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February 2011 Moms
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Rear facing car seat questions

kirbnjame48kirbnjame48
in February 2011 Moms
So I've officially begun my research and being as I'm a first time mom, I need some help from you ladies.  All car seats at the baby store said "Rear facing only".  How long does the baby have to be rear facing in the car?  My brothers (now 5 and 7) were in car seats that faced backwards for a while then we were able to turn them to face forward.  Was this wrong or do these new car seats actually allow for them to be turned around?  Any clarification is greatly appreciated!
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Re: Rear facing car seat questions

  • Mrs.CarlybellaMrs.Carlybella member

    By law- babies must rear face until they are BOTH 1 yrs old and 20 lbs.  However, recommendations are to keep them rear facing until 2 or even longer until the weight limits.  I plan to keep my son RF as long as I can.

     

    this is very educational to watch  (sorry, I am really passionate about this b/c it scares me)

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo

     

    ETA:  We have the maxi cosi carseat and when he was about 7 mos it seemed like he was ready for a convertible.  We now have the Britax Marathon which I LOVE-  and he is RF in it and can be until he is 35 lbs I believe (and he is about 22 lbs now)

    EDD with #4  01-20-14
    Proud mama to a boys-  6/17/09 - a girl 2/23/11- and a boy 8/20/12

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  • AimeeLeeAimeeLee

    It doesn't look like Illinois has anything specific written into their law about how long babies must remain rear facing.  I know in CT its until they are 1 year old and 20 lbs. 

    As for the car seat it depends on what it says.  Some you can turn around and some aren't made to be turned, you just have to read the info on each one.

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  • rosesandpeoniesrosesandpeonies member
    infant seats are only rear facing.  However, you can buy convertible seats that start off as rearfacing and can be turned forward facing at the appropriate time (minimum forward facing is 1 year AND at least 20lbs).  So you always start rearfacing but it depends if you want to go from infant seat to convertible seat or just start right away with the convertible seat.
    DD (8/12/09), DD (2/8/11)
    BFP 12/16/14| EDD 8/19/15 |MMC 1/15/15 (9 weeks 1 day)
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  • pkate98pkate98
    The recommendation is to rear-face until 2 yrs.  But it also depends on the height and weight limits on the seat your get.  Convertible seats have a different height and weight limit for the rear-facing position than the forward facing position.   I got the snap and go travel system car seat for when DS was a newborn b/c it was easiest.  By 5-6 months, he hated sitting in that seat and we got a convertible (Britax Marathon).  He will be rear facing until he reaches the height/weight req on that seat.
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  • TiffanyTheMomTiffanyTheMom member

    My children get tall really fast and outgrow the infant rear facing car seat at 7-8 months. Even at the tallest setting, the straps were cutting into my poor baby's shoulders. I had my pediatrician's okay to put them in a larger seat at that point, still rear facing. But as soon as they hit a year, i put them in my van's built-in car seat, forward facing. Yes, they were over 20lbs at a year. My 2yr old is the size of most 4yr olds, so yes- she was big enough. I had talked to the pediatrician before, too.

    But before 1yr, 20lbs- rear facing only. Baby's necks can't handle the impact of a car wreck before that point. 

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  • preissless1preissless1

    The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending that children remain rear facing until age 2.  Always follow the instructions provided by your car seat manufacturer, but all will say that a child should remain rear facing until they are at least 1 year old AND 20 lbs.  If they reach 20 lbs before age 1, still keep them rear facing.  They still haven't developed the physical stature to endure a frontal crash force until at least 1 year of age. 

    In the event of a frontal collision, the impact is spread out over the strongest and widest areas of the body, helping the child "ride down" the crash easier, and protecting the head, neck and spinal chord.

     

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  • kirbnjame48kirbnjame48
    Thank you all for your help.
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  • Lucky_DragonflyLucky_Dragonfly member
    the bucket seats( infant carriers) all must be rear facing. Convertible carseats are both rear and front facing, but earliest you cant turn is 1yr AND 20lbs. Even at that it is recommended to continue rear facing up to 2yrs, but that is for you to decide if you want to do it that long. DS was turned at 13mos, because MH turned him without my consent.
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  • *lu*lu**lu*lu*

    Aside from expecting, I'm also a child passenger safety technican. You should keep your child in a rear facing seat AT Least until 1 year old and 20 lbs.

    Most convertibles can stay rear facing until about 35 lbs (check the label)- you should keep the child rear facing as long as possible, it offers more protection to a child's head and neck.

    In looking at seats for myself now I'm looking to get the seat that has the highest weight capacity for rear facing and fits my car best.

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  • graykoalagraykoala
    *lu*lu*--What do you think about using a convertible car seat for an infant?  It looks like most of them go down to 5 lbs.  Is it safe to put an infant in one?  I've read that it's better to use an infant seat, but you still have to put inserts in the infant seat for a newborn, right?  So from a safety standpoint is an infant carseat better than a convertible for young babies?
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