View Full Version : Car seats needed to be prof fitted...
BeatoNo3
17-02-2010, 21:38
Do they need to be put in professionally.. Personally I have always paid for mine to get done professionally but was talking to my SIL and she is doing hers herself... but can she is there legel remifications if she does it herself besides mayb installing incorretly.. I mean each to there own but jsut wondering.... Do you gets ur done prfessionally or do it urself..
JabberJaw
17-02-2010, 21:45
I had my eldest ones fitted years ago by the Ambo's for free, and have done them myself since then.
Legal ramifications???
We do ours ourselves ;) Always moving them around as the kids want to change spots, etc....or occasionally need to put one or two in DH 's work car or a friend's car/taxi/whatever. It is really very simple to do :yes:
MummaBear03
17-02-2010, 21:48
I did with the capsule, then when I had the reversible carseat put in, but since she was 3 and we got the Maxi Rider it's just been put in by me. I did get them put in professionally last week because I needed 3 seats in the car and couldn't get my hands between the seats properly, one of the seats was so loose it could be lifted right up so it wasn't being used unless professionally fitted.
ImNotJustAnymum
17-02-2010, 21:49
when we first got ours we had it professionally fitted but we watched and learned how to do it and the things to look out for.. and as we have changed cars and the like many times i think we are now quite professional at putting it in.. and it sits just as snug as the original fitting....
but what ever your comfortable- as far as i know the car seat does not have to be professionally fitted but has to be CORRECTLY fitted...
I had my car written off last year and our car seat kept DD perfectly safe (unfortuantly i copped a bit) we had installed it then so our work cant be too bad...:D
Fuchsia!
17-02-2010, 21:51
When i 1st had them, i got them fitted professionally.
But i have done it a million times now so i think i am a professional at it :D
BeatoNo3
17-02-2010, 21:52
hey thanks for the replies... I now it is easy to do i had my first car seated 3 years ago then 2nd a year after n have moved them round from time to tim myslef.. I was only asking as i was told by the fitting place n a dr at the hossie that they need to b prof fitted and needed the paper work to show the midwifes before taking the baby home from the hossie.. which i thught was a bit far but n e ways.. i then was talkin to my SIL who showed me
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/children/childrestraints/index.html
and it is a total load of crap... I could have done it myself as i know how like most mums do and saved my self some money... but at the end of the day i have three seats now prfo fitted and i kno for my peace of mind that it is done and done properly (not that i would doubt my self) but jsut thought i woudl share....
Hollywood
17-02-2010, 21:53
Legal ramifications???
We do ours ourselves ;) Always moving them around as the kids want to change spots, etc....or occasionally need to put one or two in DH 's work car or a friend's car/taxi/whatever. It is really very simple to do :yes:
Same here. They're easy peasy and I do them just as tight as the fitting stations, you can't budge it once I put it in :thumbsup: I find the trick is (and it is written in the instruction booklet) to put your weight on the carseat as you buckle it in, it makes it really tight. Then once that is secure you clip in the tether strap and tighten that. So easy once you know how.
MummaBear03
17-02-2010, 21:56
I didn't have to tell them anything at the hospital. I had the carry part of the capsule in the hospital to carry her out to the car in and they were happy just seeing that. They asked if it's properly and I said yes it is, and that was it. They didn't ask if it was professionally done or ask for proof.
Makes you wonder how people go without a car, so many people say you're not allowed to leave the hospital without a carseat.
I think its a good idea to have a rear facing seat fitted. We did our own and then had it checked by the Ses and it was found to be on the wrong angle and we needed an extra strap on it which made it safer. It was a free service. Several people had seen our seat and no one realised it was wrongly installed. The guy said most of the rear facing ones they checked were not correctly installed and therefore not safe. It was easy to install once we went front facing.
bubbies4me
17-02-2010, 21:59
hey thanks for the replies... I now it is easy to do i had my first car seated 3 years ago then 2nd a year after n have moved them round from time to tim myslef.. I was only asking as i was told by the fitting place n a dr at the hossie that they need to b prof fitted and needed the paper work to show the midwifes before taking the baby home from the hossie.. which i thught was a bit far but n e ways.. i then was talkin to my SIL who showed me
We were also told this by the lady that ran the ante-natal classes so we paid ($37.50) to get ours checked (DH put it in) it was fitted correctly and we got a certificate to say it was safe and then the midwives didnt even asked how it was fitted only if we had a carseat.
Hollywood
17-02-2010, 22:00
I didn't have to tell them anything at the hospital. I had the carry part of the capsule in the hospital to carry her out to the car in and they were happy just seeing that. They asked if it's properly and I said yes it is, and that was it. They didn't ask if it was professionally done or ask for proof.
Makes you wonder how people go without a car, so many people say you're not allowed to leave the hospital without a carseat.
yeah, I carried DS out in my arms, they didn't say a thing. I vaguely recall having a conversation with a midwife about carseats and she was just making sure that it was fitted and ready to go, but it was just asked in passing, I didn't have to provide any proof. My word was enough.
hey thanks for the replies... I now it is easy to do i had my first car seated 3 years ago then 2nd a year after n have moved them round from time to tim myslef.. I was only asking as i was told by the fitting place n a dr at the hossie that they need to b prof fitted and needed the paper work to show the midwifes before taking the baby home from the hossie.. which i thught was a bit far but n e ways.. i then was talkin to my SIL who showed me
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/children/childrestraints/index.html
and it is a total load of crap... I could have done it myself as i know how like most mums do and saved my self some money... but at the end of the day i have three seats now prfo fitted and i kno for my peace of mind that it is done and done properly (not that i would doubt my self) but jsut thought i woudl share....
Wow, nice way for the fitting place to make extra money....:no: I know some hospitals require you to have a carseat before you leave - OF COURSE :yes: but, yeah, most people are capable of properly installing them.
JabberJaw
17-02-2010, 22:02
Plus you need to take them out to wash the covers. :confused: My bub is a grot and grows alot so i have to wash the cover and make the straps higher, it would cost alot if you were paying to have them fitted everytime.
The nurses only asked me did i have a car seat, which i did.
BeatoNo3
17-02-2010, 22:05
I know they scored like 100 bucks out of me as i had three seats to be fitted.. as i said i didnt mind as it was peace of mind knowing it was done properly but still makes u wonder
1- how many ppl go home without a carseat.
2- how many r installed wrong
3- and how the car fitting places can charge for someting that should b free... i mean we have 3 plces where i live that all charge there isnt a place here that does it for free (that i kno of) as i called the ambos and they dont do it but yea very interesting hey girls...
MimiGrace
17-02-2010, 22:07
yeah, I carried DS out in my arms, they didn't say a thing. I vaguely recall having a conversation with a midwife about carseats and she was just making sure that it was fitted and ready to go, but it was just asked in passing, I didn't have to provide any proof. My word was enough.
when i helped my friend home from the hospital they REFUSED to check the car seat was in properly (probably because there would be legal ramifications on them if it wasn't? not sure).
But in any case. We have to swap car seats out between several cars so often that its a bit hard to get it done professionally every single time. But i'm very confident in my abilities to install one by now :D
sam's mum
17-02-2010, 22:09
Same here. They're easy peasy and I do them just as tight as the fitting stations, you can't budge it once I put it in :thumbsup: I find the trick is (and it is written in the instruction booklet) to put your weight on the carseat as you buckle it in, it makes it really tight. Then once that is secure you clip in the tether strap and tighten that. So easy once you know how.
not all of the straps should be tight. the ambos loosened one of ours and said that it needs to have a little bit of give so that it can absorb the impact into the strap.
this was in a rear facing seat.
myhusbandswife
17-02-2010, 22:26
we payed to get our installed because it felt a bit wobbly. The fitter used a gated buckle to keep the seatbelt tight. Now I know how to get it tight and keep it tight I do it myself
Hollywood
17-02-2010, 22:26
I know they scored like 100 bucks out of me as i had three seats to be fitted.. as i said i didnt mind as it was peace of mind knowing it was done properly but still makes u wonder
1- how many ppl go home without a carseat.
2- how many r installed wrong
3- and how the car fitting places can charge for someting that should b free... i mean we have 3 plces where i live that all charge there isnt a place here that does it for free (that i kno of) as i called the ambos and they dont do it but yea very interesting hey girls...
Yeah, I think it should be free.....then maybe more people would have it done and keep their kids safer. I am confident in my ability to install DS' carseat properly, but I'm sure there are a lot of kids out there at risk because of improper fitting carseats.
Who do you actually pay to do this? :confused: I'm getting a bigger size carseat soon for bubby and I think I'd like to get it professionally fitted as I'm not sure we fitted his first one all that well...
peanutbutter&jelly
17-02-2010, 23:00
Who do you actually pay to do this? :confused: I'm getting a bigger size carseat soon for bubby and I think I'd like to get it professionally fitted as I'm not sure we fitted his first one all that well...
Call your local RTA, or pop in if they're dead when you walk past. We got the number for the guy in my area, who was great. He's done all of mine, the maxirider doesn't budge and he adjusted the strap for the capsule - which as a PP said, needs some give and does checks for free :D
myhusbandswife
17-02-2010, 23:06
i think if you go to the rta website there is a PDF file which has all the registered fitters
UmmInayah
17-02-2010, 23:09
DH the nutbar, didn't even ATTACH the car seat into the car when my first was born. so we were doing it together in the hospital carpark.. he just put it in the back seat!
what an idiot, honestly :rolleyes: he knew we were bringing the baby home, how did he think we were going to take her?? lol anyway, we had it checked by the ambos a week or so after.
InSaneOne
18-02-2010, 08:55
we swap cars several times a week as i have to dro the kids off at my mum's place or daycare and dh needs to pick them up from my mothers or daycare so we just leave the seats at mum's and they can be put in the other car - unfortunately we can't afford to get double lots of the seats so 1 seat each is all we have. i tend to have the hire capsule fitted (or i did for ds - dd didn't have a capsule) but other than that we do it ourselves.
i have been wondering tho if you had to take public transport home - would you need to leave with a car seat or would bubs just be in a pram?
i have been wondering tho if you had to take public transport home - would you need to leave with a car seat or would bubs just be in a pram?
You can leave with bub in a cardboard box so long as you're not putting them in a car like that! :p The day I left the hospital with DD another couple were going home at the same time and they were catching the train home so just had bub in a sling. They actually intended to walk to the local cafe strip and have some brunch first which was very brave of first time parents I reckon! DF looked like he had just robbed a bank and was worried someone would discover it at any second as he carried DD the half a block to our car! :laughing: He kept looking over his shoulder and then checking on the little bundle wrapped up in his arms then checking side to side for any sneak attacks! :p
~BEXTER~
18-02-2010, 09:49
I have always done them myself, Its not hard.
I repeat what I said earlier the ses guy who checked ours said most rear facing ones they checked were installed incorrectly by parents. A couple of people we knew had checked ours and said it looked fine and they had kids but they were wrong!
NonnyMouse
18-02-2010, 10:27
I wouldn't pay someone to instal a child seat anymore than I would pay someone to change a tyre on my car. I'm perfecty capable of doing it myself.
I am happy to pay $5 to Kidsafe (http://www.kidsafe.com.au/)to have them check my installation though. They had no issues with how I installed it. There are branches in every State of Australia and for a small donation it's a far better option than paying an installer. For $25 they'll install it for you, or $5 to check it after you've done it yourself.
Boobycino
18-02-2010, 10:41
I was freaking out because soeone told me we needed to have it fitted professionally and thinking OMG we wont be able to bring Jasper home from hospital, as DP was working and I dont drive and we coudn't get in to somewhere to do it and I was flipping out (ya know, 39 weeks pregnant and hadn't thought about fitting the car seat yet :laughing:)
DP took it down stairs, came back about 10 minuites and was like 'done!" and I was like "no no, how did you do it"
"it comes with instructions"
.... oh..... awesome!
Now I've taken it in and out so many times and out of so many different cars too, I'm and expert :thumbsup:
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