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  | minik8e   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Taranaki
 Points: 5838
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Topic: Question about carseats Posted: 04 January 2010 at 4:25pm
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   I wonder if anyone can help me.  We have just bought 2 Safe n Sound Omega carseats for the girls.  We are having BIG trouble fitting it into the car, and am wondering if it is safe to have one on the side of the back seat (behind the passenger seat) and one in the middle.  At the moment, in order to fit them in behind the front seats, we need to have them as far forward as they can go, which isn't really practical for either DH or me (and I'm not tall by any means!!).  We have a Toyota Landcruiser, so it's definitely not a small vehicle either!!
 We knew we would have trouble because we had enough with the capsules, but we're running out of options!!
 
 If anyone has any suggestions, they would be immensely appreciated!!
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  | BugTeeny   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 11 July 2008
 Location: Sunny Tauranga
 Points: 6676
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 5:22pm | 
 
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   I've read reports (from both NZ and overseas) that the middle of the back seat is the safest place for a car seat to go, provided there's the correct safety fittings in (ie: a bolt and a 3-point seat-belt).
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  | minik8e   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Taranaki
 Points: 5838
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 5:24pm | 
 
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   We only have a lap belt in the middle.  There would be a tether bolt though.
 There is room in the back if they are forward facing so now DH is determined to put them forward facing once they are 8kg or more (minimum weight recommendation in the manufacturer's book).  I am saying over my dead body.
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  | BugTeeny   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 11 July 2008
 Location: Sunny Tauranga
 Points: 6676
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 5:39pm | 
 
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   It's difficult, isn't it    I would ssume the lap belt is fine for rear facing, but that's an assumption. 
 We have only just turned Hannah around to forward facing (at 10kg) but she still looks tiny    *eta: I'm with you on the "over my dead body" comment. There was no way I would even contemplate turning Hannah until she was 12 months old    
 Edited by MamaPickle
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  | first   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 17 January 2008
 Location: Auckland
 Points: 1357
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 6:36pm | 
 
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   A lot of carseats show you how to use a lap belt to put them in and as for the middle that is the safest position. I would be very hesitant to turn them around as nasty things can happen so easily.
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  | Mamma2N   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 15 February 2009
 Points: 908
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 6:48pm | 
 
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   Try ringing your Plunket Nurse to make an appointment with their car seat guru in your area.  There are lots of different tricks they can try to get your seats installed properly in your vehicle, many of which you or I wouldn't have thought of.  Worth a try and take your DH along, perhaps they can convince him that RFing for as long as possible is safest    (oh in saying that, my DH is much the same - he can't see the harm with having DD any which way *rolls eyes*.  Apparently everything I've read regarding the benefits of RFing is rubbish    Men!
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  | kabe   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 11 February 2007
 Location: Northshore
 Points: 3069
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 7:53pm | 
 
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   Perhaps post a question to Bonnie the Carseat expert in the 'Ask our experts' section of Ohbaby. i was also wondering whether the centre seat was more or less safe than the sides.
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  | minik8e   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Taranaki
 Points: 5838
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 8:49pm | 
 
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   Thanks ladies.  Going to Plunket is a good idea, I never thought about that.  There's not too much they can do unless they can figure out a way to get the gap between the seats bigger, but I'm willing to give most things a go (except front facing!!)!!!
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  | hannibal   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 04 December 2008
 Points: 611
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 04 January 2010 at 8:55pm | 
 
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   Hi - do you have Baby on the Move in your area?  She may be able to help we found the local one here in Dunedin great!  and she wouldn't sell us a carseat until she tried and fitted it into both cars and she wasn't expensive at all either. 
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  | hcsmum   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 30 April 2008
 Points: 393
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 10:29am | 
 
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   Try a safe-to-go technician, the other option is to go to the carseat section on TNN, they have a couple of carseat trained ladies on there that are way better than plunket. 
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  | kabe   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 11 February 2007
 Location: Northshore
 Points: 3069
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 10:58am | 
 
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  | NovemberMum   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 16 March 2007
 Location: Hamilton
 Points: 2574
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 11:06am | 
 
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|  minik8e wrote: 
 
 There is room in the back if they are forward facing so now DH is determined to put them forward facing once they are 8kg or more (minimum weight recommendation in the manufacturer's book).  I am saying over my dead body.
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 Megan was 8kgs  around 8-10 months and there is no way I would forward face her then, she is still rearfacing at 2 years 1 months and is around 13kgs.
 maybe show your DH youtube videos of rearfacing vs forward facing car crashes
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  | kiwigal   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 1616
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 11:25am | 
 
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   Read online that FF is 12 months old or 12 kgs. DD is not quite 16 months and probably not 11 kgs yet and will keep her RF until she reaches the weight limit. | 
 
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  | kellie   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 02 February 2009
 Location: Auckland
 Points: 1229
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 12:23pm | 
 
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   For the people with husbands/partners who don't understand,  just explain it is the difference between being jolted forward and absorbing all the impact with your chest, or bouncing backwards on to a cushiony surface.
Seatbelt injuries are quite common, especially with an underdeveloped sternum.
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  | Bizzy   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: New Zealand
 Points: 10974
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 12:59pm | 
 
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   maybe you should take them back and get different car seats....  if they are only new and havent been used it shouldnt be a problem.  
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  | minik8e   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Taranaki
 Points: 5838
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 2:53pm | 
 
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   We've thought of that Deb, but they're all much of a muchness when reclined unless they're a shorter shell, which would mean the girls would grow out of them faster.
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  | ?Lolly?   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 06 March 2009
 Location: Auckland
 Points: 2714
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 05 January 2010 at 8:59pm | 
 
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   I HAVE to put one in the middle since I have three kids so I don't see how putting it in the middle is going to be a safety concern as long as you make sure that the tether is in place. Our car's middle seat has a shoulder strap belt but after looking at the instructions on the car seat I just brought it says it can be used with a lap belt?? 
 
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     Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)
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