Car Seat Question for Infant

As far as the infant car seat goes, the rule is that their head has to be an inch down from the top of the back (where their head rests). It does not matter if his feet or legs hang over, that has nothing to do with the safety of it. If the "bigger" car seat says it's a rear facing and up to 35 lbs rear facing, then you can put him in it. I would definitely read the manu. directions for both car seats just to be on the safe side. If you've lost them, you can usually find them online or email/call the company and they will send you a new copy. Hope this helps!

yes as long as he is rear facing use the bigger carseat :)

My other convertible car seat goes down to 5 lbs but rear facing till 35 or 40. You take them out of the infant carrier seats when they outgrow them or you no longer want to tote them around in them....they don't need to stay in them till 1. Hope that makes sense! Ours typically switch around 6-8 mos to the normal rear facing convertible...when they weigh a lot that toting them around in the carrier is a chore. I have 3 kids - 4 yo, 2.5 yo and 3 mos.

If you have a bigger baby it is fine to put them in a bigger car seat that is rear facing. It doesn't have to be the bucket style it just has to be right for the baby's weight, installed correctly and rear facing. It sounds like the seat you have will work fine (you can check with the company if you want). My son was out of the bucket style seat at 6 or 7 months and my daughter fit until she was over a year. But new guidelines do recommend rear facing until age 2 (it used to be rear facing until 1 year when my 5 year old was a baby but recently changed).

Some parents never use the "bucket" seat. They go straight to the larger one. Personally, I never understood not wanting to use the carrier with a newborn, as it is so much easier to moving a sleeping baby if they can pretty much stay put in the carrier.

Just make sure you're following the manufacturer's recommendations so he'll be safe. Both my boys switched to the larger car seat around 7 or 8 months. They were getting too heavy, and they did not like being carried around like that. We were all much happier in the new, larger seat.

Babies are now to stay rear facing until they are at LEAST two years old, and it's actually rec staying rear facing to the limits of the seat. The one year 20 pounds was retracted this year by the Academy of Pediatrics.

They have to stay rear facing until they are at least 1 year and 20lbs. They do not have to be in an infant bucket car seat. All 3 of mine were in convertible car seats from day one, rear facing until they could turn around. Never even used a bucket infant seat.
I'll be honest, I never have trusted those buckets that snap in and out of a base. There have been a huge amount of recalls, all for them popping out of the base. A car seat belongs in the car, a child belongs in a car seat only while traveling in a car. It is good for them to take them out, let them stretch out in a stroller, put them in a carrier or hold them in your arms. I never had a problem with them always waking up etc, they were used to it and went with the flow.

Yes, you can put him in a rear facing seat. The infant carriers/bucket seats are just a convenience, they aren't required at any time. Most convertible seats can be used rear-facing for babies from 5-35 pounds. Definitely move your seven month old to the other seat and he'll be safer and more comfortable.

Don't guess on this.

Go to this website: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/CPSFitting/Index.cfm
and take your car, your child and the seat and have it checked by a certified car seat technician.
7 out of 10 of the moms here (national statistic) either incorrectly use or install their car seats.
Take the time for a FREE inspection.
I'll bet you learn something you're doing wrong! People always do!

They need the seat that is safest for them. They should rear face for a year (AND 20 lbs) at minimum, but it is safer to keep them rear facing longer. My 3 yr old (only 28 lbs) is still RF.

So you need to measure him and see if his HEAD is too tall for the seat and get him another seat if he's too big. My DD outgrew her bucket long before she hit the weight. We had a Keyfit 30 and she's not 30 lbs even now! But her head was too close to the top of the seat and we had to move her. She'll be in the convertible RF til she's 35 lbs unless she's too big to be in it RF (she just crosses her legs, no big deal - have you seen how kids sit normally?) and then we'll FF to 65 lbs, which is the limit of our seat.

Bucket seats are not mandatory. They're a convenience. Our convertible seat can go from something like 5lbs to 65 lbs. He should be fine so long as it's RF and he meets the minimum weight for the seat.