All You Need to Know About Carseats For Your Infant

Before leaving the birth center with your newborn, you must have an infant car seat ready. State laws require it, and you will not be able to take your baby home without it. 

Infant Car Seat Requirements You Need To Know When Leaving The Birth Center With Your Newborn

The time has finally come! You're ready to bring your newborn home and introduce him or her to everyone for the first time. From diapers to his going-home outfit, you've come prepared for this magical day.

And to ensure that your baby is safe and secure during the ride, you need to have the right infant car seat. Also, you will not be allowed to leave the birth center if your baby isn’t safely secured in one. State laws require that infants should be in a proper car safety seat before they can leave any birth center or hospital. 

Holding your child in your arms on the ride home is dangerous since the risk is far too great even if the trip is a short one. Even braking suddenly could throw your newborn against your vehicle's dashboard or allow him to slip from your arms.

Placing your baby in a child car seat will ensure his car trip home is as smooth, comfortable, and safe as possible.

Taking Your Infant Home 

Not all facilities have the same requirements for bringing your baby home. Before giving birth, you should do a bit of research regarding this. Most facilities will require you to place your baby in an infant-only seat. There are also some birth centers that may not allow you to use a convertible car seat since they're not as snug as infant car seats.

For this reason, you may want to call and check with the facility where you're planning on giving birth beforehand. The last thing you want is to have issues checking out of the facility before you even begin your new life at home with your little angel. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that birth centers should offer car seat training for new parents. They can teach moms and dads how to position and use car seats correctly before discharging their infants. 

It is up to you as the parent, however, to get the best infant car seat possible and learn its proper installation since the safety of your newborn should be your main priority when taking him home.  

Child Car Seats For Newborns

There are two types of car seat that your newborn can use:

• Infant-only car seat. An infant car seat is specially designed for newborns and is always rear-facing. Depending on the model or brand, it can typically carry a child weighing up to 22 - 35 pounds. Your child can use it until he reaches the weight or height limits of the manufacturer. Some state laws require children to stay rear-facing until they're at least two years old. As of 2018, the AAP recommends keeping them rear-facing as long as possible after two years old.

• Convertible car seat. Your baby can grow with this type of car seat as it can accommodate older kids weighing up to 65 pounds or more. You can switch it from a rear-facing position to a forward-facing seat for your toddler. Some also can be converted to booster seats for children up to 120 pounds. If your baby has reached the weight or height limits of his infant car seat before turning two, it would be safer to switch to a convertible car seat with higher size limits. In the convertible seat, keep him rear-facing as long as possible past two years old until he reaches the weight or height limits for rear-facing mode. Before converting the seat, make sure to read the guidelines from the manufacturer. 

Purchasing the best infant car seat can overwhelm anyone, especially if you're a new parent, with so many brands and features to consider. Fortunately, all new car seats available on the market today are required to meet federal safety regulations. 

To ensure you'll end up with the best car seat for your precious child, do your research first and read online reviews of the best infant car seats from the BeatCarSeatHub.com Official Website.