Well, bringing up children isn’t a walk in the park. All that hustle from nursing them to feeding them to dressing them up and disciplining as well is quite something you ought to be prepared for. Speaking of preparation, are we aware of the best baby items? Often, mums even when attending to their personal errands. Probably it is a normal clinic check-up or maybe she has somewhere to rush to and they can’t afford a nanny to look after the baby. So how do you carry a baby in your car anyway? Ever heard of baby car seat?
A baby can’t fit on a normal car seat (of course they are tiny) and be comfortable as a grown-up would have been. This made the great minds invent suitable seats for babies when tagging along with the family for a ride. This particular seat is to be fitted in your car specifically to be used by babies. They vary with size, age, and a baby’s developing needs. As an expectant couple, this is something to be included in your purchases because you should learn how to fix and use it before giving birth.
Considerations during Purchase
Someone has to put into account several aspects that’ll enable them to carry home the best baby car seat. They include;
- Before making a choice, sampling in your car should be conducted to confirm which fit will be the safest baby car seat for your baby.
- Consider your car’s model – all car manufacturers have their products with unique features. Before getting your newborn baby car seat, you have to consider what is compatible with your car.
- The state of the baby car seat – you should opt for the new one and with all its parts well functioning, and instructions very clear.
The Various Types of Seats
You can’t go to the manufacture and pick up any baby car seats suitable for your car and leave. There are different groups of children and each with their unique type;
- Group 0+ – these are the youngest among all and of age up to 15 months. Their sizes are not more than 15 kilograms. They get a rear-facing car seat.
- Group 1 – they are in the range between 9 months and 4 years. They should be weighing from 9-18 kilograms. The most suitable one for them is the forward-facing seat.
- Group 2/3 – they could be as heavy as 15-36 kilograms and of age 4-11 years. The one comfortable with them is the high backed booster seat.
It is very necessary to understand all these considerations so that you can know when to change baby car seat when they grow.
The Do’s
- Any of the seats should not be fixed in the front seat of the car.
- Seats should be installed correctly. Include baby car seat covers for purposes of fitting the baby well and a baby car seat head support for proper head positioning.
- You should belt up all the 5-point harness system to keep the infant safe in case of a crash.
- You should time and again watch your baby. One can install a mirror through which he can get a clear sight of the baby from the driver’s seat.
- Use the seat with its own approved stroller. This is to ensure that the seat matches perfectly with your car.
- The seats are to be used only inside the car.
What to Do When the Baby Sleeps
The drowning sounds of the engine will remind the child of the time in the womb and that will make sleep kick in eventually. You’re not supposed to panic when a baby sleeps in the car. Even though the jingly movements seem to keep them stimulated and promotes breathing, it isn’t a convenient place for babies to sleep. An infant shouldn’t sleep more than 2 hours without a break. One should also learn how to put baby in car seat because the position might affect breathing. After completing a trip and the baby is still asleep but you don’t want to awaken them, you should take him out of the seat and car and place him to lie on his back.
The baby’s temperature should be checked often to ensure that the clothes aren’t more or less according to the required temperature of the surrounding environment. If you’re going on a long journey, frequent stops are very necessary. This is to change nappies or feeding.
Conclusion
Baby car seats are very instrumental when traveling with a child but they come with a lot of caution and considerations too. Buying the best one for your child and the perfect fit for your car is very necessary so is checking up on your baby often. Have you ever owned one? How convenient was it? Got any challenges with it? Leave us a comment.
