would be too much of a pain to carry them down out of their car seats and try to get them in them. 

Fancy3Face

We switched to convertible seats around 9 months. 

ardilla

Stopped carrying them in the seats at probably 10 to 11 months, but they used the carseats until probably 19 months old, since they were (still are) small for their age.

KarlsSweetie05

Mine are 13 months now and still in their Graco Snugride 35 infant seats. 

One is 25 lbs and yes, the car seat is heavy... but you build up muscle every month to keep up with their growth.

Other is 18 lbs and feels light as a feather in the car seat.

They are getting close to the height limits, so we will probably be switching to convertibles in a few months.

I still use the DSNG stroller and am dreading moving to a regular stroller as it is so easy to snap them in / out of the car and stroller... especially when I am alone.

cocojack10

We stopped using the infant seats at about 7 mo when they outgrew them.  I loved the infant seats bc it helped with getting them in/out of the car (so much easier).  Sometimes, I would even bring them in the house in the snap n go too!

schoolsoutbride

I'd leave the bases in my car, put one in the Ergo and carry the other.  (Hotsling or something would work as well)

We stopped using the infant seats around 6 months, I think?  Carrying the seats and pushing the DSNG was killing the tendinitis in my wrist.