When to install carseat?

tarheelgirl8 · May 2015

When are you ladies planning to install your infant carseats? I want to make sure it's already installed before I go into labor so we don't have to worry about that at the hospital. I also want to make sure we have time to run by the fire dept for them to inspect it. But I'm not sure how soon is too soon. Thoughts?

PixelPosy · May 2015

We will install the bases but leave the car seat next to the hospital bag. We did the bases around 32 weeks last time. Since DD's seat fits newborns I am not in a big hurry this time. Mostly because we have to figure out where we stuck the bases and seat in our basement storage still..

deviduke412 · May 2015

I'm going on vacation 8 hours away at 33 weeks pregnant, so we will be installing it right before we leave for vacation just in case we would need it

SassetteSmurfling · May 2015

I messed around with our car seats last night. I'm going to have 3 kids in car seats so we had to figure out how/if things would fit. Once I saw tried them a few different ways I just took it back out. I'll probably put it back in around 36 weeks or so for my toddler and preschooler to get use to their new spots for a few weeks before baby actually arrives.

hclzmm14 · May 2015

I would do it about 36 weeks just because if you have your baby earlier than that you probably won't be taking it home when you go home anyway.

awebsteWed218778 · May 2015

we are having our bases installed at a car seat clinic - i will be 33 weeks. more because that's the only date the clinic is held before our due date.

bpwife&mama · May 2015

I moved DS behind me and I've yet to get any baby stuff out of the attic. Next weekend I swear....

Lalala2326 · May 2015

Actually not a good idea at all to install before you need it. Definitely try it out, make sure you know what you are doing, but you should NOT install your car seat and leave it installed before you need to. Main reason is that if you get in any sort of an accident (even a minor fender bender) you will have to replace your car seat most likely. The vast majority of car seat manufacturers require that they be replaced after ANY accident and not all insurance plans will cover replacement. So if you get rear-ended at a stop sign next week you will be out buying a new car seat before it ever got used and there is a good chance neither of your insurance companies are going to pay to replace it. Some do, but a good portion don't, and its not really a good gamble considering it doesn't need to be in there in the first place. Car seats do not take long to install at all. Just plan on being able to access it easy when you go to the hospital so that your SO can install before you guys head home.

Also, you should never have a car seat tech install your car seat for you. Certified ones that actually know what they are doing won't. They are supposed to show you how to install it so that you can do it on your own correctly when they aren't there the next time you need to do it.

Edit: Also not all fire departments have people actually certified to inspect car seats, and they often don't know what they are really doing especially with newer ones. Its worth looking for an actual certified car seat inspector in your area rather than relying on some random guy at the fire department that may not actually have any car seat training. Put it in, get it inspected and figure out exactly how it needs to be done, then take it out until you actually need it.

awebsteWed218778 · May 2015

maybe i should have been more clear - after getting home from work and reading my post its misleading. I agree with Lalala regarding the purpose of a certified car seat tech - we are going to a certified clinic (not a fire department or some random guy) that will check over our work after we install our own bases using the manuals, to ensure they are in the vehicles correctly. we can take out and install the base as many times as we feel comfortable during the session, and bring as many vehicles as we like. no one will be "installing our car seats for us." As a FTM, as easy as I am sure it is to install the base, I would feel more comfortable having someone certified check over my work to just give me that extra level of confidence. the best part is that its free - the ontario town I live in provides this through the health unit.

i do not intend to leave my bases in the vehicles for the remaining month of my pregnancy driving around for no reason - this is exactly why I want to practice until I feel comfortable - once we are secure with installing them ourselves and have reassurance from the technician that we know how to take them in and out - we will be fully capable of repeating it on our own - never know when you might want to buy a new vehicle, or need to transfer it to another vehicle to travel or whatever the reason may be, etc.

lvrunningirlie · May 2015

Putting in the base at 36 weeks. Hubs can bring the car seat when we actually plan on leaving the hospital

CaliforniaDream87 · May 2015

cllgarrison said:
I would do it about 36 weeks just because if you have your baby earlier than that you probably won't be taking it home when you go home anyway.

This. I'm really in no rush.

daniellepanda · May 2015

I will probably put the base in a couple weeks before I am due so that my son will get used to his new space in the car before the baby is occupying it.

laurasuzanne2006 · May 2015

We are driving 2.5 hours to deliver so not installing it. It's at my grandmas in Phoenix. I need as much backseat as I can. Lol

Perfect Sonnet · May 2015

CaliforniaDream87 said:

I would do it about 36 weeks just because if you have your baby earlier than that you probably won't be taking it home when you go home anyway.
This. I'm really in no rush.

Same. Plus it will just take up more room in my car. I would like to have that extra seat as long as I can. I may ask my husband to install the base during the week I due.

Lalala2326 · May 2015

Just FYI for anyone installing the base early, if you are in an accident, you will still have to replace the base, and some of those are not cheap...

jesselayne8 · May 2015

"Early" or not accidents happen. I was hit by a drunk driver on the interstate the day after my due date. My insurance company cut me a check for the full amount of a new car seat the next day so I had a new seat before the baby came 4 days later.

laurasuzanne2006 · May 2015

jesselayne8 said:
"Early" or not accidents happen. I was hit by a drunk driver on the interstate the day after my due date. My insurance company cut me a check for the full amount of a new car seat the next day so I had a new seat before the baby came 4 days later.

That's fast. Took weeks to get our reimbursement

Lalala2326 · May 2015

laurasuzanne2006 said:

"Early" or not accidents happen. I was hit by a drunk driver on the interstate the day after my due date. My insurance company cut me a check for the full amount of a new car seat the next day so I had a new seat before the baby came 4 days later.
That's fast. Took weeks to get our reimbursement

And that is great that you had good insurance. Not everyone does, and some states are completely different as to who they consider at fault and whether or not it even matters who is at fault.

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