@gingersnap it's possible the clicking of seats into carts is in the past now. My youngest is 7, but when my kids were small, we loved clicking them in. The back of the car seat had a groove cut out just for sliding over the back of the seat ad the front snapped in. It could be outdated but it was nice for us at the time.
@kswiger06 Car seats that click into a base in a car are still very common. @gingersnap was saying that you aren't supposed to click them into Shopping carts, like at grocery stores or Target. That's considered dangerous
@gingersnap it's possible the clicking of seats into carts is in the past now. My youngest is 7, but when my kids were small, we loved clicking them in. The back of the car seat had a groove cut out just for sliding over the back of the seat ad the front snapped in. It could be outdated but it was nice for us at the time.
They still have that, but that's not what it's designed for. They just happened to fit so people started doing it.
Favorites: SWING- I know it's a 50/50 with moms, but my child LOVED his swing. I also loved my ERGO, it made grocery trips easier than having to find space for a huge carseat. BOUNCER- my son was(and still is) super active, and the bouncer was a great way for him to develop and release his energy while building muscles etc. INFANT CARSEAT/STROLLER COMBO- the best way to go those first few months when traveling.
Most Useless: Pack & PLAY- seriously, we've only used it maybe 4 times. I will say that since we were in an apartment with limited space, so this may have had something to do with it. BOUNCER CHAIR- I felt weird leaving my kid in this chair and walking away or doing anything other than sitting next to him. Some of my friends swore by it, but for some reason I just wasn't a fan. BOTTLE WARMER- I breastfed mostly, but when we had breastmilk for my son, it was easier to warm the milk via the running faucet than the fancy bottle warmer we bought.
There were so many items I bought, thinking I'd need them, but so many items hardly got used. My best advice is to buy minimal, and then as your child grows, find the things that may be useful to YOUR routine.
Yes and Yes!!! Much better for toddlers than many others because the back is very high. My 5.5 year old still fits in our double. And yes I put her in it sometimes, because Mommy needs to take a walk and get some exercise.
Me: 1979 * Husband: 1976 * Little girl: 2010 * Little guy: 2013 * MMC: 2016 * Last baby: EDD 2/11/17!
I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared advice. Man there is so much to research and it's great to hear from other's what worked and what did not.
** December BMB Siggy Challenge - Animals in Pools **
Me: 31+ H: 32 TTC Since 11/2015 #1 - MMC 6.5 weeks (2/16); #2 - MC due to cystic hygroma at 20 weeks (10/16); #3 CP (2/17); #4 - Due 12.16.17
Best: Carriers- I got a used Baby Bjorn that DD lived in every single day and when she out grew it, I spent the money on a Becco and it was SOO much better on my back. If your going to carry, get one with a hip strap- it makes a difference. I got a wrap that I use sparingly bc I hate feeling like a magician trying to put it on. We also have a structured back carrier for hiking. As someone else said- Chicco Keyfit car seat and stroller. I really loved the stroller for the bassinet feature when she was a newbie- she was born in April so it might not make sense for a winter baby. I also really loved having a bassinet, she never had an issue with it plus the one I got swayed and played three different sounds (heart beat, ocean, and music)
Worst: bottles. I got way too many bottles for a bf baby. I thought that I would need them way more than I ever did. I never bought a wipe warmer.
best tip- try not to buy clothes. You will seriously get so many freaking clothes, especially around the holidays. It's better to wait until after your shower to really buy anything even though it is extremely tempting. You will be overwhelmed by how generous people are!
+1 for not going too heavy on the clothes buying. It seems like that's the easiest gift for people to buy and you'll suddenly have too many!
A note on the pack and play: although we don't have a use for it at our house really, we have used it many many times in the past almost two years because of visiting family members and needing a place to put baby for naps and overnights.
Ladies, this is fantastic info! Does anyone know which of the swaddle thingies with the zipper are the softest? Are they all about the same? There are like 5 big brands, and I would hate to buy a cute one online and find out it feels like sandpaper.
Ladies, this is fantastic info! Does anyone know which of the swaddle thingies with the zipper are the softest? Are they all about the same? There are like 5 big brands, and I would hate to buy a cute one online and find out it feels like sandpaper.
We used several different kinds for DS. Initially, we used the A&A blankets because it kept him feeling the most snug. As he started to grow, we switched to SwaddleMe blankets because he still liked being swaddled arms-in but he outgrew the A&As.
To transition out of the swaddle (which was hell for the first few days!), we used a Woombie because the material was stretchy enough that he could get used to having more arm movement but he didn't startle himself awake, either.
And then we switched to Halo sleepsacks more for the wearable blanket novelty. We used a fleece one during the winter and a lightweight cotton one for the summer. That way no matter how much he moved, he was always warm!
Another thing that I loved (although I know same hate!) were the zipadeezips! When my son learned to roll over and we could no longer swaddle this were the best things ever!
Things that I loved: dresser with a change pad (pnp with a infant insert in the beginning for changes on the main floor) baby k'tan and ring sling snap n go while she was in the infant seat vibrating chair (what she sat in when I showered) nursing pillow swaddle me's and A&A blankets Nursing pillow regardless if you're nursing or bottle feeding Things I won't bother with: bassinet
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
@MrsDramaK I understood what @gingersnap said, that it is considered dangerous. I think I was misunderstood. I know that snapping seats into bases/strollers is still common. I have a couple baby nieces/nephews who use those seats now. I did not however realize that the shopping carts were considered dangerous. I see people still snapping them on in the stores often. And I was just saying that we used to snap it on. For me I always checked to make sure the seat was secure and didn't move. I'm not sure what situations would make it dangerous, unless the seat didn't fit properly but I must have just got lucky with a seat that fit well. I saw a lot of "love its" so I'm assuming that most people agree with not snapping them on carts. But I was just putting what I loved most from the baby gear. If someone doesn't feel it's safe or appropriate, that's okay, and I might not like the fit of whatever seat we end up with this time. But at the time, for us in the past, it worked well and I loved it.
Useless: shoes, most toys, uncomfortable wrap (as someone already said - invest in a good one if you're into baby wearing). Bottles & Soothers were also somewhat "wasteful" since not every baby takes them.
Other: some items are a total lifesaver for a short period of time (exersaucer or walker for example). So buy one second hand, use it, then re-sell it.
@gingersnap thank you for the link and video. I did read and watch it. I understand the worry for the carts. But just so everyone knows I 1) never unhook my baby from the straps holding them in unless I am taking the baby out. 2) always made sure the seat was attached properly so there was no chance for flipping. And I mean no chance, our seat had a slender groove that slid down a couple inches of the back of the cart seat, and also fully snapped onto the front thin bar of cart. It was secure until we released the latch. And finally 3) I never left my baby unattended for any reason or length of time. After reading the article and seeing the video I understand why so many see it as dangerous. I see it more as carelessness and neglect from the parent. But please don't think of me as a careless mom, I would never just set an unstrapped baby on top of a cart and walk away. What kind of person would think that's a good idea?!? My goodness I hope nobody would just set the seat on top. I 100% agree that if the seat doesn't sit well, snug, and secure absolutely do not do that.
@MrsDramaK I understood what @gingersnap said, that it is considered dangerous. I think I was misunderstood. I know that snapping seats into bases/strollers is still common. I have a couple baby nieces/nephews who use those seats now. I did not however realize that the shopping carts were considered dangerous. I see people still snapping them on in the stores often. And I was just saying that we used to snap it on. For me I always checked to make sure the seat was secure and didn't move. I'm not sure what situations would make it dangerous, unless the seat didn't fit properly but I must have just got lucky with a seat that fit well. I saw a lot of "love its" so I'm assuming that most people agree with not snapping them on carts. But I was just putting what I loved most from the baby gear. If someone doesn't feel it's safe or appropriate, that's okay, and I might not like the fit of whatever seat we end up with this time. But at the time, for us in the past, it worked well and I loved it.
The safety issues are cart seats aren't designed to hold that distribution of weight. If the baby moves suddenly, the car seat could topple. If the car seat + baby are too heavy (considering the pressure points are different), the car seat could topple. You also could damage the car seat, in which case it would not be as effective in a crash.
@MrsDramaK I understood what @gingersnap said, that it is considered dangerous. I think I was misunderstood. I know that snapping seats into bases/strollers is still common. I have a couple baby nieces/nephews who use those seats now. I did not however realize that the shopping carts were considered dangerous. I see people still snapping them on in the stores often. And I was just saying that we used to snap it on. For me I always checked to make sure the seat was secure and didn't move. I'm not sure what situations would make it dangerous, unless the seat didn't fit properly but I must have just got lucky with a seat that fit well. I saw a lot of "love its" so I'm assuming that most people agree with not snapping them on carts. But I was just putting what I loved most from the baby gear. If someone doesn't feel it's safe or appropriate, that's okay, and I might not like the fit of whatever seat we end up with this time. But at the time, for us in the past, it worked well and I loved it.
The safety issues are cart seats aren't designed to hold that distribution of weight. If the baby moves suddenly, the car seat could topple. If the car seat + baby are too heavy (considering the pressure points are different), the car seat could topple. You also could damage the car seat, in which case it would not be as effective in a crash.
The weight distribution theory is strange to me because the front seat appears to be designed for a child. A child who normally weighs a bit more than a newborn in their carrier. But I have already commented on the other post responses and the video link. For me safety was not a problem everything went smooth. I realize common sense on safety precautions may be a stretch for parents like the one in the video.
@gingersnap I've never said I will "totes" do it again or that I thought it was always safe/unsafe. I've tried to nicely explain where I was coming from. And the last response I said directly to you said "I 100% agree that if the seat doesn't sit well, snug, and secure, absolutely do not do that." regardless of what you want to think, I was safe and this was a while back. My old seat actually had a suggested use for clipping it on to carts with a sub warning about making sure it fit securely and properly. I currently do not have a seat so don't know if I would or wouldn't do it again, but there isn't a single person I really know, not just people reading what I say and holding to their beliefs, that would say I'm not a careful safe mother. I have no interest in having a pissing match with you on here. I thought I have been clear in saying yes I've done it and I myself liked it, and that if it's not right for you don't do it. I said I can see from the link of the article and video why it can be unsafe. I hope this conversation is either ended or becomes private.
Edit: phone changed some words which also changed context of words.
I did this with my other kids who are now 7 and 9. People always do things that aren't safe. I felt I was safe as I'm sure other accidents happen and people think they were safe. I have stated many times now that I enjoyed it but that I understand it can be unsafe.
I'm not having a pissing match at all. I am simply trying, as others are, to educate a safety issue. There is no need to defend your actions or parenting, but since you do keep defending using a car seat that way and saying you don't think it's unsafe, I am assuming you will continue. My original comment wasn't even directed to you, more so the FTM who may not know.
@MrsDramaK I understood what @gingersnap said, that it is considered dangerous. I think I was misunderstood. I know that snapping seats into bases/strollers is still common. I have a couple baby nieces/nephews who use those seats now. I did not however realize that the shopping carts were considered dangerous. I see people still snapping them on in the stores often. And I was just saying that we used to snap it on. For me I always checked to make sure the seat was secure and didn't move. I'm not sure what situations would make it dangerous, unless the seat didn't fit properly but I must have just got lucky with a seat that fit well. I saw a lot of "love its" so I'm assuming that most people agree with not snapping them on carts. But I was just putting what I loved most from the baby gear. If someone doesn't feel it's safe or appropriate, that's okay, and I might not like the fit of whatever seat we end up with this time. But at the time, for us in the past, it worked well and I loved it.
The safety issues are cart seats aren't designed to hold that distribution of weight. If the baby moves suddenly, the car seat could topple. If the car seat + baby are too heavy (considering the pressure points are different), the car seat could topple. You also could damage the car seat, in which case it would not be as effective in a crash.
The weight distribution theory is strange to me because the front seat appears to be designed for a child. A child who normally weighs a bit more than a newborn in their carrier. But I have already commented on the other post responses and the video link. For me safety was not a problem everything went smooth. I realize common sense on safety precautions may be a stretch for parents like the one in the video.
A child doesn't put all the pressure on the back of the seat....how does that not make sense?
I'm sure we've all made (or will make) parenting choices that are unsafe because we didn't know better. But now it's been stated it's unsafe, links have been provided as to why it's unsafe, there's really no arguing as to why one should do it. When you know better you do better. I know I personally like when im doing something unsafe is pointed out to me so I can change the way I do things. I hope I can pass off information to first time moms and look forward to learning new things this time around too.
I hope its ok if I share just one more piece of advice/hopefully encouragement.
edited because I realized original could be triggering for traumatic birth sufferers
most delivery stories you hear are horror stories. Everyone is always so ready to tell you the scary parts. Some births are easy and beautiful and like nothing ever happened. You don't know what you're going to get so there is no point feeling terrified (which I did, both times). I had one horrific emergency c section with complications and ptsd, and one all natural vbac with no tearing, no recovery pain, nothing. Birth can be beautiful, empowering, calm, and not scary. Try not to fret too much over what you cant control.
I'm sorry I only just saw this link you provided. I did read it and at the end it clearly stated that there was no way of latching the seat onto the "shopping trolley". As I have mentioned in several previous comments my specific seat I used but no longer have, would sit down on back of basket/toddler seat about 2 inches as well as actually latch onto the front thin bars of cart. It would not slide or tip at all unless I released the latch and lifted it off.
Again I'm not saying that everyone should do this. Until the craziness of my first comment I was unaware of all the negative outcomes of placing the seat up in the front.
I deleted what I previously had here and just wanted to publicly apologize for any seemingly drama. Unless someone got a kick out of it. Then enjoy I guess.
I had a bunch of those snap/Velcro swaddlers and never used them because they reminded me too much of a straight jacket and freaked me out. But as a side: I was traumatized as a little kid in a hospital once when they strapped me down to put in some stitches when I was 3 so most people would probable not even think of it.
Re: Gear Opinions
TTC since January 2016
BFP - 3/12/16 - MC 4/5/16
BFP - 6/11/16
Most Useless: Pack & PLAY- seriously, we've only used it maybe 4 times. I will say that since we were in an apartment with limited space, so this may have had something to do with it. BOUNCER CHAIR- I felt weird leaving my kid in this chair and walking away or doing anything other than sitting next to him. Some of my friends swore by it, but for some reason I just wasn't a fan. BOTTLE WARMER- I breastfed mostly, but when we had breastmilk for my son, it was easier to warm the milk via the running faucet than the fancy bottle warmer we bought.
There were so many items I bought, thinking I'd need them, but so many items hardly got used. My best advice is to buy minimal, and then as your child grows, find the things that may be useful to YOUR routine.
** December BMB Siggy Challenge - Animals in Pools **
Me: 31+ H: 32
TTC Since 11/2015
#1 - MMC 6.5 weeks (2/16); #2 - MC due to cystic hygroma at 20 weeks (10/16); #3 CP (2/17); #4 - Due 12.16.17
Worst: bottles. I got way too many bottles for a bf baby. I thought that I would need them way more than I ever did. I never bought a wipe warmer.
best tip- try not to buy clothes. You will seriously get so many freaking clothes, especially around the holidays. It's better to wait until after your shower to really buy anything even though it is extremely tempting. You will be overwhelmed by how generous people are!
I used Lucy's List for all of my questions/suggestions on baby gear. I thought this website was wonderful.
ET 9/10 - transferred 1 perfect 5AA blast
7dp5dt BFP ~~ Beta on 9/19 - 77.4 Beta #2 on 9/21 - 357
Low heartbeat on 10/7 86, lower heartbeat on 10/11 76, no heartbeat 10/14/13. D&C 10/15/13
Tests revealed MTHFR c677t mutation, put on Folgard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FET #1 1/6/14 - 4BB blast - BFN
A note on the pack and play: although we don't have a use for it at our house really, we have used it many many times in the past almost two years because of visiting family members and needing a place to put baby for naps and overnights.
To transition out of the swaddle (which was hell for the first few days!), we used a Woombie because the material was stretchy enough that he could get used to having more arm movement but he didn't startle himself awake, either.
And then we switched to Halo sleepsacks more for the wearable blanket novelty. We used a fleece one during the winter and a lightweight cotton one for the summer. That way no matter how much he moved, he was always warm!
Big Bro 7/14/13
Little Bro 2/6/17
dresser with a change pad (pnp with a infant insert in the beginning for changes on the main floor)
baby k'tan and ring sling
snap n go while she was in the infant seat
vibrating chair (what she sat in when I showered)
nursing pillow
swaddle me's and A&A blankets
Nursing pillow regardless if you're nursing or bottle feeding
Things I won't bother with:
bassinet
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin
After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
This should explain it @kswiger06
Useless: shoes, most toys, uncomfortable wrap (as someone already said - invest in a good one if you're into baby wearing). Bottles & Soothers were also somewhat "wasteful" since not every baby takes them.
Other: some items are a total lifesaver for a short period of time (exersaucer or walker for example). So buy one second hand, use it, then re-sell it.
1) never unhook my baby from the straps holding them in unless I am taking the baby out.
2) always made sure the seat was attached properly so there was no chance for flipping. And I mean no chance, our seat had a slender groove that slid down a couple inches of the back of the cart seat, and also fully snapped onto the front thin bar of cart. It was secure until we released the latch. And finally
3) I never left my baby unattended for any reason or length of time.
After reading the article and seeing the video I understand why so many see it as dangerous. I see it more as carelessness and neglect from the parent. But please don't think of me as a careless mom, I would never just set an unstrapped baby on top of a cart and walk away. What kind of person would think that's a good idea?!? My goodness I hope nobody would just set the seat on top. I 100% agree that if the seat doesn't sit well, snug, and secure absolutely do not do that.
Maybe this will help.
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
Or this, @kswiger06
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040559/Baby-James-Anderson-Berg-dies-falling-shopping-cart-Macon.html
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
Edit: phone changed some words which also changed context of words.
I did this with my other kids who are now 7 and 9. People always do things that aren't safe. I felt I was safe as I'm sure other accidents happen and people think they were safe. I have stated many times now that I enjoyed it but that I understand it can be unsafe.
I am simply trying, as others are, to educate a safety issue.
There is no need to defend your actions or parenting, but since you do keep defending using a car seat that way and saying you don't think it's unsafe, I am assuming you will continue.
My original comment wasn't even directed to you, more so the FTM who may not know.
When you know better you do better. I know I personally like when im doing something unsafe is pointed out to me so I can change the way I do things. I hope I can pass off information to first time moms and look forward to learning new things this time around too.
edited because I realized original could be triggering for traumatic birth sufferers
most delivery stories you hear are horror stories. Everyone is always so ready to tell you the scary parts. Some births are easy and beautiful and like nothing ever happened. You don't know what you're going to get so there is no point feeling terrified (which I did, both times). I had one horrific emergency c section with complications and ptsd, and one all natural vbac with no tearing, no recovery pain, nothing. Birth can be beautiful, empowering, calm, and not scary. Try not to fret too much over what you cant control.
I'm sorry I only just saw this link you provided. I did read it and at the end it clearly stated that there was no way of latching the seat onto the "shopping trolley". As I have mentioned in several previous comments my specific seat I used but no longer have, would sit down on back of basket/toddler seat about 2 inches as well as actually latch onto the front thin bars of cart. It would not slide or tip at all unless I released the latch and lifted it off.
Again I'm not saying that everyone should do this. Until the craziness of my first comment I was unaware of all the negative outcomes of placing the seat up in the front.