I'm still amazed!

M

mama007

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #1

I have been going back and forth with some friends and family over the importance of extended rear-facing. The comments they make just astound me. most are saying their dr's gave the okay to flip them FF before a year because their dc's legs were smooshed. Seriously? I wish dr's would stop telling parents to flip kids before 2. Plus I wish the law would just change. Sorry had to get it off my chest and I can't vent anywhere else because everyone thinks I'm being crazy.

 

N

NebraskaMom

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #2

Yes it truly is amazing how ignorant parents can be when they're not properly educated on the reasons why extended RF is safer, however, that's when I take the opportunity to pass on a few videos of crash tests that have been performed and show them exactly what happens to a baby in certain crash situations. Most people just aren't aware that the child will never ever leave the shell of a RFing seat during impact and that it is meant to cradle them as opposed to just keep them in the car.

The more people you talk to, the more you'll run across that will just amaze/irk/irritate you with their reasoning for not leaving kids ERF, or harnessed or even in a booster until they're tall enough to correctly use the adult seat belt.

Just remember though if you talk to 100 people and you get through to 10 of them regarding safety, then you've helped 10 children ride safer in the car

 

kidnurse

Active member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #3

Honestly, I don't believe in this, but I do think sometimes doctor's will tell parents what they want to hear because a lot of times a parent won't leave it alone until they get the answer they want. Also in my line of work I have run across plenty of people who will only hear what they want to hear.

 

ame0312

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #4

yeah, well my ped didn't even know convertible seats existed... he thought once they outgrew the bucket, they had to go ff'ing... no other option... yeah, i took him lots of info... hopefully he educated himself better..

 

blackberry

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #5

I find that Dr.s have outdated info. I took my daughter for her 12 mth shots, the nurse asked if she was still rear facing. When I said yes, she said you know you can turn her forward facing now. My daughter is just 2 weeks past a year and 19lbs 5 ozs. My daughter hasn't even made the mimimum weight limit yet.

 

Mom2FiveGirls

Active member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #6

I had a doctor tell me I could turn DD#1 around when she was 10.5 months old and 18 lbs because she "had great neck strength". The same doctor told me to keep DD#2 RFing until she was closer to 20 lbs because she had low muscle tone issues (along with other medical issues including failure to thrive...she was 12 lbs 15 oz at 12 months old). To him, it was all about muscle tone apparently...

Then we moved and switched to a new doctor who told me I needed to turn DD#3 FFing at her 12 month appointment. She was 16 lbs 5 oz! And I listened...because I didn't know any better and the doctor I trusted to care for my children told me to. Of course when the same doctor told me that I needed to stop nursing DD#4 and when she got hungry enough she'd eat baby food (he was telling me she needed to be nursing less and eating more solids at her 9 month check up and when I told him she refused them, he told me this nonsense....basically to starve her until she was so hungry she'd take the baby food...) I realized he was pretty clueless and we switched. Our current practice hasn't mentioned care seat use at all. I think I'll ask the ped at DD#5's 5 year check up just out of curiosity

 

lpperry

Active member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #7

I was waiting and waiting for my doctor to say something about car seats. If he told me I could turn my LO, I was going to nicely explain why I am ERF. My son is 16 months and doctor has never said anything at all.

I am actually happy that he has never even mentioned car seats. Yes, it would be great if he gave out information about ERF, but since he didn't, I would rather him say nothing at all. I think saying nothing at all is better than promoting ff at 12 months. It's not as good as promoting ERF, but at least I don't have mean feelings towards my son's doctor for giving out bad information!

 

A

Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #8

lpperry said:

I was waiting and waiting for my doctor to say something about car seats. If he told me I could turn my LO, I was going to nicely explain why I am ERF. My son is 16 months and doctor has never said anything at all.

I am actually happy that he has never even mentioned car seats. Yes, it would be great if he gave out information about ERF, but since he didn't, I would rather him say nothing at all. I think saying nothing at all is better than promoting ff at 12 months. It's not as good as promoting ERF, but at least I don't have mean feelings towards my son's doctor for giving out bad information!

Click to expand...

I agree. My pediatrician practice is fairly thorough and very organized, well respected (I know many who go there and haven't heard anything bad yet), and they are there to help with whatever aspects of parenting with which you need help. However, they have never brought up car seats. I'm not sure what to think about that. But I agree, better to say nothing than to get it wrong.

After learning so much here, I have now become someone who thinks, how could those people turn their one year old FF?! However, I have to remind myself that most of the info and advice going around supports that decision and most people have not been fortunate enough to learn what I have learned. There are some parents who don't care, don't listen, and so on. But there are a lot who simply don't know and have received bad advice they believe because it is from someone they trust, especially when it is from the doctor who you trust with your child's health. Doctors are supposed to keep up with the latest findings when it comes to your child's health, so why wouldn't car seats be part of that, especially when their own medical association is recommending ERF?

 

AtTheSouthDam

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #9

Doc's can learn though!

So pediatrician told me I could turn DD2 at 18 months because she finally hit 22# so I did. Then I came here, turned her back around and mentioned it to the pediatrician at the 2 year well visit. She kind of shrugged it off. It was brought up at the 4 year well visit more in part to sensory issues (DD2 nervousness at being FF) and the pedi remarked "well, RF is safer." Sigh. She got on board when I turned my child

 

M

mama007

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #10

I am still dumbfounded my some of the comments my friends/family are giving me. Not one person has backed me on keeping kids RF'ing at 12 months. I keep hearing well our kids are big and tall their legs are bent and it's uncomfortable, to they are so much happier rf'ing. I've sent emails with videos and stats saying why it doesn't matter how tall or big they are, that bent legs are okay. I'm so frustrated that they don't get this. And more annoyed that Dr's are still giving out inaccurate info.

 

susanx4

New member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #11

i am amazed that drs give out such crappy info! my oldest dd is 12... when she was 10 months old i called my dr to ask if i should turn her around..( yeah first time mom lol) because he legs where so squished! she told me... ABSOLUTELY NOT. that she HAD to be RF TILL AT LEAST 1... and since she was 22 lbs at one she actually RF'ed over the limit of her then tourivia but at least that dr told me not to ff and set me on a path of rf...... she as ahead of the times i guess

 

A

Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 24, 2010

• #12

mama007 said:

I keep hearing well our kids are big and tall their legs are bent and it's uncomfortable

Click to expand...

That's funny because my FF DD chooses to ride with her legs in similar positions to my RF DD. She sits cross legged or puts her feet up on the seat in front of her.

 

wvmommy007

New member

• Aug 25, 2010

• #13

My ped. has only said "Now make sure she's still in a rear facing car seat." This was at her 6 month check when she weighed 14.5 lbs. Umm, duh! I'd like to create a single page handout she could have in her office, but I don't know where to start.

 

M

momtobe3

New member

• Aug 30, 2010

• #14

Keep up the good work with sharing the information on ERF. I have not been on these boards in a # of years (my 3 are now aged 7, 9 and 11). The 7 yo is in a backless booster--she is 60 lbs and 52 inches.

I am not "up to date" since I have not been on this site. When my first was born (in 1999) I posted hear asking "what's all this about a 5 pt harness" and boy was I blasted!! A lot of negative info, but also thankfully a lot of people who took the time to explain things!!! I became a carseat fanatic and shared all the valuable lessons I learned here.

Flash forward to now. I am babysitting for 4 kids. A 4mo 16 lbs 27 or 29 inches.
a 3 yr old 40 lbs and tall for her age (cannot think of her height at the moment)
and twins who will be 20 months (born prematurely by 1 month-so there is probably an adjustment?)-don't have their ht/wt info

I had read about ERF a year or so ago and had recommended it to the twins mom. She didnt' seem to want to hear it--however something must have changed her mind because she didn't turn them when they turned one! Haven't seen them in 3 months, so don't know if they are still RF-I will find out in a few days.

I am hoping to be able to get 3 RF seats into my minivan along with a FF. Don't know if it will work, but I will be trying.

Keep up the good work folks!!
Pat

 

C

coleslawcat

New member

• Aug 30, 2010

• #15

I love my pediatrician. This is a copy/paste from their website.

Many parents get a "convertible" car seat for their newborn that can be used from birth through 30 or 35 pounds. Previously, the recommendation was that the baby should stay in the rear-facing position until he was 20 pounds weight and 1 year old. Then the seat could be turned around and the child would sit upright facing forward.
Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) jointly modified the recommendation. AAP in fact has a car seat guide. They now state that to achieve optimal protection, the child should remain rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for their particular car seat as long as the head is one inch BELOW THE TOP of the seat back.

Once a child reaches the upper weight limit of the car seat or is too tall for the rear facing seat, the child then needs to ride in a forward facing car seat with a harness until the upper weight limit of the harness.

Older children over 40 pounds must be restrained in a booster seat (hi-back or low/no back) until they reach 4 foot 9 inches.

For further information, you can go to the following websites: (1) National Highway Transportation Safety Adminstration and follow the link to driver safety (child seats) (2) American Accademy of Pedatrics car seat safety page.

 

A

Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 30, 2010

• #16

That is awesome! What a wonderful pediatrician!

 

Sarah62008

Senior Community Member

• Aug 31, 2010

• #17

My old pediatrician said to FF my son at 6months old because he was "big enough".

My cousin FF her 9month old for a trip from CT to MD because it was easier to tend to him while she drove. I immediately flipped his seat back RF when they got to my house. Oh! AND she wanted me to check it because it tipped over when going around a turn, but it was seatbelted in so she didn't know why it was doing that.(Um...how about locking the seatbelt?? That seemed like a good solution to the problem) Her son is now 3 and in a lap belt only with a LBB. She won't listen when I tell her to move him and I can't force her to do it since she lives in CT and I'm in MD. I just don't see her enough to get through to her.

I makes me crazy when I see people doing things they really shouldn't with kids in cars.

 

T

TheGirls

New member

• Aug 31, 2010

• #18

I'm still amazed at how many people don't even notice which way my DD is facing. She's 2 and RF. A neighbor, who has ridden in the backseat with her many, many times, recently was startled when I said something about RF her in the new van. "wasn't she FF in the car"? Um, no...

But yeah, her ped was pretty shocked when he asked whether she was still in a 5pt harness (at 13months) and I said she was still RF. His literature that he hands out is correct (though doesn't really encourage ERF, it is technically accurate), but sometimes I think he hasn't read it.

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2010