Question How early do you recommend parents install the infant seat?

[nannykates]

I'm asking for a family member who is having her 3rd in about a month. Its a snugride classic connect 30 that was also used for the previous child. Parents have pretty great installs on their own and they are close enough that I could go do it for them if something unexpected happens.

Also curious what the general reco is for families who don't have a cpst on call.

 

[1mommy]

I would recommend for people I know to go about 2 weeks in advance and stop by your local fire station. I still may go myself even through I know a lot about car seats just for peace of mind to have a "professional" look it over, although if I end up getting the Aton 2, I can only imagine how my local fire station will look at me and the seat.

 

[katymyers]

I think parents should at least practice a month or so in advance. That way they have a feel for their seat and vehicle and can figure in advance if any incompatibilities exist. When I was pregnant with my oldest I installed the seat as soon as I got it because I was so excited, I was like six months along lol. I even drove around with it in my car because I liked having a car seat in my car so much.

 

[Nedra]

I would recommend for people I know to go about 2 weeks in advance and stop by your local fire station. I still may go myself even through I know a lot about car seats just for peace of mind to have a "professional" look it over, although if I end up getting the Aton 2, I can only imagine how my local fire station will look at me and the seat.

We actually have never had our Aton 2 inspected because my husband was afraid that the fire dept folks wouldn't know how to answer our questions about the load leg and would end up just advising us to get a different seat.

I'd recommend that parents install the seat immediately to make sure it fits and learn how to do it (ideally from a tech). If it doesn't fit they have time to get advice from a professional (if they didn't go straight to a tech) or return it and get a different one.

That said, I don't think it needs to STAY installed. As long as they can do it when the time comes, there's no need to leave it in the car and have to worry about getting an empty seat into an accident while waiting for baby's arrival.

We installed our car seat (britax chaperone) months in advance. Found out it didn't fit and did an exhaustive search that ended with the Aton. We made sure we knew how to install the Aton and then left it out of the car until I was in active labor. Husband went out to the car and installed it while I was contracting. I didn't even notice he was gone.

If it's an infant seat, though, then I don't even know why you'd need to have the base installed ahead of time unless you really wanted to. Just practice with the baseless install and then bring the carrier when you go into labor.

 

[YinzerMama]

This is a seat the family has already used? Shouldn't they know how to install it?

With my first kid we installed the seat maybe 2 months before I was due and had it checked by a professional. With the twins I ended up having an unexpected and early CS, we installed the seats when we were allowed to go home quickly from my ob appointment and grab stuff. With #4, DH did it in the parking lot right before I was discharged (and I wondered what the heck was taking so long, as it was his car and I figured we'd just go baseless and install the base in my van once we were home)

I guess I'd expect for someone new to this to get set up and checked maybe a month before the due date but for a veteran parent especially using a seat they've used before, I'd say anything goes. But maybe I give people too much credit for being competent?

 

[ebp913]

With my first, I think I put it in a week or 2 before. With my second my husband did it at discharge... LOL. Poor second kid. It was also the Keyfit though which has the easiest installation ever. Heck I could have done it while in labor.

 

[newyorkDOC]

First kid I installed around 38w but it was a seatbelt install so removed immediately then reinstalled on the way home from the hospital.

Second kid (same seat), just installed it on the way home then swore I was never going to try a baseless install again with having to do up two kids. So we got the base and as it's isofix it's a no brainer. DH installed it and we never looked back.

Oh I washed the cover around 36w. He can eat 37+0.

 

[safeinthecar]

maybe I give people too much credit for being competent?

Nobody is competent after a 20 hour labor and staying up all night with a newborn. Just saying.

 

[Keeanh]

If it was a new seat I would recommend getting familiar with it a couple months in advance. I've never had a seat installed ahead of time, though. Especially with infant seats. You can just strap it in baseless and away you go. I suppose I would install around 37 weeks if I was using a convertible and it was a difficult install that no-one else was capable of doing even with me giving directions.

 

[Brigala]

I would recommend for people I know to go about 2 weeks in advance and stop by your local fire station.

Remember, not all (not even most) fire stations have qualified technicians on staff. If you're lucky, the station will tell you so. If you're less lucky, they'll "help" you anyway. A few stations do keep trained technicians on hand, but those are the exception not the rule.

In my area, the ambulance company maintains a number of CPSTs on staff, and the Children's Hospitals are the other major resource. Only a few of the police and fire stations have any techs, and I don't know any that have drop-in or appointment-based car seat checks available. A few will occasionally host a clinic. Some local health department offices are listed on seatcheck.org but I don't have any direct experience with them.

Anyway, I would recommend having the infant seat base installed at around 36-37 weeks. I don't think there's any point to doing it earlier than that; babies born before 36 weeks usually get at least a few extra days in the hospital which would make for time to install after the fact.

 

[1mommy]

Remember, not all (not even most) fire stations have qualified technicians on staff. If you're lucky, the station will tell you so. If you're less lucky, they'll "help" you anyway. A few stations do keep trained technicians on hand, but those are the exception not the rule.

In my area, the ambulance company maintains a number of CPSTs on staff, and the Children's Hospitals are the other major resource. Only a few of the police and fire stations have any techs, and I don't know any that have drop-in or appointment-based car seat checks available. A few will occasionally host a clinic. Some local health department offices are listed on seatcheck.org but I don't have any direct experience with them.

I make sure to look up where a qualified tech is before heading to any fire station, but in my area the only techs we have are at fire stations, and when I called up they told me to drop by anytime Monday through Friday 8-4 *shrugs*. I hope that would be good enough for your average parent, but I know that not all techs (especially part timers) are created equal. We do have occasional seat check events too I would encourage a parent to go to, but those are pretty rare, and I wouldn't count on having on before they were due.

 

[YinzerMama]

Nobody is competent after a 20 hour labor and staying up all night with a newborn. Just saying.

This is a little extreme.

A woman being kicked out the hospital without being allowed to recover, with no support, and having to install an unfamiliar car seat on her own is a bit different than the parental team expecting their 3rd and using a car seat they are already familiar with.

As I said, new parents (or parents with a new seat) should have things all squared up ahead of time - but I really can't see this being a huge challenge with a seat you are already used to. Especially with dad on hand. Which is the case in the original post.

 

[tiggercat]

I'm not a big "preparer" when it comes to getting ready for baby, but this is one thing I prefer to see parents do ahead of time. In the case of non-cpsts, especially first timers, it's a good idea not to cut it too close. We have a lot of people come to clinics at 40+ weeks pregnancy, and if there is an incompatibility/damaged or unsafe seat, etc. they are really upset that our next clinic is two weeks away and what are they going to do now?

Installing a baseless infant seat 3 days after a c-section really sucks, IME. Even though I am perfectly capable of installing my seats in labour or pp, I don't see why I would want to? Also, the general public generally has a hard time correctly replicating baseless installs. I teach it, but generally once they try to replicate they stick with the base.

 

[monica-m]

I think with DS, we installed his seat at 35 or 36 weeks. I plan to get a Nuna Pipa for this baby and I'll probably play with it when I get it but not leave it installed until 37 weeks which is when DS came. Worst case scenario, I can call a tech or instructor friend to install for me at the hospital, but the Pipa install is supposed to be easy-peasy and I'm confident DH could handle it.

 

[Mysweethoneybee]

With our first it was installed Dec 26th for his Jan 13th due date and he was born Jan 9th
With our second I had been playing with how it best fit in our car with DS1's seat and I left it in about a month before my second was due and 3 days later he was born.
With our 3rd I installed when we went out to the car to leave the hospital. It was a bit of a mistake because it was a van with slanted seats so I had to hurry and improvised with rolled up clothes as I didn't have a pool noodle. He still was a bit more upright than he should have been. So if it is the same car then at the hospital would be fine. If it is a different car then maybe they want to check the angle before leaving for the hospital.

 

[safeinthecar]

This is a little extreme.

This was a little humor actually.

 

[cstep11]

I'd have them make sure it's not expired, there aren't any recalls, the harness hasn't been washed and to read the manual/download a current version from Graco and make sure they understand it.

With my 3rd, the infant seat was installed in the center of our trailblazer by DH...by borrowing anchors from either side....which wasn't corrected until Lo was 7mos old. The crotch buckle wasn't adjusted (new seat) and I ended up washing the harness when she was 6 mos old (paid $12 to replace). This was my 3rd kid and I was big on vehicle safety but never read the manuals or anything.