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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How exhausting but wonderful it is! Just found out we’re pregnant with our third!
Pregnant with my first, and I’m surprised how peaceful I feel.
My little one is 3 months old and I’m surprised how I get through the day with such little sleep.
I recently had my second daughter and I am surprised at how much love I have for both my girls. After having my first, I couldn’t imagine sharing my love with another baby but it’s been amazing!
Just found out we are pregnant with our first baby (babies!) and they are identical twins! This car seat post could not come at a better time. We are trying to figure out how to get two car seats in our vehicle safely, along with my 6’8 husband!
One thing that has surprised me about pregnancy is the rate at which a body can change. Every day feels like something else has happened and I try to keep up.
I was surprised to learn about all of the different gadgets, car seats, etc. I needed. Haha!
The most surprising thing is how easily it was to give up being selfish and be self-less to someone else’s needs.
Would love to win this carseat for my first baby. The thing that surprised me about pregnancy is how much you can love somebody you’ve never even met!
I’m surprised by how much I can get done before 8am now that I’m a parent!! What did I do with all that time before?! 🙂
Pregnant with my first and it has not been fun at all! but i love feeling her kick.
I was surprised how much love you can have for someone you haven’t met yet! This little baby fills our heart with so much joy already <3
How much you can love a little baby! And how taboo some things still are to talk about in regards to pregnancy, labor and with babies!
All of the little things that pregnancy can do to our body is unbelievable and I never knew some things that could happen before getting pregnant!
The most surprising thing was how much fun it all is!
Biggest surprise for me was that breastfeeding hurts like heck at first! It’s not the sweet natural peaceful thing you imagined those first few weeks!
What surprised me about being a parent (to a now 11 week old) is that you CAN survive on little sleep and it’s totally ok. The lack of sleep was one of my biggest fears but it’s really not the end of the world!
How amazing it is to hear that first heartbeat!
I don’t have any kids yet but I just got married so they’re in the near future!
How its so much more amazing than i could have ever imagined!
What surprised me is how many baby items you end up getting during the 1st year of life. My living room is full of toys and now baby stuff again. My second baby is due anytime!
I was surprised at how much I could love this little person!
I don’t have any kids yet but one of my best friends is pregnant with her first and it was crazy how early she could feel her baby kicking! This would be a great gift for her!
I’m pregnant with our first and most surprised at how great I feel!! Not too tired, no nausea (knock on wood!!)
I’m 13 weeks pregnant and am surprised at how exhausted I am! No motivation to do anything!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Cara Fritz
http://www.ravishingrevamp.com/
How little sleep you can survive on and how amazing you feel after 6 hours of straight sleep
Thank you for your post! It has helped me answer so many questions as we prepare for our first baby! I am 25 weeks pregnant and at our 20 week rescan found out that he will be born with a congenital heart defect, known as tetralogy of Fallot, and require open heart surgery to correct the anomalies at 4 months. What has surprised me is just how much I already love our little peanut, heart defect, stress and all. His kicks remind me that he is perfect despite the challenges he faces in the future.
Pregnant with our first baby, and the nausea kicked my butt! Luckily we’re past that period now, but man!
I’m 11 weeks pregnant and I’m just happy to be healthy at this point. I’m shocked at how differently I feel vs prior to being pregnant. I’ve really had to slow down a lot with work and exercising. But, I know it’ll be worth it in the long run. Thanks for doing this giveaway!
I am currently pregnant with our first! Pregnancy has been pretty good! Third trimester has been exhausting!
I’m pregnant with my first and due in March, and I’d say the most surprising thing about pregnancy has been the little joys that come from each preggo milestone. From the first ultrasound, to hearing the baby’s heartbeat, to now awaiting our anatomy scan (only 3 weeks to go!), each of these moments has meant so much more to us than I ever expected. We can’t wait to meet our little one. <3
What surprised me the most was how much I would love it!
For me, a big surprise of becoming a new parent is how much love I have for my son and it keeps growing. Also seeing him interact with my husband (his daddy) melts my heart every time!
I have a 15 month old little boy and he is such a joy. I was totally surprised by how quickly my natural mothering instincts kicked in after birth! I have never been around babies much, but once I had my own, I felt like I just KNEW certain things (what a cry meant, what my baby needed, how I should interact with a baby, etc.).
How extremely fulfilling a poopy diaper can make you.
I’m pregnant with my first and cannot believe how my appetite has changed since the day I found out I was pregnant!
Honestly, the biggest surprise was that breastfeeding HURT those first couple weeks before getting used to it all!
I was surprised to how quickly my body adapted to such little sleep!
Becoming a first time mom in February, I am already finding it over whelming to pick a car seat and other baby items. There are so many different styles, brands, etc to choose from. So far the reviews on websites are my friend!
I’m currently pregnant with my first and cannot believe how exhausted I am! It’s all worth it though, I can’t wait to meet my baby!
im amazed at what a full time job babies are
I wish I had of seen your original
Post in my feed … I’ve been trying to find out how much space is needed between the back of a rear facing convertible and the back of the passenger seat. My car is tiny and it’s such a right fit!
What surprised me the most about parenting was definitely how well I could function on so little sleep. To think I ever complained about being tired before!
Pregnancy surprised me in how I can go from thinking about it all the time to completely forgetting about it until someone asks “So when are you due?”
I am currently 19 weeks pregnant with my first and one thing that has surprised me so far is how much I love this little baby that I haven’t even met yet!
My daughter just turned 8 weeks old. I am surprised how much poop can come out of such a tiny body!!!!!!!
I was surprised at how much my days revolve solely around my little guy! I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂
My daughter just turned 4 months this past weekend. I’m constantly amazed that she is here after 12 years of trying and 4 losses. I’m so blessed to be her mom and she has changed our lives in so many ways – it’s insane how much I love her and it grows everyday! I’m also falling more and more in love with my husband as I watch them interacting.. I know he will be an amazing dad. 🙂
Shh. Don’t tell my husband, but if this car seat arrived on our doorstep he would be VERY SURPRISED!! 😉
My son just turned 11 months today and it has amazed me that for how slow the first 2 months seemed to go the last 9 have gone way too fast.
36 weeks today and I always thought the tough sleep came AFTER the baby was born! I only got up twice last night (from the Lazy-boy which is my new bed) and I consider that a total miracle/ win! Here’s hoping that even if it’s only a 2 hr stretch once baby arrives, it will at least be comfortable sleep!
Mother of a 7wk old. What amazes me is how many diapers we go throught. Also, the adrenaline I get in the middle of the night when I get up to feed and changer her. She’s just that cute!