Choosing the right Infant Seat...

[rexybaby]

I just have my first child last month , and currently shopping for our first infant car seat. I was so confuse when researching into what type of seat is most suitable, there are just so many types of infant seats out there. I almost purchased a convertible seat on Amazon, but I found they are not the most suitable for infant. For other dads who are looking below are 2 sites I find helpful in choosing the right type of seat:

http://www.childseatcenter.com/article7.html
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/babysafety/ss/typesofcarseats.htm[/url]

 

[Kaytee]

congrats on a new baby! May I ask how you got your child homw if you don't have a seat yet?

As far as convertable seats. I prefer those and will get that when I have another child. HTe bucket was an inconvenience for me as my dd would not stay in one even as a newborn. It was heavy and uncomfortbale to lug around.
As far as brands I am a fan of Britax seats. They are expensive but test high in safety

 

[jenilouise]

Natalia has a convertible and a bucket and we prefer the convertible as well. Of course she's like 20 lbs already so the added weight is not needed.

 

[Kaytee]

I know, I moved Nichole out of her bucket at about 4 months old. She was maybe 14 pounds, and I was like, geez this is too heavy. Especially if ew went anywhere, she would be up and crying to get out of the seat.

 

[fallon]

Logan is in a convertable also but he's 23 1/2 lbs now...we moved him out of the bucket at like 19lbs cause I just couldn't carry it anymore

 

[jenilouise]

Once they hit a certain weight it's too much.

 

[Trina]

rexybaby, I'm also curious. How did you bring your baby home without a car seat?

I'm a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. I do car seat inspections and teach parents how to properly restrain their kids and install car seats. The first step is usually an infant carrier car seat. Yes, some people start with a rear facing convertible, but depending on the size of the baby, that may not be an option. When rear facing the harness straps need to be at or below your baby's shoulders. Newborns often don't safely fit into convertibles because the harness straps are above their shoulders. This is dangerous in the event of a crash.

When shopping for a car seat be sure to get one with a 5 pt. harness and a front harness adjuster. I've worked with many different makes and models of car seats. My two current favorite infant carriers are the Graco SafeSeat and the Graco Snugride. The SafeSeat is currently the only infant carrier on the market that goes up to 30 lbs. and 32". Very nice seat and user friendly. There are different versions of Snugrides. Some go up to 20 lbs, while others go up to 22, and they don't all have front harness adjusters. (This is an important safety and convenience feature.)

If you're in the US, to find a CPS Tech in your area:
http://www.seatcheck.org

Recommended car seats:
http://www.carseatsite.com

Compatibility database and car seat info:
http://www.carseatdata.org

More car seat resources right here at ParentingForums.org:
http://www.parentingforums.org/local_links.php?catid=32


For those of you who think infant carriers are eventually too heavy to carry.... You don't <I>have</I> to use it in the carrier mode. As long as the baby is still within the height and weight limits, you can still use it and leave it in the car.

 

[Nicolel0929]

Both of my children have convertible carseats. But I used the carriers until they reached 20 lbs. They I put them in the convertible one rear facing until they were one. Then just switched it forward.

 

[Trina]

Forgot to mention earlier...

Be sure to keep your baby rear facing until <I>at least</I> 12 mos. <I>and</I> 20 lbs.. Longer is even better. The AAP and safety experts now recommend babies stay rear facing until they reach the rear facing limits of their convertible car seat. Rear facing better protects the head, neck and spine in the event of a crash.

The harness needs to be snug, and the chest clip should be at arm pit level.

 

[Kaytee]

I hated the bucket seat, because it pushed on the back of my seat and made it very hard to get her out of it. I was in a hatch back vehicle. YUCK!! lol
We actually just moved Nichole forward facing (again she is 2) but I will not hesitate to move her back rear if we get bad weather. I just moved her when we went to see Christmas lights at this park (it was 15 bucks to get in, so I had to make sure she could see!) Of course she wa 23 months old and over 20lbs. lol
If she follows her growth chrat she won't reach the limit of rear facing till she is over 5! lol. Imagine goingto kindergarten rear facing! lol

but I also agree that they should reamin rear facing much longer then the minnimum

 

[jtee]

congrats on a new baby! May I ask how you got your child homw if you don't have a seat yet?

Well, that is indeed a very interesting question.

 

[Kaytee]

I guess we will never know