Advice needed - baby car seat questions (merged)

nadnad

my sister has an almera 01 i think and it has isofix. my car has it and its 06 and there are no visible points or labels you have to stick your hands down the ack of the seat and find them.

myhooose

My V reg (newer model) almera has isofix points though the car seat (maxi cosi) we had did not fit safely with or without the isofix base.

As mentioned above, Mothercare will try different types in your car to find he best fit.

lady_ellerington

Hi

i have a nissan almera tino 52 reg , and recently spent over 2 hours in my local john lewis store trying almost every car seat, the only car seat that fitted correctly was the maxi cosi tobi. ( it's because of the strange seat belts in the car ). hope this helps.

Leanne27_2

I have a maxi cosi infant carrier and was wondering if anyone knew when I can remove the head support section my baby is 2 months old and has quite a steady head.

popsy20

Hi, :D:D:D:D

I hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Our first baby is due on Christmas Day and I've been looking at carseats, buggys, cotbeds etc.

To be honest my head is spinning and I've no idea which products to go for. I want the best for the baby but don't want to end up spending a fortune as I'll be having at least a year off so money will be tight.

Any info on comparison websites would be a great help - if such a thing exists.

Thanks

Counting_Pennies_2

I would go for the one that will be compatible with your pushchair whatever one you choose.

i would suggest looking in John Lewis and Mothercare for ideas. Personally I would stay away from M&P had bad experience in terms of quality and customer service.

I am now on the mission for a Mountain Buggy. But if I had my time again from scratch with a new born I would go for a Bugaboo, and I think the car seat that goes with that is the maxi cosi.

You will find yourself bombarded by all that is required. Just take your time, and ask people who have been there and done it all. Although, as with the advice I have given you above, take it all lightly and make your own decision (there will be plenty of those to make in the years ahead, and you will never be sure if they are the right ones, so go with what you feel!!)

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

popsy20 wrote: »

Hi, :D:D:D:D

I hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Our first baby is due on Christmas Day and I've been looking at carseats, buggys, cotbeds etc.

To be honest my head is spinning and I've no idea which products to go for. I want the best for the baby but don't want to end up spending a fortune as I'll be having at least a year off so money will be tight.

Any info on comparison websites would be a great help - if such a thing exists.

Thanks

Hiya, not sure about comparison websites but i had a travelsystem for my first buggy/car seat - it was good because when DD fell asleep in the car i just picked the car seat up and attached it to her pram and let her sleep but the down side is she was only allowed in it for an hour and a half tops - so by time i'd got to shopping centre, put her car seat onto her buggy and got ner the shops it would be time to take her out so it didnt hurt her back. The other thing i see all the time with travel systems is people putting the pram hood and the car seat hood up so the baby was completely covered - which ive been told is a big no no because there is still a gap and draft gets in causing ear ache.

I brought my "proper" car seat from halfords in a sale - they checked it was right for my DD, it will last until shes 4 and they fitted it into the car.

The other thing to think about is do you want the car seat in a "holder" - lil black block thats fitted in the car and the seat clips into it, or do you just want it held by a seat belt? the seatbelt car seats still rock slightly from side to side during impact, the based ones dont.

huggies have an online forum - found it really helpful when i was pregnant

hope that helps xx

hayleyc_2

Carseats - maxicosi and britax came top in the safety ratings according to 'Which' so I'd recommend them. I know it's not recommended but we got a 2nd hand seat, however it was from a close friend so we knew it was in good condition and hadn't been in any accidents etc.

Buggy - Personally I would not get one with a pram because babies grow out of them so fast and are better off being carried in a sling at that age anyway. I also would not get one that the car seat attaches to because i don't think that babies should be in car seats for any longer than is strictly necessary as it's bad for the development of their spines. Make sure you think about when and where the buggy will be used. Eg is it important for it to be lightweight, easy to fold up, good over rough ground etc etc. It's no good taking someone else's recommendation who has a totally different lifestyle to you.

As far as beds and things are concerned, again it depends on your lifestyle. We had a moses basket (free from a friend) which we used downstairs for his naps when he was little, and we have a bedside cot which is attached to our bed (we co-sleep). We bought one second hand, but I've heard lots of people just use a normal cot and take one side off. If you do it that way then you could probably save more money.

I think the main advice I'd give, as someone who's recently been through the same process (my son is now 10 months) is try not to be drawn in to the whole baby advertising hype which says you MUST have all this expensive stuff. Once you have the baby, you suddenly realise that many of the things billed as must-have items are not needed.

I'd recommend kiddicare as a great website to purchase from if you're buying new stuff. I also use babyworld which has a forum and product reviews which are carried out by mums.

popsy20

Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone - it is very much appreciated :D:D:D:D

lizziebell*80

This does seem like a minefield. I have recently been researching pushchairs/travel systems specifically compact folding ones as I have a very small car and that will be my main requirement. I found that, as will many things, reviews can be extreme from love to hate about pushchairs (general Google search will pull loads up).
I found it most useful to actually visit Mothercare (which i did last weekend) and actually spoke to the staff and looked at the pushchairs and tried them in my car. I found that the measurements online were not necessarily accurate as can be given minus the seat unit etc. Overall I got an idea of which ones they recommend and also the ones that their staff bought etc which I found helpfull. At the moment I have chosen to get the Bebe Confort Loola Up which folds compact, front and rear facing seat, reclines flat so can use for newborn, has car seat that can attach (Creatis, not isofix but good for safety and can use a base) and also has cot option but don't think it would be necessary. Buy obviously this is the ine that will suit my situation and as an FYI it was the one the Mothercare staff both recommended and had bought themselves.