New Mom To Be Overwhelmed

[Shleedogg]

I'm pregnant with our first and am trying to research all the big things we will need to register for in the next few weeks after the big ultrasound. We will be going to Disney where DH is running the marathon, the baby will be 2 mos old (I know, some people will think we're crazy). I am so overwhelmed looking at Babies R Us for the stroller. We want a travel system (I think) that has the infant car seat. We'd like something with at least 1 if not 2 cup holders, and a pretty good sized basket. They pictures aren't very helpful. I will be going to register in person, but I'd like to have some idea of what I want and not to have to individually inspect 20+ strollers while we're in the store. What stroller do you have that works well in Disney? What are the pros and cons of it? Does the size really make a difference in a crowd? I would imagine that all strollers are a pain in a large crowd. Thanks!

 

[sk!mom]

OK- My baby is soon to be 12 but----

Being a regular visitor of this board, I can say with certainty- GET a Maclaren.

I have to skim past threads on it daily. They make it sound so great I almost want to have a baby just to try one out.

 

[CampbellScot]

Don't let anyone make you feel like you are crazy for taking your baby to Disney at 2months. LOTS of people do that and there are baby centers all over that will help you with anything you and your little bundle may need!!

I know you were asking about strollers but I wanted to also tell you about something that my best friend and also new mommy is RAVING about! (she took her little one to DisneyLAND for a two day trip and this was suggested to her!)

If you go to www.childcarriers.com you can look at the Lillebaby Euro Tote. This has been a LIFESAVER for my friend and her little one. It's an multi-tasking child carrier. You may want to give it a look! Lots of people have given reviews about it. It's a little pricey but it can last you a long time as it grows with your baby!

good luck and congrats on your new little one!!!

 

[ADAMANDLISA]

We got the Graco travel system when I was pregnant with DS#1 and loved it. DS#2 used the infant carrier/car seat also. It wasn't overly expensive, it was easy to use and it had great storage space!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You will have a wonderful time at the World with your 2-month old. Take your time, rest, and enjoy! The memories you have of your baby at WDW will last a lifetime---don't let anyone tell you any different.

 

[barnaby1]

Congratulations on your pregnancy and I don't think you are mad for going with a 2 month old (actually good time to take them as they do whatever you want).

My advice to you as a new Mum is don't waste HUGE amounts of money on every gadget going.

Buy everything you can either in a sale or at a discount store - your child will grow out of most things before you can blink!

As far as strollers are concerned I never used a travel system. I bought a car seat that went from birth to age 4. I couldn't lift her out still sleeping in a capsule but that to me was a small price to pay. It is actually quite bad for young babies to spend too long in those capsules as they are bent and not flat. If I were touring with an infant I would want them laying flat.

I had a graco expedition 3 wheeler (£35) which layed flat with a sheepskin (that is worth the money). At 8 months we switched to a small cossatto umbrella stroller (£25) and have never used the big one again.

I personally don't know how people cope trying to get around WDW (or anywhere else for that matter) with those big systems.

Having said that there are lots of other Mums who will swear that I am mad and that they couldn't manage without their super duper systems. It really is each to their own so even with everyones recommendations it essentially comes down to what type of Mum you are as to what is best for you.

 

[mom2alix]

I HATED my travel system stroller. It was great that the infant seat snapped in, but the stroller itself was bulky, hard to fold down with one hand, and nearly impossible to fit in the back of my minivan unless I laid the 3rd row seat flat.

When my sister had my nephew, I got her one of these....

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2327597&cp=2256189

It works with most infant seats, was fairly cheap, and folded up nicely. One DN was old eough to be out of the infant seat and move to a regular car seat, she got a nice Maclaren. That's the benefit of being the younger sister - she gets to learn from my mistakes!

Get an inexpensive infant seat. They all pass the same safety tests and you use it for a VERY short period of time. Even if the seat says it goes up to 20 lbs or so, you'll find that it gets too heavy to carry the baby in that seat long before you hit that mark. Spend more on the next car seat- get a convertible one that can take you from the rear facing to forward facing as your child grows. The Britax ones can go from 5 lbs-35lbs rear-facing and then you can turn it around and use the same seat up to 65lbs. They're pricey seats, but you'll only need one to get you from baby carrier to booster seat age - which covers a lot of years! I didn't want to spend the Britax price at first and got a Graco seat for DD, but the straps were always twisting and it was a real pain. I finally got a Britax and it really was worth the money.

For a 2 month old on a Disney trip, I'd definitely look into a Baby Bjorn or a nice sling. They really like to be snuggled up against you at that age and it can be chilly in January so you might appreciate the extra snuggle warmth too!

Congratulations!

 

[dhiggs45]

CONGRATULATIONS!! I have a six month old girl and I have loved my Chicco Travel System. We are getting ready to move to the Maclaren, but for the first several months the travel system really comes in handy, and when the baby falls asleep you won't want to wake him/her up, so being able to lift the carrier into the stroller is great!!! Two months is probably a little too early for any of the light stroller systems like Maclaren b/c they don't recline all the way and the baby will need to be able to hold thier head up. And I second the carriers, like Baby Bjorn, that would probably work great in the parks too!

Congrats again and enjoy!! We are ten days away from our first trip with our dd and if i could have gone sooner I would have


denise

 

[Minniemouse07]

The best advice I can tell you is to pick up a copy of Baby Bargains Secrets by Alan and Denise Fields. They have a corresponding website as well.

Those people know everything there is to know about baby gear.

One of the first things they tell you is to get the stroller you want and get the car seat that will work best for your child and fit in your vehicle.... THEN, if they fit together BONUS!

You will be using your stroller waaaay longer than you will an infant car seat so make sure it is one that you really love and you can use!

 

[Elmo888]

Check out this web site (the Baby Bargains book and the message boards for all things baby are great)...

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

I had a travel system and did not like the big bulky stroller. After I bought a more manageable stroller (Peg Perego Pliko, now P3), I used the travel system stroller on occassional walks and the wheel fell off (it was Century brand, which was later bought by Graco)!

The whole travel system concept is great, but short lived, as one of the other posters mentioned. I recommend picking your favorite stroller and get car seat separately. If they happen to be compatible, great. If not, get something like the Baby Trend Snap N Go for a create-your-own travel system. I did this with my second, and it worked really well. The Snap N Gos (there are other brands out there these days) are inexpensive and are easily resold.

http://www.amazon.com/Snap-N-Go-Infant-Carrier/dp/B00008XL2W

And I agree with finding things on sale. Strollers come out yearly, and at the beginning of the year, last years models go on sale (and sometimes, only the fabric has changed!). As an example, check out these 2007 Peg Perego P3s at albeebaby.com that are on sale (they have/had 2006/2007 Maclarens on sale, too).

http://www.albeebaby.com/pegperego.html

Stroller board...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StrollerSWAP/

Baby wearing (I did not like the Baby Bjorn and decided that I didn't like baby wearing. With my second, I figured out that it was the Baby Bjorn that I didn't like, not the baby wearing!)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BabywearingSWAP/
http://www.thebabywearer.com/

Congratulations!

 

[all4fun]

The best advice I can tell you is to pick up a copy of Baby Bargains Secrets by Alan and Denise Fields. They have a corresponding website as well.

Those people know everything there is to know about baby gear.

One of the first things they tell you is to get the stroller you want and get the car seat that will work best for your child and fit in your vehicle.... THEN, if they fit together BONUS!

You will be using your stroller waaaay longer than you will an infant car seat so make sure it is one that you really love and you can use!

I was going to suggest the same thing. Go buy the Baby Bargains book!
HERE is a link to their website. That book was invaluable to me. The forums there are really helpful as well.

Also, you don't have to get a Travel "system" that matches. There are a lot of infant seats that are compatible with different brands of strollers so you're not stuck with one particular brand for both. I recommend the Places to go: Car Seats! and Places to go: Strollers forums at BBB website linked above.

hth and congrats! Take care.

 

[HGD24]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

We have the Baby Trend Snap 'n Go stroller (the one a pp linked to) and the Baby Trend car seat ($80 at WalMart!). We love both and the car seat is a Consumer Reports Best Buy which is nice.

As for WDW, I would bring something that reclines fully so that your LO can sleep. As the mom of a 3 month old, I can tell you that at 2 months, your LO will eat & sleep and not do much of anything else. Having a comfy place for him/her to sleep will be very important. Please do not keep him/her in the car seat for very long. Yes, they are leaning back some, but they are also in a semi-upright position which means that they will have a lot of pressure on their bottoms and anyone would get uncomfortable sitting in one position for a while. There have been times when our LO has been in her car seat for 2 hours and when I change her diaper, she has little marks on her bottom from the elastics so I hate having her in it any longer than 1.5 hrs.

We've been researching strollers for when DD is a little older and I think we've settled on the Pliko P3.

 

[dis-happy]

I didn't read all the posts so this may sound repetitive, but here's my BTDT advice... (we've taken our ds at 2 mos., 5 mos. and will do it again at 8 mos at the end of this month):

I didn't like using the car seat for all day long in the parks; too uncomfortable for bab. You're better off getting a stroller (full sized is best for this age) that will lay totally flat, and where the foot rest comes up and attaches, making the stroller a mini carriage. Then you can just plop your baby in there to enjoy the world as it strolls by. Get one with a large sunshade that will rotate all the way down (the ones that are attached to the handle area only come part way)----this will allow you to adjust as necessary for shade. Finally, get one with a basket big enough to hold your stuff, a cup holder area so you can put your drink on there, and check the balance....if you hang a diaper bag on the handles you don't want everything to tip over.

Register for a baby swaddler blanket...that thing is great!!! It will help your baby sleep at night.

Congratulations!!!

 

[wishtdream]

you are not crazy
I took my 7 week old dd to wdw my advice is to Get a maya wrap in addition to whatever stroller you like http://www.mayawrap.com
this is thier pic not mine but this is the exact one I have and I love it. you cannot take a stroller into a lot of places at wdw and you need a comfy place for baby to sleep this solves both problems also if you choose to nurse you can do it and be comfotably covered as you do so.

 

[Avonlady1001]

I agree w/ many of the others about travel systems. I got a beautiful Graco system for my shower for DD (now 3 1/2). It was wonderful! So big, comfy...on the other hand, big, bulky, barely fit in my trunk, heavy!! (Now, I'm sure the have lightweight travel systems...just make sure you love it.) After DD grew out of infant seat (at 5mths) we only used the stroller for walks. We bought another stroller (a peg perego that broke after 10mths.) I now have a Chicco Cortina and LOVE it...goes up to 50lbs which is great.

In my experience, these are the MUST haves in a stroller:
1. easy fold
2. cup holders/snack tray for baby & MOMMY
3. full recline (especially for infants)
4. moveable hood - needs to move to block the sun wherever it is
5. adjustable leg rest...how uncomfortable do those kids look sleeping in the strollers with their legs hanging down. LOL
6. big basket (especially in the first year or so...the older they get, the smaller the diaper bag gets.)
7. bigger wheels...I noticed the smaller wheels get stuck on sidewalk cracks, curbs, etc. Can't tell you how many times I've gotten stuck and almost thrown DD from the stroller...thank goodness for seatbelts!

Getting all of these things is not easy...the Chicco has all but the bigger wheels....oh, well, can't have everything.

I also agree about the infant seat...if your child grows fast, he/she won't use it long. But definitely invest in a good convertible car seat. I have the Britax Boulevard and LOVE it. It kills me that people spend $1000's on a good stereo system for their car, but will skimp when it comes to their child's safety. (That's how I rationalized buying one of these for each car. LOL)

I def would not use the infant seat in the parks. He/she will be much more comfortable laying down or being held.

Congrats on your baby!! Taking him/her at 2mths will be great!! They can't complain yet! Or say "Can I have that?" "I NEED that!" PLEEEEEEASE can I have it? LOL

 

[staci]

Just one thing that I didnt see mentioned......... if you are getting a travel system, make sure the car seat is a 5pt harness. They are SO MUCH safer. The other ones are legal but they really do compromise safety. Most carseats available today are 5pt that I have seen for sale, but I do see a lot of 3pt ones still in use.

Just look on the box for 5pt, or look at the harness. You one one with a strap coming over each shoulder, locking between the legs, but also has straps going down on each side over the babies hips - so five points (shoulder, shoulder, hip,hip, and between the legs). 3pt harnesses only do shoulder,shoulder, and between the legs, and babies can slide out sideways in a crash or even once they get more mobile!

 

[dunbarfamily]

We will be going to Disney where DH is running the marathon, the baby will be 2 mos old (I know, some people will think we're crazy).

Can't really help you on single stroller as we use a double. But I can tell you you're NOT crazy for taking a two month old! That's a perfect age! We'll be taking the new baby (due sometime in October) when it's about 4-6 weeks old, so not a big deal! Babies can do most anything adults can do, with the exception of the "thrill" rides.

Enjoy your trip, and enjoy your new baby! This is a special time in your lives. Savor it!

 

[Shleedogg]

Thank you all for the advice! I have to tell you I was nervous about posting another stroller thread, lol! When we first started looking at stuff initially, I was pretty convinced I was just going to get a stroller and a Britax car seat. After talking to my sister in law and reading nest.com message boards I kinda figured I needed a travel system. It wasn't for the sleeping factor, baby can fall back to sleep, but people had said it was safer. I had planned on having the baby just in the stroller itself for Disney. I think now though I will just go with my original plan and just do the separates. If it works for so many others, you must not really *need* the travel system.

I also really appreciate the sling links. That is a great idea for the rides. I was worried about holding the baby, it will be great to have the baby strapped in so to speak.

Again, I really appreciate not getting flamed and getting so much input. I'm so overwhelmed with all the gear we apparently need to buy and my sister in law who likes to give me advice buys every little gadget, so it's just nice to have other points of view. Thanks!

 

[las3888]

I felt like our travel system was the way to go for DS's first months. Just be prepared that he/she will QUICKLY outgrow it (the carrier part). I remember when shopping for a model it felt like we would be using this for a while, but it is just mere months and they will outgrow it, esp. if they are large!!! Anyways, I do agree a travel system is probably the way to go. I would DEFINITELY have some kind of baby carrier (baby bjorn was a good one for us) or sling. DS LOVED it as did I and at 2 months, I could walk probably for miles without it bothering me...At 4 and more months...you will really start to feel the extra weight.

Good luck and enjoy!

PS - I love stroller posts!!! Please feel free to post more!!! (I own 7 strollers and love to comment on them all)!!!

 

[las3888]

Ooops...sorry, OP, I just read your last post more carefully...I am not sure I would go with just a separate stroller for a 2 month old. They are just so tiny and very very slumpy. They won't sit up at all and will start to slump over in any kind of stroller...that's why I recommended the travel system.

Maybe I misread your post...but I wouldn't advise putting a 2 month old in a regular stroller, any brand...I think it wasn't until about 6 months or more (don't remember, maybe 4, but definitely not 2 months) that I felt like he could sit up without looking super uncomfortable and slouched over in a regular stroller...

Again, maybe I misread your post but just wanted to add my 2 cents...good luck and have a great time no matter what you do!!!

 

[lilybrooke14]

I'd go with either a Graco Quatro Tour or a Chicco Cortina. Yes, they're both big (the QT weighs 27lbs and the Chicco 23), but they are super comfy, have lots of storage, have muli-recline (so that baby can be comfortable without the carseat), and both of them have the foot piece that comes up.

The Graco QT...
Is SUPER EASY to fold and unfold. Can easily be done with one hand.
Has a large basket at the bottom that folds down so that you don't have to disturb baby to get something in or out.
Has a great parent tray with cupholders and a sunglass case (on some models it even has a clock/temperature gage).
Comes in tons of colors.

The Chicco...
Is an Italian brand, so the carseat has a higher crash test rating than the US versions.
Has an adjustable handle bar for mom and dad.
Has a nifty kid's tray that opens from either side, or comes off completely.
Has a huge basket, but it doesn't fold down.
Is also easy to fold, although not as easy one handed.

Both are great choices for the first year of life. I'd definately go with the Britax carseat once baby outgrows the infant seat though. A good BBRU employee should be able to give you a demo of each stroller and tell you all of the pros and cons of each.

The Graco Metrolite is also not a bad choice. They are about 17lbs, and are basically a trimmed down version of the Quatro Tour (Chicco has another version called a Trevi, but it isn't sold as a travel system). The Metrolite has a few little quirks though, so be sure and test it out in the store before you decide.

I actually own a Quatro Tour, and although it's big and heavy, we got it on and off the trams at Silver Dollar City in the middle of winter without a lot of trouble.

Good luck and congrats!

Oh, and on the Baby Bjorn, if you're going to get one (or something like it) be sure it has a lumbar support! They are a little more expensive, but absolutely worth it!