Winter Coats and Car Seat Help

[labellavita81]

The cold Canadian winter is approaching and I am having trouble finding a coat that my daughter can wear outside but is also safe for wear in the car seat. I just purchased the Baby Gap Warmest Jacket but it looks too bulky and think I may have to take it back.

Does anyone have any recommendations of good WARM winter coats/jackets that I could buy that would be warm and safe? I really don't want to have to take the coat off her every single time she goes in and out of the car seat.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Laila619]

Hi labellavita,

I think, unfortunately, most coats will be too thick for the car seat. You may have to buy a fleece car seat cover that goes on over the car seat with elastic. My DH and I live in a place with very cold winters too, and that's what we'll be doing.

If you really want to have her wear a coat though, you can buckle her into the car seat with the coat still unzipped, and then zip the coat up around her AFTER she's harnessed in. I've read that is a safe way to do it.

 

[labellavita81]

Thanks! I just discovered the car seat poncho online it looks like a GREAT product. I cannot justify the $23.00 shipping to Canada (the poncho is only 39.00?!

 

[janinegirly]

I hope you don't mind me piggy backing here - I'm not in as cold a climate, but my parents house is! (old stone house). I am wondering what ladies in cold environments do in terms of blankets in the crib. I sleep with a down comforter and feel like DD must be freezing with just baby blankets. I do put her in a warm outfit, but just curious if there are other options--she's 2 so probably needs something more substantial.

 

[Loves Vintage]

LBV, How about this:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/6021305...ge=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

Less expensive poncho and much less expensive shipping to Canada too!

There's also the JJ Cole Bundle Me: http://jjcolecollections.com/original-bundleme, which can be used with car seats, I assume, safely. I have something similar, in fleece, that just slips over the seat. Our seat isn't installed yet, and I've never used one, so I'm actually not sure how these work.

There are also tons of listings for these on eBay. Not sure if you would do better in terms of shipping from an individual seller.
http://cgi.ebay.com/JJ-cole-Collect...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564075a62f#shId

 

[labellavita81]

LovesVintage, thanks so much for the link. I haven't purchased anything off of Etsy before but this looks great!!

Janine,

According to Baby Center children should sleep in a temperature of 18c (that is the ideal temp)... sorry not sure what that is in Fahrenheit. So she probably isn't as cold as you would be or you think she is. Since shes 2 you could probably put heavier blankets on her now (specially if she is used to sleeping with one). Hope that helps.

Edit - I should also mention my daughter is almost 9 months and is in a convertible rear facing car seat not an infant seat.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Micah is in his convertible seat now, and I just layer him up good. I have found also that if it is cold, he doesn't flail as much as he does when it's warm, so if I tuck a fluffy blanky around him it will still be there when I go to get him out. So that's what I've been doing.

Some of the ladies here told me that anything thicker than one or two layers means the carseat belts may not work properly in a crash because they aren't snug enough, so I try not to bundle him too much.