Where is your car seat?

[farsk]

Hello Everyone!

To piggy back on my previous post about when you stopped using your infant carrier carseat (my Roundabout should be her on Thursday...yay!), I am now wondering where in the back seat you put your carseat. In the middle or on either side.

Thanks!

[BethS]

Our Marathon is in the middle.

[brigmaman]

Ours has always been on either the passenger side or the driver's side. We can't put a seat in the middle position in our car. Right now it's on the passenger side. I feel like I can see Brig (this was especially true when he was RF) and have better access to him on the passenger side.

[pamela mom of 3]

In the truck when ds outgrew the infant seat the roundabout went RF in the middle, he's still in the middle in there now FF in a marathon. The car, it's always varied, normally outboard but sometimes moved to the middle when all 3 kids are in there.

:)

~Pamela Mom Of 3

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/kao/otn/blobflower.gif

[caleymama]

DD is in the middle.

[HGraceMom]

Middle is best, but if that's not possible, even though it's harder to reach them behind the driver seat, I remember reading somehwere that it's statistically the "safer" side.

[flagger]

Both our van's have captain's chairs and she is on the driver's side. In the big van she has to be otherwise it would be hard to get into the van...and I back my van into our garage because of our alleyway so it is just easier to get her out that way.

[votre_ami03]

Middle.


Christy, mommy to Nolan 7/22/03

[vikivoly]

Passenger's side. We use LATCH and our vehicle isn't LATCH accessible in the center position.

Someone above stated they read/heard that it is statistically safer to put the baby on the driver's side vs. the passenger side. I actually heard the opposite. I know part of the reason was that it's safer to load a baby without being on the traffic side. Anyone know which is best?

[kelly ann]

Another middle here. However, when we traveled recently by plane, we had to put it behind the passenger seat of my mom's car b/c of where the latches were located. It was so much easier to get our son in and out of the seat in this position...but it is just not as safe as being in the middle.

[Marisa6826]

My Roundabout is in the center of the backseat. Fortunately, our Camry (2001) has a 3 point seatbelt in the center.

I found that when I have rented cars that I just can't get the seat tight enough in cars that don't have the 3 point belt in the middle.

I know that the RA has a LATCH system, but being that our car isn't equipped with it, I've never used it and am just more comfortable using the more "traditional" method of securing Sophie's seat.

-m

[Raidra]

Our minivan has captains seats (with latch), so our carseat is on the passenger side. I also heard that it's safer there because you'd be getting baby in and out on the sidewalk, rather than in the street. I heard that in an infant CPR/safety class sponsored by our hospital, so I assumed they were right.

I suppose it's not as big a deal when the baby's in a carrier, but once he's mobile (even enough to just lean over while you're holding him), I'd much rather be on the sidewalk.

[Sarah1]

Ours is on the passenger side. I wanted to put it in the middle, but it wouldn't go there due to the headrest there (we have a 1997 Volvo 850 btw...)

At first, I was really upset I couldn't put it in the middle, since that's where our Snugride was and I always read that was the safest spot...but now I'm pretty glad she's right by the door, since it can be really tricky to get her in it, especially forward facing (my back and neck were killing me the first few weeks she was in there forward-facing...it really was tough!). And like others have mentioned, I can see her really well there.

HTH :)

[amp]

Depends on the carseat and the car. Our infant seat was secured in the middle in my car, and with the seatbelt only on either side in DH's car.

The Marathon is on the passenger side of my car (won't fit the middle).

Our Evenflo Vanguard is in the middle of DH's car.

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

WE have one on each side, DD passenger side in her FF MA, DS on the drivers side, RF in his RA........
I'm so sad, my baby is 1 today!

[hellokitty1]

Our Snguride was always in the middle but when we got the Marathon, we moved to the Passenger side bc I always sit in the back with her (when I'm not driving, of course) and it was too cramped to sit there on the side with her big car seat in the middle. We chose the passenger side so we could see her from the mirror on the driver's side.

BTW, does anyone sit in the back with your baby? If so, how long did you do it?

[C99]

I sit in the backseat with him sometimes, but not always. If I want him to sleep, I don't sit back there.

Nate's still rear-facing in his Britax Roundabout, which is located behind the passenger seat.

[starrynight]

Which car seat LOL. I have 3 in seats, but I will answer just for my youngest. Eliza's seat is on the outside behind the driver seat, it's the only place I can get it good and tight and still be able to fit the other seats in. Btw I have a minivan.

[jbowman]

I always sit in the back with my daughter (and if I'm driving, my husband sits with her). She's almost four months old and we've always done this.

[jbowman]

We put our infant seat in the middle (Baby Trend Latch-Loc). We have a car with LATCH, but LATCH is not in the center seat.

[deborah_r]

I know middle is supposed to be safest, but we have it on the passenger side with LATCH (no LATCH in the middle) However, I do know it is just as safe to use the seatbelts, as long as it is done properly, but the Marathon would dwarf the backseat of our Jetta if it was in the middle. I was also thinking, what if I had more than one child in a carseat - in my car, they would have to be in the outboard positions in that case. So I think of that when I feel guilty for not putting it in the middle.

[HGraceMom]

The reason I'd heard was that statistically, crashes happen more frequently on the passenger side (during left turns, merging on freeways & such...) But for the life of me I can't remember where that statistic is from!

[jbowman]

I heard the same thing, which is why I agreed to have the seat installed in the middle, even w/o LATCH. We're thinking about getting a Marathon, so we may have to rethink the placement (as Deborah just stated).

[Melanie]

In my car it's a non-LATCH RA in the middle, the other a LATCH MA LATCHed right behind the passenger.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

for as long as we can milk it...
am stressed over having more than one child and the location of car seats for safety!!!!
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

[dotgirl]

Our SnugRide went in the middle, but we just moved up to the Marathon and it will only fit behind the passenger seat. We have a '97 Saturn SL2, and I have to have the seat fairly far forward due to how far back Riley needs to recline - he grew out of his SnugRide about 2 weeks ago, and since he's not even 5 months old, he can't hold his head up. So we have the seat at a 45 degree angle, and DH is 6' tall and could not drive with the seat behind him. Of course, he hasn't ridden in the passenger seat since we installed the Marathon, so maybe he'll hate that too .. and then I won't have to drive!

[phirey]

Both in the middle: Rear-facing MA in husband's full-size truck and rear-facing RA in my little Audi A4. DH and I met as Paramedics -- so we'll be rear facing and center as long as possible!

[pritchettzoo]

Ours is in the middle, and I usually sit in the back with her. She's getting better about entertaining herself, but at first, it was much easier to sit in the back with her than ride up front and listen to her scream. I just call DH "Jeeves" and become a horrible back-seat driver! ;)

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[luvbeinmama]

DS was middle until DD arrived. Now DS is behind passenger seat & DD is behind driver seat (and still RF).

[jubilee]

In the back passenger side. With my oldest being 12 and needing room we couldn't put the car seat in the middle. With my hubby being over 6 foot, we couldn't put the car seat behind the driver.