When Can I Move My Baby Into A Forward-facing Seat?

Maybe your like

Community
- Birth Clubs
- Groups
- See all in Community
Getting Pregnant
- Ovulation calculator
- Am I pregnant quiz
- When to take a pregnancy test
- Best sex positions
- Top signs of pregnancy
- How soon after your period can you get pregnant?
- How age affects fertility
- What do fertility treatments cost?
- What fertile cervical mucus looks like
- Can you choose your baby's sex?
- How long will it take to conceive?
- See all in Getting Pregnant
Pregnancy
- How big is my baby?
- Due Date Calculator
- Conception Date Calculator
- Your baby's movements
- Symptoms you should never ignore
- Hospital bag checklist
- How your baby's developing
- Signs of labour
- Sick leave in pregnancy
- Baby gender predictor
- Spotting and bleeding in pregnancy
- Nuchal translucency (NT) scan
- Fetal growth chart
- See all in Pregnancy
Baby Names
- Baby Name Generator
- Baby name inspiration
- Popular boys' names
- Popular girls' names
- Gender neutral names
- Ojibwe names
- See all in Baby Names
Baby
- Your baby week by week
- Baby milestones by month
- Baby rash types
- Baby poo: what's normal?
- Ways to soothe a crying baby
- Healthy sleep habits
- Coughs in babies
- Bathing your baby
- See all in Baby
Toddler
- Your toddler month by month
- Toddler development milestones
- How much milk do toddlers need?
- Toddler meal ideas
- Best toddler car seats
- Potty training
- Moving from a cot to a bed
- Help your child sleep through
- Games & activities
- Vomiting: what's normal?
- See all in Toddler
Preschooler
- Your child month by month
- Food ideas & nutrition
- How kids learn to share
- Coping with aggression
- How much sleep does your child need?
- Signs your child loves you
- How to stop kids biting nails
- What to say instead of 'no'
- How to avoid spoiling your child
- See all in Preschooler
Québec
- 16 symptômes à ne jamais ignorer pendant la grossesse
- Les moyens naturels pour déclencher le travail
- Symptômes à ne pas négliger après la naissance
- Les selles de votre bébé : ce qui est normal et ce qui ne l’est pas
- Rougeurs et problèmes de peau en images
- La respiration de votre bébé la nuit : ce qui est normal et ce qui ne l’est pas
- Instaurer de bonnes habitudes de sommeil : de 0 à 3 mois
- Instaurer de bonnes habitudes de sommeil de 3 à 9 mois
- Quelle quantité de lait mon bébé devrait-il boire ?
- Les plus beaux prénoms unisexes
- Voir tout dans Québec
Life as a parent
- Postnatal symptoms to watch out for
- Pain and stitches after giving birth
- Parental leave
- How much do babies cost?
- Sex secrets for parents
- See all in Life as a parent
Popular Searches
- C-section hospital bag
- Clomid
- Baby shower gifts
- Car seat laws
- Baby growth chart
- Maternity leave
- When to stop sterilizing bottles
- Edibles and breastfeeding
- Ear infections in babies
- When to switch baby to whole milk
- Do babies need passports?
- How to dress baby in winter
- When to tell work you're pregnant
- When to stop diapers at night
- Can you eat tuna while pregnant?
- How much formula do babies need?
- Dating ultrasound
- Best breast pump
- Birth plan
- Chinese gender calendar
- Swimming with your baby
- Indian baby names
- Fever in babies
- Molluscum contagiosum

Community
Getting Pregnant
Pregnancy
Baby Names
Baby
Toddler
Preschooler
Québec
Life as a parent

Baby
Keeping your baby safe

When can I move my baby into a forward-facing seat?Reviewed by The BabyCenter Editorial Team

Written by Lynda CranstonOnce your baby has outgrown her rear-facing infant car seat, you should continue to use a rear-facing convertible (infant/child) car seat until she no longer fits the height and weight limits. Many car seats today have a height and weight limit that allows children to ride rear facing until two, three or even four years old. Check your car seat manual and labels for the height and weight limits for your seat. Rear facing is safest for babies and young children. Advertisement | page continues below All babies start off in a rear-facing car seat. Babies and young children have large heads and weak necks. In a crash, everything moves toward the point of impact. The most severe crashes are front-end collisions. A rear-facing seat provides more protection in a sudden stop or collision because the child’s head, neck and spine are supported by the seat. Transport Canada recommends that you keep your baby rear facing as long as possible according to your car seat’s height and weight limits. A baby or toddler has a higher risk of injury to their spinal cord if they are turned forward too soon. Helpful tips: It’s fine if your baby’s feet touch the back seat. She can bend her knees or stick her legs straight up. For a convertible seat that can be used both rear and forward facing, be sure to use the correct belt path when installing the seat in your vehicle. The rear-facing belt path is the one closest to your baby’s legs. When riding rear facing, the harness should be in the shoulder slot, level with or below your baby’s shoulders. Check that the harness is snug – with the chest clip level with her armpits. Advertisement | page continues below So when can my toddler turn forward facing? Your child should continue to ride rear facing for as long as she still fits her seat’s height and weight limits. Check the instructions for your seat to find out if your child meets the minimum requirements before using the seat forward facing. Every seat is different. There may be an age minimum, a height and weight minimum, or even a developmental milestone (i.e., child must be walking sturdily) that must be met. You should also consult the laws for your province or territory. VIDEOWas this article helpful?

Yes

Is it safe to put my baby in a shopping cart?
By Ann Elisabeth Samson
Childproofing checklist: Before your baby arrives
By Daphne Metland
Buying safety equipment
By Martine Gallie
Phthalates in baby shampoos, baby lotions, and baby powder
By Ann Elisabeth Samson

Track your pregnancy on our free #1 pregnancy & baby app

Lynda CranstonLynda has been a health and medical writer for 20-plus years. She has extensive experience in re-framing and streamlining complex medical information so it is easily digestible and actionable for family physicians, patients, and consumers. Opens a new window Opens a new window Opens a new window

Where to go next

Is it safe to put my baby in a shopping cart?Reviewed by The BabyCenter Editorial Team A baby pulling on an electrical cord

Childproofing checklist: Before your baby arrivesBy Daphne Metland Baby proofed cupboard doors with baby in the background

Buying safety equipmentBy Martine Gallie

Phthalates in baby shampoos, baby lotions, and baby powderBy Ann Elisabeth Samson Baby in a carrier on mum's front, both dressed up in warm clothing and a hat while it snows