When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

Just wondering when I would need to do that - and if I need to get a convertible car seat to do so...

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

DC had to be 20lbs AND 1yr (though now they are suggesting waiting until 2yrs).

I don't believe the infant seats can be forward facing so you would need to buy a convertible seat.

We have a Britax and changed her forward facing right after her 12 month appt. She met both requirements and was miserable travelling backwards. She was so much happier forward facing.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

He was over a year and way over 20 lbs., I am going to guess 15 months. He was much happier in the car facing forward, but I know they say to keep them rear facing as long as possible.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

You definitely need a convertible seat to forward face, but you shouldn't do it until 2, or as close to 2 as you can. They aren't uncomfortable, they won't hurt their legs. Their bodies just can't handle a collision forward facing until they are relatively old (like 2 years old). A little uncomfortability is much better than a broken spine or neck....

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

we turned ds at 1 year... he was well over the weight and we really had to turn him because we is sooooo tall

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

I switched Rylan a little over 18 months. He was giving me a hard time getting in...standing up with his feet again the back seat. It was a struggle everytime with me pushing him down with force...he thought it was hilarious. If it wasn't for that I would have waited longer. His legs were extremely bent but he didn't mind.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

I will be turning them at 2 years old.

Yes, you need a convertible seat to face forward in the car, the infant carriers cannot face forward.

You will probably switch to the convertible seat before you turn the baby forward anyway. I switched at 10 months. They will now be rear facing in the convertible seats until they are 2.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

I just turned him forward facing last week. He will be 2 next month.

I tried to hold out as long as possible- because I know rear facing is safest. But DS is huge- 34 pounds and 35 inches long, so I had to give in.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

19 months, though I wish I waited longer.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

DD turned 2 this past Friday. Her seat is still rear facing in my car, although it is forward facing in DH's car (we switched his 2 weeks ago).

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

we just turned DD and she is getting close to 18 months old. she was beginning to give us a hard time getting into the seat. she just met the weight requirement but had the height requirement a long time ago...she's a string bean!

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

20 pounds and a year. I was commuting with my dd back and forth and it made a total difference in my ability to help her when she was screaming. She was/is so much happier facing forward. The new recommendations came out a week after I changed her, and there was no going back.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

The official AAP Recommendation is currently to rear face to the limits of your seat. The absolute MINIMUM is 1year and 20 lbs. The AAP has recently supported a new recommendation of 2yrs and 30lbs, though their official stance is still to RF to seat limits (as long as possible) or 1/20 as a bare minimum.

If you have a child under 2 who you are considering turning, please read Joel's story here. www.joelsjourney.org

As for the legs, children sit/sleep in positions adults woulld be uncomfortable with. The chances of their legs breaking in a crash are actually higher if they are forward facing than rear facing. However, even if there were a higher risk of leg breakage it is a heck of a lot easier to repair a broken leg than a broken neck.

The reason for the recommendation of keeping children rear facing has to due with their necks. Not the muscle strength, but bone formation. It doesn't matter how large your child is, their bones don't finish developing any faster because they weigh more or are tall for their age. The vertebrae do not finish the ossification process until the child is about 3-6 years old. The spine itself on an infant can stretch about 2". The spinal cord can only stretch 1/4". Also, a childs head is about, oh 25% of their total body weight as opposed to an adult's head which is like 5%.

Children have to do many things in life that they may not particularly like. If your child wants ice cream for every meal, do you give in? What about when Junior wants to stick stuff into the electrical outlets? No, you don't. I fail to see how this is any different.

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

Re: When did you turn your car seat to face forward?

We turned DS around when he turned 1 and will be doing the same with DD when she turns 1.