Good morning! How are you guys today!? I hope your Tuesday is off to a good start! We’re talking about car seat safety on the blog today, so buckle up and enjoy the riiiide! (<— Oh the puns! I just can’t help myself.)
A couple of weeks ago, I asked you guys to submit your car seat safety questions so I could pass them along to Chicco’s Child Passenger Safety Advocate and share a Q&A on the blog. The questions came rollin’ in and many of you guys had similar questions related to car seat safety. (Many of your questions were also questions I personally had for Chicco which was great! Thanks for covering my bases, friends!)
Last month was Baby Safety Month and I am partnering with Chicco to help spread the word about car seat safety to encourage parents and caregivers to keep their little ones as safe as possible. A car seat safety Q&A may be found below that incorporates your questions and at the bottom of this blog post you will find a pretty awesome giveaway for a Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat!
Now let’s get to it!
Car Seat Safety Q&A
- How long do we keep the newborn/infant inserts in the car seat?
The infant insert is the smaller contoured seat pad that fits inside your infant car seat. These pads are engineered to position a smaller baby at the correct seat angle, as well as ensure that the harness fits tightly. You can remove the insert when you feel it is no longer necessary, but it must be removed once your infant reaches 11 lbs.
- When do I need to get the next car seat up from the infant car seat? Is it by weight or height?
You may transition your child to a convertible car seat that allows them to remain rear-facing until at least two years old at any time, but must make the switch from an infant car seat to a convertible car seat when your child outgrows either the height or weight guidelines for their infant car seat.
- I can’t find anyone who will check my car seat! The local fire department, highway commission, police, etc. are no longer allowed to due to “liability concerns.” Any tips to help ensure I’ve done a good installation, or other resources I haven’t thought of?
If you’re having trouble finding a certified child passenger safety technician in your area, check out Safe Kids Worldwide’s navigator here or visit SeatCheck.org.
- Is there a difference in an infant car seat and a convertible one as far as safety is concerned?
As long as your convertible car seat is being used in rear-facing mode as instructed and it’s installed correctly, your infant is protected in a convertible car seat. As a reminder, it’s recommended that child passengers be kept rear-facing until two years of age, whether that is in an infant car seat or convertible car seat.
- Why on earth do car seats expire? And will I get in trouble if I use an expired car seat?
Car seats expire for a few different, equally important reasons. First, over time, car seat technology improves and safety standards change. Additionally, materials used in car seats wear down with extended use, which could compromise safety features down the road. It’s also important to note that car seat manufacturers stop safety testing seats after a certain period of time, meaning that past expiration, manufacturers cannot guarantee how a car seat will perform in an accident.
- I heard that we shouldn’t put babies in their car seats wearing winter coats? We get some pretty COLD winters in New Jersey so I’m curious to see if there is any truth in this?
Don’t buckle your child into a car seat with bulky clothing, blankets or add-on products like a car seat bunting. The harness should be as snug as possible, and the added padding can interfere with the harness fit and crash performance of the seat. If you are using an infant carrier, put your child in the carrier and tighten the harness before you head to the car, then put blankets on your child to keep them warm. If you are using a car seat that is installed in your car, have your child take off their coat, get them in the car seat and tighten the harness, then put their coat on backwards until you arrive at your destination.
- What age/weight/height is safe to switch your little one to a forward facing car seat position?
Keep your child rear-facing in their car seat until at least two years old. Are your kid’s feet touching the seat back? Do they look a little cramped? That’s okay. Kids are a lot more flexible than adults. Kids need to stay rear-facing for as long as possible to protect their head and neck in the event of a crash. Kids do not need to be turned forward-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight of the car seat. Kids are fragile, and they are best protected rear-facing, even if that means they have a little less leg room.
- Is there a way to clean a car seat safely? I’ve heard that soaking it in water can make it unsafe…
The best way to clean car seat straps and other non-removable pieces is with mild soap and water, and then let it air dry. To simplify the process, Chicco’s line of Zip car seats include easy to remove zip-off features, such as a removable seat pad, that make clean-up a breeze.
Chicco KeyFit 30 Giveaway
And now it’s giveaway time! Chicco is giving away a KeyFit 30 car seat to one lucky PBF reader!
We absolutely love our KeyFit 30 car seat and I cannot recommend it enough. It easily clicks into our travel and jogging strollers and Chase seems comfortable and secure in it.
If you would like to be entered to win the car seat, simply leave a comment on this blog post, telling me about one thing that surprised you about pregnancy or becoming a new parent. I will randomly select a winner next Friday.
Good luck!
Looking for additional car seat safety information? Check out Chicco’s Car Seat Safety Guide and the Car Seat Education page of their website!
Thank you to Chicco for sponsoring this post and to all of you for your continued support. I truly appreciate it!
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The amount of gear you need!
I’m surprised HOW MUCH I truly love being a mom. It is the best decision I’ve ever made–I finally found my purpose in life!
Hi! It is my first pregnancy and I am surprised at just how amazing it is to feel my little guy move around!!
One thing that surprised me about pregnancy was having to wake up multiple times during the night to eat something because of my nausea. For me, morning sickness is more like night sickness!
what a great giveaway – thanks! I am pregnant with my first (due in January!) and am surprised at how concerned I already am about baby’s safety!
Hi Julie! I am not pregnant yet, but hope to be in the next year. I do have 8 pregnant, very good friends though! I would love to win to either pass this carseat along to one of them that needs it, or keep it for my future baby! 🙂 The thing that has surprised me the most about pregnancy so far is hearing how much information there is to learn! And seeing all the different mom styles out there – every friend of mine has a different approach to how they want their birth to go, how they want to parent, etc, and there is not any single right way! 🙂 I am really enjoying my auntie status as of now and would love to join the Mom group soon!
Great post. I was surprised at how much I just do not remember my life without my son in it. He is such an absolute joy!!!
I was surprised how hard breastfeeding truly was. I always assumed that while a latch might be difficult or it might be hard to tell how much milk my infant was getting, but I did not foresee that I might make too much or too little breastmilk. I have never produced enough for my supply to be the sole nutritional source which was really hard to get over. I even went to a breastfeeding class – why don’t they tell you these things?!
Being pregnant for the first time it surprised me how much strangers talk about your belly!! Thankfully I haven’t had any strangers touch it but apparently everyone feels they can comment on my belly! I love my bump so it makes it easier!
I think everything is a surprise the first time! I’m always amazed at how quickly things change. As soon as you feel like you have everything figured out, your kiddo will throw you a curveball!
I am amazed about how fast the first year goes.
One thing that surprised me is how weird it is at first to get used to the idea that you are actually pregnant and having a child! Even if you’ve been planning on it for a while it’s still weird to take that big leap from not pregnant to pregnant!
What a great giveaway – I’m expecting my first in 4 weeks!
This was so helpful and informative! I’m 20 weeks pregnant with our first and just starting to register for baby items. I can’t believe how much stuff we will need! We are in a small apartment in New York city so hoping to err on the minimalist side.
One thing that surprised me was no matter how much I read or thought I was prepared… I wasn’t. You can read every book and still have no idea what your doing until the baby comes and you learn with them here.
I’m 13 weeks pregnant with my first and so far I’ve been surprised by how quickly things change and how different I feel from one week to the next!
We are TTC after a miscarriage and your blog helps remind me of the joys that can come when we do have our first child.
I am due in February and I am continuously surprised by how much STUFF baby needs. It’s insane! Would love to cross the infant car seat off the shopping list 🙂
great info!! This is the carseat we decided we want, so I really hope I win!!! The most surprising thing about pregnancy so far is how tired such a tiny growing baby can make me! haha 🙂
We’re just waiting on our little girl to arrive at the end of the month! One thing that surprised me about pregnancy- specifically the third trimester- is the pressure in my hips. Holy cow! I never thought it would hurt to walk!
What surprised me the most was that not everyone bonds with their baby immediately after birth! I didn’t! It took a good 6 months to really start enjoying parenthood!
I’m surprised by how much my little one can eat! Sometimes I swear she eats more dinner than I do!
I’m super surprised at how quickly the first year truly goes! One minute it feels like you are up all night with your crying infant, and the next they are turning one, eating, talking and walking!
One thing that surprised me about pregnancy was the daily nose bleeds- pregnancy is so weird!!
I’m currently pregnant and trying to figure out what is “best” in terms of car seats, strollers, etc. is hard! You don’t want to make a wrong decision, but until you know what the baby likes and what works best for you, its hard to figure out what’s best! Oh, and apparently you should get your kid on a daycare waiting list like five years before you want to get pregnant. Also learned that. 🙂
We’re pregnant with our first – a baby girl – and due late January! I’ve been so surprised at how attached and protective I quickly became of this little babe in my belly – even when she was still just a little bean. Feeling her kick has been the most amazing feeling ever and has definitely ramped up the Mama Bear instincts even more!
I am currently 28 weeks with my first and I am so surprised at how much I can feel him inside me. He is moving a lot (which makes me so happy!) and sometimes I can feel him rubbing on my belly with my hands!! He is so strong now 🙂 also I can’t believe I’m already 28weeks and I only have 12 to go!!!
Thanks for sharing such an informative post! What surprised me was how much space baby stuff takes up in our home. In our living room alone, we have a swing, pack n play, exersaucer, and play mat. It literally takes up all of our space and we even had to remove some furniture and rearrange everything to make it all fit! Who knew a little person could take up so much space? 😉
What surprised me about pregnancy is how much my tasebuds flipped! I used to love nut butters, chocolate and had a major sweet tooth, but during pregnancy I couldn’t even handle these foods and craved pizz, in-n-out burgers and fries and allllll the sour juicy fruit! Watermelon and kiwi everyday. I was also surprised by how much I was able to stay active during pregnancy- however not so much after baby was born!
I’m surprised at how different my current pregnancy has been from my first… including the fact that my first was 9 days early, and I’m past due with this one!!
I have been so surprised by hormonal I have been. I’ve heard it from friends and my sister in law’s, but I didn’t really think commercials would make me cry at the drop of a hat. Thanks for hosting such a fun giveaway!
Julie your blog is always SOO wonderful to read. I just found out last week that I am pregnant with my 2nd. This carseat would be very helpful right now…
I was surprised by the little awake time a newborn had and now with a 14.5 month old, I am so excited about all we get to do together!
I’m surprised by how awful third-trimester insomnia is! I’m currently sleeping about 3 hours a night, which is more than when my firstborn was just born and spent all her nights eating. *insert giant yawn emoji here*
No kids yet, but I’ve been shocked by everything I hear from my pregnant/new-mama girlfriends!
I’m not pregnant, but I would love to win this for my friend who has had a rough pregnancy. What a wonderful surprise it would be. 🙂
I am 38 weeks pregnant with our first! One thing that surprised me is how sick I would be… I had hyperemesis gravidarum (the same thing Kate MIddleton had) from weeks 6-18, and was hospitalized. We go through a lot to bring our babies into this world!
Alllll of the emotional changes! I was never much of a crier before. Now any sappy commercial will do it!
I am almost 15 weeks with my first and I am most surprised by how protective I already feel over my growing little baby!
I’m only 3 months along and am surprised how connected I already feel to the baby. I’m also more worried about the health of the baby/pregnancy than I anticipated but super excited for the baby to just be here!
I’m surprised how tired I am. I’d rather sleep than eat!
I am pregnant for the first time, due in March. I had absolutely no idea how many different products there were available! I have had the hardest time going through and creating a registry (especially since we live in a small apartment and there are SO MANY THINGS). I have no idea what we will actually need and it’s hard to know what you’ll need or what the baby will like. With pregnancy itself, I have been super surprised of how little I am showing at 17 weeks. I thought I would be huge. I know every pregnancy is different but it’s been really weird!
I’m surprised by how much more laundry I have with this little guy!
I am pregnant for the first time and we got a huge surprise at out first ultrasound…we are having identical twins! Definitely a shock for us since we were not expecting it at all. Looking forward to this very large, exciting adventure awaiting us.
Thank you for writing this post! We are expecting our first little one in March so it is perfect timing 🙂 What surprised me about pregnancy is the worry that has already started with my husband and I. Pretty much from the day we found out we have been safety proofing our house and doing all this research to make sure our baby is safe now and when they are born. It’s crazy how this little being already occupies so much of our life and won’t be here for a few more months!
I’m surprised how much I feel like myself. Before getting pregnant I thought I’d have a huge belly for 9 months but that has not been the case at all (currently 6 months along).
I’m surprised by how much stuff comes with a new baby even when you try to avoid excess there is still so much baby stuff needed!
I’m currently pregnant with my first… a girl! The biggest surprise, and stressor, is all the info/opinions/options on literally everything. I already care so much about making the best decisions and purchases and it can be so overwhelming when you have no idea what is best. I know we will figure it all out- with a few mistakes no doubt- but I appreciate posts like this that help break it all down!
I’m pregnant, due in April, and I am surprised by how hungry I have been. I keep having small meals 2-3 hours apart to keep the hunger at bay.