First Car Seat you used on your children

All these old car seats got me wondering. What was the first seat you brought your child home from the hosptial in? If you didn't then when and what was the first seat you used? I thought this would be fun and interesting at the same time. I am so bummed I can't scan the pic because I can't find the cord. Maybe later. Check this out I learned a lot since then. Please share your first car seat moments. I bet some of you cringe looking back. I know I do.

Well for my oldest DD she is 8 born 2000

I have a pic of her in this seat I can't make out what brand. Safety First or Graco I believe. Its one that had a base. However that was before they had 5 point restraints on infant seats. Well if they did I didn't know about it. So its a three point with a chest clip. Looking back I am proud I had her tight in it with the chest clip at her arm pits. Now I only used this tell 10 months. I did a bad thing. I moved her to FF seat because I thought it was ok. Everyone else did it. That seat I can't remember what it was I bought it at a yard sale. Bad mommy. However I wasn't too bad as I got her a brand new seat. At the mall they had a demo tape and info on this brand new seat. The only seat you would ever need. From birth to 7 years. It was Cosco Alpha Omega in Black. I opted for the 5 point. So I being pregnate at the time stopped. I got two that day. She was 11 months. I figured she was almost a year old. Because everyone forward faced their 12 month old right. :doh: Well she used the Cosco Alpha Omega tell she could no longer fit in the straps. Then we used it booster mode tell I found out the booster mode was recalled. So then I went to the store bought a Evenflo big kid booster. She is 4 right. Ergg and Yeah that sucked. I really had no idea what a booster seat was for. So then I called Cosco got some new things to put on my seats. I then put her back in it booster style. She used that tell she was 4. I got a diffrent booster. Then a Graco Turbo Booster at 6.

Next DD was born Premature 2001

I bought a Graco infant seat with a base. She tested fine in it at the hosptial. I brought her home. Hated the seat took it back. Got a Graco Snug right. But found that even though it was huge my Alpha Omega fit her the best. So she used both those. She wound up using the Alpha Omega RF tell 2.5 years. Because she was so small and it rear faced so long. Then I turned it around and used it tell she was 5. Yeah she was fairly safe. By then I learned a lot more about car seats. I only turned her around not because of weight but because everyone told me she was almost 3 and I had too. Wish I knew what I know now. BTW the hospital had me roll up receiving blankets and stuff in her harness because you couldn't get it tight enough. I found I could buckle her tight with out them in the Alpha Omega. Scarey that was not safe at all. Instinct told me to use the Alpha Omega.

Next DD 2004

I still had my two alpha omegas and oldest DD was in a booster. So I rearfaced one alpha omega for her. (Got oldest DD a diffrent booster.) She used that rear facing tell I got her a newer alpha omega. She rearfaced tell 3.5 years old. Now she is forward facing in a Cosco High back 5 point

Currently I use my newer Alpha Omega to rear face my foster DD. Who is 26 months.

The first seat I bought was a cosco touriva for my bf's son who I used it for ffing when he was waaay less then 1yo.

The first seat I bought for my dc was a safety 1st designer 22 with the spinning handle. It was a 5pt with a crappy paperclip chestclip but I thought the yellow animal cover was so adorable so I switched it out with a century 2 pice chest clip

1996 - Josh came home from the hospital in and Evenflo Joyride. 3 point harness, no canopy, no base. He was in that until about 6 months, then moved to an Evenflo Trooper OHS rear-facing. That lasted until 9mo when he outgrew the weight limit and had to be turned FF. His second seat was an old Kantwet One-Step. About the time he turned 2 I decided it was not safe at all, and replaced it with a booster. Well, he weighed 37# at the time, and I didn't see the point in paying $40 extra for a harness for 3# - so he got a bpb and a Cosco Grand Explorer (shield booster) for secondary seats. Trooper remained his main seat even though it was an OHS until he was about 3. Then I got rid of the thing entirely. Put him in bpb's in all cars. At 6yo he was reharnessed in a FP Futura and briefly in a Britax Super Elite. Oh yeah - the harness would've paid for itself at 2 - he didn't hit 40# til almost 5yo.

1999 - William - He used the same Joyride as Josh did, but his convertibles were MUCH better. He had a Britax RA for his primary seat and FPSE for his secondary (among other seats). He moved to an Evenflo Express when Ryan needed his seat (and something else, don't remember what in Dad's van). Moved into a Graco TurboBooster at 4yo after the forgotten seat was crashed.

2002 - Ryan - His infant seat was a FP SIV. 5 point harness, base - big stuff. He moved into William's RA at about 6 weeks old, had a Britax Elite and FPSE for a backup (among others). His FPSE was also replaced after a wreck - with a Britax Expressway (FF only Britax - he was 13mo). RF inthe RA until 15mo, and had to be turned due to height. Outgrew his RA entirely at about 3yo by height and got a Marathon. Hated the Marathon - sold it to another member here - got 2 Futura's. Still using one as a backup and just got him a Nautilus. By far he's fared the best as far as 'best practice' goes!

J-Rear-adjust Snugride

C- Graco Safeseat

DS1 - Graco SR V ~ upfront adjuster ~ then moved to comfortsport ~ then MA & Radian
Baby - SS1 ~ then MA

2000- Century Smart Fit 5pt infant seat with base for DD. It was one of the first 5pt bucket seats, I believe. I bought the Roundabout before she was born and put her into that when she was 3 mos old. She hated the infant seat.

2003- SnugRide for DD#2 until 3 mos, then Wizard. She hated the infant bucket, too.

2005- Britax Companion for DS until 8wks- it made his reflux WAY worse. He went into a BV at 8wks.

Connor born 6/2002 Came home in some crappy 3pt infant carrier. Can't remember what it was. It felt flimsy and I never felt right with him in it. Moved him to an OHS AO at 2months. Switched him FF at 8 months because "he was the size of a 1 year old and walked too". Yeah, I was an idiot. He outgrew that at 2yrs 8months and 32lbs. Moved him to a Triumph until he turned 4, then to a Marathon. At 4yrs 3 months he outgrew the MA (it was little sisters actually so no biggie) and moved him to the Regent. He stayed in that until less than a month ago when I moved him to a TB. Getting him a Monarch when they have the sale...

Ella born 6/2005 came home in used (but family member, perfect seat) SR with a front adjust. Stayed in that until outgrown at 15 months, then moved to MA. Stayed in that until 9/07 when we had an accident, replaced with Blvd. Just outgrew Blvd by height, now riding RF in EFTA and FF in Regent.

Even when I knew nothing the harness was snug (well as snug as a crappy OHS can get) and chest clip was properly positioned.

DS in Triumph, I have pics somewhere of the OHS DD in SR chest clip is a little low, but when we got in the car I always positioned everything

Well, no hospital, but Piper's trip home was in a 2002 Britax Advantage. We had those until we were in a collision and that one was replaced by a Wizard and the insurance money bought us another Wizard, so the Advantage went to a friend (who's been using it since and I'll be getting it back, expired, when she buys a Nautilus).

Wendy

DS born in 03. Evenflo Discovery 3 pt. Then a Graco Comfortsport till age 3 when he outgrew it by height at 33lbs. Then into a Evenflo Big Kid Booster cause the box said 30lbs and I didnt know any better. Now in a Regent and getting a nautlius for a back up
DD born in 05. Much better educated mommy. Graco snug ride till 8 months, then comfortsport till outgrown RF at 18 months, then RF in a Fisher Price safe voyage Deluxe. She'll move into a Regent when she outgrows the FP and she has a safety 1st vantage point as a back up(for now anyway)

Ryan was born in 06 - we brought him home in a Chicco Keyfit.

DD#1-1996 Evenflo On My Way with a 3pt harness. Followed by a Century STE, ick!

DD#2-1999 Same Evenflo seat as first dd. Followed by an Evenflo Ultara OHS, sigh.

DD#3-2002 Graco Snugride, 5pt harness, rear adjust, this was a big step up from the OMW. Followed by a Britax RA and I was instantly hooked on Britax, lol.

DD#4-2008 will come home in a Compass i420, this is our first infant seat with front adjust and EPS foam. This will probably be followed by our MA until it expires in 2010, then maybe the Compass True Fit, it is gets good reviews. If the TF gets good reviews, I'll buy it by the time the baby needs the MA and put my 5yo in the TF until the MA expires.

2002 - Ryan had a Graco Snugride with 3-point harness and rear adjust. I bought it because I liked the pattern. I didn't know at the time that there were also 5-points. Then he moved into an Evenflo Triumph, then to a Britax Marathon

2004 - Emily had a new Graco Snugride with 5-point harness and front adjust. She then moved into an Evenflo Triumph for a short time then a Britax Marathon.

2007 - Bryce came home in a Britax Companion infant seat.

CJ had one of the first Evenflo infant seats with a base IIRC. Gregory had the cheapest infant seat Wal-Mart had. CJ had outgrown his so quickly we couldn't justify a nicer one. Joy had a Graco Snug Ride.

DS was born in 2006 and came home in a Graco Snugride. (I'm still a newbie at all this!)

DS was born in '05. He used a Safety 1st Designer 22 infant seat, which I hated for numerous reasons. Then, used a Cosco AOE, which I also hated, it had no EPS or comfort foam just like the infant seat. Last two were an Evenflo Triumph and Britax Marathon (current seat).

DD was born in 2004 and she came home in a front adjust snugride, DS used the same one 22 months later.

Evenflo Medallion from 1996...5 pt harness with great recline, really super-well padded convertible, was great for my newborn boy (the later models were awful! but mine had totally non-twist straps and super comfort padding!). (I chose it over the Britax and Fisher Price Safe Embrace because it had better padding...imagine my joy when Consumer Reports rated it better than the Britax! Imagine my sadness when I found the top slots were two inches lower than the Britax! I saved $70 on that seat and had to spend an extra $100 later for a taller seat...talk about false economy)

A Graco Snugride in the Colby print. It was a backup seat since BRU messed up our order and we didn't get her Safeseat until she was two weeks old.



It was a 20 lb. limit seat with no EPS, but it had front adjust and a five point harness. My mother bought it from her neighbor, so we knew its history. I was still so glad to get my SS1, though! The Snugride didn't install easily in our car.

We donated it to a domestic violence shelter - they were really pleased to have a seat in such good shape (with the instruction booklet!). Most of the seats they had were crappy.

2004- Kyrie came home from the hospital in a 5pt graco snugride, bought used from someone that we knew.
Moved RF to a Graco comfortsport at 4 months because she had outgrown the SR. (turned FF at 1 year of course)
Moved to a Marathon at 28 months, that's where she is now.


2007- No "home from the hospital", Trey was born at Home, first seat was a new graco SR, bought a new SR after a month due to a car accident, replaced that a month later with a Marathon due to another accident. Also got another SR. I got tired of carrying him around in the SR around 7 months and moved him (RF of course ) to the Marathon.

DD 1993 came home in a used(trusted) Century infant seat. Don't know the name. It was a 3pt and to lock it into the base, you had to put the handle down. It wasn't to bad of a seat considering. Then she went into a Century t-shield at 5 months FF because I didn't know that it coulld go RF... she was almost 20 pounds then and she would have had to turn soon anyhow. We put this "wonderful" cushion in it so her face would be over the top of the shield!! Then she went into a Gerry backless booster(with the built in seatbelt) when she was 2. At 3 I put her back into a harnesses seat. A Gerry combo seat that adjusted from the back!!

DS 1996 came home in a brand new Cosco Arriva in this cool teal print. It was a 3pt also, but he stayed in that a lot longer than my dd. He was then put into a used (yard sale ) RF Gerry Guard OHS seat. I thought that was the coolest seat. We turned him FF before 1yo, but a lot closer than DD. I don't even think we knew to look for a weight for RF. We just knew he should be RF longer. We put him FF in this seat until he broke the plastic at the bolt that was holding on the OHS!! So, at 2.5yo he then graduated to a Gerry backless booster. I think he went into a highback Gerry booster at 4. He stayed in a booster until he was 9.5 and 90 pounds.