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car seat installation questions

berty12777berty12777
in Pregnant after a Loss

Maybe NoVa the car seat installer or one of my other uber-intelligent nesties (I can't call you bumpies, sorry) can help me with this?

Where should the car seat be placed in the car?  On the driver's side?  In the middle?  On the passenger's side?  How do you know where to put it?  I cannot find a definitive answer on this anywhere!

Also, the fire station that is close to my house that inspects car seats doesn't have any open appointments before my due date.  When I asked him about it, my doctor told me the hospital will inspect the car seat and the base for us to make sure they're installed correctly before we take the baby home.  He even said that if we bring both cars up, they'll inspect both bases.  Will that inspection be a "real" inspection or should I try to get an appointment before my EDD at some of the places that are a bit further out from my house that are listed on seatcheck.org?

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Re: car seat installation questions

  • NoVaIrishNoVaIrish

    I installed mine in the middle because I heard that was the best place to install it because of side impact crashes/air bags. 

    I highly doubt that the hospital would let you drive away with an incorrectly installed car seat, though I would feel more comfortable having an inspection done before I deliver.   

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  • Mandy06Mandy06

    I "think" the safest place to put the carseat is in the middle. We have ours however, on the passenger side because it didn't latch properly in the middle.

    When we left the hospital they sent in a woman to inspect the straps on the carseat to make sure we could get DD in and out of if properly and that the straps were position correctly and what not. She then went to the car w/ us and checked the base.

     I think it is really up to you if you want to make an appt. elsewhere. But I trusted what the hospital said. I also used my own judgement.

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  • NoVaIrishNoVaIrish
    I have a car seat question - are you going to wash the car seat cover stuff or not before you put the baby in?
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  • berty12777berty12777
    I am washing everything that I can before it touches the baby's skin.  I have super, super, super sensitive skin and, although I hope Allison doesn't get that from me, I want to try to minimize irritation.
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  • CaseBrideCaseBride

    Put it in the middle. It may be harder to get it in and out but it's the safest place... Now with two kids I am going to have to put them on the sides but with one the middle is best.

    Also I have a friend who is a L&D nurse and she said that they don't really have very much training on proper installation before they are supposed to check these things. So she always encourages people to go to the fire stations (or wherever) to get them checked.

    HTH!

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  • pumpkinhead06pumpkinhead06 member

    I know that a good friend of dh and I's works for the local hospital here in NJ solely inspecting car seats.  She had to go through a lot of training before they would let her check the seats.

    also... I know that in NJ, if your car seat is too old or not up to standards, they will give you a free brand new carseat. 

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  • Mrs.SPMMrs.SPM
    DH installed my base in my car today. We have not done his car yet. We put it in the middle. My Mom washed the car seat padding for me. Hospitals here will not inspect your car seat for you. They roll you out the door and you are on your own from there. They do not want to be liable for anything if something happens. I need to call the state police to look at ours.
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  • AngelsAmidAngelsAmid

    I've heard a rumor or something on TV I think that says your car manual will tell you where the safest place is...

    and I'm not planning on washing the material of the car seat. 

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  • rachelxx05rachelxx05 member
    We installed ours, then after Gabe was born a lady came in my recovery room to make sure I knew how to use the thing with him in it... then took John down to the car and made sure the base was in right and everything was proper.  Our hospital hired her specifically to do this with new parents, which I knew was going to happen so we didn't take it any where else. 
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  • abj22abj22
    Nobody at our hospital inspected our seat. I was shocked by this! Luckily we had already had it inspected at our local fire station. I would try to go somewhere else. The last thing you want to worry about the day you go home from the hospital is your car seat. We also have ours in the middle.
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  • maramarriemaramarrie
    if you have a middle seat (I don't) this is generally the safest place. Check your car's owner's manual to see what it says about car seats, too. Also, in many cars, the center may not work becuase there aren't anchors (for LATCH) in the center, only on the sides. In some cars, the side seat anchors can be used from the center, but in other cars this may not yield the best fit. Some seats that may be safest might not create as good of a fit with the carseat as a different location in the vehicle. Consumer Reports has some info on how well the seats fit the vehicle and where the best place might be in some vehicles. They also mention different makes of vehicles where side LATCH anchors can be used in the middle seat. I haven't needed to research all that myself becuase I have captain's chairs and no middle seat so I only have one of two choices. Hope you get some reliable answers.
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