When Did You turn bubs carseat around?

I 'm wondering when you turned bub around in his/her carseat? I've read that you can turn bub around at 6 months or when they weigh 8kg.

I'm thinking about turning DS around but am a little confused about when to do it.

Thanks

Yes! I want to know too. Our daughter weighed in at 8kgs at 12 weeks and she is now 14 weeks.

Hey hun, Isabelle is 9 kgs, (our car seat says 8kgs) and is nearly 11 mths and is still rear-facing. There has been alot of evidence to show that it is far safer for bubs to be rear facing for as long as possible, in fact, in the US and in Europe it is law to keep them that way until 12mths so it is interesting about what the car seat manufacturers say.

Here is a previous thread that has a great video showing the dangers of turning too early.
Is it inconvenient having her rear-facing- yep! but I don't care and she will stay that way for at least another month!

Hey Mako

I've seen some fantastic evidence to support the idea that leaving the car seat RF is MUCH safer for bubs (past the 8kg mark) and even up to 1 year (or even beyond). So our DD is still RF, and I think at about 12 months we will turn her around.
DH and I are always saying that the thought of what would happen to her little neck (and spinal cord) in a car accident if she was FF, is just so scarey. They are just so vulnerable, especially at 6 months.

We turned DD around at about 12 months old. We also did the research and found that rear facing was so much safer and as she travelled well in the rear facing position there was no reason to turn her earlier.

They say you can turn them as soon as they can support their heads but having seen the videos their necks are just so weak. I would definitely encourage people to keep babies rear facing for as long as they possibly can.

DD1 wwas turned at 10 months (8.5kg).

DD2 is now way over 8kg and very tall and looks a bit uncomfrtable, but she has not got very good head control so i wont be turning her for a while yet.

The longer you can leave them RF the better.

I'm definately not changing Madeleine around to face us then! She can cry sometimes when she can't see us and more often than not, I have to jump in the back when we go on the lengthy trip, she gets happy then when she can see me :lol:

we turned ds around at 8 months.

we turned sophie around at 13 months!

If you are worried about seeing bubs you can get mirrors that sit near your rear vision mirror that points towards one in the back so you can keep an eye on them in the back. I think we got ours from Coles.

I've just turned my DD around at 11.5 months and 9.25 kgs. Quite honestly, I hate that she is now turned around. She's such a small little poppet I would much rather she was safer and facing rear but having just had to fit a capsule too, there was no room for DD's seat to stay that way - my pregnant belly was literally pushing through the gaps in the steering wheel when I had a rear facing restraint behind me.

We haven't turned Felix yet.

Thought about it...but have also seen some of the research on trying to keep them facing rearwards as long as possible.

We actually turned his seat the other day, just for a trial...but he looked so tiny and unprotected. He has great head/neck control but when he fell asleep facing forwards, his little head was just bobbing around everywhere.

So...we turned him back again...and I feel so much happier seeing him all safe and sound!

at around 7-8 months, and never looked back - pardon the pun
rearward facing while safer also makes them car sick (if they are prone to it)
car rides are a joy now (usually!!)

Thank you all for your replies. That video is scary and there is no way that ds will be turned around any time soon,much to dh's disappointment. I just can't put ds in that situation if any thing bad was to occur.
Sage is almost 6 months and is a tiny 6kgs so he'll be RF for quite some time yet.

i was thinking of turning tahlia around cause her feet are almost touching the seat, but Ive changed my mind now after watching the video and reading all of these posts!

Mako - dude Sage is waaaaaaaay too tiny to turn around any time soon. Glad you're not going to...what is it with the dad's? DH has mentioned it to me a few times too. You know how big L is and I'm nowhere near ready to turn him around yet.

Willow I agree with you on Sage being way too small.Its just that DH was hoping to turn him around before we go away next week but thats just not going to happen esp after seeing that video.
I was wondering if you'd turned L around or not but now I know you haven't ;)
How old was V when you turned her around???

Oh I'm pleased that my question has helped some other mums out there with their descisions too :dance:

Mako, they have to be a minimum of 8kgs before you turn them anyway so you are a long way from that. We just turned Thomas around a couple of weeks ago at 18 months. He hadn't reached the weight limit yet but was getting too long. He was quite happy rear facing - it's easier with no 2 as they can see no 1 when they are rear facing so they don't get bored so easily.

Yep - my little man has the distinct disadvantage of having parents who have seen the consequences of inappropriate child restraint. He is not exactly huge (and only just at the 8kg anyway) but he will be facing backwards until well after 12 months. There are too many idiot drivers in Sydney that risk me being rear ended. I can't place my child at an increased risk of injury through somebody else's fault when I can prevent some of the risks by keeping him facing the back. He has a mirror to see us and is mostly fine that way. JMO.

Mako - Sage is waaaay too little. You have permission to forehead slap your husband :D (alternatively - make him watch the video)

12 months and not turned yet (10kgs) although will have to soon as he is getting a little cramped/squashed rear facing. I would keep him rear facing forever if possible as it's so much safer (but of course will need to switch him one day soon). Also, when they fall asleep in a forward facing seat their head seems to flop around, much better supported rear facing for sleeping.

Hey there,
I was interested to read this thread, as I'm hoping to keep my DD RF til 12 months.

We got one of the big mirrors (like a teddy with a mirror for tum) so I could see her from the front while driving (precious first time mum, but loving the mirror).

I'm hoping that will help keep her happy, because she can see us too (unlike the smaller mirror thingies).

Hope this helps someone! :)

Well Logan - 5 months is still facing the rear however I turned Sophie now 19 moths when she was about 8 months.
Some may say it's too early but you should generally know when to turn your child around as they will let you know.
Sophie used to try and turn her head around to see us and would always be quite cranky when we put her in her seat, she would always lean forward as if she were about to leap out of the seat!
I guess try to keep in the rearward facing position for as long as you can because it is by far the most safest but if your child is insisting on turning around then make sure that your little one can strongly and firmly hold their head upright.

Hope this helps!

The guys who fitted our carseat recommend turning at 12 months or 12 kilos. DS is almost 12 months, and 10 kilos and TBH, I haven't really thought about turning him around yet. He's safe and happy where he is, so I think I'll just leave well enough alone for a bit longer. Mind you, I don't think a baby being unhappy is a good reason to turn them around. Better a crying baby than an injured one. JMO.

I turned DD when she grew out of her travel system stage 1 (group 0) carseat. She had one which could front or rear face but was only safe up to 9kg, so once she hit that i got her a new one which can only front face (stage 2-3, group 1-2) and so she was turned then too. She was always tall - her feet touched the seat back from 4 weeks in the RF position and by the time i turned her (about 10months) he legs were fully flexed in the RF position.

im thinking i'll turn him around 12 months

just wanted to mention that you can get U-shaped neck pillows (like travel pillows) for infants/babies...so If you do turn them and they are still quite small, you put it on with the gap at the back...so like a horseshoe around their neck, and it helps support their heads a bit :)
You can get them at KMart and things and they are only about $10 :)

LS, that is good to know, but it is still illegal and against the safety guidlelines of car seats sold in Australia, to turn them around before they are 8kgs, and I think they also need to be 6 months of age too. Between 8kgs and 12 kgs it is optional but highly recommended to keep them rf, then from 12 kgs they need to be turned around as the seats here aren't safe rf beyond that. In Sweden they make bigger rf seats and keep their kids rf until 4 yo!

MR - oh yes!! No I wasnt suggesting that pillow for pre-*kg (mines 9kg)....Just I think someone mentioned that they had to turn it earlier than they would have liked due to having nother capsule/seat in teh car, etc. Just for peole that did decide to turn them before they are 12-18mths...

I'd hate to have 3 under 3 in Sweden!! lol Id have to drive atruck!

Thanks LS - that was me that said I wasn't happy with my little girl being turned yet but the arrival of her new sister soon hasn't given me a choice. Fortunately she is technically heavy enough (just over 9kgs), is 12 months in a couple of weeks and has great neck control. Would just much rather still be seeing the back of her little head rather than her face. I almost feel as if I'm sacrificing the safety of one of my children for that of the other.

I agree with Sez - just because a baby is happier facing forwards (which my DD certainly is) isn't a good enough reason to turn them. I imagine there will be a ton of decisions I'll have to make in the future for my DDs' welfare that won't be popular with them - all part of being a responsible mummy IMO.