baby stroller/baby carrier/etc

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

Hi, Dis'ers!

My daughter is expecting her first child - my first grandchild. We are very excited about the baby's arrival.

She will need a lot of help and support from me as the father has skipped out.

Can some of you give me suggestions on baby strollers, carriers, etc. ? Financially, she will be relying on me pretty heavily so I want to budget as best I can. I would like to get the nicest, safest things that I can afford but since I was laid off, I need to budget even more carefully.

Help! I have not shopped for baby items in 20 years!

Thanks in advance.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Hi, Dis'ers!

My daughter is expecting her first child - my first grandchild. We are very excited about the baby's arrival.

She will need a lot of help and support from me as the father has skipped out.

Can some of you give me suggestions on baby strollers, carriers, etc. ? Financially, she will be relying on me pretty heavily so I want to budget as best I can. I would like to get the nicest, safest things that I can afford but since I was laid off, I need to budget even more carefully.

Help! I have not shopped for baby items in 20 years!

Thanks in advance.

The best gift we got last year when I was pregnant was a consumer reports baby buying book. See if you can find one at the library if you dont' want to buy one. It really helped us decide what things we didn't need at all, how to tell the good features from the bad, and on things like strollers it gave ratings like with new cars. We got a stroller, car seat combo that had good ratings, very good safety and not too expensive. I really like it except that it's HEAVY! If I had it to do again I would have paid more attention to the weight of the seat!
The other 2 things I would do if I were doing this again on a tighter budget - skip the crib and changing table and just get a pack n play with changing table attachment. We use that more than the crib and changing table upstairs in his room. The pack n play was $100 (an eddie bauer model) and the crib and changing table were over $500. I do really like the eddie bauer pack n play though - it's from sears and well worth the $20 more than the cheap one we got first! The other is skip the bedding set. You aren't supposed to use the quilt or the bumper that come with them for fear of the baby smothering, so just skip it and buy some sheets and a skirt if you're using a crib. If you're just using a pack n play you only need sheets!

 

[amylynne01]

Definitely skip the bedding set! We only used the sheet from the set, which you can get pretty inexpensively.

 

[Bren's Mom]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd skip the travel system. Those stroller are terrible! I'd get a great infant carrier car seat (a Chicco Keyfit or a Graco Snugride with a FRONT adjustor NOT rear adjustor!!) and a stroller 'frame' for it. Then for when the infant carrier is outgrown I'd get a great lightweight, higher weight stroller...like a Maclaren Triumph.

Don't have her choose, or register for, or purchase a convertible seat until she's ready to actually use one (when the infant carrier is outgrown). There are new seats on the market all the time, and with the higher weight seats you will use them for a good long time...except that they have expiration dates on them so if you purchase too early it expires before you're really done needing it. So wait on that.

Encourage her to learn about car seat safety at car-seat.org!

Coleen
CPST (car seat tech)

 

[Piecey]

I don't know that I'd skip the bedding set entirely... you don't NEED it, but I do use it.

It's pretty thick and I use it as a cushion when he needs to sleep in his Pack-N-Play (vacation or visiting grandparents or whatever).

 

[Swimalie]

I agree about skipping the travel system. When we had our son we bought the Graco SnugRide that was the lightest one (7 lbs) but back then they only went up to 20 lbs. Keep the weight in mind since you have to add a baby to that weight! We bought a Jeep 3 wheel stroller that we are still using to this day - 5 + years later. When our son was in the carrier and asleep, I just carried him in the carrier. When he was awake, I'd put him in the Jeep stroller. For a lighter stroller, MacClarren has a good umbrella stroller for $100 at Target - Volo model but it's for when they can sit up on their own.

I agree about skipping the bedding. Not needed. But, I wouldn't put a child in a pack n play to sleep every day. The "mattress" is not thick at all. Get a crib that will convert to a full bed. We bought a Bassett crib for $500 that converted to a double bed when our son was around 4. That bed will last him until he's in high school!

The best book I bought when I was pregnant was "Baby Bargains" It's well worth the price.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Buy the book Baby Bargains. Just make sure you get the current version! It is not just about bargains, but buying the best products for your money. They also have a very active message board I recommend, espeically when it comes to baby gear!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bargains...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275939992&sr=8-1

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

Thank you so much for these suggestions! One thing that I was thinking about today was the Graco Pack N Play with the bassinet (under $100 via Amazon) . I see that you can also get them with a change table, etc. at Babies R Us but they were almost twice as much - would they be worth it?

With the Pack n Play, do you need the specific sheets that they make for it or will regular small sheets fit it?

I am also going to check the consumer reports you have mentioned as well as Baby Bargains.

Any other suggestions or help is most welcome. We are excited but a little ovverwhelmed right now.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Check Sears for the Pack n Play. I got mine with the changing table & bassinet for $109. I say skip the infant carrier & get a good convertible carseat. If she gets a ring sling or amei tei carrier she doesn't need one. Check out the baby wearer forums.

 

[squirrel]

The play pen has it's own size sheet. You should be able to find them at Wal-mart.

Sign up for diaper samples. They send you coupons and then you can get better deals on them. Do you have any stores that will allow you to use more than one coupon on an item?

 

[soonerfan2008]

I'd get a quality convertible car seat, like a Sunshine Kids Radian, that is able to fit a newborn from day one. Since kids are safest rear-facing to the limits of their seat, but at least for 2 years (per AAP), that seat will work from birth until 6 or 7 years old--harnesses to 85 pounds in a ff position. Diapers.com does a price match to other sites, including their coupons and then you can typically get another 10% off for first-time buyers.

I'd also buy a high quality stroller that will work for a newborn through toddler. I love our city mini, and I wish I'd gotten it first. The recline is sufficient for a new baby.

A good quality carrier (not Snugli or even a Bjorn) is invaluable, and a soft-structured carrier does not come with the positioning issues carries like the Bjorn have (which basically hangs babies by their crotch). A Beco Butterfly II is awesome.

Skip the bumbo, play mat, infant bath tub, etc. The sink is perfect for babies, and you can buy a $5 bath sling that works way better than a tub anyway. Ours fit perfectly across the kitchen sink.

Either a swing or bouncy seat is invaluable for some babies, but some of them hate it. See if you can borrow bigger items for a few weeks to see if the baby even likes it.

An inexpensive crib will hold up just as well as the $$$$ models from BRU, as long as you take care of it.

 

[blana]

Buy the book Baby Bargains. Just make sure you get the current version! It is not just about bargains, but buying the best products for your money. They also have a very active message board I recommend, espeically when it comes to baby gear!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bargains...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275939992&sr=8-1

I second this suggestion.

 

[mommy2_3]

diaper~ we use the new target diapers called up & up. they are GREAT!! just as good as pampers and sooo much cheaper!

we love our travel system from walmart by graco. we paid $180 for it. it is so easy to use! its pretty light and we can fit that stroller in the back of our van with our double stroller and wagon.

we got a bassinet from walmart to for $80 and we got my sister a pack n play for her twins for $120. came with the changing table part.

my sister gave us her bedding set. we get alot of our kids clothes from a second hand store called trendy tots and jcpenny (whenever they have a really good sale!) i dont care much for walmart cause they dont have much of a selction.

we got our crib off of craigslist. of course we made sure it wasnt recalled first!

if you can host a baby shower for her. my sister had one and they asked for all the nessecity things like baby shampoo, diapers, wipes, ect.....

WIC is great for milk, eggs, fruit, bread, ect... and after she has the baby she can keep getting that stuff if she is breastfeeding otherwise it will end when the baby is 6 months. if she isnt breastfeeding then they will supply formula. when the baby is old enough she/he will get oatmeal/rice and they now even give checks for baby food.

 

[sherry7]

Buy the book Baby Bargains. Just make sure you get the current version! It is not just about bargains, but buying the best products for your money. They also have a very active message board I recommend, espeically when it comes to baby gear!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bargains...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275939992&sr=8-1

I also highly recommend the book Baby Bargains. I liked it much better than the Consumer Reports baby book. Like the above poster mentioned, make sure you get the most recent edition of the book. I think I paid $9 or $10 for mine at Amazon.com. It saved me from a lot of expensive and potentially dangerous purchasing decisions. It gives very good advice on which car seat, baby bed, mattress, high chair, etc to buy. It also gives a lot of good advice on what things are really not necessary at all.

Be careful of the brands you purchase, regardless of the cost. I've seen a gazillion people recommend Eddie Bauer products on various internet forums, but the truth is they're made by Dorel, a company that has one of the worst safety records out there.

You asked about a Pack & Play. I'd personally go with one of the models that has the changing table and bassinette attachments. My baby is almost 6 weeks old, and I use those 2 features constantly. What I don't use is the vibrating and music functions on the Pack & Play. Instead of ordering one from Amazon.com sight unseen, you might want to go look at them first at a regular store and write down the model numbers of the ones you like, and then price compare online. Graco is probably the most popular brand of Pack & Plays, but Baby Trend makes some really nice ones too that are a bit less expensive.

Don't be afraid to buy some items used (excluding the car seat and baby bed...too many safety issues and lots of recalls). I bought a papasan swing second hand, along with a baby bouncer, exersaucer, baby jumper, activity blanket, Bumbo, etc. I was careful about checking for recalls though. A lot of those items aren't really necessary of course, but I know I can easily resell them for what I paid for them.

Look for children's consignment sales in your area. We have a huge one here every Spring and Fall...there are 2 gymnasium sized building full of clothing, baby equipment, toys, etc. Just google "children's consignment sale" and your zip code, and you will probably find some info.

I know a lot of people like Babies R Us, but I personally don't buy anything there if I have an alternate choice. I think their prices are outrageous. You can find many of the same items at other stores for a lot less. For example, I ordered our baby bed on Walmart.com (with free shipping to the local store) for $90 less than Toys R Us wanted for the same one.

 

[skhermsmeyer]

Agree with PP. Skip the infant tub, bedding set (just get the sheets), the travel system, and changing table.

I would also get a crib instead of sleeping in a pack-n-play every night. They're good to use for short amounts of time, but long term not a good idea (would you want to sleep on something hard as wood every night?)

DO invest in a good carseat. The baby will be in it for a year and it's invaluable. Besides, a lot of babies don't sleep very well in a convertible car seat until they are older because their head falls over. DD 9months went back into her bucket seat because she kept waking herself up. The stroller that comes with a travel set is usually really BIG and HEAVY. Get the stroller that the car seat snaps into. Much easier and less expensive.

I did splurge on a Maclaren stroller just because they are so nice, fold down smaller than most and have the features I wanted. It doesn't take up nearly as much room as a travel stroller.

I ended up switching to Sam's Club brand formula for DD after 3 months of using Similac. It has the same amount of nutrients but is much easier on the pocket book. My kids' pediatrician said she would be just fine and she is.

Look for consignment stores in your area, but make sure to look at the price. Not everything in there is a great deal. I can usually find something brand new at JCPenny, Target, The Children's Place, or even Gymboree for the same amount, a dollar more, or sometimes even less if I look at the sale racks.

Good luck and have fun being a Grandma!

 

[r&kmommy]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd skip the travel system. Those stroller are terrible! I'd get a great infant carrier car seat (a Chicco Keyfit or a Graco Snugride with a FRONT adjustor NOT rear adjustor!!) and a stroller 'frame' for it. Then for when the infant carrier is outgrown I'd get a great lightweight, higher weight stroller...like a Maclaren Triumph.

Don't have her choose, or register for, or purchase a convertible seat until she's ready to actually use one (when the infant carrier is outgrown). There are new seats on the market all the time, and with the higher weight seats you will use them for a good long time...except that they have expiration dates on them so if you purchase too early it expires before you're really done needing it. So wait on that.

Encourage her to learn about car seat safety at car-seat.org!

Coleen
CPST (car seat tech)

Took the words from my mouth!!

Congrats grandma!!!

 

[LuLuO]

You can look on craigslist for a lot of things like swings and toys and bouncy seats. Even strollers. I would not buy a used car seat though. You can also look at consignment shops like Once Upon A Child for good bargains. I bought a lot of clothes from Goodwill. Here up to 24 months only costs $1 each.

Things I found invaluable:

Pack n Play with bassinet. The babies slept in our room in the bassinet for about 4 months.

We used a Graco Snugride infant seat and stroller frame. I loved this setup.

I loved our bouncy seat. I used it most when I would get a shower. I'd just put the baby in the bouncy seat and set them up in the bathroom while I got a shower. I also used it a lot while I was cooking. Once baby starts sitting up you pretty much have to stop using it but for those first 5-6 months it was fantastic.

Swing. My kids both loved it, as did my nephew.

My DD loved to be swaddled so I bought some of the baby swaddlers from babies r us. My DS hated them. I'd buy one and if baby loves it then get a few more.

I nursed so I used my Boppy pillow a lot.

 

[riley2008]

I think I liked the first responders post. That's is EXACTLY what I'd do, if I had to do-over. Skip the crib, buy a Pack-N-Play with the bassinet feature. I could pass too on the changing table attachment. The Pack-N-Play is fine for sleeping in every night. (I think some posters are projecting their own feelings about sleeping in a play pen every night) And then when you have to go somewhere, the baby already loves his bed!

If you have a low dresser, add a changing pad to the top of it. It works great and you can keep diapers in a top drawer. (After our boys were about 6 months, we usually used the bed in their room, the floor, etc.)

I also second a great carseat carrier and snap-n-go stroller for the first 6-12 months. My boys didn't outgrow their carrier until they were over a year, but some babies outgrow them by 6 months. After that time, then buy a nice convertible carseat and stroller (lots of stroller choices).

If you do use a crib, skip the bedding sets. What a waste of money. Make or have a special quilt made.

This is the budget board. It can be pretty inexpensive if you want to outfit a baby. Some people get carried away with the "cute" factor and end up in debt becuase of it.

Enjoy your grandbaby!

 

[r&kmommy]

My dd was in her infant bucket til 14 months (and she still fit in it but I wanted her in a bigger seat LOL!)... they make higher weight limit buckets now than when dd was little... Also, she slept in a bassinet until she was 5 months and then a pack n play til 9 months (she was in our room until we moved into our new house, she got her own room and crib!) We never had a changing table either; I used one of those long changing pads on the end of my bed, and then when we moved I just used it on the floor of her room (had a fancy basket in the corner with all diapering supplies)

 

[cseca]

From the suggestion of some posters on this board we got our DD

http://www.babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/6353.html
with this
http://www.babytrend.com/strollers_snap-n-go/

I love this set except for 2 things:
1. The seat cover is a pain to take off to wash.
2. The belts needs a little bit of work to adjust.

Other than that we think it works well especially for the price.

I think Graco has something similar as well.

One thing I would say about these infant carseat that I don't remember reading in the responses is don't get too hung up on the weight limit. Remember, once the baby reaches 20lbs, you add the seat to it, you could be lugging around 29-30lb weight.

For us, once our DD reached 18lbs we bought Britax convertible carseat (http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Boulevard-Click-Convertible-Berkshire/dp/B001E5CDVY) and a good stroller (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_mini_lp.aspx). We expect these 2 things will lasts us the next 5-6 years or so.
Yes, they are a bit expensive but I'd rather go expensive, save, convenient and last a long long time than buying a cheaper version that we might not like as much. Especially for something we'll use for a long time.

Another note, if you decide to go with britax once your DGC is getting bigger, they have sales every spring and fall. Sometimes you can get last year's model for 30-50% off. Which was how we got ours. Google britax carseat spring or fall sale and you'll see a bunch of blogs with information about websites with sales, sometimes diapers.com, albeebaby, etc.