my 10 month old has out grown her infant car seat. we are looking to get a convertable seat but I don't think any of them are going to fit in our vechile. She is well over the 22 lbs mark and is about 30 inches long.. She can also stand on her own and has a remarkably strong neck. We are wondering if we can put her in a forward facing seat. Also we are wondering who could help us to find out the law requirements....will we get in a ticket if she is in a forward facing car seat.. And no we have not put her in the forward facing seat yet so please don;t think we are bad parents.. we just want some information. thanks in advance.
2006-12-29 06:34:25 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
We leave in alberta canada where can we go here
2006-12-29 07:22:38 · update #1
I know it is exciting to see your child growing and a burden to put your little one in an awkward seat but it is better for her safety to do so. Be really careful with switching to a front facing car seat yet. You can still get a convertible seat that can go both forward and backwards. If you are having trouble getting it in backwards, visit your local fire department. They will be more than happy to make sure that your car seat is in the car properly. Then when she does hit the 1 year milestone, flip it around. You will feel better in the long run for protecting your little one just that much longer.
You should also know that you will be dealing with a car seat of some sort in your car for at least the next 8 years. Most states are making it mandatory to have a booster seat so that your child fits in the seatbelt properly until they are a certain height and weight.
2006-12-29 06:45:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do not turn her around yet. You may think that her neck is strong enough, but what a tragic way to find out you were wrong. Find a convertible seat that she will use forward facing that can also be rear facing. Use that until she is a year old, then turn her around. I am sure that her legs can stay bent for a little while longer, until a year. You would get a ticket for not properly restraining her, at least you would in my state.
The convertible car seats also sit more upright so that may give your daughter more leg room than an infant seat that has them more reclined. Better safe than sorry.
2006-12-29 15:12:37 · answer #2 · answered by pantsjhb 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In most places it is illegal to put a baby under 1 year of age in a forward facing seat. It also isn't terribly safe.
I have a convertable seat and yes, I have to pull the passenger seat up a fair bit. But it "fits" in my car, which is a very small car a "neon".
To find out the local law the easiest thing to do is to call the police. Where I live they also install carseats and can help you decide which model is best for your car. In some areas I hear that the fire department does it.
If you have public health nurses they will at least know who to talk to, if not the answer.
BTW you are lucky. Mine outgrew his infant seat at 5 months. Actually at 4 months he was too tall, 5 months he was too tall and too heavy.
2006-12-29 14:52:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know in the states one of the requirements is a year, in addition to the height/weight. I was looking (for future reference of my own) at infant-to-toddler convertable carseats and many of them will work rear facing for those last few months when baby outgrows the infant seat, and then can be turned to face forward after the 1 year mark and will be good until the child can graduate to a booster.
Where ever you go to look online or in a store, make sure you (or the person helping you) know you're looking for a convertible infant to toddler car seat.
2006-12-29 15:54:03 · answer #4 · answered by desiderio 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son is 11 months old, 24 1/2 pounds and 28 inches long. We were told by our pediatrician to change him to a forward facing carseat. The reason being that if you are in a bad impact collision, then the baby's legs are at risk for being broken beyond repair. It is also a risk because the part that buckles is only meant to hold 20 pounds and your baby can cause the buckle to become undone therefore causing them to fly out of the seat. The handle on the carseat can also break if you carry the seat. So my thought with all this told to me was to get him a front facing since that was her suggestion at his visit. He sits in it well and has not issues. You need to make sure it is a front facing 5 point harness one though to be as safe as possible. And here is a question for all those saying state to state issues, so if I live in one state and drive in another for a trip does that mean that following my state's laws will get me ticketed in another? I think not. There are reasons there are federal guidelines to these things and that is one of them. You need to realize these things before answering with check with your state regulation. Sorry just the way I see it. So yes, I would put her in a front facing carseat.
2006-12-29 15:08:26 · answer #5 · answered by carmadsmom 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Find your state here and look at the individual laws for your state. I have an eight month old who has long since outgrown the baby seats. They make mid-range car seats that fit bigger babies and can be front or rear facing. His is up to 35 pounds and faces rear or forward. Target and WalMart both carry them.
This link has a button for Canada. If the child can sit up alone and is over 9kg they can be forward facing. So looks like you may be legally OK for it.
http://www.inventiveparent.com/state-laws.htm
2006-12-29 14:39:40 · answer #6 · answered by Betsy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not know the laws in Canada. You can buy convertible car seats, that are rear facing and forward facing, that are good to 35 pounds rear facing. Call your local police department, they should be able to tell you the laws. I was told the longer they are rear facing the better.
2006-12-29 15:28:49 · answer #7 · answered by applecrisp 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was told that they must be over 20 pounds AND a year old to face forwards. She may seem to have a strong neck, but until a year their muscles are just not developed enough. I wouldn't take the chance, personally. My youngest was 20 pounds at 4 months, but I kep him backwards in his convertible seat until he was a year old. Here in Colorado they are quite strict on that.
2006-12-29 14:41:39 · answer #8 · answered by PennyPickles17 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She should be in a car seat for infants and toddlers that can be rear-facing until she's a least a year old. There are some of these on this link to Yahoo! shopping, but you want infant to toddler, not toddler to booster.
Christie
2006-12-29 14:57:32 · answer #9 · answered by rcpeabody1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, go ahead and switch to the forward facing seat. Why is this an issue?
If she's passed either the weight or height limits of the rear-facing seat she's not protected properly anymore - in fact, there could be more damage done being in the wrong seat and getting into an accident.
And I doubt the cops will be pulling you over just to check if the kid's in a proper seat anyways....They're pretty busy.....
2006-12-29 14:53:13 · answer #10 · answered by chicchick 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋