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millymollymandy 
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 Topic: Car seat questions
Posted: 01 September 2010 at 11:46am |
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Hi,
DD is 13 months old. She is around 7 KG and is still in her cpasule, but it is becoming a bit short for her so we are off to buy a new car seat next week.
Before we do I have some questions....
1. Rear or Forward facing?
I know she is techinically too small for FF, but she gets really grizzly in the car, which makes it hard to drive. Over the weekend she had a 30 mins trip in a friends FF seat and was a different baby, and pointed at things and sang to us the whole trip. Yesterday i had to sit in the back of Mum's car with her and I can she way she hates its, its boring. But I know that RF is safer, but if I can't concentrate, then I'm not sure it actually is. Can someone remin me why its meant to be 9KG?
I'm thinking we will get one that converts as can be used for a second baby too.
2. Whats a good brand to look for? And what are the features it should have?
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noisybaby
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 1:57pm |
Whats 9kg? Go on youtube and have a look at the videos of kids in crashs RR and FF. Try a mirror on the back seat headrest so you can see her without turning around.
Im RR all the way and my 26month old is still rear faced and will be till she grows out of her seat. We have a Brio Zento. We are getting another carseat soon too as my 4 month old is 8.5kgs and out growing his capsule too. but he will be RR till he grows out of his new carseat too. I think it is anEvenflo Symphony seat we are going to get. Its on the Baby On the Move website. the new model. If you have one of there stores up there go and see them for advice
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T_Rex
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 1:59pm |
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I'd vote rear facing. Check out the extended rear facing thread in the "in the news" section. (that'll remind you why not to turn them too early).
My DD was a grizzle bum rearfacing for ages too, then we changed from a safe'n'sound to a radian carseat. The radian sits her up high enough that she can see plenty, and it's not as deep, so she can see out the sides as well as the back window and she's been pretty cruisy ever since. So you might find just changing her to a bigger, higher, RF seat keeps her happier than being down low in a capsule?
Also, you might struggle to find a seat that is suitable for FF a 7kg infant. Most start from 8kg.
Would you be wanting one to use from birth for the next baby, or would the next baby just go into the capsule first?
ETA. She's still rearfacing in the radian, just not grizzly about it anymore.
Edited by T_Rex
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EmilysMum
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 7:07pm |
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I'd say rear-facing as well. 7kg is still very little, and one of the reasons for rear facing until a certain size/age is that their neck muscles haven't developed enough to support their heads and prevent internal decapitation in an accident if forward facing. I also recommend checking out the rear facing vs forward facing clips on youtube, one look at them and you'll be wanting to rear face as long as possible! My DD is in a Brio Zento as well, and can see plenty and is happy enough in it. We also have a big mirror so I can see her and vice versa.
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tiptoes
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 7:41pm |
 T_Rex wrote:
I'd vote rear facing. Check out the extended rear facing thread in the "in the news" section. (that'll remind you why not to turn them too early).
My DD was a grizzle bum rearfacing for ages too, then we changed from a safe'n'sound to a radian carseat. The radian sits her up high enough that she can see plenty, and it's not as deep, so she can see out the sides as well as the back window and she's been pretty cruisy ever since. So you might find just changing her to a bigger, higher, RF seat keeps her happier than being down low in a capsule?
Also, you might struggle to find a seat that is suitable for FF a 7kg infant. Most start from 8kg.
Would you be wanting one to use from birth for the next baby, or would the next baby just go into the capsule first?
ETA. She's still rearfacing in the radian, just not grizzly about it anymore. |
That's interesting T-Rex, Cooper is a grizzle bum too and I think our seat is also a safe and sound, maybe we should upgrade too.
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millymollymandy
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 9:41pm |
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Thanks ...lots to think about, def need some way to improve the ride, the screaming, car sickness and resultant projectile vomiting (oh yes...) aren't fun for anyone. I guess it's all a sign that our girl, although little, isn't an infant anymore. Will go and check out some options.
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Mum_me
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Posted: 01 September 2010 at 9:42pm |
We are in a similar situation. DD is 15months and also 7kg and is currently sitting rearfacing in her Safe n Sound. She is not bothered by it though. My DS was a different story though
I tend to leave my kids rearfacing as long as possible DS rearfaced in the same seat till he was 16months (he was a big boy and had to be turned around then). He too went through a grizzly patch (maybe at a similar age to your DD)- but it didn't last long (less than a month). By the time I turned him around a few months later he couldn't have cared less!
I thought that the reason they were safer RF while smaller has more to do with bone strength than anything else. I would suspect that small kids, like ours, would fare worse in an accident than those with a bit more padding/bulkier frame  - but I could be wrong...
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noisybaby
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Posted: 02 September 2010 at 9:13am |
Its all to do with there head weight and underdeveloped neck muscles etc. if Ff in a crash there necks can snap with the weight of their head as their necks aren't strong enough to hold that sort of force. If you have ever been in a crash you know yourself how easy it is to get whiplash. I got it in a mild crash when we got shunted from behind when I was 12yrs old and I was a lot bigger than a 2 year old.
have a look at the clips on youtube to see the results of a FF and RF in a crash
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bun_in_the_oven
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Posted: 02 September 2010 at 9:25pm |
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http://www.childrestraints.co.nz/
all you need to know.. and its NZ standards etc..
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NovemberMum
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Posted: 02 September 2010 at 10:30pm |
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a grizzly baby is far better than a dead one...it might sound morbid but it is true.
as others have said keep her rear facing for as long as possible even 9kg IMO is too small to forward face. that is the minimumn but it is best to keep the rearfacing to the maximum weight/height of the carseat.
my son is in a cosco which RF to 16kg he is 9 months and 8.6kgs. they retail for $200 sometimes less. my daughter was in the same seat till 2 years 8 months she outgrew it heightwise, she was just under 15kgs so if she was a few cms shorter it could have probably taken her RF till she was around 3. so that seat might be a good option and seeing as your daughter is 13 months and only 7kgs it is unlikely she will reach 16kgs anytime soon.
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millymollymandy
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Posted: 03 September 2010 at 11:59am |
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Hmm..I feel as tho I've been put in my place...I guess I'll have to steel myself for another 3 years of hating driving the car, vomiting and tears. Need to find some way to keep her happier, not sure what though maybe a mirror so we can both see each other. Not many options locally for car seats, safe and sound and edinburgh by the looks, but do RF to aorund 12-16KG.
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T_Rex
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Posted: 03 September 2010 at 12:41pm |
Aww hun, it wasn't a telling off (at least I didn't mean it if it sounded that way!).
I do understand how awful it is driving with the screaming. We gave DD a dummy in the car which helped (for ages it was a car-only thing, although foolishly I eventually let her take it out of the car with her). It just seems to encourage her to go to sleep.
Does she have toys hanging on her carseat? For some babies they can make the carsickness worse cos they swing around all the time.
Have a search for a thread called "screaming in the car" or something along those lines that I started a while ago, I got some good suggestions there. 
I hope you can figure something out!
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MrsMc
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Posted: 03 September 2010 at 9:55pm |
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hopefully its just a stage for your daughter and she can be happily RF.
7KG is definately too small to FF
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NovemberMum
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Posted: 03 September 2010 at 10:00pm |
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you might find once you get a convertible and she is more upright it might be a bit more comfortable for her
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Gardengirl
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Posted: 03 September 2010 at 10:13pm |
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Rear facing, definitely.
Someone said to me recently that with each move - from capsule to seat, from rear facing to forward facing, from car seat to booster seat - with each upward move comes a little less protection.
And the rear facing Radian is SO cost effective - RF to 20kg and then FF to 32kg.
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Jacobsmumma
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Posted: 09 September 2010 at 2:21pm |
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I just read online that Radian carseats have not been safety tested in Australia and therefore are illegal to use there. I know we live in NZ but my current carseat has triple safety rating (we have a Safe-n-Sound which only goes to 12kgs rf). Although I am now seriously thinking about upgrading ....
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(9lbs 6ozs)
(11lbs 4ozs)
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NovemberMum
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Posted: 09 September 2010 at 3:11pm |
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yeah there are no seats (that you can legally use) that rear face past 12kg in Australia, yet Aussie parents are crying out for seats that allow rearfacing past 12kgs.
yet safe n sound (which I think is pretty much the predominant carseat manufacturer there) say it iis out of their hands due to government regulations.
now it could just be me but you would think that if the australian public want higher rear facing as well as higher forward facing (in a 5 point harness) carseats that they (safe n sound)would say to the government, hey our people want carseats with higher weight limits why dont we get some tested.
I do have to say though that I am glad we live in a country where we do have the option to rearface past 12kgs, even the cheap cosco will get most children rear facing till at least the age of 2
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Jacobsmumma
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Posted: 10 September 2010 at 11:46am |
Think I'll go have a look at Cosco seats now, thanks NovemberMum.
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(9lbs 6ozs)
(11lbs 4ozs)
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Car seat questions
