3 replies to this topic

[DeanS]

One of the bits of info I have been having a hard time coming across is how paraplegic parents can get their infant in and out of a car before they hit walking age.

My wife is a T2/3 para and our daughter is 7.5 months old and around 10kg (~22lbs). Unfortunately her weight doesn't make it very easy for my wife, as she can really only transfer her from a surface within 4 inches height difference above/below waist level due to her lack of abdominal control. Her car is a 2009 Hyundai Grandeur Ltd which is the perfect height for transferring on her own (with the assistance of a slide board), except the distance between the wheelchair and the rear passenger seats plus the extra distance to the baby seat doesn't allow for an easy transfer.

I was just wondering if there are any experiences that may help with my wife's indepedence, as she is going stir crazy being stuck at home without a way of getting our daughter into the car without assistance.

[wheeliebear75]

When my kids were of the age to use rear-facing we used the car-seats that have a base that stays hooked in the car & the car-seat/carrier would go on my lap....I'd just move it along inch by inch & once on my lap, a loop tied to either side of the handle, arms through the loops so the seat was still hooked to ME.

Once they got a bit too big for the infant carrier type I kept them in their cloth carrier (the kind you strap the baby to you with)

Once the kids were about 6mo or so so long as they weren't sleeping they knew to hang on to my neck while I lifted them with one arm.

Is the problem getting your baby out of the car-seat itself? Or is the problem lifting her period?

Also those harnesses that are used for a "baby leash" work great for picking a youngster up from crawling to lap with.

If your wife is just simply unable to lift that much weight I'm not sure what to tell ya.

[DeanS]

From a level surface, yeah its possible to lift her across to her cot (over a railing), to the change table (a modified IKEA desk on castors). However that is where she has the ability to support herself on the piece of furniture she is transferring bubs to without much of a gap. She hasn't tried lifting bubs off the floor yet, best that can be done at the moment is getting bubs into her walker. But its a one way trip as the walker moves around too much and is outside my wife's ability to balance.

The problem is getting across the gap between the baby seat and the wheelchair which is ~1' 4" (~40cm). I've toyed with the thought of her transferring to the back seat of the car using the transfer board with bubs harnessed to her and then sliding over to the car seat and buckling her in. Though again it has its dangers if the transfer board slips, or the extra weight makes it even more awkward.

But yes, the lifting thing is getting harder now that bubs is getting older.

[AliGibson]

Hi there,
There is a great car seat that swivels so that you can lift baby/toddle in to the car and have them facing you while you do the straps up. You then swivel the seat back to the forwards position for travelling.
It's a Confort Bebe Axis - was a god-send for me!
Good luck,
Ali