If you have a child rear-facing after 12 months..?

Question

Some of these other questions got me thinking about this. My daughter is 13 months, 23 pounds and still rear-facing. I am still using her Graco infant car seat. She doesn't seem uncomfortable, so I will keep it until she get uncomfortable and get a new one, but.

If you have a rear-facing child that is over 1 what kind of car seat are you using?

Answer 1

My 17 month old is rear-facing in a Cosco Scenera.

As soon as the 4.5 month old needs to come out of her Graco Snugride then the 17 month old will go into our Radian 65. The baby will then get the Scenera.

Answer 2

Well, my son isn't over 1 yet, but we use the Britax Marathon.  It's a convertible seat, and rear facing it holds to like 33 or 35 lbs.  He's only 18.8 lbs right now (9.5 months).  I plan on keeping him rear facing until he's uncomfortable, then I'll just turn the seat around.  It holds to 60 or 65 lbs forward facing.  

Answer 3

Most infant carriers have a weight limit of 22-25 pounds, which means that you are going to need to get a new seat soon, if not now.  

We're using an older Evenflo tribute.  Here's a side view of it in our car.  Alex is 16 months old, about 24 pounds, and about 31 inches tall.  His feet just barely touch the back of the seat.  http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk13/...

You can use any convertible car seat.  Walmart sells some for about $40 that can rear face from 8-35 pounds and forward face from 20-45 pounds (or so).

Answer 4

you can face her forward in a seat rated for her weight.  if you get a convertible seat that can face either way keep her facing backward it's safer.  If you need to go the cost efficient route.  A five point harness booster is the best bet for the money. This well be the last seat she will ever need.  once she is over 40lbs you take out the harness & use the seat a a booster seat. Untill 100lbs or childs knees are bent when their back & rear are against the seat.  Then they no long need a booster.  Sounds like a long time but better safe than sorry.

NO CHILD UNDER 1 ShOULD EVER FACE FORWARD.  THIS IS VERYIMPORTANT.  THE REASON REAR FACING CARSEATS ARE ON AN ANGLE IS TO LET THE CHILD RIDE OUT A CRASH, NO SHARP THRASHING OR SLAMING AROUND OR HEAD OR NECK.  THIIS DESIGN IS TO PROTECT THE CHILD NECK VERTIBRE WHICH ARE NOT FULLY DEVEOPED UNTIL THE AGE OF 1.  IF YOUR CHILD IS IN A FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT & YOU GET IN A WRECK YOUR CHILD'S SPIN COULD SNAP!!! WITH THE FORCE OR THE WRECK OF 35MPH.  

DO YOUR RESEARCH MOM'S KEEP YOUR BABIES SAFE.  HAVE GREAT REASON BEHIDE YOUR CHOICES FOR YOUR CHILD.

The lady that teachs our safe kids course free to public & will give you a new car seat for taking her course.  She used to be a EMT (ambulance) & she but too many kids in bodybags.  Now she personaly gets grants, goes through classes every year, teaches free classes once a month, gives away car seats if you take her class.  She tell you when to change seats how to but them in properly & tels you know the major NO!s which alot of us do every day.

Check the State Patrol, Health Departments, of\r Hospitals.  Our SP HD Hospital lost the grants but this one lady has made it her mission in life to keep our three surounding county in car seat & know the proper way to use them

Answer 5

Eddie Bauer deluxe convertible seat

Answer 6

Your daughter is to heavy (YEAH!) and old to be safe in an infant seat. If you were in an accident she could be injured as the seat can not hold her weight in the way it was designed to.

Look for a convertible seat which can be rear or front facing if you wish, though there is no reason to keep her rear-facing and all safety guidelines say she should not be.

Answer 7

my child is one. he's 24lbs.

I spent almost 300$ on the Britax Marathon seat just so that he could be rear facing beyond 1 year. Britax allows them to be rear facing until 30something pounds. I forget what exactly it is.

Rear facing is safest and he will be rear facing until he hits the weight/height limits and have to be switched forward.

And to the person that said they should be forward facing at 6 months. NO! crazy. no kid under 1 year should ever be forward facing.

Answer 8

My baby is only 9 1/2 months, but he has grown out of his infant carrier.  We bought a convertible carseat so he could continue being rear-facing.  We bought the Alpha Oméga Elite (from Cosco Juvenile).  I really like it.  It looks quite comfy.

Answer 9

We have a Britax Marathon.  It's a great seat.

Answer 10

All infants should always ride rear-facing until they are 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds.

I grabbed this from a website, but here in Australia, we change the baby at about 4 months, as its said that when a child's legs can reach the back seat, it becomes dangerous

*Im not saying thats right, thats just the standards here*

Answer 11

You aren't supposed to keep them rear facing that long.  I think they are supposed to face forward at 6 months.  You should still be able to use the same car seat if you don't want to buy a new one, but turn that kid around!

Answer 12

You ask an excellent question because this issue gets confusing for many parents. This comes up again when the child gets to about the age of four and it becomes time to move her out of the car seat and into the booster seat. The problem is that the manufacturer's weight limits on the individual seat do not necessarily coincide with the appropriate time the infant should be turned to forward facing.

Car seats for infants are placed facing the rear because in a head-on collision the muscles of the neck of an infant are unable to adequately support the head as it violently lurches forward. If the infant were facing forward during a head-on collision, significant head and neck injury could occur even though the baby remained adequately seated in the car seat. These muscles become strong enough at about one year of age. Therefore, to turn the car seat around, the child ought to have had her first birthday. But what about the 20 pound rule? This rule is set because most children at 20 pounds are tall enough to fit into a forward facing car seat. Notice I said most children. There are some shorter children who reach 20 pounds before the restraining system of the forward facing seat correctly fits. When this occurs, an infant car seat that allows for higher weights, but can also be used rear-facing, should be purchased. I always suggest putting your child into the seat in the store before purchasing one. "Trying on" the car seat is a good idea before spending a lot of money on one.

The next common recommendation is to switch from a car seat to a booster seat when the child reaches four years or 40 pounds. Again, this is a generalization. Most children at four years or 40 pounds are tall enough to have the safety belt fit correctly when they are in a booster seat. However, there are plenty of taller children who reach this point before their fourth birthday. Conversely, there are numerous children who ought to stay in their car seat for a while after their fourth birthday until they are taller. Of course, this implies that the car seat can hold a child greater than 40 pounds. A child fits correctly in a booster seat when the lap part of the belt fits across the hips not the abdomen and the shoulder portion fits across the chest and not the neck.

Amy, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the child be 20 pounds and one year of age before switching them to a forward facing car seat. There are many car seats out on the market which allow for them to be switched from rear to forward facing. In addition, there are some car seats that can be converted from a toddler car seat to a child booster seat.

As always, I suggest you read both the instruction sheet of the car seat and the owner's manual of the car to see if there are any quirks pertaining to your car or car seat that you should be aware of.

Good luck to you.

Answer 13

My daughter is 17 months old and we still keep her rear facing. We use a toddler car-seat (By Evenflo) because she out grew the infant car seat (by height not weight). Just check the weight/height requirements on your infant seat before you switch her to a toddler car-seat.

EDIT: Here is a picture of it, I have different version (I guess last years version) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

Answer 14

My daughter is 20 months and is 20lbs, she has had some growth issues, but she is still happy and content to be in the infant car seat we brought her home from the hospital in.   If her legs hit the seat or her head is higher then the back of the seat those are definate signs that we need to purchase a new one.  

I have my oldest daughter in an Eddie Bauer Five Point Harness System, which she was in since she was four months old, rear facing until she was about 25lbs.  I will be getting my youngest the same if not simliar seat whenever that time comes.

Good luck!

Answer 15

My son is 16 months, 25 lbs, and 31 inches long.

We use a Fisher Price Safe Voyager Deluxe. It is made by Britax but with the Fisher Price name. RF to 33lbs and FF to 55 lbs. Way cheaper, but the same seat as the Marathon and he is comfy in it too.

Keep it up with RF!

I want to comment on your other answers:

Yes you need to get a convertible seat now instead of using the infant seat, but keep it rear facing. It is so much safer. I think it is funny how some people don't even answer the question. It was very simple, but I guess their minds are just too simple too, lol.