How long in the infant seat?

[Alyssa]

We have a new Graco infant seat, and it goes to 22lbs and 29in. Therefore, Jack Seamus is 9.5 months old and still in it. I love the convenience of it so I'm in no rush, but since he's at least 28in (but just over 17lbs - peanut!!) it won't be much longer. His feet are right at the edge but not yet hanging over.

I am pretty sure my old seats - Evenflos - were made for 20lbs and 26in, so Aidan and Colin were out sooner - around 7 months or so.

I'm just curious. Did you keep your kids in the infant seat until they reach the limits? Move them early? Keep them in their longer than the requirements? What do your pedis suggest?

[Michele]

I moved Jackson earlier than he needed to be b/c he was getting really heavy in that thing. I won't do that again. When I moved him, he couldn't quite sit up on his own yet, so it was really difficult to do anything with him (he couldn't sit in a grocery cart, restaurant high chair etc.). That period of time was only a couple of weeks, but it sucked! This time I'm leaving her in the seat as long as possible.

ETA: Just want to clarify that I meant the infant bucket seat, that you can carry around with you. When I moved him, I moved him into a rear facing convertable seat, and he stayed rear facing until he was 15 months old - and well over 20 lbs.

[tuesdayswife]

My dr says 1 year AND 20 lbs and not a moment sooner.

[Nichole]

I think I kept both of my boys in the infant seat until they reached the limit - one or the other; I can't remember, but I think Jackson was too long and Gav was too heavy. (shocker :lol: )

I think you can keep J. Shea in as long as his head is at least one inch below the top of the seat, Alyssa. Even if his legs overhang. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's true.

ETA: Jolene, are you talking about the infant seat or rear facing?

[Alyssa]

My dr says 1 year AND 20 lbs and not a moment sooner.Are you talking forward facing or in the infant seat, Jolene?

ETA: just saw Nichole asked the same thing. :)

[Alyssa]

I think you can keep J. Shea in as long as his head is at least one inch below the top of the seat, Alyssa. Even if his legs overhang. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's true.My pedi office said the same thing. Much moreso than when A&C were babies, they are very pro keeping kids in the infant seat as long as possible now.

[Jayne]

Alyssa's seat is a bit different. It is 34 inches and 35 lbs. I had her in that infant seat until she was 16 months old. She never did have a rear facing toddler seat. I never owned one :lol: She was a peanut and even now can still fit in her infant seat. She is just a bit tall for it. It weighs a ton. However I loved having her in it.

[Mellissa]

Keagan is almost 10 months old and is 15 lbs, 26 inches. He is also a peanut. I still put him in the infant carrier, the doctor said until he is 20lbs or no longer fits. I ike the convenience also, and there seems to be no rush.

[tuesdayswife]

Rear facing infant seat.

I have a Graco too but I'm not sure what the weight limit is on it. :shuffle: Mia's only 4 months old and is just a peanut so I haven't been too concerned about that yet. :lol:

[Alyssa]

Rear facing infant seat.

I have a Graco too but I'm not sure what the weight limit is on it. :shuffle: Mia's only 4 months old and is just a peanut so I haven't been too concerned about that yet. :lol:I've never heard of keeping them in the infant carrier to 20lbs, 1 year if they are well over the height limit, but surely rear-facing at least until that age. But that said, like I noted, my pedi is way more pro-infant seat this time around...so who knows? :dunno:

[Nocona]

I stopped using it with Matthew at 4 months because he was just too heavy to carry any longer :dead: It did suck until he could sit up well, but I just kept it in my trunk for shopping, restaurants, etc.

Sara was in hers longer - 6 months or so :dunno: Sad that I can't remember on the latest kid :lol: I know it was until she could sit up well and we didn't have to use the carrier in the transition. She was much lighter than her :pig: brother :lol:

[Jen]

Kalyssa was in her infant seat until she was about 13-14 months. Kaden was out by about the same time, maybe a bit earlier.

Keira went to a rear facing seat slightly before a year I believe.

As long as they weren't too tall or heavy, I kept them in the seat. I loved being able to keep them contained when we went somewhere.

I guess I just built up my muscles gradually as they grew because I recall not having much problem carrying it when they were older but other people would try and grimace and comment on how heavy it was.

[~LORI~]

I think I had Lindsey in her infant carrier until about 6 months and about 5 months for DR. My kids were around 15-17 pounds by that age and definately out of it for the height...I had big kiddos. It was getting so heavy fro me to carry them in it that I just gave up.

I think they have a new seat out now by Graco called Safe Seats and they have 3 stages. The infant carrier now goes up to I think 30 pounds and longer for the height and then moves onto th stage 2 model.

[Karri]

Rear facing infant seat.

I have a Graco too but I'm not sure what the weight limit is on it. :shuffle: Mia's only 4 months old and is just a peanut so I haven't been too concerned about that yet. :lol:

I think you may be confusing the infant rear-only carrier and the infant/toddler rear-to-forward facing convertible seat. Because infant seats arent a requirement. You can use a rear-facing convertible seat starting at 5lbs.

[Karri]

I moved Aidan to the convertible seat at 4 mos b/c of his length (he had less than an inch left between his head and the top of the seat). The twins stayed in theirs much longer, but I can't recall how long. It was very close to their 1st birthday, IIRC. And even if they started to get heavy to cart around (and boy did they!), you can just leave the seats in the car. Its just nice to have the convienence of them in case they do fall asleep.

[Brooke]

Rebekah hated her carrier so she was out of it by 4 months. My mom used it until she was 1 year old, though, because it had a high weight and length limit and she didn't take her many places.

Daniel was out of his by about 6 months. He wasn't comfortable in it anymore.

[Mandi]

I moved all 3 out before they had to be.

Micayla- about 5 months. She was getting too heavy to carry
Melayna- about 10 months. She was a peanut and not very tall. But she hated the seat.
Brayden- about 10 months. He was getting too tall and too heavy.

[Shanna]

I don't remember exactly. I think with the twins it was around 8-9 months. WIth Jacob, it was probably closer to 7 months :nod:

[madison817]

I knew I was getting close. Cora is 7 months old and about 17 lbs. Her head and feet are almost to the edge. She does sit up so changing now would probably not be a big deal. Any suggestions for the next stage in rear facing seats?

[Theresa]

Ellie was 20 lbs at 9 months, so I took her out of the carrier then. Ian was 20 lbs at 6 months (:pig: :lol: ), so he was moved then. Neither of them was long enough that the height mattered.

[Chantal]

We moved Kaitlyn at 7 months into a forward facing carseat. We were told it was fine because she had great head control, was sitting up on her own and also very mobile.


Lauren was just put into the carseat this weekend - rear facing though, as she just started sitting up on her own this past week, and isnt moving around yet. (ie: crawling, slithering, rolling to get around).

Both girls exceeded the length around 5 months old... but didnt reach the 20lbs until 7months old (I am certain Lauren will be 20lbs by 7 months of age too).

[schwanda]

Nathaniel was in the infant seat until almost a year. He was a peanut! I didn't turn him front-facing until almost 18 months because he was so little.
Jessica already HATES her infant seat. She keeps trying to sit up in it and she cries and cries. We are already looking at rear-facing convertible seats for her. She's going to the dr on Thursday but I think she's about 16 lbs and maybe 26-27 inches. :dunno:

Amanda

[marcy]

We'll move Anya out of the infant seat soon just because it's getting heavy. She's not at the length or weight limits yet - she's almost 15 lb and 25 inches at just over 6 months. We're just waiting on installing the rear-facing seat.

[Lora]

I moved Nathan (8 1/2 months) this past weekend. He doesn't exceed the weight limit yet but it was getting too hard to carry him around in the infant seat and he did not look comfortable in it anymore. He seems to be much happy in the bigger seat. We will keep him rear facing at least until he is a year old.

Lora

[Bonnie]

Caroline was in hers until about 6 months... she was just too big... Courtney was petite and I kept her in it until about 11 months. W/ Tatum, she was outgrowing the original Graco Snugride before 6 months, and I really wanted to keep her in a carrier longer b/c it was easier w/ the 3 girls... so, I bought the Graco Safeseat which goes up to 30 lbs and I think 35 inches... she is still in it, but it's getting super heavy. I'm about ready to move her to the Roundabout rearfacing, though I'd hoped to keep her in the infant seat until age 1, but she's really heavy, so to save our backs, she may need to move.

[magoo]

We moved Jacob out of the infant carrier just after he turned 5 months old. He was still within the limits, but I had chronic pain in my arm and wrist from carrying him around.

With Anna, I think she was about 4 months old. We were just sick of lugging it around. We didn't use it with the stroller because she hated it, so we just decided to move her early.