[shelbydog]

Hi everyone! Mia just had her 6 month appt - she is 17 lbs. 14 ozs and 26 and 3/4 " long. We are using Evan's old infant seat for her - it's a Graco and only 3 yrs old but we can't find the manual. A friend told me the length limit is 26" and also that the "rule" is 20 lbs. or 1 year, she switches to the next seat. Is it OR one year or AND one year? And because she is now too long, shouldn't I be switching her? I guess I could check the Graco website, but does anyone know? Thank you!!

[kmf1524]

Linda-

I could be wrong, but it is my understanding that it is 20 pounds AND 1 year old. It sounds like she is getting big for the infant seat- so maybe you could switch her to a convertible car seat. You would just have to face it backward until she is 1 year old.

Hopefully others will chime in if I'm wrong.

Krista

[2bASingleMom]

I read an article in Parent's Magazine that it should be both 20lbs AND 1yr old (to ensure that their neck muscles are strong enough to handle the pulling forward that they get when riding face forward). But as Krista mentioned, that is for forward facing - so you can switch out of the infant carrier but ensure that the carseat is rear facing.

[wannahave3]

You know what a car seat fanatic I am Everyone is right. She is probably too long for the infant carrier so would need the convertible carseat installed backwards until she is 20 lbs. and one year .

We are changing our son tonight

[chrisa]

I'm also a huge car seat fanatic...it's 20lbs and 1 year as a min. but, it is highly recommened to keep children facing backwards as long as possible (better neck support).
thanks goodness I was this type of fanatic...when our daughter was 13 months we were in a head on collision about 45mph (mini van was totaled) but, our little girl was safe and snug (her side of the door was all crushed in too).
she was in a convertible carseat until about 16 months and was perfectly happy.
our son just turned 1 year and is already 24lbs...but, he will be facing backwards for awhile (he also doesn't mind, he can see his big sister better)
you never ever know when you will be in a car accident...our accident was out of the blue (on Father's day, coming back from the beach) someone pulled right out in front of us

they make some great convertible carseats...we have a Evenflo triumph but, I also would recommend a Britax that has a higher weight limit (when you do turn them forward), most of them only go to 40lbs (facing forward) and our daughter reached that right when she turned 3 years...and then she had to go into a highback booster seat.

Chris

[shelbydog]

Thanks everyone! (Hi Shannon I thought we could move her to the convertible but keep her rear facing. I just think she is just about too tall for this seat. She barely fits in it and is starting to get crabby in it Very helpful! Linda

[Devora]

Look on the stickers on the side of the car seat -- we were borrowing a friend's Graco and the weight and height limit were there. That Graco was 2 years old and the limit at that time was 20 pounds and 26". (The newer models go to 23 pounds and 29 inches, I believe.)

The American Pediatric Association actually goes a bit further in their recommendations...they say that you should keep a child rear-facing until they are 20 pounds AND 1 year AND for as long as the seat is rated to be rear facing. So, by their recommendation our son should be rear facing until he's 33 pounds because that's as long as our new Britax Marathon is rated for rear facing. It seems, though, like most physicians just say the 20 pounds AND 1 year.