Alright mommas, we just got home with baby #3. We only have one car which is a Buick Verano and I’m wondering how everyone puts their car seats in smaller cars. We have a 5 year old, a 18 month old and now a newborn. So for those of you who have a smaller vehicle, how do y’all have your car seats set up?
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Youngest child is always in the middle…my opinion and that’s how we do it at my house!
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When we had a 5 yo 3yo and nb the rf car seat was in the middle.
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Get a 3rd row vehicle 
just kidding, tho you might need one! It’s hard to fit 3 car seats in one one in any vehicle but youngest always in the middle
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We had a Santa Fe with twin nb and a toddler. We put toddler in the middle.
We have the two big kids on the outside seat and our baby in the middle. I grab the baby out through the middle because the car seat won’t fit over the top of the other car seats! You can also just leave the car seat in the car, but it can sometimes be hard to put the baby in backwards in such a tight space!
Diono car seats are the slimmest I’ve found to fit three across. It’d be super tricky to put newborn in the middle with seats on either side. I’d probably put the forward facing 5 yo in the middle, and rear facing 3 yo and newborn on either side.
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I had a Nissan juke with 2 kids and it’s technically a sports car and tiny. Because of how small it was and the shape of it you couldn’t put any type of seat in the middle for safety reasons. I had to search online and I found that you can actually search what type of car seats will fit in a certain type of car and what kinds will fit side by side. Saved my life because before that with a rear facing car seat the driver and passenger seats had to be slid all the way forward
If you can’t get a bigger car the 5 year old would need to go in the middle and the smaller on the outside seats rear facing. Anchor the seats in. If the 5 year old is ready for a booster it may be easier since they’re usually smaller. I wouldn’t put a newborn carrier in the middle personally because it’s really difficult to get them out especially if you have to climb over another car seat. The 5 year old being in middle also gives you a helping hand on the road for both babies.
Go to a local car seat check station and they can help you with your type of car and types of seats find the best option 
Nhtsa.gov has a search for local options .
It’s hard to fit a 3rd car seat in just about any car. I have 4vehicles and my daughters rf car seat didn’t fit in 3/4. We did our older kids next to each other and the baby usually behind us, but I’ve always been told it’s better in the middle. For us it’s just a pain in the butt to do that with our (now) toddler. So she goes behind the driver. My best advice, find the slimmest car seat you can!
You should check out Car Seats for the Littles
If I’m driving I would put the baby behind the passenger seat so I can reach him if I needed to for comforting etc. The 5 yo in the middle so they can climb in and buckle themselves and the 18 mo behind the drivers seat for easy access getting in and out of the car. If I’m the passenger I would swap the baby and 18mo.
Id personally put the 5yr old in the middle. Front faced 5yr old rear faced younger 2
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Adam Bertram and their crew is incredible
Although the middle would be the safest for the newborn, it’s hard to get the newborn seat in and out of the vehicle if the other two car seats are anchored in. Put the forward facing seat in the middle and use the over the back of the seat anchor system with the seatbelt. Put the rear facing seats on either side using the anchor systems for those seats as well. You will still likely have to do some wiggling/maneuvering when getting the infant seat in and out of its base. It’s definitely possible, just frustrating at first until you get the hang of it.
Roof racks…sorry I couldn’t help it. Oldest in the middle. I can only imagine how difficult it will be for your back to move that baby from the middle all the time