car seat advice

[linzkg]

My son is almost 5 months but because he's a large fella I'm looking to invest in the next size up. I have seen that everyone is very supportive of the maxi cosi priori XP seat. On looking at reviews it says this seat is for about 9 month + babies. Is this just because of average size and weight do you think?

I currently have a maxi cosi that has the extra padding and head protection thing but had to remove it. He just looks so uncomfortable in it - I think the seat is far too deep for him to sit in, as in it's at a full 90 degrees where as the extra piece had padding for the bum and lower back .. he just looks so uncomfortable.

So can I go with the next size up?

Any advice would be great!

[Pickle]

Hi Linzkg,

The 9+ month recommendation is based more on developmental issues than size and weight - a child younger than that doesn't have the strength in their neck to protect themselves in an accident, so if you put a young baby forward facing and have an accident you are risking very serious injury. Keep him rear facing as long as possible... I took all the padding out of my maxi cosi rear facing seat for my kids and kept them both rear facing until they were over a year old.

There's been a few discussions about this issue, together with some good website links etc, might be worth looking them up.

P x

[linzkg]

Perfect - thanks very much - that's what I wanted to hear!

So its to do with development and front facing etc - thought there had to be something in it.

[snowboarder]

Hi Linzkg - we found this too with the maxi cosi - we have one of these for our 7 month old -

http://www.mothercare.com/Concord-Ultimax-Car-Seat-Chilli/dp/B002APGUHU/sr=1-11/qid=1258535120/ref=sr_1_11/275-6391039-0031955?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=60429031&mcb=core

Which although expensive should last rear facing a bit longer and then can turn round to forward facing. Seems more comfortable bit not easy carry out style...

[linzkg]

thanks - this seems a good option too actually! pity its 10kgs though .. but thanks very much I will investigate!

[snowboarder]

Yep it's heavy - we leave it permanently in the car. But it is more comfortable and you can def get it cheaper than the mothercare link - we paid max ?150 for it.

[melbourne groover]

We have the Britax First class SI seat. It starts off backwards and then turns. My (off the growth chart) 9 mth old baby is happily reversed in there still. We recently took it on hols with us and had it on the plane also so not too heavy (useful also as a seat for older child whilst sifting around airport...)

Have very happy with it.

Just googled it and available from ?89 ish

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi L,

If you go to the rearfacing.co.uk website you will find quite a few local (ish) stockists of Stage 2 rearfacing car seats - nearest is Orpington I think....the seats are around ?200 so similar price to normal Stage 2 and actually many of them fit right through Stage 3 as well, so overall not a bad price. They can be used up to 3 rear facing then some of them can be turned forward facing.

In much of Europe children are kept rear facing until they are 3 because in a head on collision with a child under 3 the head is about 25% of the total body weight which means although the 5 point harness restrains the body the head is thrown forward with such force (even at around 30mph) that it can result in serious injury to the spinal cord.

I know we all want to turn our little ones forward facing, and hands up I currently have baby C in the seat we used with our older child because of my inefficiency, but I am planning to go to the place in Orpington and have a fitting with them/see what I think of the seats because the theory makes complete sense to me.

Worth at least checking out the website and reading what they have to say. I think in the next 2 or 3 years we are going to be hearing a lot more about this, and I can't believe that places like Halfords are not yet offering rear facing Stage 2 seats...reckon it wont be long....

Molly