Once you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, it’s a feeling like no other.  We realize that we’re 100% responsible for them, and that their safety and needs are dependent on us.

Although we know it’s important to have a car seat ready and installed when we’re at the hospital, we may not know the many reasons for it’s importance.  If you’d like to know why your child must have a car seat when riding with you, here are a few reasons!

Law:  First of all, it’s the law that your child must be riding in a car seat every single time that you’re driving your car.  We can’t predict when accidents will happen, and so to be on the safe side, and to keep you out of trouble with the law, they must strap your little one in.

Safety:  A baby has no protection when they’re in the car unless they’re in a car seat.  They’re much too small to be riding on just a typical car seat, and they have to padding or support to keep them in a safe position.

Rear-facing:  You must also keep your baby rear-facing until they’re both 1 year of age AND 20 lbs.  Their necks are no where near strong enough to support their head if they happen to fling forward quickly.

You can’t leave:  No only is their safety important, but you won’t even be able to leave the hospital unless you have a car seat installed already!  Nurses will continue to ask you, “Do you have a car seat already installed?”  They ask this because if you don’t, you won’t be able to leave.  Not to mention, someone will most likely wheel the mother down to their car so that they can see that you actually have one installed.

It is so very important that you protect your little one as best as you can!  Although this all may seem like common sense, we still get the mothers like Britney Spears driving around with their baby in their lap.  This is an absolute no, and can get you in serious trouble all while endangering your baby!