The day we carried our 4lb preemie baby out of hospital in her car seat I was beyond anxious. She was so tiny and her car seat was way too big. adding blankets underneath her is a big no no and other people suggested putting her in her snow suit to pad it out! I couldn't believe people were suggesting things so dangerous. I held her little head up the whole way home and didn't put her in a car seat again until she was much bigger so keep her safe.
Since then our little bird has grown and flourished. But my passion for car seat safety hasn't gone anywhere. Our family is very passionate about extended rear facing and Kovah is still rear facing at 36 months because we know how much safer she is in this position. 5 times safer than forward facing to be exact. So we were SO excited to be gifted the Britax Romer Dualfix M I-size car seat that supports extended rear facing.
The trauma to a childs little body is extensive if they are in a car crash and facing forward. The forces on the shoulders, neck and head are severe and can cause death or permanent injury. I just think of how tiny their little bodies still are at this age when I hold my daughter and I wouldn't want that incredible force inflicted on her if she was in the forward facing position. However, if in a crash rear facing the force is spread across a greater area of the body and there will be less pressure on the neck, head and inner organs. If your child is rear facing this reduces the chances of serious injury and death, by up to 90%, that speaks right to my heart!
We have been using the Britax Romer Dualfix M I-size car seat for a couple of weeks now and I'm beyond impressed. Before this, we didn't have Isofix on the car seat and it always felt wobbly and not entirely secure. This was always a worry for me. I would check it every single time I put Kovah into the seat to make sure she was as safe as possible. However, thanks to this car seat, so much of my driving anxiety has been lifted. The built in Isofix makes it super secure and now I'd never go back. It was also such a strain on my back lifting her up and over the seat belt keeping her car seat in place. We do a lot of a driving so my back was suffering. But now this car seat has giving my back a break with it's smooth 360 spin feature. It's easy to get her in and out and she eve climbs in herself now! With an easy push she's locked in safely rear facing, with little indicators that show red if the seat hasn't engaged proper into a secure position.
It features a 5 point harness that is easily adjusted every single time she gets into her seat. The deep, soft padded full side wings provide a high level of side impact protection for her in an event of a crash. She sits lovely and deep into the seat so I am assured she's as safe as she can be from all angles. There is also a few levels of recline so if i know she's due a nap I lay her a little further back to allow her extra comfort.
In the past, I have received criticism and even been called a "boring mum" for keeping her rear facing. "You'll never have any fun in life if you're so hung up on things like this. Let her face forward and enjoy her car rides." To that I say, my child's safety will always come first and thanks to this brilliant car seat, she's more comfortable than ever on car rides. There is an excellent amount of leg room so her legs aren't scrunched up one bit. She can see out the window wonderfully as it's a great height so we can play i-spy while we are on long journeys. More importantly, Kovah has NEVER once complained about being rear facing as she knows nothing different. My advice is: Be Consistent and you won't have issues.
I cannot recommend this car seat enough. As a mother, you have a thousand things to worry about at any given time but now car seat safety doesn't have to be one of them. I'd be lost without this car seat now and knowing it will last Kovah for years to come is an even bigger relief. PLEASE don't be in a rush to have your child forward facing because, they look cute, or you think they'll prefer it, keep them safe and rear facing for as long as possible.
Shop Britax Dualfix M iSize here.