15 Jun Car Seats

by Lauren, Office Manager

Every soon-to-be new parent knows that one of the more stressful parts of preparing for baby’s arrival is figuring out the car seat. Should it go in the middle seat or one of the side seats? Did I install the base correctly? What if I don’t use a base? How tight is tight enough when strapping in my newborn? And the list goes on and on. Below are a few things to remember related to car seats, as well as some great car seat resources available in the Twin Cities.

Things to remember…

• When you start looking for a car seat you may be surprised that there is a whole vocabulary unique to car seats. Scroll down on this page to see a list of car seat-related terms.

• Make sure you buy the right car seat for your child. Here is a helpful site with more information on car seat types.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends keeping children rear-facing until 2 years old if possible.

• You can tell if your child’s harness is tight enough if you can’t pinch any of the harness material. If you can pinch it, it’s too lose.

• The car seat should not shift more than one inch side-to-side when it is properly secured in the car.

• The retainer clip is in the right place if it’s at your child’s armpit level.

• Here is a great car seat safety checklist.

• Car seats expire, so if you’re using one that you used with a sibling, be sure it hasn’t expired.

• As tough as it might be during a Minnesota winter, your child should not have a heavy coat or snowsuit on while in his car seat. The Car Seat Lady offers some great ideas on keeping your child warm and safe in his car seat.

• Before you buy your car seat, call your insurance to see if it will pay for it. For example, Everyday Miracles can help you request a free car seat if you are on a state-funded health insurance plan through Blue Plus, HealthPartners or UCare (click here). You may also be eligible for a free car seat through the state of Minnesota (click here for more information).

• Finally, if you want to be sure you’re using your car seat correctly, check out this link for a list of common mistakes parents make with car seats.

Car Seat Installation and Checks

• The MN Department of Transportation provides a list of places that offer car seat clinics and checks.

• If you want to use your car seat without a base, check out this helpful YouTube video.

Feel free to leave a comment with any helpful car seat tips you may have, or if you know of another Twin Cities resource that’s not listed above!