Travel System - car seat help?

pinkshoes

It depends on where you live! If you live in a town with everything within walking distance, then you don't really need a car seat that attaches to the frame.

I live in a village, so NEED to drive into town sometimes. DS would fall asleep on the 10 minute drive, then scream if I tried to transfer him to the pram, refused to go back to sleep, and got himself into a right state! It was better for both me and him to leave him in the car seat, and attach it to the frame, as he got fresh air and sleep, and I got to do the shopping as quickly as possible. He was only in it for a maximum of one hour.

Now he's older (5.5 months), then he generally stays awake in the car on short journeys, so I put him in the stroller, or pram if we're going to be out for a long time (as it reclines, and he can sleep).

They recommend that you don't leave babies in their car seat for more than 2 hours. How long do you have to get them out the car seat for if you're doing a long drive?!? (I have to do a 3.5 hour drive with DS soon...)

fresian_cow

Thanks everyone for replying, its such a tricky choice with so many opposing views. I was thinking of getting the car seat that goes with the travel system but I don't think that has the easy release thing for the car so we might just get the slightly more expensive one that does and also attaches to the pram chassis - then we can have flexibility. I totally agree with those who have mentioned not keeping the baby scrunched up in a car seat, and the travel system we chose has the proper carrycot for lying baby flat.

Thanks for offering your experiences, I have been looking on baby forums but a lot of them are for expectant mothers who don't have the experience of having used these things.

mum2twinsx2

I don`t have the pushchair in question. But I do use my double with carseats. In the morning we walk to school unless it`s raining and then they just go in double. But if we drive it`s easier to just attach the carseats to the pushchair and they both only in there for ten minutes while i take the girls into school. Ninety percent of the time on the afternoon school runs the boys are asleep so same happens in afternoon if I drive.
I try my hardest not to use carseats on pushchair much, but it is more for convienance and I have never seen any harm when it is for only a short period of time.