Hi DD2 is 9 months old and weighs 9.5kg. We are in the process of getting a new car and DH will have my current car. We are going to get a 2nd carseat for my new car, a Maxi Rider AHR. DD2 is in a Safe N Sound Royale in the newborn position. I was wondering if it would be safe for her to be turned around to forward facing. The Maxi Rider is from 6months to 7 years.
Just wondering what age did you turn your bub around and what they weighed.
Thanks.

That age is ok to turn bub around. 6 months old and 8/9 kgs is the legal age to turn around although you can also leave a child rearward facing until they are too big to be that way in the seat. I think from memory DS was 6 months old when I turned him around or maybe slightly older and can't remember the weight. So yes to answer your question she would be fine at that age and weight in the Maxi Rider smile

That age is ok to turn bub around. 6 months old and 8/9 kgs is the legal age to turn around although you can also leave a child rearward facing until they are too big to be that way in the seat. I think from memory DS was 6 months old when I turned him around or maybe slightly older and can't remember the weight. So yes to answer your question she would be fine at that age and weight in the Maxi Rider smile

I turned my daughter around at 5months due to she wanted to sit up in the chair and was getting cranky that she couldn't sit up enough, so she will definitely be fine to turn around at her age. Good luck.

Where I live they recommend staying rear facing until 2 years of age, but I understand this can be very difficult to do/find a car seat that will keep them rear facing for that long.

Hi i just bought the maxi AHR for DD, but shes currently front facing in the meridian AHR, the maxi is still to big for her, shes approx 8.5kg but to short in the torso for the seat and is about 2inchs of the shoulder height required.

Most reviews on the AHR say they wouldn't put a kid under 1yrs in the maxi, i think it will take that long for my DD to fit. But its an awesome carseat.

Plunket in NZ say a baby should be rear facing till at least 1 year preferably 2 years. Problem is most convertible carseats only go up to 13kg rear facing. Think it is something to do with the development of babies neck muscles.

The law might state that they can be turned around at a certain age/weight limit BUT personally I would never have a baby under 12 months forward facing. As long as they fit, they can stay in the rear facing position until they reach the rear facing weight limit. Basically rear facing is the safest way for them to travel, though I understand this is quite hard to do in Australia where rear facing limits are quite low and most imported seats that are safer are illegal.

To answer your question though; DS1 was about 9 months as those were the recommendations (in the UK) when he was a baby, and we didn't know any different. DS2 was 13 months old, and we debated turning him back from forward to rear facing when he was about 18 months old, though we never did.

We bought a maxi rider AHR for our 4yr old just before DD2 was born and i honestly wouldnt put such a young child into it. I think we turned DD1s carseat around when she was about 10 months, but she has always been really petite, she was in the meridian AHR (which DD2 is in now)!

We turned DD2 around today!

Only because we already had DD1's and DS's carseats out of the car as they just spent the week at the beach with nanna. We also took DD2's out as DF had to pick up a toy and had to put the seats down to get it in the car.

DD2 is 19 months and pretty average for her size and weight. We could have left her longer but decided as the seats were out it was probably a good time to turn her around. She is probably pushing the weight limit!

We did turn DD1 and DS at around 9 months but after 6 mths was the recommendation back then!

DD2 and DS are both in AHR platinums and DD1 is in a AHR maxi rider. I only put her in the Maxi rider once she was too big for the AHR platinum. But as DS(just turned 4) still fits, I will leave him in the platinum a bit longer. They recommend you leave them in the smallest seat that they safely fit in as long as possible.

For you it may be a bit different. I'm not sure if you need to buy new ones for your car, or just wondering if you should turn it or not.

Even if you do need to buy new/extra ones I would still probably get another 0-4yrs seat as you will still get another 3+ yrs out of it!

If you are just deciding weather you should turn it of not, it's up to you. I don't see a major issue with turning her now but they say it is safer to leave them in reverse. DD2 was quite happy in reverse. Mind you, she was facing DD1 and DS so they would help entertain her!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm starting to think I may not buy a Maxi Rider. I'm going to ring my local baby shop and get the car fitter's advice. My DH's car, which we are getting rid of, only has 1 carseat, which is a Maxi Rider for DD1 who is 4. Her seat will go in the new car which is why I need a new car seat for DD2. My current car my DH will use so we both have 2 car seats.

My little girl much prefers to be forward facing I did as soon as she weighed enough (9kg)

Definitely go and get a seat professionally fitted and see what works!

I bought a convertible seat online, with the intention that DD would go into it at 6 months when she outgrew her capsule. The intention was that it would be rearward-facing as long as she was under the weight limit, but certainly until she turned 1 (which is the recommendation here in NZ). However, when I got the seat I found it didn't fit into the car rearward-facing. I now know that this is quite common - large European seats don't fit in small Japanese cars (since everyone in NZ drives Japanese cars, this should probably be better publicised but oh well).

Luckily DD was quite petite and was able to stay in her capsule until about 9 months. I then had to move her straight to the forward-facing seat which was definitely earlier than I would have wanted, and she only just met the weight limit.