Would you use this car seat?

[alleycat]

Expecting DD#3 next month. I gave away our old infant carrier (Graco Safeseat) since I didn't think we were going to have anymore kids after DD#2. The person I gave the baby clothes to gave me her car seat but it expired three years ago.:47: Scary considering her child is not even two yet.

A friend of mine has a Graco Snugride she can give me but it was stored in her basement and her basement flooded back in August. From the way it sounds, the car seat was in the box and she never took out to clean or see what kind of condition it's in after the flood. Basically, when the basement flooded their main concern was stacking everything up and she's not even sure where the car seat is right now. Her daughter is 4.5 years old so I figure I can a year's worth of use out of it. My main concern is mold and if the rain water can deteriorate the car seat in any way. Would you take this car seat and just clean it out as best you can? Should I be worried about deterioration from the water?

Another friend of mine can lend me her Peg Perego but from what I've read it's heavy. I'll have to carry the baby and the carrier in and out of school during summer camp and preK drop off/pick up in September. Are there any disadvantages to the Peg Perego? Not sure about the model but her older son is almost four and I know it was purchased new.

Any advice is much appreciated.

[smiles33]

I'd be too paranoid about the flooded basement carseat to use it. Mold can cause health problems and newborns are probably particularly sensitive to environmental toxins.

I hated lugging my Graco Safeseat out of the car, so I almost always put DD2 in my Beco Butterfly 2 when I had to drop off/pick up DD1. I even woke her up when I had to, so I personally would go for the Peg Perego and a baby carrier.

Have you asked other friends? If most of your friends are around the same age and also have older kids, there may be more infant seats around. Or, if you're not willing to buy new, check on Craigslist or moms' group listservs for other gently used infant seats.

[epiclesis]

Peg Peregos expire in 5 years, just so you know. :)

Other than that, I have no advice.

[legaleagle]

I'd be too paranoid about the flooded basement carseat to use it. Mold can cause health problems and newborns are probably particularly sensitive to environmental toxins.

I hated lugging my Graco Safeseat out of the car, so I almost always put DD2 in my Beco Butterfly 2 when I had to drop off/pick up DD1. I even woke her up when I had to, so I personally would go for the Peg Perego and a baby carrier.


:yeahthat: (if the seat isn't expired of course) Maybe also get a snap n go or a the lightweight strollers that will work with it? I personally loved my ringsling for quick carries like that - so easy to pop the baby in and out.

We do convertibles from birth so it's going to be interesting wrangling my 3 in and out of daycare!

[Simon]

Don't do it! Or at least, don't count on the seat being OK.

We used the same seat for Ds1 and Ds2 and was find being stored for about 2 years. Then we stored it in the same basement again after Ds2, but when I pulled it out to use for Ds3 it was totally covered in mold. The harness, the cover, the base. I almost puked. Worse, Dh pulled it out of the basement and somehow didn't notice, so it sat in the living room for a few days. I shiver at the memory.

We did borrow a seat from a friend just before Ds3 was born but ended up moving him early into a convertible seat.

[Liziz]

Nope, I definitely wouldn't use the Graco one.

I found that any of these infant car seats are too heavy for me to lug around at all, so I almost always just take DD out and put her in her wrap and wear her. When it's a really quick trip into a store or something, I stick the carrier in the stroller (we just have a Literider I keep in the trunk). So personally, I think the Peg Perego would be fine, just find ways to avoid carrying it!

[swissair81]

My car seat wasn't in our flood zone, but it was in the garage where they've been storing all our ruined belongings for insurance purposes. I made them write it off as total loss. There's no way I would put my 19 month old in it- and she's not a newborn.

[edurnemk]

I would not use the Graco. The Peg I'd be fine with if it's not expired, as far as the weight, I find all infant seats to heavy and cumbersome to carry so I always resorted to putting it in the stroller, or wearing the baby.

[AshleyAnn]

I would not use the flood seat. The pieces that could be deteriorated by flood water not to mention the mold risk.

You can always try the peg and if its too heavy for your taste replace it. The older pegs were fairly short so expect it to be outgrown quickly and if you need spare bases it made be difficult if not impossible to find one. It was never a highly recommended car seat.

If it were me I would buy a new seat. I consider a carseat to be a worth while investment even if its only used for a year. You may never 'use it' but if youre unlucky like I was and have an accident you'll consider the money you spent the best money you ever spent.