7 week old in a Marathon

cpsaddict

New member

• Jun 22, 2008

• #1

This pic is deceiving, but he is maybe 1/2" below the bottom slot.

This one is also a bit deceiving because of his shirt thing.

IMO, he fits great. He rode in it for a 4 hour round trip with no head bobbing at all. I can get the straps nice and snug.

It was a little funny because when we went around a sharp corner, my sister commented that neither he nor the seat moved at all. Her SS doesn't move either, but it is an infant seat and moves more than my MA does. She was just flabbergasted by the rf tether.

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Jun 22, 2008

• #2

By comparison: my son didn't fit into the Marathon until he was a year old, by the even-with standard here in Canada. Britax was telling us 1" below the bottom slots was acceptable when the Marathon came out in the US. I think he reached that at about 7-8 months. Here's a REALLY OLD photo, since my son is 5 now and this was taken in one of the first Marathons:
http://www.quack.net/aiden/RIM00023.JPG
He was 2" below the outer edge of the bottom slots at 4.5m in that photo, with a cloth diaper on. The thigh straps didn't even touch his thighs, he was so small! We didn't use the Marathon for him in a vehicle for months, because I wasn't comfortable with the fit.

-Nicole.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jun 22, 2008

• #3

I remember that picture!!! I remember telling a friend about your tiny tiny baby, and her's was just as tiny so she was totally unimpressed

He was soooo cute (still is, but you know what I mean...)



(oh, sorry for the hijack, lol, Jacky, he's a total doll, I must say :thumbsup

 

4boysmom

New member

• Jun 22, 2008

• #4

Yeah I have a "weird" kid too, though he fit the seat before 1 year . My son was 4 mo and over 20 pounds iirc (def over 16 and most def over the 5 pound min as well as being over the height minimum at birth so well well over it at 4 mo if he was 20ish pounds) and still was not even with the first strap height. H had maxxed out his baby bucket by weight but still was not even with those bottom straps. It was very weird... I have since heard it is okay to use with the straps a bit over their shoulders but at birth and 9 pounds there was no way I felt comfortable with him in the seat. The straps were over his ears tips I think and had he leaned over just so he could have strangled himself or something.

 

lilysmomma

New member

• Jun 22, 2008

• #5

I'm not a tech, but I think it looks like he fits great! We switched dd to her MA's the first time when she was 2 months old and that's about she fit.

 

my2kidsSafe

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #6

so cute.

I wish i took a pic of ds in dds marathon when he was born. He fit in it at birth, but we used the safeseat instead for him. But he was an exception to most kids. He was born at 11 lbs 6 oz, and just a tad over 22.5 inches, but not quite enough to be considered 22.75. I sat him in it quickly on day when we were adjusting dds straps and wanted to see if he fit.

 

Melizerd

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #7

aww what a cutie! I switched Gabe to an MA at 4 months and he was very happy and I did remember to take pictures.

 

laurenrachey

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #8

cpsaddict said:

This pic is deceiving, but he is maybe 1/2" below the bottom slot.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm confused, he is a half inch below the bottom slots, or the slots are a half inch below his shoulders? Perhaps this sentence is just written in a confusing manner, I just didn't want a newbie to stop by and get the impression that the straps are okay above the shoulders when RF

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #9

He looks great! I just posted on the other thread w/ pics of Ilana at about 6 wks, she was 8# and didn't fit at all. At 10 mos, she was just even w/ the bottom slots when she sat in the MA at Target.

 

cpsaddict

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #10

laurenrachey said:

Sorry, I'm confused, he is a half inch below the bottom slots, or the slots are a half inch below his shoulders? Perhaps this sentence is just written in a confusing manner, I just didn't want a newbie to stop by and get the impression that the straps are okay above the shoulders when RF

Click to expand...

He is 1/2" below the bottom slot. Britax allows the childs shoulders to be 1" below the bottom slots, although someone mentioned they changed the manual to say they have to be even with. My manual doesn't say anything about it. Just that they have to be at least 19" and 5lbs. He is 11ish lbs and 22" long. I don't want a newbie to get the wrong idea, but I do know what I am doing. He fits very well in it and actually a little better than the Safeseat at the moment. In the SS he is WAY above the bottom slot, but not ready for the middle slot yet.

 

G

ginny4

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #11

awwww. he's adorable.

 

laurenrachey

New member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #12

cpsaddict said:

He is 1/2" below the bottom slot. Britax allows the childs shoulders to be 1" below the bottom slots, although someone mentioned they changed the manual to say they have to be even with. My manual doesn't say anything about it. Just that they have to be at least 19" and 5lbs. He is 11ish lbs and 22" long. I don't want a newbie to get the wrong idea, but I do know what I am doing. He fits very well in it and actually a little better than the Safeseat at the moment. In the SS he is WAY above the bottom slot, but not ready for the middle slot yet.

Click to expand...

Okay, very interesting! I never knew that (learn something new every day!) Is the RF tether required, or is it still optional if the straps are above? I would love to know more info on that. Since all other mfg. are 'at or below the shoulders' I wonder if they just never test the seat with the straps slightly above, or whether the fact that Britax can be tethered RF when most other seats can't impacts the ability to be slightly below the slots (assuming the child meets the size requirements)

(I didn't mean to imply you didn't know what you were doing at all, I was just wondering. I feel better that we cleared it up in case we had a lurker that might wrongly assume it was fine with any seat :thumbsup: And I always love learning new things about carseats! Thanks for the info!)

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #13

I think he fits very well!

My DD at 3 weeks:

She didn't go into the Marathon until 2 months because I wasn't happy with the harness fit over her thighs:

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Jun 23, 2008

• #14

laurenrachey said:

Is the RF tether required, or is it still optional if the straps are above? I would love to know more info on that.

Click to expand...

It's never required. AFAIK all other manufacturers allow use of the seat when the child is below the bottom slots too. It's not just a Britax thing. The rule is "harness at or below the shoulder" but that is sometimes impossible with newborns. My friend's baby was below the slots on her Snugride for a good month.

 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member

• Jun 24, 2008

• #15

*ahem*
au contraire....Actually, my AOE says NOT TO USE if the childs shoulders are not at the bottom slots.
It's stupid, since they market the seat as being "all you'll ever need" (ya, right!!) but yet, the manual says not to use if the childs shoulders are below the bottom slots. It says to use an infant seat until the childs shoulders are at the bottom slots. i swear.
that being said, i made the parental decision to go against the manual (bad tech, no donut!) because i understand teh crash mechanics involved and was comfortable with ds's shoulders being slightly below when we first started using the seat..
but anyway, i digress, just wanted to point out that the AOE/luxe manual DOES specifically say not to use until the childs shoulders are even with the bottom slots.....