baby stroller/baby carrier/etc

[Swimalie]

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.

I had the Boulevard and loved it. But don't expect it to be used that long. Our son outgrew it in length and 4 and a half. He's now in the Frontier.

 

[cseca]

I had the Boulevard and loved it. But don't expect it to be used that long. Our son outgrew it in length and 4 and a half. He's now in the Frontier.

hehe... both DH and I are in the lower percentile for height. So I think genetically DD will be too.... So we might be lucky and be able to use it for a longer than that.

But you're right, those things lasts depending on how quickly your baby grows. And some people like to use their infant carriers until their babies are close to the limit while we switched as soon as DD and the carrier became too much for me to handle. Plus she started walking when she was 9mo. So she's mobile pretty quick...

 

[Jen_in_NH]

See if there are any friends or family who have things like swings / pack and plays / bouncers that you can borrow. Google to make sure there aren't recalls on them, just to be safe. They aren't things you use for too long, and stink to spend money on to find out your baby doesn't like them. My son HATED swings with a passion, but loved bouncy seats.

I'd also say to skip the travel system. The strollers are usually crappy, and take up a ton of space. We ended up putting ours in the barn after about a month of using it, since we both hated it. I ended up buying a Maclaren stroller that we both love.

I thought having a sling and Ergo carrier was excellent. I tried a Bjorn, but hated the way it held him. A good sling is much easier on both of them.

Good luck!!

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

I love all of these suggestions. You all seem to pretty much agree that the travel systems are not worth the cost - thank you for that. I was considering some of the travel systems but won't bother now.

When I look online, there seems to be a rather large range of costs for the Graco Snugride. I have some questions on these - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...baby-products&field-keywords=snugride&x=0&y=0

1. does the base come separate from the Snugride?
2. do you recommend one over the other ?
I will go to the stores too and look over the models that are there, but thought I would ask you guys too!

I will also check the convertible car seats. If I can get her something that will last for a considerable amount of time, that would be great.

I also like the Pack N Play suggestion -

Any other ideas or baby info links that you recommend?

I saw a really cute idea on Martha Stewart yesterday where she created burp cloths from cloth diapers - just by sewing some cute ribbon to them. I am not a great seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, but that much I CAN do....

 

[Swimalie]

Check the weights on the Snugrides. Each one weighs a different amount but most have about the same padding. The more expensive ones have more padding, though. All are extremely safe. Graco has a good reputation when it comes to their infant carriers. They all come with 1 base. Extra bases are sold in case you need to put one in a 2nd car.

This is the stroller we got (the only stroller until we bought the Volo as an umbrella type) and it is awesome. My 5 year old still asks to ride in it to the store and on walks. Well worth the price. It has held up for more than 5 years. The tires are real rubber, not plastic like you will find on other strollers. You can jog with it yet it has a basket so you can use it for every day as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Limit...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1276022728&sr=1-1

 

[Bren's Mom]

When I look online, there seems to be a rather large range of costs for the Graco Snugride. I have some questions on these - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...baby-products&field-keywords=snugride&x=0&y=0

1. does the base come separate from the Snugride?
2. do you recommend one over the other ?
I will go to the stores too and look over the models that are there, but thought I would ask you guys too!

All infant carriers come with one base. The bases are ALSO sold separately...so you can get a base for dad's car, grandma's car , babysitter's car. Which is convenient.

There are 2 main things that differentiate SnugRides one from another.

The first is FRONT adjustor vs. REAR adjustor.

You only want a front adjustor. Like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Snugrid...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1276022954&sr=8-5

See that 'tail' coming off the front? That's how you adjust the snugness of the harness.

This one does not have a 'tail'. The way you adjust the harness snugness is in the rear of the seat. These are problematic to adjust, especially once the baby is in it. So what happens is the parents tend to leave the harness loose enough to get baby in and out without adjusting...not safe.

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugRid...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1276023061&sr=8-8

The second main difference is weight. SnugRides come in 22lbs, 32lbs and 35lbs. The higher weight ones have larger shells. This is mostly a difference in convenience. Someone who is giving birth in, say, Minnesota in September and is having a larger baby is likely going to REALLY want a 35lbs seat so that baby doesn't outgrow is before that long, cold winter is over. Someone in Florida might not care.

Hope that helps!

 

[sherry7]

I love all of these suggestions. You all seem to pretty much agree that the travel systems are not worth the cost - thank you for that. I was considering some of the travel systems but won't bother now.

When I look online, there seems to be a rather large range of costs for the Graco Snugride. I have some questions on these - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...baby-products&field-keywords=snugride&x=0&y=0

1. does the base come separate from the Snugride?
2. do you recommend one over the other ?
I will go to the stores too and look over the models that are there, but thought I would ask you guys too!

I will also check the convertible car seats. If I can get her something that will last for a considerable amount of time, that would be great.

I also like the Pack N Play suggestion -

Any other ideas or baby info links that you recommend?

I saw a really cute idea on Martha Stewart yesterday where she created burp cloths from cloth diapers - just by sewing some cute ribbon to them. I am not a great seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, but that much I CAN do....

Regarding the Graco Snugride...there are 3 different versions. The Snugride 22, 30, and 35. The numbers refer to the weight limits of each seat (there are height limits too). In general, the 22 is going to be the least expensive, and the 35 is the most expensive ($150 at Target). But, consider that the baby will be able to use the 35 model for the longest time. Yes, these do separate from the base...which is invaluable with a young baby in my opinion. Who wants to wake up a sleeping baby to take them out of a convertible car seat and carry them in the house? Also, it's nice to have the detachable seat because you can place it in the shopping cart at stores, carry it into a restaurant, etc.

All of the Snugride's have the option to purchase an extra base. That is handy if the baby will be riding in 2 different cars often, because you don't have to install the whole seat each time. The seat simply "snaps" in and out of the already installed base.

I personally don't recommend a convertible car seat for a young baby. The seats are larger than the seats like the Snugride, and young babies tend to flop around a bit. In addition (for various reasons mentioned above), they just aren't that convenient for young babies.

I use cloth diapers for burp cloths. I just use the cheap Gerber birds eye weave diapers...they're about $12 a dozen at Walmart. I didn't sew ribbons, etc on them, since I'm not at all crafty. Also, by leaving them plain white, I can bleach them if I need to. When I'm finished using them as burp cloths in a year or so, they will make great cleaning cloths.

Other money saving tips....
I intended on breast feeding, but wasn't able to due to a medical reason. Our pediatrician was okay with us using a generic formula, which is about 1/3 of the cost of Enfamil or Similac. We use the Member's Mark powdered formula from Sam's Club, but the Parent's Choice (from Walmart) is made by the same company and is almost as cheap.

I've found that diapers are the cheapest at Sam's Club (Costco is probably similar). When looking at diapers, compare the price per diaper...not for the whole package. All of the different stores have different size packages of diapers. I already had a Sam's Club membership, but it would pay for itself in 2 or 3 months of diaper savings.

Don't fall into the trap of buying Dreft baby laundry detergent. Despite popular belief, it is not more gentle on baby's skin. Just give it a sniff and you'll smell all of the potentially irritating fragrances that are added to it. Most babies will do just fine with the same detergent that the family uses, or you can buy something like All Free & Clear detergent for a fraction of the cost of Dreft. The only baby laundry product that I do like is Totally Toddler spray stain remover. It works so much better at getting out formula stains than normal stain remover does.

Don't buy a huge amount of bottles at first. Some babies are picky and you have to end up trying 5 or 6 different brands of bottles before you find one that they will take. (Don't ask me how I know this, lol. ) Most stores will sell single bottles, so you can try them out before committing to a large multi-pack. In retrospect, I wouldn't have bothered with the small bottles. My daughter isn't quite 6 weeks old yet, and she is already taking 6 oz of formula at a time.

 

[erin.w]

Also keep an eye out at Target in their baby sale section as people often return their online items to the store and the store discounts them 50% immediately at my Target. We've gotten some great deals that way!

 

[skhermsmeyer]

I love all of these suggestions. You all seem to pretty much agree that the travel systems are not worth the cost - thank you for that. I was considering some of the travel systems but won't bother now.

When I look online, there seems to be a rather large range of costs for the Graco Snugride. I have some questions on these - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...baby-products&field-keywords=snugride&x=0&y=0

1. does the base come separate from the Snugride?
2. do you recommend one over the other ?
I will go to the stores too and look over the models that are there, but thought I would ask you guys too!

I will also check the convertible car seats. If I can get her something that will last for a considerable amount of time, that would be great.

I also like the Pack N Play suggestion -

Any other ideas or baby info links that you recommend?

I saw a really cute idea on Martha Stewart yesterday where she created burp cloths from cloth diapers - just by sewing some cute ribbon to them. I am not a great seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, but that much I CAN do....

This is what I used for both of my kids! The little ones they sell in the stores barely covered my shoulder or caught what came up! They sell them at Target and Walmart, but I do prefer the Gerber brand. They're pretty much the same price.

 

[All American]

CAR SEAT CANOPY!!!!

My mother-in-law gave one to me when my daughter was born, and it has been awesome. It's just a cover that you attach to the handle of the infant seat, and it's great for when the baby is brand new, sleeping, and during cold and flu season. It's not really a necessity by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure beats tugging and messing with a blanket constantly. Here are a couple (made by people I do not know and have ZERO connection with, I just wanted to show you what they are in case you have never heard of one.):

http://www.etsy.com/listing/4896102...py&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=1&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/listing/4813276...py&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=1&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title