When to Change to Forward Facing Carseat for a Tall Baby?

my doctor always said it is better for your child to break their legs than their neck, which is what could happen if you turn them around before both criteria are met....meaning 1 year of age and 20 some pounds (I forget the weight). Good luck!! A.

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Hi C..

My daughter is 5 1/2 months old and we had the same problem at about 5 months too. She is too young and not heavy enough for forward facing and too tall for rear facing. So I called her pediatrician. They told be she is in greater danger of breaking her legs in a rear facing than if she were to be forward facing. They said to have her as reclined as possible in accordance with installation directions, so if we were in an accident (God forbid), the pressure would be on her butt instead of her chest. Also, to make sure the harness is snug enough. I would give your dr a quick call to let them know what the situation is, but this is my advice and it is working well for us. Plus, she is so happy being able to see every-thing around her...She is just so curious and learning every-day!
Good luck and take care. A.

I would highly recommend going to your local police or fire department to have your carseat checked and for tips. I know that when my son's were infants, we were told that we could use one of those swimming noodles to wedge in between their carseats and the seat of the car to give them a little extra leg room. My youngest is almost five, so I am not sure if this is still "acceptable".

I was also told that everyone would be safer riding backward in a car and to keep them rear facing as long as possible.

I also had big babies. My youngest was 18 pounds at 4 months (10 at birth!) and he was rear facing until almost two.

C.,
My son grew very fast as well. However I held off as long as I could (until 11 months) to turn his car seat. I spoke to my pediatrician continuously about this. Even though his feet were touching the back seat, it was not uncomfortable. When it got to the point where I worried about his comfort, I asked my ped again about options and she said his neck muscles were strong enough to be ok. His seat was a convertible that reclined so when we changed it, we reclined it as much as the safety requirements allowed until he was a little older that way he didn't have to sit upright yet. Hope this helps, but I would strongly suggest waiting longer, she is only 5 months and still has time. Also, get your ped involved.

Hi C.-

According to MI law, infants have to stay rear facing until they are at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. You can read more about it at http://www.michigansafekids.org/index.shtml or at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Infant-Only_6726_7.pdf

J.

Hi C.,
The rule is: At least one year of age AND 20 pounds. I know some people make the switch to forward facing before their baby achieves both but....I wouldn't! Both of my children rode rear facing until the recommended change and they seemed to do well with their little feet touching the back of the vehicle seat. It really wasn't a problem for either of them. Good Luck!
M. M.

The law states that the infant must be BOTH 1 year old AND 20 pounds to be forward facing. If she is 20 pounds at 6 months, she must still wait until her first birthday to turn forward.
However, we had a large baby boy (now almost 5) and we turned our seat forward at 10 months because there was just NO MORE room for his feet. He looked like he was over a year old so no one would question it if we were ever stopped.
Good luck and maybe someone else will have other suggestions.
J.

Don't change her to a forward facing carseat until she is 1 year old. At 1, her neck muscles will be strong enough to hold her head upright in the event of a crash. Prior to this age, the neck muscles still aren't strong enough to handle the inertial force of an accident - having them rearward facing allows the carseat to absorb the inertial force and keeps the baby safer. Even if her feet are touching the rear seat, keep her rearward facing until she is 1 to keep her safe. If you still have doubts - discuss it with her pediatrician at your next visit.

I have always understood that the time to turn the car seat forward is when the child weighs at least 20 lbs. or until they are too tall to be facing backwards. I could be wrong but that is how I did it with my son.

i had to put my oldest daughter forward facing at 6 months because her feet touched the seat at 6 months old. i know they say a year old but some people have to do it early my sister had to put her youngest daughter's forward facing already too her youngest is 10 months old and in the seat forward facing.

C.
i agree with all the other mother out there you need to waite till your daughter is one year of age and 20 pounds it needs to be both it is alot safer and it the law my youngest was 32 1/2 inch long at 9 mo old way two long so but we made it thur good luck.hope i was some help to you

Hi C. :-)
Infant seats are outgrown when the baby's head is 1" below the top (or when they reach the weight limit, whatever comes first). My daughter had long legs so her legs hung out a long time before she actually outgrew it.
Don't worry about their legs touching the backseat. There have been no reported cases of legs being broken in an accident from being rearfacing. The bare minimum for turning them foward facing is one year AND twenty pounds. But honestly it's so much safer to leave them rearfacing longer. The AAP recommends that you have them rearfacing until they hit the rearfacing limits of the car seat. Check your manual...current seats have rearfacing weight limits of 30-35 pounds (or until the top of their head is even with the top). My daughter is 2.5 and still rearfacing. If you don't want to have her rearfacing that long I understand, but at least wait to turn her until she's 1. A lot of car seat technicians don't feel comfortable turning kids around until they're at least 2. You can ask your pediatrician but a lot of them don't know much about it. Most don't even know what they're own organization (the AAP) recommends. So for car seat issues I ask the experts. If you go to www.car-safety.org they have a free forum where you can ask car seat technicians questions. There's also a YouTube video that explains rearfacing and shows crash tests comparing rear and foward facing. It's pretty shocking when you first see it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
Here's the link to a faster version of the video with an explanation on the right (click more). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo

I guess the rules are to keep the carseat rear facing until the child is a year old. Not only for safety, but you also can get a ticket if you are pulled over.

I hope that helps.

all 3 of my children were BIG, my ped told me that in a worse case situation, your child would be better off with a broken leg than whip lash and/or spinal cord injuries--but he did say the odds of them getting a broken leg (if they were rear facings) in an accident were alot less verses them being forward facing and getting whip lash or worse. comfort wise he told me to roll up a towel and put between the car seat and the vechile seat to give it just a little extra room for her legs. also make sure you check with your handbook because some care seats have adjustable straps and only certain levels are appropriate for which ever direction the seat is facing.

Usually the law in Michigan is, you can turn the seat around at 20 pounds. I hope this helps.

My daughter is 15 months old.. and still doesnt weigh 19 pounds. but she is very tall 31 inches. We turned her seat around just recently... at abut 15 months.

Your daughter needs to be at least 1 year old and 20 pounds. They do not have the back and neck strength to handle an auto accident if they are forward facing.

Do not worry if her feet hit the back seat- that is not a safety issue. Even if her legs have to bend at the knee- it is not a problem. she needs to be rear facing unitl she is 1 year old.

Michigan law state that the baby has to be 20 lbs AND one year. The reason they say one year is because younger babies don't have the enough muscle control to keep their body from bouncing all around during an accident.

Michelle is right. One year AND 20lbs. Sounds like you're almost to the 20 lbs but you'll need to wait until a year. You're baby will be fine with the feet touching the back of the seat.
L.

Both of my children are long, as well... and I had the same question when they were at your point.

A car seat specialist from the local police station put it very bluntly for me: if you're in an auto accident and your baby's feet are crowded by the vehicle's seat, there is the chance they may break their legs. However, if you turn them around too soon, before their neck has the muscular control to withstain the impact of a car accident, you risk breaking their necks.

She made everything very clear to me.

Of course, we never want broken bones anywhere on our babies... but... if we're forced to choose...

I know many mom's who have changed the car seat to forward facing (ff) before 1 year if their baby is over 20 lbs. However it is NOT recommended. The reason is that your child's bones are still calcifying through their childhood, their muscles are also still maturing. At 1 year they should be strong enough to withstand the impact of an accident better. There are many seats on the market that have taller height requirements for rf infants. Britax is amazing, but out of this world expensive, The Fisher Price Safe Voyage is a great seat (with EPS foam and steel reinforcement that might hold your child until 2 years rf-ing if you wanted. I’m keeping my son rf-ing as long as I can!

You can look at the Fisher Price car seat here (http://www.epinions.com/content_261928619652)
It is a 5pt convertible that will forward face for a long time too. Your child will have a long time in this seat!

Hi C.,
Everyone else that has commented is right. One year and 20 pounds. It is much safer to be rear facing for babies. Both of my boys are tall for their age but I kept them rear facing.
Chris