At what age did you turn the car seat around?

I have a safe n sound tilt and adjust car seat and it says that it should be rearward facing until 12kg, but can be forward facing from 8-18kg, but also that the baby insert should be taken out at 10kg, and that baby insert should only be used in rearward facing position.

I'm confused!!!:shakehead:

My bub is 8 months but quite small, I think only 7.5kg still, but he has cloth nappies and his bum is getting too tight for the baby insert. According to the instruction manual if I take the insert out I have to turn it round to forward facing, but he;s still too small isn;t he??

Any experience with this? At what age/weight did you turn the seat around?

Thanks!!!

I don't think that means the baby insert HAS to be in for rearward facing, but just that you cannot use it when forward facing. DD is almost 16 months and still rear facing bc it's much safer. I'm leaving her that way as long as the seat allows (12kg).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUW...eature=related

Sorry didn't explain that very well did I?? lol

When I tried to take the insert out it said please ALWAYS use the insert when in rearward facing position. I would prefer to keep him rearward facing if it's safer but his bum is getting too big!!

im confused with what ur seat says

but i turned my seat around at about 6 months when my DS could hold his head and sit upright in the floor n his own with no support

but my DS has been a big chubby baby

Oh I see, that's odd isn't it! We took the insert out of ours, it didn't say anything about it. Maybe you could email them with your problem and see what they say??

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Oh I see, that's odd isn't it! We took the insert out of ours, it didn't say anything about it. Maybe you could email them with your problem and see what they say??

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Yeah I'd go with that. On all 3 car seats we have (all different brands) they all say the same thing, infant insert to only be used when rearward facing, but you can remove it after a certain age/weight.

Eden is nearly 7 months and still rearward facing. Her seat goes to 12kg rear facing so we will be waiting until that time. DD1 was turned at 13/14 months. DS was turned at around 7/8 months because I didn't know any better ;)

Don't forget to check the laws regarding car seats. They have all been changed in November for Victoria and NSW. I 'think' you must leave them rear facing until a minimum of 12 months of age. Just something else to consider.

My boys were rearward facing for as long as possible. DS1 was 16 months before he turned after his brother was born. DS2 was 26 months when we faced him forwad. Both were under 12kg DS1 is 3 and has only just reached 12kg. DS2 was turned because he was too long not weight wise though.

I just checked and it says "it is recommended" to always use the insert in rearward facing position... so I guess it would be safer to take the insert out if he doesn't fit any more and leave it rearward facing. Maybe I should ring them!

Thanks!!

we have a different safe n sound model but we were like heaven & just took the insert out when things got a bit tight. DS is a pretty big boy but he was still rearward facing until over 8 months.

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Don't forget to check the laws regarding car seats. They have all been changed in November for Victoria and NSW. I 'think' you must leave them rear facing until a minimum of 12 months of age. Just something else to consider.

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aooarently its only minimum of 6 months..

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Summary of changes
The new national child restraint laws state:

Children younger than six months must be secured in a rearward facing restraint.
Children aged six months to under four years must be secured in either a rear or forward facing restraint.
Children aged four years to under seven years must be secured in forward facing child restraint or booster seat.
Children younger than four years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows.
Children aged four years to under seven years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows, unless all other back seats are occupied by children younger than seven years in a child restraint or booster seat.

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from the NSW rta website this morning..

Most people in Australia turn the seats around too early (ie once their baby reaches the minimum age/weight for front facing), so the recommendation to use the insert all the time while rear-facing might be based on that. If you have checked out that youtube clip you will know that rear-facing is much safer than front facing so keeping your baby that way for as long as possible is a good idea. My second DS is small for his age and was over 18 months when we finally had to turn him around!

We've just turned DD around, so almost 18 months.

We turned DD around at 15 months. We waited as long as possible to turn her around as we knew she was always going to be safer rear facing. She's very, very tall (off the charts!) and we knew she would be more comfortable forward facing :D

We turned DS car seat around when he was 8 months and 9kgs - I was struggling to put DS in the carseat rear facing

DS is 14 months on Wednesday and still rear facing. I'm not sure what he weighs though or what the seat will take.

What happens if they weigh more than the seat says it can take? Is it dangerous or more of a rule to make sure they fit properly in the seat?
Better get him weighed I guess...

i think its due to weight distribution.
as alot of the weight when rea facing will go through teh straps and top of teh seat so only a thinish piece of plastic.

and when forward facing it will go through the whole back and base of teh seat as it is fully supported by teh cars seat so not relying on 10 cm stabalising bar and 4cm of plastic against the seat for force absorbption..
but this is only my theory...

We turned our son around to forward facing at about 8 months old. He used to always scream when In the car and we were advised that it might be due to motion sickness/ facing backwards, which I still have at 25. I have to drive or I am sick after ten minutes lol

So DS has been a better traveller since.....