Thursday, March 18, 2010

Backwards or Forwards? That's the question?

So, I still have Bailey's car seat facing backwards. I have realized this horrifies some people..."You haven't turned her car seat around?" Of course people are still horrified that she nurses even though they got a baby bottle in their 18 month olds mouth but thats for a whole other post. Part of me hasn't turned it around out of pure laziness. The anchors on her car seat are hard to get into my car and it is really a 2 man job. She doesn't seem to mind facing backwards and I have a mirror where I can see her so I just assume keep her that way. Stuff I have read says to keep them rear facing as long as possible. Her car seat goes up to 35 or 40 pounds so that is at least a good year away and I am thinking maybe even longer. So, is she like the only 14 month old who faces backwards? When did you turn your darlings around?

4 comments:

April said...

Andrew was flipped around a couple of weeks before his birthday because we had the carseat out. Abby was flipped after her 12 month check-up. I had forgotten I could turn her around. Andrew is my traveling baby, spending at least 2.5 hours in the car every day. He is much happier forward facing for me!

Be careful though, ours is a 50 pound seat, but only rates rear facing for under 35. We also had to change out Abby's because her head was beginning to exceed the top of the seat. They say the head needs to sit a minimum of 1 inch below the top of the seat. I say all this because we just bought carseat #6 - and I know #7 is in our immediate future for Andrew. We're going to have to get one of the Britax high back ones for him because of his height/weight. UGH!

Daysha said...

16 months and still backwards. I don't know when we'll turn around. He's doesn't know any different so he's fine facing backwards. One reason we haven't flipped yet is because I don't know where to put the seat when it's forward facing. Still in the middle or on one side? Don't know.

Angee @ October Morning said...

I saw your link on Kelly's Korner. My Olivia will be one in a couple of weeks and I'm planning on waiting until she around 15-18 months to turn her carseat around (if she'll let me get away with it). The AAP recommends that carseats stay rearfacing until age 2 because it's the safest way for them to travel. So don't think of it as being lazy, you're just being a protective mom.

Barbara said...

Still backwards here and as you said it--it is the safest way to be so keep 'em that way as long as possible. I even called Britax to ask about their legs getting "crushed" because they are so long and running into the seat but she assured me that it is still safer to be backwards and they are just supposed to cross their legs! Alrighty then...just wanted to pass that info along. Don't worry there are lot of us "backward" folk out here. ha ha ha