Do your "big" ERF kids complain of back pain?

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
My 3y 9mo dd has started complaining when she's in her car seat. She's a tiny peanut (29 pounds fully clothed) and can RF a good long time in her Radian65. She only complains when she's been in the seat over 30 minutes it seems. Today was bad. We were in the car over an hour. She was almost in tears saying her back was hurting. She did this on vacation last summer too but she was in a EFTA with the overlapping cover so I assumed that was why. I know there's plenty of padding and with her size, her legs aren't even that cramped.

Is there something I can do to make her more comfortable? I have other seats I can use too (Radian, Avenue, EFTA) to keep her RF longer.

Or do I need to start seriously thinking about turning her FF :(

I have a picture here:

www.loriscarseatstuff.blogspot.com

that was taken last week. You can see how much room she has over her head (she is sleeping so a little slumped but not much). I'd really love to RF until the limits of the seat (forever lol).
 
ADS

menfusse

New member
E complained in the MR of back pain when RF, but never did in her Radian. I don't know what the difference was, for her, other than leg placement maybe. She was a similar size. We waited until the spring after she turned 4 to flip her FF.

But yes, the short answer is yes, she did get back pain sometimes. I try the other seats first if you want to keep her RF. The seat made the difference for us.
 

canadiangie

New member
Wow. My 4.5 yo almost wont sit in her RN rf'ing anymore because she says something is hurting her back. I had sort of been ignoring her :eek:. I've checked to make sure the red strap isn't rubbing her, I've checked that the cover isnt bunching. Nothing helps. When she is ff'ing things are fine.
 

cookie123

New member
Hmm. Matthew hasn't complained so far. I'm not surprised about the EFTA. It has a big hump where the eps foam ends, which is why I didn't buy it - right in the middle of their back.
 

simplychels

New member
No my DD never have. We used to do 9hr 1 way drives once every 2nd month to boot and no complaints. She's done that drive in 4 or 5 different seats too.

But I have heard of it happening to other children, in various seats. Never really seems to be one seat always being the culprit. Could be the angle the seat is on and that's the first thing I'd fiddle with.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
How are the shoulders straps sitting? Is she well above them? What about the crotch strap? If she is slouching down when you buckle and then you tighten accordingly she won't be able to scootch back up. This can make her back curve too much and cause pain on longer drives. I ask because DD2 is scootcher and has this problem.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
DD never complained of back pain or any other discomfort while she was rfing. She stayed in her Blvd until she was 4y4m.
 

mykidsmylife

Well-known member
Seth complained of back and hip pain and asked to be turned so I turned him. He was 3y9m when I turned him and he weighed 31lbs.
He compained in the Blvd and the Radian.
 

valleyfam

New member
DD is 3yr 9mo ERF in a MR and no complaints. Never tried a radian though. Good luck coming up with a solution.
 

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
I'm going to bring the seat in and see how the straps are (haven't checked in a while. Then, I'll see if I can get it a little more reclined (wierd with a Radian but that thing sits quite upright in my car). Maybe that will help some.

I could change seats but I just bought the cute pink cover for the Radian plus she complained in the Avenue that her bum hurt. Little brother is in the EFTA right now plus I don't know that it would be any better.

I guess not wanting to turn her is a little selfish. Of course she's safer but I like that I can tell people who don't believe me about ERF that my almost 4yo is still RF. It's nice to be able to "prove" that it can be done. If she can just last until June when her brother turns 2, then I'll have him as my example (already do, just makes a bigger statement the older they are).
 

christineka

New member
My dd rfed till nearly 6 and never complained, but she's a very happy child who rarely complains of anything.

Nevermind what else I wrote:)
 
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Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
My dd rfed till nearly 6 and never complained, but she's a very happy child who rarely complains of anything.

As for your recline, do you have the seat in recline mode? Your supposed to recline the seat before adding the boot. I admit that I don't in an effort for a more upright install.

It's supposed to NOT be in recline mode, isn't it?
 

jnamommy

New member
If she is slouching down when you buckle and then you tighten accordingly she won't be able to scootch back up. This can make her back curve too much and cause pain on longer drives. I ask because DD2 is scootcher and has this problem.

My dd is a scootcher. Should I be not tightening when she is scootched? (She complains that she is too tight sometimes.) But what happens if she is stretched out, I tighten, and then she scootches while driving - and thus, is she too loose then?
 

christineka

New member
It's supposed to NOT be in recline mode, isn't it?

No, it's the opposite.

Nevermind. I read it here once and assumed that person knew what they were talking about, but I've now sought out the instructions in the manual. The recline should be in the most upright mode when rfing. Sorry about that and thank goodness I've got it right on my seat. (I thought I had chosen to use the seat improperly.)
 

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
From my manual:
Do not operate adjustable bottom when using detachable base with rear-facing installation.

Only use adjustable bottom to position forward-facing restraint at a more reclined angle.

I didn't have it in recline mode (just brought it inside, it's a warm 25 degrees out there). I moved the crotch buckle closer to her (hopefully she can't scootch down) plus the shoulder straps were quite a bit below her shoulders. We'll see how she looks once I re-install the seat. She was even-with the next slots in the house.

I will see if I can get it any more reclined and see what she does. I have to do the same trip this afternoon/evening (one car is in the shop so I'm playing taxi driver today).
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
My dd is a scootcher. Should I be not tightening when she is scootched? (She complains that she is too tight sometimes.) But what happens if she is stretched out, I tighten, and then she scootches while driving - and thus, is she too loose then?

You're right that you don't want them too loose hence the crotch buckle. If it is not angling towards to the child but instead is even or slightly them under it is hard for them to slouch down against it.

OP, hopefully that works for you. There is such a huge gap between the third and forth slots I ended up moving them so they were a hair above DD2's shoulders because at the third she was slouching down much too far, especially when I pulled the strap to tighten the harness.
 

Mingie

CPST Instructor
OP, hopefully that works for you. There is such a huge gap between the third and forth slots I ended up moving them so they were a hair above DD2's shoulders because at the third she was slouching down much too far, especially when I pulled the strap to tighten the harness.

Yes this! I just moved mine up even though they are a hair above. It was causing dd to slouch a lot and complain about me tightening the harness.
 

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
Well, I put her in and when the seat is installed (she may have slumped or just "settled"), the next slot is a good 1 1/2" above her shoulders (darn). I had to put them back down to the #3 from the bottom. The crotch strap is closer to her and it's more reclined. We'll see how she does tonight on our longer trip.

Her complaining today could also be partly due to coughing. I know that can make sore muscles and she's sure been hacking a lot the past few days (we all have at our house). But then again, she's a complainer so I don't take a lot of stock in what she says sometimes (unless it keeps recurring).

Thanks all. If anyone has any other ideas, keep 'em coming.
 

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