Now let's talk about car seats

anhg80 · June 2011

As I've been looking at strollers, the whole car seat issue keeps coming up.

Namely: do we really need an infant car seat, or could we just start out using a convertible? Looking at the weight limits, it looks like most convertibles and infant car seats have the same lower limit (about 5 lbs). My husband is convinced we don't need the infant car seat, and I might agree with him... but, I want to hear from experienced moms and dads before making the decision.

In case it matters, I'll be home for the first 7-8 months. So, by the time we have to worry about driving daily to child care we'll need a convertible. Our plan when out and about is to wear the baby or put it in his/her stroller.

What say the experienced moms of the bump?

MrsMeMo · June 2011

No, you don't need an infant seat. We only have one because it came with the stroller as a travel system. We have the Graco Snugride Infant.

It's more economical to get a convertible seat and they're every bit as safe and useful.

ETA: I'm an idiot. Totally didn't consider the fact that the infant seats are used as carriers and the converts. aren't. Now that my brain is working again, YES, you NEED an infant seat.

CalMum_Momma · June 2011

You don't need an infant carseat, but it does make things easier. I am a SAHM, but I do go places with DS. Even just going ot other people's houses it was nice to have. You just pop the seat out of the car. If the baby is sleeping, they can keep sleeping. It gives the baby a place to be no matter where you are. It's also nice for shopping trips before your LO can sit up on their own, because it just sets right on the back of the seat in the cart. Necessary? No. Handy, and worth it! YES!!

cocadoll · June 2011

You don't NEED one, but it really depends on how you use it. It was nice to just snap in the stroller when baby is sleeping and we need to get out of the car. Just FYI, both of my boys fit in their infant car seat until they were 1 and even after. With my first, we still used it as a backup in the second car. For my little one now, he still uses it (11 months) because we just haven't bought a new one. But he still fits. Maybe I have small kids, but they didn't reach 22 lbs (or the lenght) before then. Some seat have a slightly higher weight limit.

ETA: Ok, it kinda sounds like I still use the infant seat as a backup for my 2yo. That's not the case. I meant that after he was 1, probably for another month or so, we used it as a backup in the second car. Smile

shortstuff15 · June 2011

I would second the not necessary but worth it. I also wore my baby on occasion, but that would get a bit awkward at times when I was grocery shopping and what not. And if my baby was sleeping it was awesome to be able to just pop her out of the car still sleeping and not have to worry about it!

MAMAxB · June 2011

This is weird to me.

I would absolutely say yes to an infant car seat.

My DD was in hers for 13 months (it went up until 25lbs) and I preferred her to be in it! Makes taking her in/out WAY EASIER! I cannot imagine not being able to just keep her in their and carry her into the house (especially in the winter when it's cold!)

I just NOW moved her into and upright at 13 1/2 months-ish.

MAMAxB · June 2011

I am still shocked not everyone uses one!!

YES YES YES!

CalMum_Momma · June 2011

Since others are inclusing this info, I guess I should too. We had to switch DS to his convertable seat at 5mo. That being said, the infant seat was still worth it!!

BritanyV · June 2011

We loved ours and will definitely use another infant car seat/carrier with this one.

anhg80 · June 2011

Hmm... lots to think about. We're just so freakin' cheap

kcvasquez · June 2011

I agree you don't NEED one but I don't know what I would have done without my infant carrying one. There were hundreds of times I would put DS in it and he would fall asleep on the way to the store, friends house, restaurant ect... and we could just let him sleep in peace the whole time because we didn't have to take him out of the seat! It was a life saver and even after switching to a convertible I missed the carrying seat all the time! Of course now he doesn't fall asleep but I would say it's 100% worth it, and you can keep it to use with future babies as well! I'm glad we have all of the stuff now because with this second one everything is much cheaper!

pharmacygirl · June 2011

Our Graco safe seat goes to 30lbs. We used it for both boys so we have totally got our moneys worth. It won't expire for a few more years so we will be using it again. Your gonna probably end up needing 2 to 3 seats for your child anyway. Most carseats expire in 6 years. In Illinois kids haveto be in a carseat till 80lbs. So we used the infant seat to 1. Then we switched to a convertible that rear faced to 40lbs and forward faces to 60lbs. Those britax seats are now in DH car. In my car I have the ff Graco nautilus that is 40-100 lbs. Those are hopefully the last that I need.

eilatan&nhoj88 · June 2011

I miss using an infant carrier because you can let the baby sleep anywhere instead of waking the baby to get him/her out of the car. Its very helpful when you go out to eat and stuff too.

LittleMonkeys3 · June 2011

I loved it for being able to move a sleeping baby and always have a place to set them down also. So convenient! That said, my kids were really big and I moved DD at 8/9 months and DS at 5/6 months. DS hadn't hit the limit of the seat but he suddenly started screaming every car ride so we tried switching him to his convertible and he stopped. He had bad reflux so we think the angle was bad for him and made him uncomfortable. But that's a strange circumstance that caused that. I do recommend getting one that goes to 30 or 32 pounds so it last longer!

rachoochoo2 · June 2011

I would definitely recommend starting with an infant seat. Yes, it may save you money to start with a convertible but you can carry your baby in the infant seat and set it in the cart while you shop. It is so much more convenient until baby is big enough to sit up in the cart.

mrs_kelly1014 · June 2011

Despite the convenience factor that everyone mentioned, I have never been able to figure out how it would actually work to use a convertable seat with a newborn. They sit up much more upright than an infant seat, and I feel like the baby would just sort of flop forward (not that they would really go anywhere since they would be buckled, but their head could still flop).

mjay79 · June 2011

I wouldn't even consider not using an infant seat for the first year no matter how big my baby is. They are made for a reason and have weight limits for a reason, just invest in a good one. I've had a very big baby. My son has always been in the top percentile and I still didn't change him to a convertible until he was 1. That being said, it's not necessary to have have one, but as mentioned, definitely makes things so much easier!!

MrsLeanna · June 2011

Ditto the others. I switched DD to a convertible at 6 months, but I still think the infant seat is totally worth it!

CalMum_Momma · June 2011

mjay79:
I wouldn't even consider not using an infant seat for the first year no matter how big my baby is. They are made for a reason and have weight limits for a reason, just invest in a good one. I've had a very big baby. My son has always been in the top percentile and I still didn't change him to a convertible until he was 1. That being said, it's not necessary to have have one, but as mentioned, definitely makes things so much easier!!

I'm sorry, but your comment sounds to me to be a little judgy of those of us who did make the switch before a year. For your information I kept DS in his infant carseat until it got to the point that I could barely strap him in anymore, and the straps were digging into his shoulders. That was after they'd been rethreaded to the largest setting. I made the decision based on what I was seeing in front of my own eyes, and did what was best for my LO's comfort and safety. I didn't base the decision on some arbitrary numbers in a manual. I couldn't even tell you for sure what the milits are on our seat. All I know is he didn't fit comfortably in it anymore. Also, most convertable seats now are made to start at 5lbs and are just as safe as an infant seat. Saying that you would keep your baby in an infant seat for a year "no matter how big he is" is just ridiculous, IMO.

jason&robin · June 2011

To me, it's an essential item. It is so helpful to be able to get them out of the car without having to unbuckle them. DS would continue to take naps in his carseat even after we got back home. It is just really convenient. I have smaller kids so I was able to use it for longer. Going to a convertible seat was always a bit of a pain.

ETA: I moved DS at about 9 months. After a certain point, the seat just got too heavy for me to carry around so definitely think about that when buying one. It might seem like a good idea to go for one that has a higher weight limit but it might get to be so heavy for you that you stop using it before your baby reaches that limit, or they may hit the height limit first. My 2 year old could still meet the 25lbs weight requirement of the infant seat but I put her in the convertible at 1 because I just couldn't hold that much weight. I know the snugride 35 is a much heavier seat on its own compared to a regular one. Just a thought. I love the regular snugride.

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