You’re a new mom, preparing for the arrival of your little one. You have a million things in your head that you still need to do and learn before the baby comes, and one of those things is buying and installing a baby’s car seat… and installing it right!
Here are some tips to keep in mind regarding car seats if you’re a new mom.
Buying the right size or type
There are generally three kinds of car seats, two of which are the most appropriate for a new mom. We’ll briefly discuss the two, the Infant car seat and the convertible (infant to toddler) car seat Safety.
The infant car seat always faces to the rear of your car and can hold up a max of 22-35 lbs before you need to switch to another rear-facing convertible seat. Think of the two types of car seats like you would the two types of baby beds, the bassinet is for newborns while the crib is for the bigger babies.
Watch out for recalls
If you’re thinking of getting a used seat or even a seat that’s never been used off of Craigslist or a yard sale, keep in mind certain brands and styles that have been recalled due to safety concerns.
There’s a whole list of currently updated car seat recall list online. You could always do a quick search online if you’re particularly curious about a certain seat that you want to purchase for a really good deal.
A car seat is something you really want to make sure is quality, so don’t cut corners on this one.
Consider your type of car
When buying a car seat, you will also want to consider if you want to move your car seat from car to car or be used while traveling publicly. Depending on the type of cars you have, you might want to find something that is easy to install/assemble and does not have a very high base that might add to the length when reclining, especially with smaller cars or in planes.
Sometimes the one-size-fits-all convertible seats that are built for 60lbs or more are harder for traveling parents because the seat is too tall. Find something that’s made for up to 40lbs.
Gender-neutral or not
If you want to keep using your car seat for your future babies, you might want to also buy a gender-neutral colored seat. It’s a good practice to choose gender-neutral colors with just about anything expensive you buy for your first baby. Although in many cases, you can just switch out the car seat cover from baby to baby if you really want a pink furry seat for little miss!
Most importantly, install correctly
If you’re anything like most moms who don’t quite have all the time in the world to read manuals, you can make sure you’re installing your car seat correctly by watching professional instructional videos such as ones from Cars.com
You can also go to your local mommy groups for support on just about anything mommy related, from babywearing to breastfeeding! Lots of new moms have been helped on how to install their car seats the right way from veteran mothers who willingly give up their time for you.
