Baby girl (our first) on the way in about a month ! We have the Peg Perego Prima Veggio infant seat with a base that latches into the isofix system in the back seat. NHSTA recommends that a center position is the safest, but the humps in the back seem to make this too loose. Anybody have some real world feedback on where they are putting their seat? FWIW, we have the convertible.

I also read somewhere about some foam pads to help protect the seat when you crank down on the bases - any info on that would be appreciated too.

Mike

P.S. In a few years I will need instruction on mounting a gun rack so as to keep all those potential casanovas on the straight and narrow!

 

Hey, Mike! Congratulations! We, too, are expecting our first (August 2nd is the "official" date).

Just tonight, I was working with the base and child seat system (Graco Snugfit), and, well, there's not much room back there. The front seat must be all the way moved up, so it would be a very tight fit. I haven't experimented with the middle position yet, but it might actually be a good thing to try, as the middle hump will raise the base up to get the system properly level.

We're in week 34 right now, so there's at least a little time to get it right. Also, our other car is a Honda Accord, so there's nothing much to worry about with that one!

Try a search on MINI2.com for your system. There's loads of info there.

 

Congratulations you guys! You'll probably read one of my threads on MINI2! My son is now 14 months old, and he began riding the MINI at 3 weeks--with that Peg Perego Prima Viaagio system. It's an absolute joy to use, compared to your options! Depending on how fast your child grows, you may outgrow, as well as not be able to tolerate the pain in your back within 4 months. For us it was around 6 months. We then bought a Cosco infant/baby seat which was used in rear facing for a few more months until about 10-11 months. Oh, once you get there, you're almost home free. You can then turn that rear facing seat forwards and you gain so much more room on the seat in front of the baby seat. In my case, we put the baby in the seat behind the passenger seat, and used a mirror attached to that headrest so we could see my sons face and what he was doing at all times. You won't need that mirror when you go forward facing. The first year goes surprisingly fast, and the inconvenience of the child seat becomes a blur!! Note that you will develop a technique for putting your infant into the travel system base and removing him. It takes a few seconds to do this, and isn't hard at all. The great design makes it very easy to move the base from car to car--even though we have 2 bases--one for each car.

I was really dreading not being able to use the travel system, but it turns out, you just develop another technique for getting the baby into and out of the car. My wife prefers to sit in back behind me so she can tend to the baby.

I'm in SoCal also, so feel free to PM me for any questions or concerns!

Richard

 

But Alison is about to outgrow it! So, I'll be looking for one that fits in the back the next size up.... The one my wife bought by just talking to her friends fits in the MDX just fine, but I don't think it would fit in the Mini if I took the front out!
The Peg Perego has been really wonderful. My wife was kind of pissed that I speced that one, after she'd found another one, but she's changed her mind big time! We bought this Mountain Buggy stroller, and a rack that mounts the PP to it, and had a really cool travel system....

Anyway, welcome to the Baby Mini club.....

 

I'll take some pix tomorrow of my son in his car seat in the MINI. But this is the model--Cosco Touriva 5 point seat harness.

Color is dark grey or blue--can't remember and fits well in the MINI. In rear facing mode, no matter what seat you buy, the seat in front of it will have to be scooted all the way forward--but in forward facing, you almost have the full range of adjustment back! Nice girl you got there Dr. Obnxious!

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Cosco...Seat,__8479639

 

Congrats to the expecting families and all the little cuties already here. What a treasure!!!!! Keep 'em safe out there...and thanks for the info. MINI motoring w/ little one's is probably one of the greatest challenges an owner can face logistically, but thanks to this kind of info, even the little tykes join in the fun!!

 

Doc - She's beautiful!

 

As far as a pad to put under the seat. There are a few out there, but I found that if you buy some hardwood floor runners it's cheap. It's a pretty thick, clear plastic runner that you buy by the foot. I checked after about a year and the marks were slight enough that it looked like they'd dissappear after a few days.

 

We fit our 2.5 year old twins in the MINI and the LOVE it!

Here is a pic, they are Graco seats, can't remember the name.


Here I used a flanel blacket to cover the seats. In my wifes car I used the anti fatigue foam interlocking tiles. They can be found at Lowes or Sams club, some are multi colored, but straight black are also available.

Congrats!!

 

I normally use the foam swim noodles, not so much to protect the seat, but to add enough mass beneath the child seat so that it can be really cranked down tight without titling at a screwy angle...

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am definitely fired up for our new addition. We have a July 28 expecting date so we are almost on the final month countdown. My preliminary fittings with the Peg Perego seemed to be the most snug on the passenger side with that seat all forward. The middle hump provided a bit more room, but the seat was not as snug which seems to be the most crucial aspect for safety. It certainly looks like it will be just me and the baby in the MINI until we can switch to the forward facing seat. As Octane noted, that time will most likely fly by.

Congrats to everyone else!!! Twins seem to be the limit!!!

Mike