Do you keep a spare seat with you just in case?

TheQueenMother · Aug 15, 2010

Yesterday, my mil kept the older kids fir the night and dh and I went out to eat with the baby. We got to the resturant and discovered that newborn ds had blown out of his diaper. Yuck. Luckily, he did not get anything on his car seat yesterday. Today I took all of the kids to my mom's. When we were about 10 minutes away, newborn ds began to fuss and my 11 y/o leaned over to give him his pacifier. That's when I learned my luck had run out as he had exploded all over his seat. I drove to mom's and washed the cover there and took my chances with the air fluff cycle of the dryer to get it clean and ready for use again. But I began to wonder what I would have done if we had not been somewhere that washing was an option. The other seats in the car were a ffing radian and a GN. I don't have the rfing boot that I carry. I could put that in the car and pick up a backless harmony booster for dd, age 5. She is 57lbs and I think she would fit okay in a pinch. Ds1, age 2, is potty learning. I could need a seat for him as well. I hate the idea of keeping the true fit in the suburban, but that would fit both boys.
Anyway, I was curious to see if anyone keeps a spare seat in your vehicle in case of emergency?

NVMBR02 · Aug 15, 2010

Nope.

I would just wipe out the seat as best I could and wash it (and baby) when I got home. One time we had a similar incident when dd1 was a baby, I wiped up here seat and then put a very thin blanket under her bottom area. It wasn't ideal but I didn't have a lot of options at that point.

Dillipop · Aug 15, 2010

Totally against the rules, but this is what I did one time.

DS1 was 2 at the time, so 5 years ago. He had a blow out in the carseat when we were 30 minutes or so from our destination- Pennsylvania- after a 7 hour drive. I am pretty sure, looking back that I didn't realize he had a blow out and I just thought he had a BM and we waited until we got to Grandma's to check it out.

Once there, I realized what happened. Got ds naked and got the seat naked. Took the cover with me up to grandma's apt to wash.

Well, Grandma doesn't cook and has nothing to eat at the house. It was around 7 at night. The plan was to go down the road a mile or so and have some food at a diner. I put ds in the naked marathon and we went.

After that trip, I bought an extra cover for the marathon and threw it in the trunk for any long trips.

SO, in my round about way, I think I'd consider getting a spare cover to keep in the car, but I wouldn't get a spare seat.

Anne · Aug 15, 2010

Dillipop said:
Once there, I realized what happened. Got dh naked and got the seat naked. Took the cover with me up to grandma's apt to wash.

Sorry, I had to giggle at the typo.

Nope, I've never kept a spare seat. I guess we were lucky, we never had a blow out in the seat. Once while changing her at a gas station she poo'd AS I was changing her. This was 4ish month old bf poo. All over the backseat. And me. I imagine I would just make do as best as I could. With receiving blankets and spare clothes and such and then clean everything up at home.

Evolily · Aug 15, 2010

In that situation I would get a spare cover, or piddle pad

.

The only situation where I could see having a spare seat would be having a backless booster or two in the trunk just in case (giving someone and their kid a ride, for example). But that would assume that there would be a safe place to use a booster in the vehicle and currently there is not, so it's a moot point. I suppose I could also see having a radian or similar compact seat in the trunk, for the same situations.

Irishmama · Aug 15, 2010

It would be my luck that I'd get in an accident and have to replace the spare seat as well.

rosey2007 · Aug 15, 2010

Dillipop said:
Totally against the rules, but this is what I did one time.

DS1 was 2 at the time, so 5 years ago. He had a blow out in the carseat when we were 30 minutes or so from our destination- Pennsylvania- after a 7 hour drive. I am pretty sure, looking back that I didn't realize he had a blow out and I just thought he had a BM and we waited until we got to Grandma's to check it out.

Once there, I realized what happened. Got dh naked and got the seat naked. Took the cover with me up to grandma's apt to wash.

Well, Grandma doesn't cook and has nothing to eat at the house. It was around 7 at night. The plan was to go down the road a mile or so and have some food at a diner. I put ds in the naked marathon and we went. After that trip, I bought an extra cover for the marathon and threw it in the trunk for any long trips.

SO, in my round about way, I think I'd consider getting a spare cover to keep in the car, but I wouldn't get a spare seat.

I am sorry but I had to laugh. I think that in your second paragraph you meant to put ds and put dh instead. I really needed a good laugh tonight!!! Thank you!!

Dillipop · Aug 15, 2010

I changed my original post. Yep, got DS naked, not dh.

Good thing too, since he was back home in RI and my dad and I were taking a trip to see grandma with ds!

DahliaRW · Aug 15, 2010

I don't. I have in the past just put a prefold or sposie between the child and the seat. Not ideal, but it got us where we needed to go. I do have spare seats at home that I can use if the accident happens closeby home and dh can get them. But I've only had a few accidents in my car seats, and usually they've just been urine. So then I just put an extra dipe on the seat to keep the occupant dry and go until I can get home to wash.

bobandjess99 · Aug 15, 2010

i do not keep a spare seat in the car. usually. not on purpose. okay, sometimes there happens to be a seat in my trunk.

Carrie_R · Aug 15, 2010

irishmama3 said:
It would be my luck that I'd get in an accident and have to replace the spare seat as well.

BTDT, and insurance did cover it. FWIW. LOL

AtTheSouthDam · Aug 15, 2010

Dillipop said:
Totally against the rules, but this is what I did one time.

DS1 was 2 at the time, so 5 years ago. He had a blow out in the carseat when we were 30 minutes or so from our destination- Pennsylvania- after a 7 hour drive. I am pretty sure, looking back that I didn't realize he had a blow out and I just thought he had a BM and we waited until we got to Grandma's to check it out.

Once there, I realized what happened. Got ds naked and got the seat naked. Took the cover with me up to grandma's apt to wash.

Well, Grandma doesn't cook and has nothing to eat at the house. It was around 7 at night. The plan was to go down the road a mile or so and have some food at a diner. I put ds in the naked marathon and we went. After that trip, I bought an extra cover for the marathon and threw it in the trunk for any long trips.

SO, in my round about way, I think I'd consider getting a spare cover to keep in the car, but I wouldn't get a spare seat.

Hey, I did this when DD2 had a blow out at three years. She rode in a naked TF and ripped off the foam!

The first years sent me new one when I called them to ask if I could glue it back on

ETA: Oh and to answer your question, no I do not keep an extra cover or seat in my car because of that. I simply stopped feeding my child fruit

Maedze · Aug 16, 2010

There's a backless Turbo in my trunk right now. Having older kids gives me some flexibility! LOL.

Pixels · Aug 16, 2010

Maedze said:
There's a backless Turbo in my trunk right now. Having older kids gives me some flexibility! LOL.

For your 3yo?

I don't have an extra with me, but I have taken a spare cover on a road trip. Luckily, we didn't need it, so it was just in the way in the trunk.

When my kids are older and we're more likely to pick up friends, I'll keep an extra seat. But not for potential blow-outs.

Maedze · Aug 16, 2010

Maybe I should just switch to the Evenflo Big Kid Amp. Then the three year old could use it

Naw, it doesn't matter who messes up, as long as I have the backless I'm good. The 6 year old can sit in it if he hurls in his seat, and if someone else hurls I can just do a seat shuffle.

ginny4 · Aug 16, 2010

i've learned that spare covers come in handy.....especially after a LONG road trip. but we managed anyway without....we stopped at a restraurant that happened to have a hotel next to it & i wash & had to dry it in the dryer while we ate. general drying is a no-no. it was better than the alternative. we were still 4hours away from home. spares come with us with any trip longer than 30min

CrunchyMaineMama · Aug 16, 2010

I got a spare cover for our seat before taking a 6 hour trip with newly PL'd DD. Luckily we didn't end up needing it, but I've just kept it in the car since just in case. I'll likely do the same for whatever seat our next LO is in.

carseatcoach · Aug 16, 2010

Maedze said:
There's a backless Turbo in my trunk right now. Having older kids gives me some flexibility! LOL.

Yes, this. I prefer my daughter in a highbacked booster, but I keep a backless for emergency -- either her emergency or a need to transport another child. Given our current social life, it's likely that the other child would be at least kindy age. A young kindy/1st grade kid would get daughter's highback and daughter would go in backless for the ride.

solmama · Aug 16, 2010

We have an old style Parkway in the 3rd row of our van, just in case of....

emandbri · Aug 16, 2010

I don't but have an extra cover for the radian. When Elizabeth was first potty training I did keep an extra seat installed just in case, but I have lot of seats and 8 seating positions in my van! lol

Do you keep a spare seat with you just in case?

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