I went to the CPST today

[Babywearing Meghan]

I was having trouble locating me d rings to teather my radians rfing... Well he told me that it was better to use the latch to install the seats then the seat belt and proceeded to reinstall all of them.. I was always told to use what you get a better install with.. but he got an awesome install with the latch so ok I left it alone.

Then we had to discuss Fiona who is 2.5 28 lbs and rfing still on the driver side.. he asked if I was the only one driving, I said yes but only for another week (DH is getting a licsense) he asked if he would need to move the seat and I said yes, cause my DH is a big guy.

He showed me that when he slid the seat back that it shoved her rear facing car seat to an unsafe angle.. that he either could not drive the car with the seat rfing or he had to get a different car.. or we needed to buy a minivan or something to keep her rfing.

So he said if it was his kid, his car seat, and his car, he would turn her around at this point.. I made the spur of the moment desision to go ahead and do it.. but I am such an advocite of extended rear facing and have been for so long, that I feel really weird about it.. almost like a hypocrite or something since she still had 5 lbs and some height left to rf in the radian.

Is he correct? I could switch sides for her and Julianna, but I keep Julianna on that side for carpooling, I mean summer is here so I dont car pool as much, but I hate to move her seat cause he did get an AMAZING install that I couldnt get myself I can garuntee that.

Should I look into a different option so I can keep Fiona RFing or at this point with her age and weight, should I just leave it and be happy she was able to rear face for this long??

what would you do.. she is 2.5 and 28 lbs.. I wanted to get to 33 (the rf limit on the seat)

[keri1292]

#1 ~ You SHOULD be able to replicate that install because it SHOULD have been YOU installing it! The tech is supposed to teach you to do it. :thumbsdown:

#2 ~ If you want her RFing, keep her RFing. Before you turn her, have dh try out the driver's seat. Leave it where he needs it and try to install her seat. Her seat can be as upright as 30 degrees. Just realized that you had a Radian, they are supposed to be 45 degrees. Can you install it in the center?

[MomToEliEm]

What recline do you think you were getting with your seat when the seat is pushed back a little. I am wondering what "unsafe angle" was to the tech. Was he requiring a 45 degree recline for a 2.5 year old? As long as the seat is between 30-45 degrees on the recline, the seat is safe.

[Babywearing Meghan]

#1 ~ You SHOULD be able to replicate that install because it SHOULD have been YOU installing it! The tech is supposed to teach you to do it. :thumbsdown:

#2 ~ If you want her RFing, keep her RFing. Before you turn her, have dh try out the driver's seat. Leave it where he needs it and try to install her seat. Her seat can be as upright as 30 degrees. Just realized that you had a Radian, they are supposed to be 45 degrees. Can you install it in the center?

oh nice I got a crappy cpst. yea he just kind of did it, I know how to do it with the latches but I never could get it as tight as he did.

he did show me how to do the D rings with the rfing at least but that was it. maybe I will switch The two girls seats for the summer? then that buys her a bit more time rfing.. I know we cant move the seat back further cause it makes the seat like push forward rather than angle up more.. make sense?unless I play with it and can figure out a way not to screw it up. hmmm

[keri1292]

oh nice I got a crappy cpst. yea he just kind of did it, I know how to do it with the latches but I never could get it as tight as he did.

he did show me how to do the D rings with the rfing at least but that was it. maybe I will switch The two girls seats for the summer? then that buys her a bit more time rfing.. I know we cant move the seat back further cause it makes the seat like push forward rather than angle up more.. make sense?unless I play with it and can figure out a way not to screw it up. hmmm

You can post some pics and we'll try to give you some installation pointers. :)

[Babywearing Meghan]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/julesmommy/IMG_0123.jpg
this was her a couple weeks ago.. I was the only driver so it was totally good.. but not teathered in.. I was using the seat belt for installing it. ignore the mess, it isnt like that now lol I cleaned it out really well like the next day lol

now I will go out and install it rfing and take pics of what happens when I move the seat back for hubs height. I want him to just get his own car when he gets his licsense but I know that will take a few weeks at least and he will be itching to drive and on my case to let him

[keri1292]

Is there room to install it in the center?

What a cutie too! Our car looks like that about every three days. :rolleyes:

[Babywearing Meghan]

Is there room to install it in the center?

What a cutie too! Our car looks like that about every three days. :rolleyes:


unfortunatly nope.. I have three radians, I have a ff one for Julianna on the passanger side, a rfing one for the new baby who is due next month in the center, and Fiona on the drivers side (was rfing also) I think I might just swap sides for Julianna and Fiona actually, I have all summer that I can put Julianna on what ever side (I am so dumb I didnt even think of that fact. dur!)

honestly I am a bit sick over the whole thing.. I want to cry but that could just be hormones.. but this stuff is really important to me.. I want my babies as safe as they possibly can be.

[Babywearing Meghan]

oh and thanks :) I think she is a cutie pie too! lol

[Babywearing Meghan]

ok she is RFING again on the other side... the guy was a complete idiot and I am really upset.. my latch system only can be used up to 40 lbs.. Julianna is over 50 lbs.. I just uninstalled them and redid it myself.. I am going to go get myself certified I think.. I mean I know more than him lol

[Judi]

Well, atleast he knew about rear face tethering. We do clinics with the hospital every month here. Every time a Britax or Radian comes in, they come to me for help. I train every month on this. This month, I will be training them on the Frontier too...

[Babywearing Meghan]

Well, atleast he knew about rear face tethering. We do clinics with the hospital every month here. Every time a Britax or Radian comes in, they come to me for help. I train every month on this. This month, I will be training them on the Frontier too...

I hope he did that right, he took that extra strap extender thing and looped it through and then latched the latch to it.. I will take a pic.

I have to go grab the one for Fionas seat cause I have to teather that in still now that she is rear facing again.

I am mad that he made me latch Juliannas seat in.. I mean he seemed to have no idea how big my kids were actually... Cause he was shocked that Fiona was 2.5 and 28 lbs I told him and he was like "Oh really, at this point I would just turn her around since you cant slide the car seat back with out moving her seat"

I was like "I want her rfing till the weight limit, it is safest" dont know why he didnt suggest just swapping hers and Juliannas seat.. Oh yea maybe cause his next apt was waiting.. and we went over.. Make her wait! these are MY kids that I GAVE BIRTH TO! When I go to someone to help me install their CAR SEATS in the safest possible way, my kids become your top priority too!

augh I am mad about it.. is there anything I can do? like report it somewhere that he installed Juliannas seat illegally?

[snowbird25ca]

Just realized that you had a Radian, they are supposed to be 45 degrees. Can you install it in the center?

I just wanted to touch on this comment... the Radian does not have to be installed at a 45* angle. The manual specifically indicates that anything greater than 45* is acceptable. (They measure from horizontal rather than the vertical that is typically discussed.)

You often see around here about 45* because the rf'ing boot can make it more difficult to get the seat installed more upright in some vehicles, but installing more upright is definitely allowed.

[sunnymw]

M, just wanted to say my car usually looks just like that, only worse... mei tai jumble included ;)

[Babywearing Meghan]

M, just wanted to say my car usually looks just like that, only worse... mei tai jumble included ;)

lol if you look closely that is a freehand jumbled up beside her in the pic lol! there were two mei tais in the middle car seat since the smallest kiddo is still inside of me lol its a good place for carriers.

BTW what is your exact guess date mama? I am the 27th of July, just yesterday I started feeling that "ok now I am starting to feel ready to be done being pregs lol.... up until then I thought it was going WAYYYY Too fast

[tjham]

ok she is RFING again on the other side... the guy was a complete idiot and I am really upset.. my latch system only can be used up to 40 lbs.. Julianna is over 50 lbs.. I just uninstalled them and redid it myself.. I am going to go get myself certified I think.. I mean I know more than him lol

Whoa! That IS scary!

[sunnymw]

lol if you look closely that is a freehand jumbled up beside her in the pic lol! there were two mei tais in the middle car seat since the smallest kiddo is still inside of me lol its a good place for carriers.

BTW what is your exact guess date mama? I am the 27th of July, just yesterday I started feeling that "ok now I am starting to feel ready to be done being pregs lol.... up until then I thought it was going WAYYYY Too fast

LOL guess date... July 10th! When I installed our CS in the center of our car on leather seats in 98* weather... I was ready to be done... haha! I'd better get on having the seats checked so I can still "participate" in my check, but I'm also still juggling seats around since I plan on buying a new one at the beginning of July with the stim. check.

Congrats!!

And yeah... I have a MOM tai or MTB in my center car seat all the time. :love:
And ETA: love that Blue Leaves Didy in your avi.

[Babywearing Meghan]

Thanks! I loved blue leaves, I actually sold it which I really thought I would never do.. but I did... I actually miss it less than I thought I would.

I am about to leave for the AAA cpst.. I hope I have better luck with him... he seemed a heck of a lot more informed though upon conversing with him yesterday.

[BW1426]

Pull the front of the radian away from the seat bight before installing it. You should have no problem getting it less reclined. I always install it with the seat back as far as I would like it to go back, because it is allowed to brace and sometimes it can be really challenging to push the front seat back once the carseat is installed. I just install it and if the base isn't entirely on the seat, I push the front seat forward a click or two at a time until it is just right.

[Babywearing Meghan]

Ok this morning went a thousand times better!!! he was soooooo much better of a cpst... he knew what he was doing, he caught that Juliannas seat belt wasnt locked and fixed it showing me how.. (I actually forgot yesterday when I installed them:eek: no excuse but it was really really hot and radians are really really heavy and I am really really pregnant lol so yea I forgot to pull the belt out and all that jazz!:eek::eek:)

Anyways he gave me a number to call for one of there cpst things that they do each month.. he said if I want I can get an infant seat for the baby there (he was telling me how much more convinent it would be lol.. I dont think he knows about my babywearing and didy fetish. lol I never used the old infant car seat as anything but a car seat.. I just took my babies out and poped them in the sling) I told him I never took the one I had with my first two out of the car cause I just wear them.. (I destroyed it cause it expired)

but he is saying if I have to go to the hospital they might make me have an infant one cause by policy. he said I might be able to wait and see like if I end up for what ever reason needing to go to the hospital, and they say yea you need an infant one.. go grab one or I could have one..ehh I dont know.. hubs was like "no way are we buying another car seat" lol

But he was a much much better tech.. he said I might think about taking the course.. and getting certified.. cause I know a good amount and I am interested in car seat safety, I would like to, at least so that when people give me a hard time about extended rear facing and harnessing I can say "well I am a cpst" and I can approach people I see with their seats installed wrong or kids not even in seats.. with out the "who does she think she is comments

I might do it.. he said at the monthy safety fair thing they have info on the courses and when they are.

[safeinthecar]

The hospital can't make you buy a certain type of seat, you just have to show them your seat is rated for a newborn.

If I have another I will probably use the RN from birth too. I'm not a big IO fan. (ok I'm not a fan of the IOs available today. If they started making the Fisher Price infant seats again I'd be all over it)

I would however buy an IO if STB-DH wanted one.

[Babywearing Meghan]

The hospital can't make you buy a certain type of seat, you just have to show them your seat is rated for a newborn.

If I have another I will probably use the RN from birth too. I'm not a big IO fan. (ok I'm not a fan of the IOs available today. If they started making the Fisher Price infant seats again I'd be all over it)

I would however buy an IO if STB-DH wanted one.


ok now where can I show them that it is rated for a newborn? I have a 65 for him but I took the infant inserts from the 80 (my oldest is in the 80) and put it in the 65 (sunshine kids says that is fine.. lol I asked before buying cause I am paranoid! lol)
I just want to be prepaired JIC.. It is only a very minor chance I will even go to the hospital.

[An Aurora]

Just take the manual with you, or show them the sticker on the side that says "5-33 lbs RF". :)

[sunnymw]

Yep. And most hospitals give away infant seats too, so should you need to transfer and should you also get a nurse that's not the brightest crayon in the box, and they want to force you to have an "infant carrier", ask if they have any there! LOL.

(and then drive around the corner and put the RN back in... lol... dude, we were given one of the hospital seats in addition to our seat and it was scary! It looked like it was a kid's doll-toy).