Carrying Hill in his car carrier weighs like 4,000 lbs. Even though he’s only 15 lbs the carrier is like another 3,985 lbs and is no longer conducive to every day toting around. So Hill is going to have to start being a “hip baby” as my friend Marsha refers to her sweet Pearce as. The only problem is that Hill can’t sit up on his own yet so this poses a problem when we go places we’d have nowhere to ‘set’ him. As much as we’d love to hold him, it doesn’t always work out that way. There is the Baby Bjorn, but when you are eating you might just drop a big meatball on his head if he’s in that thing. There is the umbrella stroller but if you are grocery shopping you can’t push that and the cart. I guess I’m down to either the Bjorn or the umbrella stroller depending on the situation. Any other suggestions are welcome during this transition stage.
As if how to carry him around was my biggest problem…. Let’s talk about his carrier. He is 15lbs. His Graco carrier is up to 30 lbs. The BEAUTIFUL Britax car seat I got such a fabulous deal on is 25-80 lbs. One would think Ah, ha! Easy transition from one to the other. WRONG! The Britax is a forward facing car seat and according to the children’s journal of yadda yadda yadda children are not to face forward until two years of age and 25 lbs. That is two years away for us. He’s gonna be like Chris Farley in the movie ‘Tommy Boy’ - - “Big guy in a little coat” hanging out in that Graco carrier.
So here is my question to all you mama’s out there. Do I sell the Britax Frontier on eBay and get a different one that’s a ‘convertible” as they call it that is both rear and forward facing for when he can transition out of the Graco carrier? Do I keep the Britax Frontier and find an interim seat for a few months from now until age two? Do I not listen to the medical rules of the children’s journal saying how my baby’s neck and body muscles won’t develop fully until age two to withstand facing forward during a crash in his car seat?
Why do I have to make this so complicated?
Then on top of that my poor baby bought me a car with a DVD player that drops down and he can’t even watch it until he’s 2 and facing forward. Did I tell ya’ll that? For mother’s day Hill bought me a new car. It’s a Toyota Sequoia and I love it. She’s a Hoss and uses a lot of gas. Yet, she is safe and safety first….starting with this dang car seat debacle! Please advise or throw convertible car seats my way. Thanks!
9 comments:
I turned both girls around when they were between 8 and 10 months old because they were WAYYYY to big for a carrier and could hold their heads really well. Also the backwords riding made them car sick.
all three of my boys got turned forward at 20lbs. But you should do what you feel safest with.
As far as a carseat. Before selling the Britax, I would go to Babies R Us and see if there are any other seats equally as safe but cover a wider weight range. There is probably a carseat out there that will work now and grow with him when you're ready to turn him around.
Always just propped my big boys up with a blanket or something before they sat up on their own. As far as the "hip baby"...I've never used a sling, but some are made so that you can carry baby on your hip.
Greyson got turned around at about 20 lbs. He was growing out of his infant car seat at a fast rate!It's a hard decision, especially when you are trying to figure out the safest way for him to ride. But you also want him to be comfy!
Thanks, girls! I appreciate your insight and hearing how you have handled things. Seems like everyone I asked turned their kiddo around at 20 lbs.
We got the Britax convertible that goes up to 50lbs and can face back or forward. Sullivan was hanging out of his little Graco, so we had to upgrade. Our Pediatrician stressed to us not to put him forward facing until 20lbs and a year old. Certainly up to you, but I just don't want to risk it. As for restaurants, we sometimes take Sullivan's bouncy seat with us since he gets tired of high chair. A bumbo might work too?
Oh I so remember this stage! We turned Garrison around at 20 pounds even though he was only a little over 10 months old. We do have a convertible seat, so we changed to it from the carrier at 6 months with it facing backwards until he hit the 20 pound mark. As for restaurants, some of the high chair covers come with a pillow that helps to kinda prop them up until they are sitting good (Shea has one of these - really neat). It works for the shopping cart as well.
Hey girl. Oh i feel ya. Bryson grew out of his infant carrier quick too. We had bought a Britax Decathlon which is 5 lbs to 65 lbs when Marla Ray was around 1 year. I swear by that seat. She rode in it until she was 4 1/2 (yes she was in a 5 point harness seat until she was 4 1/2 and is still in a 5 point harness but a larger seat)and I made myself buy her another one simply because i knew when he was born it wouldnt be long and he would be in it rear facing . At 6 months, he was in it.
Now, I used my Bjorn at the grocery store, Dollar General, and everywhere in between. I swear by that thing too.
And as far as the restaurant thing goes the floppy seat shopping cart cover they carry at babiesrus I cant live without. It stays in my car and i use it everytime we eat and shop. Plus its so cushy that he will even sleep on it in the shopping cart... sweet baby.
SO my suggestion is it may be better to get a Britax that is also rear facing so that you wont be waiting 7 months to be able to turn him around. Bryson is 20 lbs now at 10 months but not ready yet to sit forward facing. He is comfortable in the Britax rear facing and i may keep him there as long as he is.
But you follow your instincts. You are his mother and you know what is best for him and if you have any questions HOLLA at me! Loves!
I would ask your pediatrician. I've never heard or read anything about being 2 years old. You have to be careful when reading articles bc that may have been based on one research project. Your pediatrician keeps up with all current research and knows which ones are valid. Sorry, I'm kind of a dork!
This is Sara (Beery) Macha. Can I just say, I love reading your blog. Hill is adorable and your writing makes me laugh everytime I come on here. Just like in high school. Now about the stroller thing, I don't know about an umbrella...but the full on real deal stroller is totally doable at the grocery store. You push the stroller and pull the cart. I promise. And people just get out of your way. We have the Britax marathon and I love them. I would definitely say get a convertible. We didn't turn the girls till they were 20 lbs. and it was way after their 1yr. bday. But I know a bunch of people that turned their babies at 1yr.
Hope that helps. Good luck with that cute little boy. I can't wait to read more.
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