Aftermarket Products

[mommy2elliebean13]

Okay so not sure if this is the best place to post this or not.

I am only asking because I told someone the other day we weren't using after products in our car seat and they asked me why. Honestly, she brought up a good point and I didn't know how to answer.

What is the difference between using an after product like this:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-77390-Cradler-Ivory/dp/B0054G1JSM/ref=sr_1_27?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1367714914&sr=1-27"]Amazon.com: Summer Infant Cradler, Ivory: Baby[/ame]

and using receiving blankets in a newborn car seat? The strap that goes behind the head is so flat and small (she showed me hers) that the likelihood of it actually compressing enough to make a difference in a crash is almost nothing.

Also, when you use rolled up receiving blankets in the crotch of a newborn's car seat, wouldn't those compress in a crash and cause the newborn to not fit properly in the harness?

Lastly, she mentioned sun shades for the window. I said they could become projectiles in the event of an accident, but what about the cling on ones? Are those safe to use?

Thanks!

 

[safeinthecar]

The product you linked to doesn't even touch the harness system and would definitely not interfere, so in that respect I think it's fine. As long as it doesn't push baby's head forward, I'd have no problems with using it.

Window shades are fine as long as you would be comfortable with getting hit in the head with them.

Crotch rolls just fill in empty space between the crotch strap to help maintain posture. The empty space is there regardless of whether a cloth compresses or not. Also, a rfing child will move up into the shoulder harness in a crash, not down into the crotch strap, so the air space will actually get bigger naturally just due to the physics of how rfing works.

 

[Minnesota]

As long as the portion behind the baby's head is very very thin, I have no objection to the one you linked. The ones that connect around the harness straps have the potential to interfere with the way the seat functions or mask a poor harness adjustment. The ones that go in a horseshoe shape over the baby's head have the potential to slip behind the baby's head and cause asphyxiation.

Rolled receiving blankets never go beneath the baby's head or body, they are simply there to fill in the empty spaces alongside baby. Most manufacturers who do not provide significant infant support pillows actually recommend this method right in their instructions because they've tested their own seats this way.

And I agree with everything SITC said about window shades. Cling shades are harmless as a projectile and should be the only ones used.

 

[mommy2elliebean13]

Thank you for the clarification.

So, just so I understand...these are the types of after market products that you are referring too as shouldn't be used right?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Collections-Support-Graphite/dp/B003554HUQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1367720610&sr=1-5&keywords=jj+cole"]Amazon.com: JJ Cole Collections Body Support, Graphite, 0-8 Months: Baby[/ame]

Thanks!

 

[aeormsby]

The first set you linked I think may also have something that can be attached to the carseat straps - doing that would not be safe. Otherwise I'll just say :yeahthat: to what PP's have said.