Posts Tagged ‘car seat’

Mom Guilt?

I was reading some articles this morning, mostly about parenting-type subjects.  One that I came across particularly caught my attention.  It essentially was saying that the introduction of modern cloth diapers into the mainstream was adding yet another decision for mothers, thus perpetuating the potential for mom-guilt.  Huh?

As if Pampers saved our lives back in the 60’s when they came out with disposable diapers?  I don’t know about everyone else, but I have some friends that use cloth and some that don’t.  To the best of my knowledge both groups are happy with their decisions.  If I had a friend that felt guilty for not trying cloth, I would probably suggest she give it a try! (Novel idea, I know!)  Why feel guilty about something that is so easy and accessible to all?

I have admitted in the past to having friends who will approach someone about not having their child correctly buckled in their car seat or hanging loosely in a sling and on a few occasions in the past I have seen a new mother with a very young baby timidly breastfeeding in public amongst negative onlookers and have grabbed my toddler, sat down next to her and whipped out a boob in solidarity.  BUT – I can’t say I have ever been witness to or been involved in a conversation where mothers who used disposable diapers have been looked down upon or made to feel guilty, sounds like another excuse to say something negative about cloth diapering to me.

If using Pampers makes you feel guilty…DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Tags: breast feeding in public, car seat, cloth diaper, cloth vs disposable, disposable diaper, mom guilt, new mother, pampers, sling
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Lets Talk About Car Seats….

I know this doesn’t have much to do with diapers, but again, its all about the safety of our kids right?  There has been lots of news lately about car seats – not sure if anyone has noticed, but I have!  Before I had children I would never have dreamed that I would be spending so much money and time on this subject, but if you watch some of the youtube.com videos or the crash test data and videos, it becomes apparent the real danger that we put our children in practically every day by taking them in our vehicles.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not telling anyone not to drive their kids around or trying to scare anyone, but I really want the stress the importance of finding the proper car seat  for your child and using it correctly.

Most of us usually end up with the typical “bucket style” carrier car seat for our infants.  In some of the newer buckets the weight limits are now higher than the typical 23lbs (some of the new ones allow a 32lb limit), but usually around 20lb (unless you have a tall baby and need one sooner than outgrown by weight) we as parents begin our search for the perfect convertible – and no I am not talking about getting a new car Dad!  Some people think that a car seat is a car seat, read the box, my kid fits, great we are all set.  Well, I hate to burst anyone’s bubble here, but its a bit more complicated – and if you take the time to educate yourself on the options, your child will be much safer and you will probably end up saving money in the long run.  Many of the cheaper convertibles, while still having to adhere to the same safety standards – meaning they definitely are safe, may not end up lasting you the longest.  Lots of them have lower weight limits and less of a life span (yes car seats have expiration dates) so although the sticker prices are low, you end up needing new ones more frequently.  Ideally, you could purchase a convertible car seat that will fit your child from 5lbs and will last until 65-80lbs if you have a short to average height child (Graco, Britax, Safety First, Sunshine Kids, just to name a few great brands – additionally some convertibles are better for newborns than others, please check fit guidelines).  These seats will often also allow to you to keep your toddler rear facing for an extended time – which has been at the center of news media as of late. 

The AAP changed its recommendation for rear facing from 12mos/20lbs to a minimum of 2 years – this is what people are referring to when they speak of “extended rear facing”.  Additionally there now are several choices of convertible that will allow your child to rear face until 40lbs (or less depending on height – Graco Myride 65, Sunshine Kids Radian and Safety First True Fit).  When fitting your child properly in a REAR facing seat, the straps coming out of the slots in the back of the seat need to be either at or BELOW the shoulders – this is especially important to check when trying to fit a very small infant into a convertable car seat.  The chest clip needs to be at the same level as the child’s arm pits as well (this goes for both rear facing and forward facing).

Some parents look at the change in car seat as a “milestone” – bucket to convertible, rear facing to forward facing and 5 point harness to booster.   Personally I feel like this whole line of thinking is extremely flawed, this is not something that is achieved and shouldn’t be looked at as something to we want to rush.  All of the research shows that children are safer when they ride rear facing  – about 500% safer actually!  A child’s head is quite large in proportion to the rest of their body and since the vast majority of crashes are frontal, the impact on a young child’s neck from the weight of the head can be catastrophic.  People site unhappy children, long legs crunched up and car sickness as some of the reasons for turning their toddlers forward facing before the car seat’s limit, none of which can be fatal and most that can be remedied in a much safer way than turning the car seat early. When the time does come for your child to switch from rear facing to forward facing, make sure to remember that the back strap guideline changes to requiring them to be either at or ABOVE the shoulders.

When it comes to switching from a 5 point harness to a booster, there are several things to take into consideration.  The age and size of your child are obviously some of them – no child less than 40lbs or younger than 4 yrs old should be in a booster no matter what the box or your state’s law tells you.  Additionally, you want to look at the muturity of your child as a major factor.  Do they still fall asleep during car trips and slump over to the side?  Will they sit up straight with good posture so the shoulder belt sits at the correct spot to keep them restrained in a collision?  Do they have the impulse control to NOT unclip their seat belt while you are driving?  There is nothing wrong with wanting to keep your child in a 5 point harness as long as their height and weight will allow and there are several seats that will help you achieve this effectively and comfortably (Britax has several options).  Several new car seats are on the market that allow the restraint using 5 point harness until 60-80lbs and then the seat converts to a high back booster and can be the last car seat that a parent will need to buy (Britax Frontier and Graco Nautilus).

Installing the seats are another really important thing.  You must thoroughly read that manual that comes with your child’s car seat and learn the correct way to install the car seat.  Most if not all car seats offer the option to use with the the build in latch clips or the cars own seat belt and additionally a third tether strap that secures the top of the seat.  When your car seat is successfully installed, you should not be able to move it more than 1 inch in any direction and that is pulling with a good amount of adult force – think about the impact that would occur during a crash?  If all this sounds confusing and daunting, please contact your local police station or fire department as to having your seat professionally checked and installed by a Certified Car Seat Technician – these people are familiar with different types of cars and car seats and can show you the best way to get the safest fit for your child and is your safest bet, especially before having a new baby or getting a new car seat. 

All car seats are not created equal – parents seem to have the “it won’t happen to us” attitude, but prevention is so important.  If you know that you have done your homework and have chosen the best seat for your child in your price range and its properly installed you can be sure that your child will be protected in the event of a crash.

Tags: britax, car seat, car seat safety, child restraint, extended rear facing, forward facing, graco, safety first, sunshine kids
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