Not until just before birth if at all - last time with my 3rd I had it in the car from 38 weeks but didn't need it until 2 weeks after my due date. I'm not sure it needs installing before baby is here so this time it will stay in the house until I go into labour.
We're going to install it and get it inspected sometime at the end of December, just to make sure we did everything right (first time parents here, ha.) But then we're going to take it out and not put it back in again until a week before the delivery date. The nurse who ran our birth class suggested that since if you get in a car accident while the car seat is in there you may have to replace it.
I put base in car at 38 weeks with my first and had it inspected . Didn't put carrier on base til we left for hospital at 41 weeks for baby to be born after water broke
With my first we did it a few weeks before and took it to the fire department to get checked. With this one since we know how to do it and I will be in the hospital for a minimum of 3 nights, we know we will have time and we will wait until we bring him home, we did just ring the seat and base up from the basement and it waiting in the closet.
We put the base in yesterday and will get it inspected as soon as we can get an appointment with the fire department. If the baby comes early we want everything to be set.
I'm not doing it just yet, but we have two toddlers in our car already. I figure if she comes early I can just have my husband bring the carseat (you don't need the base to install) to the hospital. If she doesn't come early, we're home birthing - so I don't really need it until we leave the house for the first time. I think the general "rule" for first time mom's is to install the base by 38 weeks.
We are having a home birth so we don't need to install it until we go somewhere. But if we were doing a hospital birth we still wouldn't install it until we were at the hospital. We would have it ready to go before then but not installed. I would hate to, God forbid, get into a wreck and have to replace a car seat that had never been used.
I'm actually thinking about installing it about 2 weeks before my scheduled c-section so my DS1 can get used to the idea that there is another car seat that isn't his. We are moving his to the other side of the car as well, so I don't really want him to get all upset about being "replaced" by a new baby. We'll see...
We have already installed the bases in both our cars. It's a used seat. We really wanted to see if we could fit all three car seats in our cars and we can - even in the Honda Civic. I think we have always installed them a few weeks early. If the baby comes before 36 weeks, it will most likely require a hospital stay after you are released. But I wouldn't want to have to worry about installing it when I'm in labor.
I've already installed mine... But, I plan to take it out soon- I don't want to get used to it being back there and forgetting when the baby gets here.
This is our first child. We installed on Thanksgiving. Our cousin is a NICU nurse and certified to inspect car seat installations. She was at Thanksgiving, so we wanted her to check everything over. Now the car seat is in the house, but the bases are installed and ready to go. I'm a planner and a preparer, so it would make sense that I already have this checked off my list. To each his own!
I took advantage of the warm weather on Thanksgiving and installed the base. I've had to install one with frozen fingers before and it wasn't fun. As it turns out, the LATCH system in my car is easy to access. So maybe at the very least you could be checking your car's manual for child seat placement recommendations and how accessible the LATCH system is.
I installed mine early due to being high risk, and have already had it checked. i would say no later that 26 weeks just incase baby decides to make an early appearance.
Re: When to install carseat
But, I plan to take it out soon- I don't want to get used to it being back there and forgetting when the baby gets here.