How Do I Know When to Change My Child’s Car Seat?
From the day you take your baby home from the hospital they should be in a properly attached car seat. The difference between a car seat and a booster seat is that a car seat is the means of protection for the child. A booster seat simply boosts the child to fit properly in the car’s preexisting restraint system.
Children from birth to age one should ride in a rear facing car seat. 
The minimum age to turn a child around to a forward facing car seat is one year and 20 pounds. However, your childshould stay rear facing as long as the seat allows, usually up to around 30 pounds. Rear facing is the safest position for a child.
There are two main types of rear facing seats. The first is infant-only seats which allow the seat to be removed without disturbing a sleeping child. They include a mount that remains firmly secured in the car and a carrier that snaps in an out. Often, the carrier attaches to a stroller for optimal mobility.
The second kind is a convertible model. These are able to hold the child from birth to about age four or five by converting from a rear facing infant seat to a front facing toddler seat.
Once again, the child should not be transferred to the front facing position until he/she reaches the maximum weight for the rear facing position. The plus for these models is that they can be used for a long time, but the down side is that it is difficult to remove a sleeping infant without waking them.
Whether you are using a convertible model or a uniquely front-facing model, a child should move to this model only once he outgrows the rear facing model, usually around 30 pounds and at least one year of age.
I’ll post more later this week. Post a comment to let me know what your experiences have been with these kinds of seats.
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