I love our pedi, she is the best in town and really great. However, car seat safety in one area she is lacking. When DD1 turned 1 I asked if it really was safer to keep her rearfacing and if she rec. that I do so. She said yes. (I would have no matter what she said, I had already made up my mind but wanted to see where she stood.) She had never brought up car seats at all. Each well check she brings up topics that are important for that age, so I would have thought car seats would be a one year appt topic, but nope.
DD1 has a friend a little younger who goes to the same ped. My friend asked if it was ok to turn her forward facing and she told her yes. So, I guess on car seats, as long as it is legal she will go along with whatever it is you are wanting to do. This friend of mine feels the ped knows everything about everything (which, don't get me wrong, is not far from the truth, she has been a ped for well over 20 years but still loves learning more and more and gets so excited when she gets to put her knew knowledge to use, really an awesome DR) so even though I told her over and over why I was keeping DD rearfacing, she went ahead and turned her little girl at 1 year, she may have waited a month or 2 after her bday, but no more than that.
Now with DD2, I was hoping things had changed since DD1 turned 1. Two months before DD2's 1st bday I was talking to someone with a new 1 year old about ERF and she said that her ped had just mentioned that to her. I was so excited and asked her what ped she goes to. My thought at that time was "I could just kiss her" Ok, not really! But, I do plan on saying something to that dr about it because it is so wonderful that there is at least one ped in town that is advocating ERF.
So, DD2's 1 year appt came around. I was hoping she would mention car seats. Nope, not at all. I thought about asking to see what she would sayk, but didn't. I was really just disappointed that she didn't even bring it up. You know, even if she had said that she is a year old now and it is ok to turn her, that would have been fine. Would have opened the door and then I could have let her know that there are better ways and get her looking and learning about about ERF and then passing the word.
Same friend as before. She has a DS a bit older than DD2. I asked her about his 1 year well check and she said nothing at all was said about car seats.
Maybe I will have the guts to talk to her about it at Libby's 4 year wellcheck. If so, I will post about it!!