For a 7-8 week old- Britax MA or RA??

[my3fallkiddos]

DS#2 is almost 8 weeks old, in the 10-11 pound range and about 21-22" tall. I'm not happy with the installation of our Graco SR and I'm tired of fighting with it :) So I'm contemplating just moving him to a Britax MA or RA now. I remember with DS#1, we switched him to a MA at 3 months and the MA didn't quite fit him right. The straps never got snug until he was several months old. Is that still the case with the current MAs?

Or I would move him to a RA (which I also find easier to use). My mother has one as a spare that I need to get back from her or I may just buy a new one in Funky Denim since they are on sale and it would match DS's MA ;) Although her RA is the regular Denim so it might be close enough.

Has anyone used a RA or MA for a baby this size? Would you do it again? How about the pros/cons of using a convertible now?

Thanks!

[erzzie]

With a Marathon for an infant, you would want to remove the Hugs (the plastic things on the straps) since they're only required for forward facing seats and you'd probably want to remove the neck cushions too. The Marathon straps are safe and tight if they are tight at the top of the shoulder, the rest of the straps can and will look looser, but they're still safe. I think if I were you, instead of a Marathon, I'd buy the Boulevard (or if not that, the Decathalon). Those are Britax's new models and they have a bunch of extra padding for newborns (it's removable later). The Boulevard also has tested side impact protection, so that'd be my first choice. You should definitely try it out at a store and see if you think the newer Britax versions feel better for you!

I wouldn't get a Roundabout unless you were expecting to have another child to hand it down to. A Marathon will last the whole 6ish years that the baby will fit into it, and afterward you can probably move straight into a belt positioning booster (BPB).

We had an infant carseat with my son and daughter. With my son, it was nice to just pop him into a Snap and Go. When I had two kids, I did much better putting the baby into a sling/carrier and the older child into the grocery cart or stroller. The infant seat was a hassle for me because then my son had to sit in the cart basket and I had no room for groceries! When shopping, it meant I didn't have to buy a big bulky double stroller. We had a Peg Perego P3 so by the time the baby was too big to sling, she could sit in the stroller and my son rode on the back of it.

When we have a 3rd baby, I'm going to skip the infant carseat and put the baby into a Boulevard. I have a great sling and my 2 1/2 yo daughter already does fine on the back of my P3.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[tweetykl]

My ds is 9 weeks, 15#, and 25", so he is about to outgrow his Graco sr. Today he tried out the maratho and the decathalon. The decathalon fit much better for him because it hugged his body and supported him completely. He was half-asleep when I set him down and fell asleep while I was strapping him into it. For the marathon, his body was flopping around.

[C99]

Rose went straight into the RA from the hospital. She was born at 7 lbs and 1 ounce, so she came home at probably 6 and 1/2 lbs. Nate had a SR from birth, but we moved him even before he outgrew the seat at 4 months, so obviously I am a proponent of going straight into the convertible.