what would you do

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vangelder03

New member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #1

I have a 3 month old who weighs almost 17 lbs, so we have 13 lbs left on our infant seat and then will switch to a rf seat that will go to 35 lbs.
what would you do if your child outgrew rf car seat before first birthday ?

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #2

That's a tough one. Luckily, it does NOT happen to most kids! Usually when they get mobile (crawling, etc.) their gain slows down.

First, I'd see if I could get a doctor to prescribe a Swedish seat (one with a 55 lbs. rear-facing limit.) I would not care if I had to pay for it OOP, although I would get insurance to pay part if I could. With a prescription, it would be legal for me to use said seat for said child.

If that did not happen (but it would-- my doc is EXCELLENT about car safety) I would carefully debate whether I would prefer to go off-label on a Radian (because of many factors, that's the ONLY one I'd go off label on) and rear-face in it until the kid hit 40 lbs. or the first birthday, or whether to buy a Swedish seat and use it illegally. Both options are illegal; one has been crash tested and the other hasn't YET.

 

unityco

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Oct 22, 2008

• #3

BTDT. I don't know that you have much choice (IF that happens - it's a very rare child that is over 30lbs before 1yo.) My son was 30lbs at 9.5mo, and in Canada at the time, 30lbs was the maximum weight for RF. It's not a good situation. Legally, you're in the wrong if you turn them, but also if you don't. I could have got a 35lb seat from the U.S., but that's also illegal. I didn't want to test the limits of his 30lb seat by continuing to have him RF beyond that. Knowing what I know now (which is a lot more than I knew then,) I would probably have grabbed a 35lb Scenera from across the line (no point in paying almost double to use the Canadian version illegally anyway.) But if I *really* knew what I know now (like how far off the growth chart he would continue to be) I would have bought him a HW Canadian convertible after his bucket and used it to its American RF limit. (I bought a Titan instead. ) :twocents:

Just for comparison, my DS was 22lbs at 3mo.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Oct 22, 2008

• #4

How far below a year? 6 months and I'd do whatever I had to in order to get an illegal Swedish seat. 11.5 months and I'd forward-face in the "best" seat, tightly top tether, and limit driving.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #5

chances are, it won't happen.

my own second born son was 20lbs at 4-5mo old, but he was 30lbs at 1yr, 35lbs at 2.5yrs.

so your son isn't beyond him in weight percentiles, and thereby I expect may follow the same pattern or even be lighter weight at the older ages.

Babies gain and gain, but from the time they start crawling around 6mo, and then even more when they get walking at around 1yr, they slow down because they are moving and working it off some.

 

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vangelder03

New member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #6

chickabiddy said:

How far below a year? 6 months and I'd do whatever I had to in order to get an illegal Swedish seat. 11.5 months and I'd forward-face in the "best" seat, tightly top tether, and limit driving.

Click to expand...

my daughter hit 34lbs just around 8 months and we just didn't take her anywhere which is not really an option this time.we have school for older kids weighed him today and he is a little over 17lbs and wears 6 month clothes which are really tight. holland 08/04/08

\ [-0k

 

K

Kaylasmom

New member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #7

Wow, this thread amazes me! My little peanut is 15.5 months and weighs 18.2 lbs!!! We've actually been prescribed Pediasure, etc to make her GAIN weight! And she can still wear 6-12 month clothes! Looks like we'll outgrow RFing by height well before weight at this point.

 

BeckC

Well-known member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #8

Most likely your little one will slow WAY down in growth. My nephew was 17 lbs at 4 mo and now at 7.5 mos he still weighs 17 lbs.

 

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tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #9

I personally would not use a US seat rf past 35 lbs. I would try my best to get a Swedish seat but if that were not possible i'd go ff. I would also travel as little as possible.

 

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Synchro246

New member

• Oct 22, 2008

• #10

Another mother of two children who weighed 20-22lbs at 3 mo. However one didn't hit 33 until 23 months and the other is still 30 at 16 months. Chances are good it won't happen. If it does happen I'd look into importing a seat and having it paid for by my insurance (I may as well go something really awesome if I'm going to bother getting official endorsement on importing a seat)

 

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TeacherMama

New member

• Oct 23, 2008

• #11

I don't really have a recommendation for you, but I want to tell you that I understand where you're coming from! My DD was 17 lbs., 6 oz. at her 4 month appointment, and I had a small (internal) freak-out! Everyone kept telling me (even here ) that her weight would slow down when she started crawling, walking, etc. It hasn't. She is still off the charts for her weight and height. I found this website (http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/babygrowth.asp), and I entered her information, and I followed her growth curve out and "predicted" when she would hit 33 pounds. It looks like she *should* make it to 24 months which is my bare-minimum goal.

 

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Pepse

New member

• Oct 23, 2008

• #12

my dd is a chunky monkey

She was 23lbs and her 7 month check up and she was crawling like there was no tomorrow and was still gaining.

Now at 14.5 months she is only 25lbs. She really didn't stop gaining until she started walking at 11 months.

 

monstah

New member

• Oct 23, 2008

• #13

If it helps, my son was 19 pounds at his 4 month checkup, 29 pounds at his 12 month checkup, and hit 35 pounds at 24 months.
Give it a few more months before you start calling Sweden, I bet you he will make it. :thumbsup:

FWIW, My son hit 40 pounds only a touch after his second birthday. And is now three and 41 pounds. (Gained one pound in the last 12 months!)

And to answer your original question. What would I do if he outgrew a rearfacing seat before his first birthday? I would turn him foward facing in a Radian, top tethered with the safe-stop on, and try to keep driving to a minimum for a while.