Once your baby is ready to go home, your first step as a parent is making sure your baby is secure in the car seat. Here’s how to accomplish this vital step and begin your journey into the joys of parenthood.
The term precious cargo suddenly feels all too real as soon as your little one enters this world. The stress of making sure your baby is secure in the car seat for the first ride home can really take a toll on new parents. Thankfully, you can skip stressing out and simply focus on securing your baby and car seat in the right manner. Here’s how to approach this incredibly important task.
Read the Manual
Every car seat comes with a descriptive manual that tells you exactly how to route the belts and secure your child in the seat. As you read through the manual, look for the different level sensors and other corrective devices to make sure you learn how to hook up your car seat base correctly. You only need the lower anchors or seatbelt, not both, for newborns and children up to 65 pounds. You can work with your pediatrician and use your baby development chart to determine when it is time to change your car seat configuration.
Bring in Professionals
Your local fire station likely holds regular car seat check events you can attend to verify you are setting everything up correctly. If not, you can search for authorized car seat inspection locations through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The inspectors will take a look at your car seat installation methods and offer the guidance and support you need with this endeavor.
Allow Your Nurse to Perform a Double Check
After your child is born, your nurse may request that you bring in the car seat for inspection before you go home. You can leave the base in your vehicle and just bring in the carrier portion for this step. When it is time to head home from the hospital, your nurse will help you secure your child in the seat using the correct strap placement. Your child will be snug, but comfortable, after the straps are all tightened down correctly.
Verify the Car Seat Latches Correctly Before Driving Home
When you place the car seat carrier in the base, you should hear a solid click as the mechanism snaps closed. If you do not hear this click, your car seat carrier and base may not mate together correctly. You will need to correct this issue by removing the seat and checking the mechanism before clicking everything in place.
Schedule Your Visit to The Woman’s Clinic Today
If you have questions to ask your gynecologist, or simply want to dispel a few pregnancy myths, call (501) 664-4131 to schedule an appointment at The Woman’s Clinic. Your doctor will help you move through every phase of pregnancy without worry. Call us today to get the support you need during pregnancy and after you give birth to your little one.
