Advice needed - baby car seat questions (merged)

ooobedoo

I have a graco carseat from the travel system, I can't check at the moment as DH has the car. What weight generally do they stay near facing for???

mirandab

From recollection the first stage carseat is up to 20 lbs but could be wrong!

Miranda

plane_boy2000

9 Kgs rings a bell, but different car seats may have different ratings

ooobedoo

My three week old daughter is a whopping 11lb 1oz so it won't be long before she is front facing!!

Thanks

Mics_chick

Ooobe please don't put your dd in a forward facing one until she is 9 months old. I know they set weight levels but age is a better one to go by - it's something to do with their body being able to cope with sharp breaking from this age. You can buy bigger car seats that can be fitted forward or rear facing. We've got 1 for youngest (nearly 2yo) that should last until he's about 4yo which he first went in when he was 4mths old.

Please please be careful about this MC

Gingham_Ribbon

Children need to be able to sit unsupported before they go in forward facing seats. I think they recommend no earlier than 9 months too. This is because baby's heads are SO big in comparison to their bodies, thus making whiplash extremely dangerous to them.

I had trouble with my lad being too big for his seat. We could shuffle him down in it for a while. As far as I know they are fine as long as their head doesn't poke out over the top of the seat further than eye level. But if the baby is heavier than the manufacturer's recommendations, you need to check with them what to do. The weight limit will be on the instructions.

molerat

The weight limit for most 0+ seats is 13Kg. Stage 1 seats are usually from 9Kg / 9 months. The general development stage for the child is sitting up totally unaided. The 0+ seats from the traveller systems cannot be used forward facing.

ooobedoo

Thank you all. I will keep her rear facing, I think I will buy another car seat as I don't really like the graco travel system carseat, I had a different one for DS and got on with it much better. I don't remove the carseat from the car, I just take the baby mat for her to lay on when we go places

I have an astra, any reccomendations????

Gingham_Ribbon

I've been very happy with Britax. But you need one that is made to fit your car and have it fitted properly. Britax have a list of all cars that their seats will fit into. I'll try to find a link for you.

Gingham_Ribbon

http://www.britax.co.uk/FitFinder/GB/FitFinder.php