Car seats

I had an infant carrier/seat for Emma when she was under 27' and 20lbs. Now I have a Britax Marathon for 10lbs to 65lbs. I love it so far. Ive only had it for 2 weeks or so.

Just something to think about... when you have your seat and the baby is a newborn it is A LOT easier to have a seat to carry the baby out of the car when he/she is asleep. JMO

Rule - NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY!!!

i totally agree with kptoys. the infant car seat is a must. i couldnt imagine getting around with the baby the past 3 1/2 without it. i have a long baby though and i doubt he'll be in this car seat past 4 months, he is almost 26 inches already even though at 14 lbs he's quite under the weight limit. still, i think its absolutely worth it. i hate to think how our world is going to change when we have to change him over.

check out this link for buying tips

car seat buying guide

hth

edited to add: i have the graco snugride and love it and are thinking about the britax roundabout for when he trades up. the marathon sounds interesting though.

what is the difference between roundabout and marathon--those I know that bought Britax bought the roundabout but now I am starting to hear about the marathon- is it a newer version?

Roundabout holds babies till they are 40lbs
Marathon holds babies till they are 65lbs

Im pretty sure thats the only difference.

When Paul was a newborn, I used a Graco SnugRide, just like Elizabeth...LOVED the seat, and miss it now that he's outgrown it!! He even slept in the seat for awhile - in fact, he began sleeping through the night for the first time while snoozing in his infant seat. And, Karen couldn't be more on the money about NOT WAKING A SLEEPING BABY!!! Amen to that!!

Just a word on the Britax convertible seats, for those that are interested....we recently purchased a Britax Roundabout b/c it is the highest rated seat on the market. In September 2002, a new safety standard for carseats was passed. It is called LATCH - Lower Anchors and Teathers for Children. Basically, it is an easier, more fool-proof method of installing a carseat in your car. Even car manufacturers now have to comply with this standard and add certain carseat anchors to their newer model cars. You can read more about LATCH at this link: Carseat Safety/LATCH

Like Karen pointed out, the Britax Roundabout only holds children safely up to 40 lbs, while the Marathon can accommodate a child up to 65 lbs. The Marathon seems like a better buy b/c it is a larger, wider seat that the child can use a bit longer.

Since we had subscribed to Consumer Reports b/c we were super concerned with safety ratings, we decided the Roundabout was better for our son. I discovered through my research that the Britax Marathon is only LATCH compatible up to 48 lbs. So, it didn't seem as worth the investment, since I'd have to buy a new seat after Paul reaches 40 lbs, in order to comply with LATCH safety standards. When Paul reaches 40 lbs, I'll probably invest in a booster seat that he will then use for quite awhile.

A word about the Cosco/Eddie Bauer seats....they received an good rating on Consumer Reports, but the report suggested NOT using the seat as a booster. I don't remember exactly why, but I can look it up again for you, if you are really interested in that seat.

Hope this helps you...I know this a difficult decision b/c I just went through this!!! But, I'd say that it's a good idea to just invest in the infant seat carrier for the beginning, and then take your time deciding on the toddler seat...you'd be surpised how fast they come out with newer and better stuff for babies!! Good luck!

Edited to correct the weight limitation of Marathon's LATCH compatibility.

Claud - Just to let you know. The Marathon is Latch compatable to 48lbs not 40lbs.

we are using the graco carriercarsweat- dont remeber the propoer name for it...but it snaps in and out of a base in the car. sil recommended it as she thought I would feel more confortable carrying the baby in that while we deal with winter weather.
I love it ...but Julianne doesnt reall like getting into it with her snowsuit. ( it says its a newborn size but she looks like the michelin man in it!)

My aunt bought us the Britax Roundabout off our registery.Rob does a lot of research and found his to be the most highly recommended brand and model

Phyl's post about the snowsuit reminded me to share this. I got the item linked below -the fleece car seat cover for the infant seat - from my SIL and use it all the time. Luke has only worn his snowsuit 3 times and I take him out alot, almost evert day. I put a hat on his head, a blanket underneath and snap this thing over the car seat and he is definitely warm enough. It's a real lifesaver. You can just pop it off in the store so the baby won't be overheated and miserable.

nojo car seat cover

Also here's a really nice one too. I already had the other one but this looks so plush.

bundle me

Liz - I've seen the Bundle Me thing in the store...I wish that these would have worked for Paul, but he's outgrown the infant seat, so I have no choice but to crowd him (with his snow suit) into the carseat/stroller!

My cousin (who just gave birth the day after Thanksgiving) has the Bundle Me and she loves it!