Has anyone actually used a Roundabout for a newborn?

[VELO77]

I have a Roundabout from baby #1 who is now in a Husky, and baby #2 is due next month. I know the specifications of the RA states that it fits infants from 5 to 33 pounds rear-facing. And, I spoke to the CSR at Britax and she confirmed that it would accommodate a newborn in the rear-facing position. But after checking out the seat and reclining positions, I’m sort of impartial to the idea of putting a newborn in this seat right out of the hospital. I’m trying to avoid spending money unnecessarily to buy a new infant seat. However, if I must I will.

I’m curious to know if anyone has actually used a RA for a newborn?

Thank you in advance.

--VELO77

[shall85296]

We started DS in a RA, and it was just fine. We had it installed @ the fire station, and they neglected to use the rear facing tether, so it sat a bit upright even through it was in the reclined position. So looking through these boards I saw someone mention that you could use the front seat seat belt (female end) that is bolted to the floor w/ the tether connector strap ( I think it is a D- ring?) to tether it rear facing. That did the trick. After that it was perfectly reclined for a newborn, and rock solid! This is on a non - latch seat.
Good luck. It worked well for us!

[houseof3boys]

We started using it in one of the cars at 6 weeks and it swallowed him up. Maybe you can borrow an infant seat from a friend?

I don't know if it is a state thing or a hospital thing, but in Georgia our hospital requires an infant seat be brought inside to make sure that your child is fitted properly in it if you have a baby under 6 pounds. I had a friend that had twins early and this was how it was explained to her.

Good luck!

[VELO77]

You raise a good point. That was another concern I had. From what I could remember, the hospital requires that all newborns are secured in a car seat before releasing both mother and child. And, the RA is no infant seat in terms of size and weight. Looks as though I may have to invest in an infant seat.

Thanks for your comment!

[houseof3boys]

I think that you could still use the RA as an infant seat when you got discharged from the hosptial, I just know in our hospital it was a weight issue for the tiny babes. Maybe check with your hospital to be sure.

Good luck. :)

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

we used a marathon (bigger) 9 hours after t was born to get him home...and would do it again, but i personally would never use an infant carrier, i am not drawn to them and prefered to sling my sleepy baby...
i see the way the general public maneuvers these infant carriers and they bug me...
Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[VELO77]

That was my original idea. To use the RA to get the baby home and sling her around with me when not in the car.

On the other hand, an infant car seat can be a convenience. Pop it out pop it in, instead of unbuckling and unstrapping and vice versa when traveling.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

we found the infant seat to be very useful for the first 2 months. Carrying a floppy newborn is not easy, even in a sling (assuming your baby likes the sling - Logan would only tolerate it if she was already asleep). We liked using the infant seat, but at 7 weeks we were going on a 10 hour drive, and we thought she would be more comfortable in the Roundabout. After that trip, we never went back to the infant seat, although we did keep it in the trunk to use in restaurants.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Joolsplus2]

The hospital can't dictate what kind of seat you use, as long as it is a seat that's approved for your child's size (for instance, not everyone can afford a $60+ infant seat that lasts a couple months, but a lot of people can afford a $40 Cosco Touriva convertible, which will last 3-4 years, and is good from 5-40 pounds). If you have a low birthweight or premature infant, however, they can highly recommend an infant seat or car bed, which you have to bring into the hospital to make sure the baby passes the breathing test (tiny newborns get low blood oxygen when they have to sit too upright, so they have to make sure baby can breathe during the trip home!).
For a full-term healthy weight infant, they just ask you if you have a seat, or when they wheel you out they look in your car to make sure it's in (few or none of those folks that check you out know much about carseats, so they won't install them for you or put your baby in the seat, though).
Anyway, I didn't use an infant seat for my first baby...he never seemed to wake up when I moved him to the sling or stroller, either, but like Karen said, it can be mighty handy to have a clean place to put a baby down in restaurants or whatever (dh and I learned to eat in turns, food that never required a knife, and kept him in our laps!). For baby #2, I would have simply died without an infant seat...I was so busy chasing my 2 yo around :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[VELO77]

Thanks for your last comment. Baby #1 is now 2 yo and with baby #2 due soon, I may just need that infant car seat.

I'll still check with the hospital to find out exactly what their policy is for discharging patients.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

>For a full-term healthy weight infant, they just ask you if
>you have a seat, or when they wheel you out they look in your
>car to make sure it's in (few or none of those folks that
>check you out know much about carseats, so they won't install
>them for you or put your baby in the seat, though).

The nurses at the hospital where I delivered are CPS Techs. (maybe not all of them, but one who is has to do the checkout) They insisted that we would not be allowed to leave until they had inspected our seat. If we had a convertible they would have come out to the car to inspect it and make sure it fit the baby. They were concerned about our Stay In View because it does not have a chest clip, so we had to show them in the instruction book that it is not supposed to have one.

If parents do not have a safe seat, the hospital loans one.

We attended a car seat safety class at the hospital before she was born, and took both seats with us to learn how to install them. They had a mock up of a vehicle seat with various kinds of seatbelts so people could practice with their actual seat. They also had the baby dolls so people could practice buckling them into the carseat.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Joolsplus2]

Your hospital has an awesome policy :)
You should hear the freaky stories about them not being able to help at all due to liability reasons or other lame excuses (Hello? do you WANT to see these children rushed back to your emergency room or something? sigh...)
:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx