Question Getting closer to 35 pound RF limit - How worried would you be?

Athena

Well-known member
I'm not sure if I'm looking for advice or to ease my mind, but either way, thank you for indulging me.

I weighed DD today right after we got home. I was just doing a general check to make sure we weren't nearing the rear facing height or weight limits of our seats. Therefore, I weighed her as we walked in the door, while still in what she'd been wearing in the seat (pants, shirt, fleece jacket, socks, ballet flats, and slightly wet diaper) to get a total weight. According to my scale, she weighed 33 pounds. And then I started thinking, what if she had heavier shoes on or a dirtier diaper or had just eaten a big meal and not dirtied her diaper for a while and I'm getting nervous about her outgrowing her 35 pound limit seat too soon. I know, I tend to get nervous about these things, sometimes prematurely, so I'd really appreciate feedback. I think I'm mostly nervous about whether she could outgrow it before we notice and would prefer to have time to figure out our next step. Or if she's holding a cup of water, that doesn't count towards the weight, right? Thank you!!!

For anyone wanting details, she is 2.5 yo and has two seats, a new generation Britax and a classic. So the new gen has the 40 pound weight limit, but shorter height, while the classic has more height, but 35 pound limit.
 
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KatieMB

New member
IDK if this will put your mind at ease or not but my son got big fast and then slowed WAY down. I pulled his stats from my blog:

Birth – 6lbs 13oz, 19 3/4″. 13.5″ head.
2 Days – 6lbs 8 oz
4 Days – 6lbs 13oz – Back to Birth Weight
2 Wks – 8lbs 14 oz, 20 1/4″. 14.25″ head.
6 Wks – 12lbs 1oz
2 Mo – 14lbs 2oz, 22 3/4″
4 Mo – 20lbs 2 oz, 25 1/4″
6 Mo – 20lbs 14oz, 26 1/2″
9 Mo – 24lbs 5 oz, 29″
1 yr – 25lbs 1 oz, 30″
14 Mo – 27 lbs
18 Mo – 27.9lbs, 33″
24 Mo – 30.5lbs, 34.5″

36 Mo – 38lbs, 39″, 20.3″ head

And now at 3 1/2 he is 40lbs and 40"
 

Minnesota

CPST Instructor
Or if she's holding a cup of water, that doesn't count towards the weight, right?

That actually wouldn't count toward her total weight. The only things that count are the things that would have to be restrained by the harness in a crash. In that event, she wouldn't be holding the cup any longer.

I start getting a little nervous when the child is within a couple pounds of the limit, and make a habit of taking clothed weights daily. Most of the time it will amaze you how long they can hold at one weight, but then they hit a growth spurt and quickly pack on a couple pounds.

I'd probably keep her RF in that seat until she's steadily at 34 lbs, weighing daily.

Or you could sell that seat and get her another 40-lb seat... :whistle:
 

Athena

Well-known member
Or you could sell that seat and get her another 40-lb seat... :whistle:

If I see a deal here, I might be tempted. :)

Seriously, what really scares me is what if she outgrows her 40 pound RF seat by height because the choices become much more limited above 35 pounds for RF, especially with our car. I had expected her to outgrow it by her third birthday, but from the looks of her in it today, I think her torso growth has slowed way down and she might last in it longer. I'm hoping because I'm not in a hurry to turn her forward facing. :)
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
When we hit 33 lbs clothed, is when I started weighing DD nearly everytime we left the house. We actually made it a long time doing that before I had to turn her (and then it was because the season changed from summer to fall and it got cold and her clothes were thicker and heavier). You may be surprised how long she can make it, especially if you consider it will start to get warmer in a few months. DD's torso growth also slowed quite a bit as well. I thought for sure she'd outgrow her Blvd by height before weight, but because of the season change I was wrong.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
DD2 was 39.5# several weeks ago. She was 38.5# at the doctors a week later. I didn't weigh her last week but will Friday when I am at reliable scale. My scale hovers around 38# but can be off a pound or two.

I have yet to flip the RN around or take the harness out of the YS. I don't think these seats are going to fail at 40.23 if that is what she is in two days. (I doubt she really has gained much as she has been ill. We may even be down but now she's eating like a garbage disposal so who knows).

So, would I weigh daily? No. Not at two pounds to go. Once a week. She hits 34.5 then I may do more frequent weighings. She may hold at 33# until spring when some of those layers will be ditched. I wouldn't switch her unil she weighs 35# on two separate occasions.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. It is very helpful. One thing I'm going to do asap is to weigh her on others scale(s) and make sure mine isn't off. I wonder if the pediatrician would let me come in for a weight check for this. :whistle: Shouldn't their scales be more accurate? Her big sister only gained 3 pounds during that third year (24-36 months) so I wasn't expecting this amount of weight gain this soon and I'm hoping my scale might be wrong. And like you said, she might stay at this weight and will lose car seat weight in a few months when she'll be wearing less so we might be okay for a while. But if not, I think I'll be looking at another seat because I am not ready to turn her FF. I wish I liked the 40 pound rear facing seats more. Her 35 pound RF limit seat is barely over a year old, so I should be able to get some money out of it to buy a 40 pound RF limit seat and then I wouldn't have to worry about this at all for a while (I hope), but I'm not 100% convinced about which I'd buy and maybe a new one will come out I'll love.
 
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gigi

New member
My son was about 31-32 pounds in February at 34 months last year, in April he was 35 pounds and turned FF at age 36 months, now he is 39 pounds at about 44 months. He gained weight way faster than I expected.

If the EFT65 had been out then I would have bought it to keep him RFING but he was already about 37 pounds (I think) when it hit the shelves. It has a TALL shell...my son has about a 15.75 torso and an enormous head and still has 2-3" of shell above his head in his EFTA.
 

Athena

Well-known member
That seat was not even on my radar. I know little to nothing about it and had not realized it had a 40 pound RF limit.

I know the My Ride, Comfort Air, Radian, and new gen Britax seats go to 40 pounds RF (and Radians to 45). Anything else I've missed? Thanks!
 

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