Conference moira::parenting_v3

In every state in the US, car seats are required for infants (I'm not sure
if the age cut off is the same everywhere).  These have to be certified by
some agency (don't know which off the top of my head).  The 2 piece infant
seats qualify for this.  So do the bigger ones.

The advantages of the infant seats are 1) they lift out and 2) their size
is more appropriate for a new born (Melissa swims in an infant seat).  The
disadvantange is that you will eventually have to buy a full size seat as
well.

Dick

Back in the other notes file, I wrote the same note when we first
got Sammy. My experience is that the car seat for a very tiny
baby is almost dangerous. For Sammy, he was 13 lbs at 5 weeks so
we didn't have a problem. We rented a baby carrier from local
hospital until we bought a car seat.

For the money invested, a car seat is the best buy; otherwise,
you'll end up buying two items.
cal

    We bought a Koleco Rock 'n Ride infant seat for $26 at Sam's, and it
    was an excellent investment!  In addition to being an appropriate sized
    rear-facing car seat for an infant, it also doubles as an infant seat. 
    Pat just took Michael out of the car, seat and all, and carried him by
    the convenient handle in and out of stores when she ran her errands. 
    It sat perfectly across a grocery cart, leaving the bottom of the cart
    empty for groceries.  Michael has graduated to a Fisher-Price car seat
    now, and is much too heavy for Pat to carry him around in  the Koleco
    when she runs errands, but we still use the Rock 'n Ride when we take
    him to a restaurant, since he doesn't sit up securely enough for a
    restaurant high chair.  We definitely got our money's worth out of the
    infant seat!

    Steve
    

    I brought one of the century infant car seat/carriers this works the
    same as the Koleco one in .3.  We still use it for Alexander even
    though he graduated to a bigger car seat.  WE use it for him in the
    house to sit in becasue he can not sit that great by himself yet.
    
    You can buy these at Emerson Hospital at the cashiers office, and most
    hospitals do sell or rent car seats just incase the parents haven't
    gotten one yet or the baby decieds to come early.
    
    
    Liz

    Service agencies like the Jaycees and the Kiwanis also often have
    car seat rental programs.  Some of them will rent full-size car
    seats as well, especially for low-income families.
    
    We got the full-sized car seat and never had any problem.  If the
    baby swims too much in it, you can roll a towel or a blanket and
    place it around the baby to help support him/her. 
    
    We decided not to use a carrier seat, opting instead for a chest
    carrier so the baby could be cuddled while we were shopping etc. 
    We had good luck with that for both Steven and David -- they got
    less bored and weren't as fussy.  Plus they'd go to sleep most of
    the time from the motion and the sound of the parent's heartbeat. 
    
    For home we used a much smaller plastic seat that didn't travel
    with us. 
    
    --bonnie

    We bought the Century infant carrier and purchased an additional base
    (so a base stays stationed in each of our cars, and the carrier goes
    with the baby).  This has worked out GREAT for us, since we flex-hour
    and are constantly trading off The_Ba'be'.
    
    They are much more expensive, however, than Steve's!  I believe you can 
    get one base and carrier 'on sale' for around $45.  Extra base was $25.
    I feel confident we could sell it (when JA outgrows it) and easily
    recover half our cost, but we're just going to hand-it-down to the next
    new baby in the family.  We have definately got our money's worth out
    of it!
    
    As stated in previous notes, it is used for MANY more reasons than JUST
    a carseat!  I found JA took MANY a nap in it on the kitchen floor (as
    she'd fall asleep in the car and we'd just pop her seat out, carry her
    in, and she never wakened!).  It slides nicely under the church pew,
    fits nicely next to your table in a restaurant, fits nicely in the
    grocery cart, sits nicely in the middle of Grandma's dining room
    table (for feeding and rocking) and is great in the Pedi's office
    (during long waits)!   We got very good at rocking the carrier with one
    foot, while working or eatting!
    
    It can opt as a carseat, carrier, rocker or upright chair!  I also use
    a thick phonebook (under the front of it) to convert it to a bed!
    
    JA was 6 lbs at birth and is now 20 lbs at 'almost' 10 months ... She 
    has a full-sized Century carseat (covered with dust kitties in her 
    closet!! -- only use it's had is being occasionally loaned to a friend 
    or visiting family member!) -- as we STILL use the infant carrier and JA
    still has plenty of room.
    
    Would I buy another infant carrier? -- you bet!  And I highly recommend
    the Century, mostly because of the snap-in base (never have to fool
    with the seat belt!).  Jim's brother spent considerable time buckling
    and unbuckling his FP infant carrier (and his kid outgrew it in 5
    months! -- big kid!).
    
    So I guess it depends on what you expect to use it for and just how big
    your kid is (or will possibly expand to AND when!).
    
    For a Baby-on-the-Go, I found the infant carrier to be "priceless".
    
    Now if they'd devise a way to add wheels to the carrier (e.g.
    stroller)!  I did see an "all-in-one" advertised once, for some highly
    ridiculous price!  (I just keep an umbrella stroller in my hatchback.)
    
    My two cents.
    Dottie
                         

    Here's another vote for the Century infant carrier!  We 
    did all the things that Dottie does with hers...except,
    we had to stop using it by 3.5 months  and STILL got our
    moneys worth!  Steven was 17lbs and 26 1/4 inches at his
    4 mos checkup.  
    
    Linda

    I like the Kolcraft Rock 'n Ride.  $32.00 at Service Merchandise.
    

    Here's another vote for the Century infant seat. We were lucky enough
    to have the loan of an extra base, so we were able to rig up both cars
    with an infant seat. Very easy to snap-in/snap-out...very easy to
    carry...very versatile. The only drawback I felt in comparison to some of
    the other infant seats was that the Century lacked a canopy for shade.
    However, Century has since added a canopy to their latest model
    (currently on sale at Serv. Merchandise).
    
    A word of caution regarding the Fisher-Price infant seat. We bought one
    originally, based on F-P's reputation alone. However, we didn't notice
    until we unpacked it that it didn't have a carrying handle. You had to
    use two hands to grab hold of each end...we found this to be too
    cumbersome, so we returned it in favor of the Century. 
    
    Good luck...

    Thanks to all of you for your help.  I think the general concensus is
    to buy the infant carrier and use that as both the seat and carrier
    until baby is about 18lbs, then invest in the car seat.  
    
    We recently got a bunch of stuff in the mail and one of the brochures
    was from a NH Buyers Service and has infant seats, cribs, car seats,
    toys, safety devices and bassinettes.  The Century 580 series with
    canopy lists for 69.99 but they sell it for $50.50.  I think with all
    your advice we'll try this one!
    
    My real worry was if the hospital accepted infant carriers as a viable,
    safe way for the baby to leave the hospital!  Looks like it's ok.
    
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Rebecca