My Daughter is 7months and almost 20lbs,Need some help!?

Question

Ive been told that soon I will have to change infant seats.
Which one do I use next and does it have to be rear facing?
And when is it a good age to sit them in a shopping cart?

Answer 1

She must remain rear facing until she is BOTH 20+ lbs AND over 12 mos old. The longer you can keep them rear facing, the better. They are much safer that way.

You'll need a converatble car seat that can be used both rear facing and forward facing.

If she is sitting up pretty well, then you can put her in a shopping cart with the seat belt on.

Answer 2

My son has already out grown his infant seat too. She will still have to be rear-facing until a year old (law is 20lbs and 1 year). I have a convertible car seat that goes from infant to 100lbs. It is both rear and forward facing. I won't have to buy another seat ever. There are a little pricy, usually over $100, but it is so worth it.

My son is 7 months and he sits normal in a shopping cart. I bought one of those things that covers the seat to keep the germs away. He does just fine. As long as she is sitting up on her own, she will be fine too.

Answer 3

Yes she should be in a rear facing car seat until 1 year old. You should get one that is both rear facing and foward facing. All carseats most carseats will hold a baby from 5-40 lbs. As far as brand, expect to spend around $80. You do not want to go to cheap as this is your child's life. The most expensive carseat in the stores is around $250. We have two carseats, one is a regular Graco, maybe and the other is an Eddie Bauer, which is made by Graco. We bought the Eddie Bauer after our son was one and it converts to a booster seat as well. If your child is able to sit up well, then she can sit in a shopping cart. Blankets can be used to help provide extra support.

I have never used a cover or wiped the shopping cart and my oldest son didn't have a sniffel until he started daycare at 20 months.

Answer 4

You still have about 10 lbs to go before you will need to switch her over to a larger carseat unless she's outgrown it by height. Keep her rear facing as long as possible. You will want to change her to a carseat with a 5 point harness until she's 80 lbs. DO NOT SWITCH TO A BOOSTER SEAT!!!!!
Once she's able to sit up properly and hold her head up you can put her in a shopping cart.


Please watch this video, it will show you the importance of a good 5 point carseat for your child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Carseat safety-

# Read the car safety seat manufacturer's instructions and always keep them with the car safety seat along with a copy of the purchase reciept.
# The rear seat of a vehicle is the safest place for children of all ages.
# Children 12 and under should ALWAYS ride in the back seat. This can cut their risk of death by as much as 36%.
# Children should be in a carseat or booster until they can be seated properly in a seatbelt. For most children, this is around 8 years old or 4' 9" tall, but proper seatbelt fit is the most important factor.
# Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active passenger airbag.
# Keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible. That can mean up to 30 or 35 pounds in most current convertible seats unless they outgrow it by height first.
# Child safety seats must not be used on side-facing or rear-facing jump seats.
# Children are should never be allowed to ride in the cargo compartment of a pickup truck, van or sport utility vehicle.
# All car seats currently available in the US market pass government safety standards. Select the one that best fits your child, your vehicle and your budget. Some models do have different features; select one that has the features that will allow you to use it correctly EVERY trip.
# Make sure that the harness fits snug on your child, the carseat fits snug in your vehicle, and that your vehicle seatbelts are locked properly.
# Avoid car seats that are sold in yard sales, flea markets etc. You will not be notified by the manufacturer of recalls, defects or other safety related information if you purchased the seat second hand. Also, the seat could also have been damaged in a previous accident. Do not risk your child's life. Buy a new seat.
# Have your seat inspected by a certified technician for free at a checkup event or fitting station.
# Children learn from example, that is why you should properly wear your seatbelt whenever you are driving.
# Please give driving your complete, unimpaired attention and wear your own seatbelt all the time. These two simple steps are among these easiest ways you can protect yourself and your passengers from injury or death.

Answer 5

You should keep her in a rear facing seat until she's a minimum of 1 year. It's not just the weight, you need to wait until at least a year, because her neck muscles aren't developed enough. If you get in an accident and she's forward facing too soon, it could be worse for her than if she was backwards facing.

Buy a convertable carseat.....you can put it in backwards and then when the time is right, you can change it to face forward, so you aren't buying 2.....

Answer 6

Your child has outgrown the infant seat when they reach the weight limit(20, 22, 30lbs, depending on your seat. It will have a sticker on the side) or they have less than one inch of plastic seat shell above their head.

Also, PLEASE leave your child rearfacing until at least one year, preferably longer. Kids under age 2 are 4 times more likely to die in a crash if they are forward facing.

Another tip: those all in one seats, such as the Cosco Alpha Omega and clones, will not be the last seat you need. Just concentrate in getting a good convertible. I just bought the Cosco Scenera for $40. It rearfaces to 35lbs and forward faces to 40lbs. The Safety 1st Uptown is also a great seat, as are the Britax brand; ie: Marathon, Decathlon, Boulevard.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Buy a larger REAR-FACING car-seat. You'd be a fool to put your baby forward facing before she is 12 months (As suggested above), no matter how big and strong she is.

You can put her in a shopping cart as soon as she can sit up on her own. Make sure you wipe the seat down with sanitizer and lay a blanket over it so your little one doesn't catch those nasty germs.

Answer 8

i agree with a lot of the other moms. we bought a converible car seat< it was over 100 but totally worth it!> that way we don't have to buy another car seat until she is ready for a booster seat! and leave him rear facing until a year. they say that because of strength delevopment in their bodies to sit in a front facing car seat is usually isn't developeed until around a year old. as for the shopping cart, get one of those cloth seats that goes over the seat in the shoppign cart! as long as he can sit up, he should be fine!

Answer 9

My son outgrew his infant seat at 4 months, I switched him to a forward facing car seat that was for 5lbs to 50 lbs and he has been like that ever since. It's okay for them to sit in a shopping cart. I always but a blanket so he doesn't fall over.

Answer 10

Now is a good time to start letting your daughter sit in a shopping cart. I would recommend using a cart cover though (BuggyBagg and Floppy Seat come to mind) to protect against germs on cart handles.

I recommend a Britax Boulevard. They're pricey ($300) but I LOVE mine and you really can't put a price on your child's safety, now can you? They have side impact protection, EPS foam, patent-pending rip-stitch tether, built in lock-offs, 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, push button release, LATCH system with versa-tether, washable cover, HUGS system, shoulder belt comfort pads, integrated toddler pillow, a removable infant body pillow, the height adjusts with a dial (anyone who has EVER fussed with rethreading a harness height after having to take the seat out knows how ingenious this feature is!) and an upward weight limit of 65 lbs! (These seats expire after 6 years, and most kids are ready for a booster seat after 6 years.)

Here's some more information on the features:

True Side Impact Protection

Severe frontal crashes are the deadliest type of crash. All restraints certified for sale in the USA are tested in frontal crashes. Side impacts are the second deadliest type of crash to children in child restraints. The reinforced headrest is lined with EPS foam to absorb energy in side and rear impacts. Its design cradles the head to keep it away from protruding parts and minimize and cushion violent side to side movements.

Infinitely Adjustable Harness Height

There is no more struggling to remove and disassemble the restraint to move the harness heights. The convenient harness adjustment knobs on the sides of the child restraint allow instant and easy adjustment of the harness height to perfectly match your child's shoulders (very convenient when coats are used). With both child and restraint installed, simply loosen the harness, turn the knob, then snug the harness.

Five-Point Polyester Harness

The five-point polyester harness, with strong no-tangle polyester webbing, fits snugly over the child's shoulders, collarbone and hips providing a more secure fit as your child grows.

Some models are also equipped with the patented "floating" HUGS™ (Harness Ultra Guard) system. This feature is designed to better distribute webbing loads to reduce head movement and minimize the chance for webbing edge loading on the child's neck in the case of an impact. It is also designed to reduce the chance of improper positioning of the chest clip.

Versa-Tether®

The Versa-Tether® is an additional anchor aid, providing the most security in both forward and rear facing installations. It utilizes the factory installed automobile car seat upper anchor points. The Versa-Tether® anchors the top of the carseat, minimizing the possibility of a head injury. The Versa-Tether® is highly recommended for children weighing more than 50 lbs., and is typically used in conjunction with the LATCH System.



I wanted to add that you should NEVER put your baby/toddler in a carseat with their coats on because during a crash the coat can decompress, causing space between the baby and the tethers, and the baby could be ejected from their seat. ALWAYS take their coats off before putting them in their carseats. It takes a few extra minutes but it could save your child's life!