Did You Turn Your Child's Carseat Around Earlier than Recommended?

I personally think that it is very selfish of parent to turn babies around early for many of the reasons that are being listed. Is conveinece more important or the safety of your child more important? I know many people have the mentality that nothing will happen or we wont get into a crash, but why chance it and have your child harmed? Legs breaking very rarly occurs in an accident where a child is rear-facing, but death or broken necks are very possible in young children who are forward facing in crashes. I would think very hard about the decision and make sure you clearly understand the concequences of turning your little one around. After all if something did happen to that child would you ever forgive yourself for the danger that you chose to put them in?
Check out SafeKidsUSA for information and links to learn more about child safety.

6 moms found this helpful

Our oldest we turned around at 15 months, she was just about 20 lbs. In hindsight we should have waited longer, but she was so miserable in the car. My baby HATES the car! She always has, unless she is sleeping. It is difficult, she is 6 months and already outgrew the infant seat so we have a convertable, we hoped it would make her like the car a little better, but so far no luck. We plan on keeping her rear facing until 2, because it is so much safer.

There was a picture I saw on Facebook yesterday of a yong child with scrunched up legs in a rear facing seat it said "Broken legs = cast it, Broken neck = casket." Morbid but true.

I'm hoping that once she gets over the newness of crawling and standing my little one will be a little better in the seat. I am also hoping because older DD is facing her they will be able to chat and play and hopefully be a litlte happier in the car. We have been visiting family a lot lately and the 3 hr ride there and 3 hr back is not fun right now!

Good luck, but I would stick to the guidelines. :)

5 moms found this helpful

NO. It's better to have her car sick than dead from a snapped neck. Sorry to be so graphic, but these rules/guidelines for car seats are important.

ETA - my kids have always been in the 95 percentile and above for both height and weight - so I don't see size as a good reason either.

5 moms found this helpful

No, not that I now know better. My oldest is 13 and that was sort of the stone age of car seats. I turned him at 10 months because I thought it was OK that he was big for his age and the same size as a 1 year old, so we were "close enough" and it would be safe. Luckily nothing happened to us in the car.

I knew better with my younger kids (thanks to message boards and other resources) and they were both rear facing until they were over 2. My youngest was actually rear facing until he was almost 3 because he's so small. He's 5.5 and still in a convertible car seat because he hasn't hit 40 lbs yet.

FWIW I doubt that turning the seat would "cure" carsickness. It's not worth the risk.

4 moms found this helpful

My kids cry in their seats. I turned my son for one day-he still cried.
http://www.joelsjourney.org/
Please read about Joel. Watch the video his grandpa made.
It is just not worth it.
I think looking into the motion sickness bracelets is an excellent idea.
And yes get her a convertible seat. You have to do it eventually anyway. A more upright angle might make her more comfy.
Don't take a chance w/ her safety though.

4 moms found this helpful

We actually kept our daughter rear-facing for an extra year; at the time the recommendation was one year. But the officer that did our carseat install check said to keep her rear facing as long as possible and that's what we did. Now the Pediatric Association recommends keeping them rear-facing for 2 years, so we were right on track w/ our thinking.

4 moms found this helpful

If she is really car sick, I don't see how switching her to forward facing is going to help? I turned my son's carseat at 1 year, but now I am more informed and won't be turning my 1 year old daughters carseat until I absolutely have to. I think you should talk to your daughters pediatrician about it.

4 moms found this helpful

The same thing happened to my oldest daughter and we couldn't figure it out until someone said that maybe the carseat itself was uncomfortable for her. We bought her a new carseat and it did the trick!

4 moms found this helpful

Please don't turn your baby forward facing until she is at least 2 years old. (These are the new recommendations now per the American Academy of Pediatrics). It just is NOT safe. At all. My older daughter was rear-facing until she was 3 years and 3 months old since we had a Britax that went up to 35 pounds.

4 moms found this helpful

I didn't turn my LO around in the car seat until the recommended time. Their little necks cannot withstand the impact of a crash if turned around before they are bigger. I would wait - especiall if yours is still little. Perhaps when you can - have someone ride in the back with her to help keep her calm. I know that isn't always possible - just a suggestion.

3 moms found this helpful

The LAW is 1 yr AND 20 lbs she must be both but you should wait until at least the age of 2 unless you don't mind risking internal decapitation!

You may find the convertible seat makes a huge difference it did for my youngest and he ended up happily rear facing until 2.5 yrs

3 moms found this helpful

the thing that angers me about all these responses about 'big kids' is it doesn't matte rif you have a 30lb 1yr old or a 15lb 1yr old, their bone structure is STILL THE SAME! And its not neck muscles or control or if your can can ru na marathon at 10 months old, the fact remains that until your child is 3-6yrs old, the spine has not yet fused to the skull meaning hte only thing protecting your childs spinal cord is soft tissue. Please look up INTERNAL DECAPITATION, JOELS JOURNEY and EXTENDED REAR FACING.

No, your daughter, if still in an infant seat, should not be forward facing. Get a convertible, kids her age (I'm assuming she's 8-10mos old since still in an infant seat) HATE being reclined and when you get a convertible car seat you can have it more upright, therefore your child can sit up and check out the world.

And no, kids who are 'social' don't need to be forward facing. Unless your vehicle has no side or back windows, your kid can see out the back window, all the side windows, the view is identical to forward facing (where, ironically, the front seat is right in front of them in the face, duh!)

My 9yr old was 30lbs at a year old ,but he remained rear facing until 18mos old because I was too damn lazy to re-install his car seat and I knew it rear faced to 35lbs.

My 6yr old rear faced until he was 3yrs old, he was 42" tall and 35lbs when he went forward facing.

My 4.5yr old daughter came home from Ukraine at 3yrs old and went straight to a rear facing convertible car seat. She was 35" tall and 25lbs when she came home. She's now 38" tall and 30lbs nad still able to easily rear face.

Please get a convertible (look for one with at least 35lbs rear facing there are many that rear face to 40lbs now and are under $200!) and one that has at least 50lbs forward facing. This means you can use the seat until your chlid is 4-6yrs old and then can purchase a simple booster until your child is big enough to use the adult belt alone. It seems like a big expense, to spend $200 on a car seat, but its the one thing that will help save your childs life, isn't that important? And you will be able to use it, barring an yaccidedents, until your child is 4-6yrs old. I think its worth it.

Please do the research, and don't use excuses. Kids aren't too tall, rear facing kids dont' break their legs (however the most common non-fatal injury in forward facing kids is broken legs!), and they won't become anti-social.

A rear facing car seat is outgrown when the child reaches the weigh limit, or there is less than one inch of hard shell seat above the head. Until one of these is met, a car seat is NOT outgrown rear facing.

3 moms found this helpful

I would talk to the Ped.. or Doc.. she could have motion sickness and there is something they can give you for it.. I would NOT turn your kiddo around it is much safer to keep them rear facing.

However, getting a convertible seat, alone might do the trick. I had to do that with my youngest, because she has acid reflux. But now that she is on meds we have her back in the infant carrier. But when she was in the convertible it was still rear facing. Leg length does not matter.

3 moms found this helpful

They say that 90% of accidents, or something crazy like that, are front end or side impact. And rear accidents are usually accidents that are much slower (in traffic, etc).So, the child facing backwards is the safest in those circumstances. It would put less pressure on their neck if there were an accident. We switched my child to a convertible car seat at 8 months because he hated being squished in the infant seat. Its the maxi cosi priori and it's really good at not having his head hang if he falls asleep. We will keep it facing backwards probably until he's 2... just because I'd rather be safe.

3 moms found this helpful

NO. Not safe. Don't do it! Wait until she is ready and do it according to the guidelines for carseats.

3 moms found this helpful

If by earlier than recommended you mean using a convertible carseat forward facing before she is one year old AND 20 lbs., PLEASE don't. You might as well just put her on your lap, as carseats aren't made for children that small to ride facing forward and will not protect her fragile body in an accident. You MUST wait until she is at least one year of age AND 20 lbs. If you're talking about turning her forward facing before the now recommended age of 2, then I didn't do that either. My daughter remained rear facing until her 2nd birthday, as will my son and any other children I have while those guidelines are in place. It is what is safest for my children. Sometimes what is safest doesn't make a child happy, but that doesn't mean safety should be ignored. Babies and older kids go through "the world is ending because I'm so miserable" phases. She might cry in a forward facing carseat and if she does, what then? Your daughter is only 4 months old and needs to remain rear facing for a long time still. It might be carsickness, but it also might just be a phase and that you're projecting your own feelings from being carsick onto this situation. PLEASE keep her safe and keep her rear facing!

3 moms found this helpful

Carsickness is better than internal decapitation. Sorry. I didn't turn my kids around until they were 2.5 years old, and my kids have never been "small". We were in an unavoidable fatality accident and I'm super safety conscious. Being mad or bored is different than actual car sickness where they throw up. Convertible seats, especially the Britax seats are roomier and more comfortable, that may help alone. Google extended rear facing for some more information on why it's so important and recommended.

ETA: My kids are super tall too, both tallest in their classes, 97% percentile, and sat cross legged. No complaints!

3 moms found this helpful

We turned my son around at 11mo, that was before the big push to keep them rear-facing until 2 though. Now with my foster babies, I keep them rear-facing until 2. The new studies and information show that is safest and I would rather have a live baby that is screaming rear-facing vs one that isn't due to an accident.

3 moms found this helpful

No. DD's still in the convertible backwards.

A lot of kids just don't like to be strapped in. Nearly every baby at DD's daycare would scream as soon as they hit the bucket seat and it was often the same timeframe where they got more mobile. It will pass. If you think she's carsick, then talk to the pediatrician. I don't think forward or rear facing will help if she's still in the back. My SS had to learn to compensate and as much as possible sat up front when he was older. I still give him the passenger seat now, to minimize his nausea (he also takes dramamine). Ask the pediatrician about wrist bands or a patch for your DD.

2 moms found this helpful

Well, the recommendation used to be 1yo and now it is 2yo. With our oldest, when the recommendation was still 1, we turned her at 14 months or so.

With our second, who's now 22 months, we'll probably turn her at 2 yo. She's very, very tall and is pretty scrunched, but she's fine. The reasoning behind extending the age to 2yo is that their necks aren't strong enough to support their heads. (I'm sure you can figure out why that's not so good.) Our second has a big head, which is why we wouldn't even consider turning her early.

2 moms found this helpful

Yes because my kids are crazy tall. They were sitting back there criss cross applesauce because those little legs were so long. I had to turn them around.

2 moms found this helpful

My youngest screamed out of his mind crazy for the first 4 months in his infant seat, it wasn't until I bought him a convertible seat that he was finally happy. I didn't need to turn him around either, in fact, at 2 yrs he's still rear facing. He just hated the infant seat. I don't know if it was too reclined, too claustrophobic, uncomfortable or what, but a new seat did the trick. I would go ahead look into a convertible seat but try it rear facing first, you might be surprised and find she's just fine....

2 moms found this helpful

We turned our son around at 1, even though I know , it's 2 now. I know it's horrible, the bashing will start now.

1 mom found this helpful

Back when my kids were in carseats you were told to turn them around as soon as their feet hit the seat which was under six months. I understand the thoughts behind not reversing then but when kids become social facing a seat is miserable.

I just want to put this out there, I had a major accident when my daughter was 10 or 11 months old. My major it was $28,000 in damage to a conversion van, the front end was gone. She didn't even get whiplash, nothing, didn't even cry. I understand that they could have neck injuries when they are front facing but I question how often that actually happens and perhaps the parents didn't have them in right. I would keep those straps so snug that you could hang that seat upside down and the child wouldn't move.

I wish I could show you pictures of my van, it would make you wonder if any baby has ever had a neck injury from front facing.

1 mom found this helpful

I haven't read the other responses, but my oldest hated facing backwards in the car & yes he I believe was carsick. At that time you could turn them around at 20 lbs & as soon as he was close I turned him around. He was approx. 5 months old. I don't know what I would do with the laws they have now. My kids were tall & there is no way they could have been backward in the car for two years.

Is it recommended or a law? If it's recommended, I would do as I felt necessary. If it's a law, I don't know what to tell you. I've heard about it & all I could think was glad I'm not having more kids with these rules.

I would feel bad if something happened to my kids, but at the same time you can't prevent everything. Same with tummy sleeping, some kids just are happier better sleeping babies. My oldest preferred his tummy, my youngest his back. I have a problem with doing things that just don't work for "us", me / my kids just because they have me living in fear. Yes I believe we need to protect our kids, but we can't protect them 100%.

My cousin threw up everytime she was in the car & the Dr. prescribed Levsin drops, but good luck getting those now days as they are narcotic.

1 mom found this helpful

The recommendation used to be one year and we turned mine around at 1 year almost to the day.

Now the recommendation is 2 years! So how old is your daughter? How early are you considering turning her around?

My friend turned her son around at 9 or 10 months, as her son cried every single time the car was in motion as well. She turned him around and now he's fine. :)

1 mom found this helpful

I believe that rear facing is safer. That said, it is often just not in the cards to do so. Most vehicles do not have enough room for a 2 year old sitting facing the back of the car. Only our infant carrier would fit in my daughter's Neon. I could put the car seat, it eventually turned into a full booster so it was tall, rear facing in my van if I sat it where the top would fit between the 2 front seats. I could reach the baby to insert a binky or pat a tummy to fulfill that need to be touched.

I think your baby should face rear until at least 1 year old. They do not have the neck muscle strength that is needed in a collision to hold their head upright when centripetal forces are trying to make it go a different direction.

I turned my son around on his first birthday- he was average, though, not on the small side. He could technically still have fit rear-facing, but I wanted to see him better.

While carsickness is a possibility, I wonder if the noise is freaking her out. There may be a strange rattle or whine that the wheels make that are in her range or sensitivity. Have you tried the seat in different positions or tried ear plugs or muffs? I hope you figure out a solution. Going out with the little ones is hard enough when they like to be in their seats! ;)

Updated

I turned my son around on his first birthday- he was average, though, not on the small side. He could technically still have fit rear-facing, but I wanted to see him better.

While carsickness is a possibility, I wonder if the noise is freaking her out. There may be a strange rattle or whine that the wheels make that are in her range or sensitivity. Have you tried the seat in different positions or tried ear plugs or muffs? I hope you figure out a solution. Going out with the little ones is hard enough when they like to be in their seats! ;)

I intended to wait until my youngest was 2 (new reccomendations) to turn her around but did it when she was 13 months; she meet all the legal requirements but I wanted to leave her facing back. Unfortunately on our move from FL to CO she began throwing up - constantly - while in the seat. We turned her around and that helped alleviate the issues. She had a bit of a bug but that combined with getting too hot (AC didn't reach her very well) and possibly motion sickness meant the constant vomitting. At least forward facing we could see that she wasn't choking on it. Hope you find a solution that fits your needs & keeps your little one safe.

I had to turn my daughter around early too. She was taller and heavier than most kids (still is). I think the biggest concern would be your child’s neck muscles. They suggest rear facing because the neck muscles are not strong in infants and if someone were hit the car the impact could break the infant’s neck.
I had moms at the time argue with me about it saying it would be better that she break a leg or hip in an accident, but I didn't agree. I think if your child meets the height and weight requirements then go ahead and use the convertible seat. If she is small I would wait.

Can you try one of those wrist bands they make for motion sickness? I think they also have something you can put behind the ear.

I forgot to add that my daughter was too heavy for the infant carrier and the convertible didn't work well rear facing. Her knees were pushed up to her chest.

I did for my daughter because she was getting too tall to sit reverse style.. she was 9 months.. and yeah, so sue me, we did it early. She could hold her head up very very well and it just made sense, we were all more comfortable that way anyway.. plus her "big girl" car seat looked WAYY safer than the little infant carrier with the base, so for the life of me I couldn't justify keeping her backwards.. I'm sure we'll do the same with #2 as well, I mean.. when I was little I sat in the front seat so yeah.. I'm alive and so are a bunch of other kids I grew up with lol.

yes.
My kids have always fit into the common sense exemptions, they are very tall for their age and have long torsos.

i turned her around around 10 months old because she hated to be backwards and we got a new carseat because her carrier was too small for her and it was so much better

When my daughter was a baby the recommendation was 1 year. However, I turned her around at 11 months. My daughter is long and when facing rear her legs were bunched up against the seat. She looked so uncomfortable and I thought if we were in an accident her legs would get smashed. I think sometimes you have to do what is best for your child. If she is getting car sick then facing forward may be for the best. I would check with the dr to see if they can determine if she is getting carsick.

I personally believe that she will have a harder time with car sickness if you turn her to face forward. Righht now she should only be able to see out the back window and at that she is only seeing the tops of trees and buildings and such but if you turn her to face forward she can not only see everything moving around in the front window but out the sides as well which is usually what causes the motion sickness in the first place. I too suffer from motion sickness and I find that if Im not driving I cant look anywhere but in the car. But in regrads to your question, the recommendation is 1 year but there are so many new 'loose' rules and suggestions to wait until 2 or even later if possible. We kept my daughter rear facing until she was about 14-15 months but the only reason we made the switch was because she is a very tall child and her poor legs were practically sitting at her chest. If she fit better we would have continued to keep her rear facing for quite some time
Good Luck

I actually did the opposite and waited a little too long (till my daughter's legs were nearly cramped) I'm not so sure that was the right thing to do. I was very afraid of getting into an accident and her getting hurt. On another note my daughter cried in every car trip until she was 4 months old. We learned that she was colic. She was prescribed a medicine and life went on, finally.

I did move my son at 12ish months. Not before, but pretty soon after his birthday, maybe a month later. It was still recommended but not required to be 2, but we chose not to do it. He is a big boy and we just didn't want to keep him rear facing.

I have a hard time b/c i know that with all the new scienctific developments I do understand why this is the new recommendation. I always get upset with my mom when she says things about "well in my day" and following it up with "and you guys turned out fine!" b/c it isn't about that, so even though it's not law yet, it probably will be b/c it's safer. I certainly wouldn't judge you if you turned her now. I'm not sure what I would do, but my son did just turn 2 I can't imagine if I had just now turned him. It's a tough thing.

I believe that the law is that a child MUST be in a REAR-facing carseat until 1 year and 20+ lbs.

There is a new safety recommendation that toddlers be left rear facing until 2y, but the law as of now is 1 year.

Both of my kids were turned at 13m.

Yes, we turned my daughter around earlier than recommended. They changed the guidelines earlier this year to rear-facing until 2. She is almost 17 months and we turned her around a couple months ago. Personally, I could not imagine keeping her rear facing until 2....she was getting so restless and every trip in the car was a fight because she wanted to be able to see us and she was getting cramped facing backward.

I have a tendency to be a little over-protective when it comes to stuff, but I don't regret turning her around. She is happier and I feel like she is still safe in her seat. In fact, her pediatrician reminded me of the new guildelines at her 12 month appointment, but did it with a little bit of a subtle eye-roll. I got the feeling even he thought the new guidelines were a little excessive.

You didn't say how old you daughter is and how much she weighs, but if she is at least a year and at least 20 pounds (the old guidelines, I believe), then you probably could be ok if you chose to.

I had to right about 6 or 7mo. And I got reamed by the Carseat Saftey Inspector for not doing it *sooner*.

In our case (several years ago) it's because even with the biggest seat on the market at the time, my son's shoulders were above the top hole by a whole inch by the time I went to the seat inspector, and his head was bumping over the top. Which would have meant, in an accident rear facing, that my son's spine would have snapped like a twig.

I had to get a 'common sense exemption' pinned to the FF seat.

Similarly, we had to move him to a lap belt convertible seat waaaay early, because his outgrew the biggest convertible 5 point very young.

((my son was born 23.5 inches long, and by 6mo was well over 20lbs. I'm not sure his intermediate heights, but by 2yo he was 37.5 inches tall and 36lbs))

I turned my daughter's seat around earlier than recommended because she had very long legs, and with the seat facing backward, her knees were up around her ears.

I totally feel your pain! Our almost 18 month old is still not 20 pounds. We do a lot of driving. Ugh.

The recommendations have changed lately-

It was 20 pounds AND 1 year old. Now they say up to 2 years.

You didn't say how old or how much she weighs.

We never turned them earlier, and am still waiting.

Call your pediatrician or talk with him/her about it the next well baby visit (if there is one coming up soon).

I wouldn't risk it without a dr.'s ok. Maybe there is something to do about getting car sick?

Yes we did for both of my children.

My kids get car sick too. Our of the five, so far, two have vomited each time there is a very long car ride (over 40 minutes). Even after we turn them, they are still vomiting, but they seem happier. One of my other ones would scream the WHOLE trip. It didn't matter how long or where or what - she would SCREAM and SCREAM and SCREAM. It made it so stressful! When we turned her, she completely changed and never cried from the ride. She loved it.

Our 15 month old we just switched her car seat to a convertible and my hubby installed it front facing. I wanted it installed rear facing because I think she would have been happier in a bigger car seat, even in the rear facing position. But he hasn't switched it around. (he didn't realize the recommendation was now at 2 yrs...and I've been hugely prego/just gave birth, so I can't change it yet...and totally forgot until reading this!).

Anyway, I think you should do what you feel is best. Getting a larger convertible that allows her to look out the window, even rear facing, might be enough to make her happier. Just don't do front facing first and then swtich back to rear facing - she'll realize what she's missing then! :-)