Car Seat

[Stacy]

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for this post or not, but have to ask.

I am currently 23 weeks pregnant with my first little bubby. I have bought pretty much everything that I will need. There is one thing that is puzzling me. When is the right time to put the car seat in the car. I wanted to put it in the car when I bought it (as 12 weeks) - It was on special!!!:D - But thought that that was a little early. I want to have it in and ready to go before I go into labour - but don't want to be trying to install it between contractions :eek: I am going to get the ambulance to check that I have done this correctly as well. Any help would be really appreciated.

Stacy

[Manxie]

Hi Stacy

Think mine went in 2-3 weeks before my due date, cant remember exactly. I was leaving mine as late as I could though as I hired it from the red cross and didnt want to get it too early.

Dont think it really matters at the end of the day I decided if I went into labour early and it wasnt fitted DH or someone else would just have to get it sorted out while I was in hospital:D

Good luck

[wattle]

Hi Stacy. I had mine put in when I was about 7 months, which was great because it gave me plenty of time to get used to it. We had a plastic baby doll (kindly donated to dh by his workmates as a joke) which was really useful to practise doing up the seatbelt.

It also made me feel like a real mummy as soon as it was in the car. :D

The guy who installed it said he was amazed how many people weren't prepared and hubbies had to go and have it installed after bubs were already born! Otherwise they wouldn't be able to get home from the hospital.

The only negative about having it installed early on is that you may forget how to tighten and loosen the belt - but only if you're as vague as I was! Once you've done it a few times you'll be fine though. Just make sure you have it installed by a professional and they show you how to use it properly.

[reAllytee]

Yes its amazing how many people wait until they are coming home from hospital to organise it :eek:
Our installer who runs a mobile service was telling us how many call outs to hospitals he does & its unbelievable !
Id say around the 8th month is fine.

[Merlion]

I hired my capsule (I had a car seat given to us as a present too) and was supposed to pick it up on the tuesday before my dr's appt but due to the fact i had to have emerg c-sect on the monday hubbie picked it up on the way to the hospital on the tues. we were in hospital for 12 days so it didn't really matter anyway.

i had booked it 3months in advance so it was okay and the ladies place i hired it from was just around from the hospital otherwise i would have picked it up earlier. we practiced with our other one as well

[LilShenanigans]

I bought my car seat at about 20weeks? I think...

I had organised to get it fitted into my mums car (my car had carked it by then) on a thursday or friday a week before bub was due...
Bub arrived at 39.1 weeks and the only reason I stayed at the hospital an extra 2 hrs was so mum could call around and find somewhere to fit the car seat :o

oops :p

[veve]

the ambulance here in qld dont like you to book the capsules (their capsules) more than 2 months before your due date... you then go and get it installed one month before bub is due...

but if it is YOUR capsule... Id put it in now :) (really .... it is just smart storage... it would take up space in the house!!:D) it is so exciting to see it in the car for the first time....

good idea going to the ambulance to check the fitting - the guy who fitted ours was great with advice about straps and getting bubs in and out easier.,.. his tips have saved us HEAPS of effort..


xxx

[Peaceangels]

Yes, I agree with those who advise to put it in early (maybe 6 weeks prior to your due date).
I wanted to put ours in early for DS1, but DH kept putting me off - saying "there's plenty of time".
I should have persisted because DH installed it himself the day he was coming to pick us up from hospital and did it wrong, so I cried the whole way home in the car (4 day blues had set in). :(

[Stacy]

Thanks for your help everyone!!!

I would LOVE to put it in now, but have found a good storage spot for it :) . I think that I will put it in 8weeks before my due date. Surely I can't go that early!!! and I will feel like I am organised. I have just had the house sprayed for spiders and the baby's carpet installed. (Both this morning!) so am very excited to get the room set up!

Thanks agian for your help everyone
Stacy

[Lunar]

Stacey,
8 wks before your EDD sounds fine and gives you plenty time to get use to it. The only thing I would suggest is to get it professionally fitted. It is estimated that at more than 85% of car seats are fitted incorrectly, because parents don't have the seat belt which holds the seat in place tight enough and for many other reasons. It isn't that expensive when you think about it, $50+ or your child's life??? Also avoid taking it out again after it's been fitted (this defeats the purpose of getting it done professionally in the first place) I know alot of ppl who put them in and out of their cars so they fit more people in their cars. Some one actually asked me to do that once so I could fit 1 more person in and I said only if they were going to pay for it to be re-installed:rolleyes: