Car seat help please

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

My 4yr old dd is a tiny girl. She is the size of a typical 2/3 year old. She is still in a 5pt harness because she is just too small for the seatbelt/high back booster. My issue is that when she falls asleep in it her head falls forward and it causes her to snore very loud and it scares me that she isn't getting enough oxygen. Should I recline the back of the chair a little or is there something I'm doing wrong. I have it in so tight that the only way the car seat is coming out is if the entire seat goes but the head thing bothers me. It is the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1.

[Angelsj]

Would she go back to rear facing? As long as her head is supported by the back of the seat it is safer to be rear facing and she would be leaning back, so less likely for her head to fall forward.

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

Would she go back to rear facing? As long as her head is supported by the back of the seat it is safer to be rear facing and she would be leaning back, so less likely for her head to fall forward.

I'm trying to avoid putting her back that way because she was so irritating facing backward for so long. However, if that is the end result then that is what will have to happen. Rather have a irritated breathing daughter than one not.

[Play Care]

My 4yr old dd is a tiny girl. She is the size of a typical 2/3 year old. She is still in a 5pt harness because she is just too small for the seatbelt/high back booster. My issue is that when she falls asleep in it her head falls forward and it causes her to snore very loud and it scares me that she isn't getting enough oxygen. Should I recline the back of the chair a little or is there something I'm doing wrong. I have it in so tight that the only way the car seat is coming out is if the entire seat goes but the head thing bothers me. It is the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1.

When my kids were that little (2/3), we went to a car seat safety check and they used something to make the seat recline a bit when it was installed (I want to say a pool noodle) My kids never really fell asleep in the car once they were that age, so no help there

[Baby Beluga]

A pool noodle can be used if rear facing, but not forward facing.

As long as she is in a 5 point harness and has no health issues with movement or airway restrictions, her head flopping forward is not a concern, just a nuisance One thing that may help is to "train" her to put her head up when she is feeling tired.

There are products on the market that you will see for keeping children's heads back while in the car seat - please do not use these. It is considered an aftermarket product and is unsafe to use. The group "car seats for the littles" on Facebook is an excellent free resource where you can ask questions and post pictures and a certified CPST can answer your questions there.

[Blackcat31]

My 4yr old dd is a tiny girl. She is the size of a typical 2/3 year old. She is still in a 5pt harness because she is just too small for the seatbelt/high back booster. My issue is that when she falls asleep in it her head falls forward and it causes her to snore very loud and it scares me that she isn't getting enough oxygen. Should I recline the back of the chair a little or is there something I'm doing wrong. I have it in so tight that the only way the car seat is coming out is if the entire seat goes but the head thing bothers me. It is the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1.

I don't know how long ago you bought this seat but I noticed you said your DD was 4 so just wanted to pass along the info... but I thought they recalled that brand/model of car seat a while back. I can't remember the details but just incase you weren't aware...

http://www.gracobaby.com/safetyandrecall/pages/safetyandrecallarticle.aspx?recallID=41

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

I don't know how long ago you bought this seat but I noticed you said your DD was 4 so just wanted to pass along the info... but I thought they recalled that brand/model of car seat a while back. I can't remember the details but just incase you weren't aware...

http://www.gracobaby.com/safetyandre...px?recallID=41

Yep. This is actually her 3rd one since she was 1 because the Graco Ride 65 or spaceship we named it the buckle got to the point we couldn't unlatch it. Thinking that she had ended up with crumbs in it we replaced it. Well then the recall came out and I had to order a new buckle for it and it fixed the issue. Thank goodness it was free since the recall. However, since she was 4 I decided to get her the 3-in-1 so that she could have the seatbelt part with the high back booster since her other car seats didn't offer that ability. She has probably had this car seat two months now.... I loved the other one because it had her recline back with a deeper seat. This one is more straight up. She likes this one more but I hate her head falling forward.

[Blackcat31]

Yep. This is actually her 3rd one since she was 1 because the Graco Ride 65 or spaceship we named it the buckle got to the point we couldn't unlatch it. Thinking that she had ended up with crumbs in it we replaced it. Well then the recall came out and I had to order a new buckle for it and it fixed the issue. Thank goodness it was free since the recall. However, since she was 4 I decided to get her the 3-in-1 so that she could have the seatbelt part with the high back booster since her other car seats didn't offer that ability. She has probably had this car seat two months now.... I loved the other one because it had her recline back with a deeper seat. This one is more straight up. She likes this one more but I hate her head falling forward.

I figured, you probably knew but just wanted to make sure....

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

A pool noodle can be used if rear facing, but not forward facing.

As long as she is in a 5 point harness and has no health issues with movement or airway restrictions, her head flopping forward is not a concern, just a nuisance One thing that may help is to "train" her to put her head up when she is feeling tired.

There are products on the market that you will see for keeping children's heads back while in the car seat - please do not use these. It is considered an aftermarket product and is unsafe to use. The group "car seats for the littles" on Facebook is an excellent free resource where you can ask questions and post pictures and a certified CPST can answer your questions there.

Nope no health issues or anything. She is just short an petite. She got it honest. My husband jokes that I should still be in a booster seat. My sister boyfriend is a firefighter an he has tried to convince me that she will adjust herself but I still panic.

[mommiebookworm]

My 5year old has this same problem.

[spud912]

Can you have her rest her head on the side with a blanket? My 4.5 year old flops forward as well but if she brings her blanket in the car she curls up next to it. I feel like she will be in her car seat forever . She fluctuates between 27 and 28 pounds. One of my dck's little sister hit 27 pounds a month ago at 10 months old .

[Alwaysgreener]

Have you tried a neck / u shaped pillow?

[spinnymarie]

Same car seat, same problem, my kids are all in it, ages 3 - 6 Some day they will learn to prop their heads

[Lovatic24]

You could tell her to look up at the ceiling when she starts feeling sleepy. It works for a lot of kids.