When to move to a forward-facing car seat

C taking a rear-facing snooze

Lately, a baby topic that has been top of mind for me is the direction C’s car seat is facing. My mommy family and friends are split 50/50 when it comes to who made the change to forward-facing at around 1 year/20 lbs., and who is keeping baby facing the rear for as long as possible. As you know, C is not a fan of riding in the car, and I think a big reason for this is that she can’t see mom and dad while she’s strapped in to her seat. It’s tempting for me to turn her around to alleviate this, but I’m waffling about whether or not it’s the right decision for us quite yet since C is barely 1-year-old. Here’s my list of forward-facing pros and cons — both are solid arguments:

Pros 

• I’m pretty sure C would be much happier during our car rides, which would make travel a great deal easier on everyone
• C is really tall, and her little legs are currently smushed up against the back seat. Having room to stretch out could increase her comfort level in the car ten fold. Plus, she is a fan of kicking and pushing against the seat, which could dislodge her car seat without me knowing

Cons 

• The most recent AAP guidelines advise parents to keep their wee ones rear-facing until age 2, or he or she outgrows the weight limit specified on the car seat (in our case, 40 lbs or 49″). Nuff said

It seems to come down to the baby comfort:safety ratio I would feel most comfortable practicing in my car – and I know all mamas do what works best for their unique situation. From what I’ve read, it seems that once you make the swap it’s really hard to go back, so I want to be sure it’s the right decision for us before I transition to a new arrangement. For now, I think I’ll keep C rear-facing and talk to my pediatrician about her opinion at my upcoming 1-year visit.

When did you make the forward-facing car seat transition, and what factors helped your decision-making?