Carseats, strollers, and baby wearing: Preferred carrying method?

nda_roxybabe

If this should be in the weekly randoms or advice from STM instead, let me know and we can have a gif party

What is your plan for getting baby around?

I have a bad neck and shoulders and can't carry anything heavy for longer than a couple minutes. I already know carrying around a car seat is going to be out. My plan has been to wear baby, but I am wondering if this is a realistic option. Does this make sense for running in somewhere? What about going out to dinner, I am guessing I may not want to have baby on me the whole time.

That's where I start thinking about using a stroller. STM's how often do you use your stroller? and for what sorts of things?

While we're at it, anyone have any of the above items picked out or that they plan to purchase?

emilyalso

For a newborn, I highly recommend a caddy stroller. They are a bit pricey new - not worth $100! - but if you can find one second hand, I would scoop it up! They are SO lightweight and easy to fold and you can just pop the seat in and go. The biggest help, I think, was for getting BACK IN the car. Having your baby already snug in their carseat is a huge help. (We have a larger stroller too - that worked with our infant car seat - but the caddy was SO easy to use in the beginning.)

We also have several types of wraps/carriers, and I have found that any with a waist strap are more comfortable than one without. The Bjorn is super easy to use, and my little guy liked it well enough, but for longer walks I would never pick it. 

WombThereItIs

I'm not a big crunchy baby wearing type but I did find it useful in the first 6 months. I had a ktan for easy in and out around the house (especially during those leap weeks, ugh) and also used that on trips out some when he was itty bitty because it is not safe to put the car seat on top of a cart. (Seriously, don't do this)

I had a csection so carrying the bucket seat was hard at first but mine clipped into the stroller and it ruled. The bucket seat is also great when you go out to eat, they will sleep all meal long in that thing. Just have dad carry it. I used the seat clicked into the stroller a lot too since we live in the suburbs and you park then walk around most places. 

The soft structered carriers were more useful after the first couple of months when they aren't a total larvae but still can't sit up either. If you're going somewhere not super stroller friendly or you need to use a shopping cart they are good for this. 

I eventually got a jogging stroller and an umbrella stroller but im an equipment whore. I have a second seat for the big stroller already so that's my plan. 

My inventory: 
Infant car seat: uppababy mesa
strollers: uppababy vista, uppababy g luxe, bob revolution
carriers: ktan, ergo, ergo 360. 

Squirtgun

Baby wearing is awesome!  I know some areas have a group where you can try different types of carriers. That might be a good idea so you can find one that works with your neck/shoulder issues. I have worn baby while eating out, at church, out shopping, anywhere you can think of!  If your carrier fits you well, especially when baby is little, it is a great option!    When baby gets so big that you don't want to wear them for long, they will be big enough to sit in the cart while shopping or a highchair while eating out. 
The car seat gets really heavy, really fast! Strollers can be nice for certain things, but can get in the way easily as well. I generally use a stroller only for walks, or things like museums/zoos.  I think they are too bulky to try to use while running errands and such- especially having to fold and unfold and store the stroller in the car. 

nda_roxybabe

Thanks guys! Of course I'm weird and don't want to clip the car seat into the stroller. I really want a Bugaboo or like (maybe a Nuna) with the bassinet (though I realize this may be completely impractical). I think with the wrap I'm worried that a. It'll be too hot (Phoenix in May is already hell) or b. Baby will hate it and even c. My shoulders might not like it.
If we take H's car (always do for stuff together) he can carry the car seat, but even he knows how heavy they get.

Kipperoo

emilyalso said:

For a newborn, I highly recommend a caddy stroller. They are a bit pricey new - not worth $100! - but if you can find one second hand, I would scoop it up! They are SO lightweight and easy to fold and you can just pop the seat in and go. The biggest help, I think, was for getting BACK IN the car. Having your baby already snug in their carseat is a huge help. (We have a larger stroller too - that worked with our infant car seat - but the caddy was SO easy to use in the beginning.)

We also have several types of wraps/carriers, and I have found that any with a waist strap are more comfortable than one without. The Bjorn is super easy to use, and my little guy liked it well enough, but for longer walks I would never pick it. 

THIS--seriously, being able to keep the baby peacefully sleeping in it's car seat while transporting in and out of the car was an absolute must for me. Every second of sleep was pure gold. Maybe it's just me, but getting the baby in and out of the car seat in the car was no easy task when they are so floppy/new. We used a Chicco keyfit system with our last baby and I'm planning to reuse the stroller. It's a little bulky, but easy to fold, car seat clips in, and although it does convert to a standard stroller, we flipped him to an umbrella stroller as soon as he could sit up on his own and was out of the infant seat. 

Also, I loved my Bjorn (it was my favorite, even though I also had a K'tan and an Ergo). It just seemed way easier to use and a lot sturdier.

In short, I would recommend some kind of stroller (I know you don't like the click in kind--it may not be necessary if you don't do a lot of driving, but I can't imagine not having one) and at least one carrier, if that interests you. Different situations will call for different needs.  

My inventory:
Car seat: Chicco Keyfit 30 (just bought a new one because our first definitely went through the ringer with my son).

Stroller: Chicco (I forget the model?) convertible stroller with carset adapter. I wish I had the frame stroller that @emilyalso suggested, but I don't want to buy a new one to use for a few months with this one, so I'll suck it up.

Carrier: Bjorn, Ergo, K'tan--I want to try another soft wrap this go around because I think it might be more useful around the house with the toddler. Maybe a Tula?

nda_roxybabe

I think I'm going to do the K'tan Breeze ( I think its one of the cooler ones?) as my SIL has a regular and I like it. Then I want H to pick himself an Ergo. I'm open to trying others though!

Anyone happen to know if there's any lightweight carseats? This may help for me at least hauling it out of the car.  I like that the strap on the Orbit (I think?) is a little more comfortable looking. 

Kipperoo

Oh, and to add--carrying the car seat was an option only during extreme circumstances. They get so heavy and they are so bulky and would knock me in the shins while walking. Maybe I'm just weak...haha...it was absolutely not my preferred method. Like, ever. 

achays11

Taking a stroller to a restaurant is difficult, because they often don't have room for it. In those situations, baby wearing or keeping baby in the car seat is best. Just remember to put a napkin on your LO's head if you're going to eat while baby wearing. DD has gotten her share of food to the head. 

For a lightweight wrap in hot weather, I would suggest the Solly Baby wrap. Much thinner than a Moby and I never found it to be uncomfortable. I'm in So Cal, so the summers are brutal here too. 

We have the Graco Modes Click Connect travel system for DD. It is great! Basically everything comes off of the frame, so you can just click the car seat into the frame without the seat portion. When they get a little bigger the sit clicks in and you can face it either way. 

psherman42wwsa

I have the maxi cosi mico and I believe its one of the lightest car seats at 11lbs or something. I originally had a chicco key fit 30 but I didn't like the way it clicked into my stroller- city elite. The chicco is a very nice car seat but it's pretty heavy.. test out the maxi cosi in the store it might be easier on your back. I also liked how the maxi cosi had a very large sun canopy vs. the chicco. When the baby is small it's a lifesaver being able to tote them around in the car seat while sleeping... you may be able to enjoy a whole dinner out somewhere if you don't mess with them! I've always loved the pram attachments that you can get with a stroller, they are so cute but not that practical in my opinion. If your child is asleep in the car seat your not going to want to risk waking them to put them in a pram or stroller. When my son got too heavy and I could no longer carry the car seat, I used to sit in the car and wait for him to wake up... I missed being able to click the car seat into the stroller. Having the ability to click the car seat into a stroller is really convenient. I suggest trying all the options out at the store.

I think the ktan makes a breatheable mesh carrier for warm weather. Ktan breeze. I couldn't ever get the sizing right on the ktan so I have a wrap style carrier that I loved when baby was small. Thinking about getting a tula this time so I can use it longer.

KMD1106

We mostly carried DD around in a car seat until it got really heavy. This was about the same time she could sit up, so we carried her into restaurants at that point and had her sit in a high chair. For shopping, we did the same thing, car seat until it got to heavy and then the front of the cart. This time I hope to babywear a little bit more (that reminds me I need to get my Ergo back from my friend) because it will be harder to maneuver with 2. 

chickyclg

I loved baby wearing around the house and depending on where we were going, but if I was planning on getting in and out I normally said screw it and just carried the carseats.  Also double check the age recommendations for your desired stroller, some are not rated from birth in the regular seats (It depends I think if it allows baby to be flat).  

We have Chicco Lightweight plus strollers that we keep in DH's truck, they can snap in the carseat (Chicco Keyfit 30) and it's an umbrella stroller for when you want a lighter weight option later.  If I only had a singleton it would probably be my go to stroller for daily use these days.

mrsmctaggart6

Has anyone tried a lalabu soothe shirt? I found them right as DD was ready to outgrow them and they're expensive but they look awesome and I wish I had tried it, personally I wouldn't bother with the soft wrap carrier, when she was small enough for it by the time I got the stupid thing tied on correctly she wanted to nurse again and I had to take it off... maybe it would get better with practice for someone more patient than me but it drove me nutty. I registered for a ring sling but my family helpfully bought me a bunch of other carriers not from my registry without receipts so I tried to tough it out with those and none of them worked very well, moral of the story is don't cheap out on baby carriers, the cheap ones are a PIA 

nda_roxybabe

@mrsmctaggart6 I keep seeing the Lalabu and am considering registering for/ getting it. I feel like its more of an around the house sort of thing though.

JCWhitey

I used a carrier or carried my kids for the most part.  We don't even own a stroller.  Once they could walk, they walked.

ChristinaWild

We used the carseat carrier a lot, but I also really loved using my Boba wrap. It made it easy to get around without lugging anything. Also, my son screamed for about 18 hours a day for the first few months unless he was moving, so I'd strap him on and do whatever I needed to around the house. Once he got a little bigger, I switched over to the baby Bjorn because he was cranky in the Boba.  My plan for this baby is to use the stroller for my son and use the Boba wrap/Bjorn for the baby for as long as possible.

livin541

I second recommending the Solly baby wrap, especially in warm climates. They are pretty lightweight and the patterns are great. Getting a few more is definitely on my list. I did love my ergo last time, but I might try a Tula or Lille this time around! 

For the stroller sitch, I definitely recommend using the carrier snap in as long as possible. Do not deal with  transferring a sleeping baby in and out of a car seat unless absolutely necessary! We have the Chicco Keyfit30 car seat and City Mini Zip and love both. The Zip is lightweight and easy to fold up, and a stroller that transitions well into toddlerhood. 

hp_momma

@nda_roxybabe I had DD1 in Arizona and DD2 in Texas and the baby K'tan breeze was definitely worth it! Neither me or the baby got too hot or sweaty and it was perfect. I have lower back issues and found that I could use the carrier without any issues. This time I looking into a Tula for when they are a little older or an Ergo. I have heard that Ergo has a "sport" version which is supposed to be for the warmer weather climates as well so that might sway my decision as we still travel home to Arizona quite often. 

chickyclg

h&pmomma said:

@nda_roxybabe I had DD1 in Arizona and DD2 in Texas and the baby K'tan breeze was definitely worth it! Neither me or the baby got too hot or sweaty and it was perfect. I have lower back issues and found that I could use the carrier without any issues. This time I looking into a Tula for when they are a little older or an Ergo. I have heard that Ergo has a "sport" version which is supposed to be for the warmer weather climates as well so that might sway my decision as we still travel home to Arizona quite often. 

Tula makes mesh ones too!

hp_momma

chickyclg said:

h&pmomma said:

@nda_roxybabe I had DD1 in Arizona and DD2 in Texas and the baby K'tan breeze was definitely worth it! Neither me or the baby got too hot or sweaty and it was perfect. I have lower back issues and found that I could use the carrier without any issues. This time I looking into a Tula for when they are a little older or an Ergo. I have heard that Ergo has a "sport" version which is supposed to be for the warmer weather climates as well so that might sway my decision as we still travel home to Arizona quite often. 

Tula makes mesh ones too!

Oh awesome!!! Now back to figuring out which one to get haha 

nda_roxybabe

Alright, alright...I'll look for a travel system. I know the strollers I like offer the add on for it.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

If you are looking at Maxi Cosa, you might want to consider your car. They are pretty long front to back. My cousin got 2 for her twins and can only fit them in one of their two cars. Remember you only use the carrier for about a year and they all meet the same safety standards. We really liked our Graco 35 Click Connect. It was less expensive than some and very lightweight (for an infant carrier). 

vrj0522

I like doing a combination of baby wearing and carrying in their car seat. I agree with pp that a caddy stroller is easiest to use when baby still naps constantly. 

DD loved her car seat and up until 6 months old if she was in it, she was sleeping. When she was 5 months old we drove to the airport, were told that our flight had been canceled, and went home and she slept from the time we left home until we got back because we never had to pull her out of her car seat. The next week we went on our trip to NYC and we still joke about the fact that she slept through the whole thing. She was an awesome sleeper but not having to interrupt her sleep made all the difference.

WombThereItIs

nda_roxybabe said:

Thanks guys! Of course I'm weird and don't want to clip the car seat into the stroller. I really want a Bugaboo or like (maybe a Nuna) with the bassinet (though I realize this may be completely impractical). I think with the wrap I'm worried that a. It'll be too hot (Phoenix in May is already hell) or b. Baby will hate it and even c. My shoulders might not like it.
If we take H's car (always do for stuff together) he can carry the car seat, but even he knows how heavy they get.

Ooh I forgot our Uppababy Vista has a bassinet. I loved that thing. 

chickyclg

WombThereItIs said:

nda_roxybabe said:

Thanks guys! Of course I'm weird and don't want to clip the car seat into the stroller. I really want a Bugaboo or like (maybe a Nuna) with the bassinet (though I realize this may be completely impractical). I think with the wrap I'm worried that a. It'll be too hot (Phoenix in May is already hell) or b. Baby will hate it and even c. My shoulders might not like it.
If we take H's car (always do for stuff together) he can carry the car seat, but even he knows how heavy they get.

Ooh I forgot our Uppababy Vista has a bassinet. I loved that thing. 

@WombThereItIs How often did you use it, I am on the fence about getting it for our City Select.

WombThereItIs

@chickyclg a good bit actually. If we were out I clipped in the car seat so he wouldn't wake but I liked it a lot for going on walks. I think I may use it more this summer as a cooler alternative to the bucket seat though because the south is nasty in the summer. 

I wiuld double check the configuration options though. Some strollers you can do a second seat with the bassinet and some you can't. 

chickyclg

WombThereItIs said:

@chickyclg a good bit actually. If we were out I clipped in the car seat so he wouldn't wake but I liked it a lot for going on walks. I think I may use it more this summer as a cooler alternative to the bucket seat though because the south is nasty in the summer. 

I wiuld double check the configuration options though. Some strollers you can do a second seat with the bassinet and some you can't. 

I never would have thought about it being cooler, I'm in Houston so our summers are pretty gross too.  I'm not too worried about the second seat, if we go out as a family we will use both the SBS and the City Select.  I am still on the fence about getting a universal seat to attach to the back of my SBS or just baby wearing if I need to get out solo with all 3.

mrsmctaggart6

nda_roxybabe said:

@mrsmctaggart6 I keep seeing the Lalabu and am considering registering for/ getting it. I feel like its more of an around the house sort of thing though.

Ya I probably would use it just around the house, I'm panicking a little because DD is super high energy and she always wanted to be held when she was a nb so I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to keep up toting another baby, lol (no this interval was not planned...)

inomniaparatus2

@nda_roxybabe I'm a FTM but we just tested out the uppababy mesa and the nuna pipa and we decided the nuna pipa was a better option. It's the lightest infant car seat at 7.5# and they have bassinets if you want or we are planning on getting the stroller where you just connect the car seat to it. Might be something for you to look into 

WombThereItIs

SWE2 said:

@nda_roxybabe I'm a FTM but we just tested out the uppababy mesa and the nuna pipa and we decided the nuna pipa was a better option. It's the lightest infant car seat at 7.5# and they have bassinets if you want or we are planning on getting the stroller where you just connect the car seat to it. Might be something for you to look into 

I love our mesa and will reuse it for kid2 this time but this is a good point. It is HEAVY. Like 11lbs or something? Husband and I are both big sturdy types so it wasn't no too bad for us but it's something to keep in mind. 

nda_roxybabe

@SWE2 Thank you! I really love the looks of the Nuna's. I think we will head to Strolleria soon and test some stuff out

kat81

emilyalso said:

For a newborn, I highly recommend a caddy stroller. They are a bit pricey new - not worth $100! - but if you can find one second hand, I would scoop it up! They are SO lightweight and easy to fold and you can just pop the seat in and go. The biggest help, I think, was for getting BACK IN the car. Having your baby already snug in their carseat is a huge help. (We have a larger stroller too - that worked with our infant car seat - but the caddy was SO easy to use in the beginning.)

We also have several types of wraps/carriers, and I have found that any with a waist strap are more comfortable than one without. The Bjorn is super easy to use, and my little guy liked it well enough, but for longer walks I would never pick it. 

Do you mean like a snap and go frame for the carseat? I thought these were like $50 new. We have the macleran one, which was more but not that bad. It is the BEST

BabyMC517

I have to be careful lifting things, too. We went to Babies 'R Us and looked at a bunch of travel systems. I tried picking them up to see which was the most comfortable and least heavy. I had no problems with this one, https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=87026306&fromRegistryNumber=58784657&product_skn=444322, Baby Trend Tri-Flex Travel System. Not sure if anyone has heard of it or used it, but any info would be awesome! I love it because it is so light and easy to use, but want to make sure it is safe and all of that good stuff, too, which is most important.

Would like a wrap or something as well to carry baby that way, so I'm going to be doing some research on all of the suggested ones!! I love reading what everyone has used and liked, really helps FTMs in my opinion. So, thank you!! 

hp_momma

I absolutely hated my Baby Trend infant seat. And I'm so glad it's expired now so I can trade it in for a new one with this baby! 
The seat itself was fine, and it was lightweight to carry but the base and car seat was nearly impossible to get a good latch in any car. And the angle was always off and needing to be adjusted. 

This time around in going for one of the Graco Snugrides. 

I LOVE LOVE our Britax convertible seats but their infant seats are a little pricier and since we only use it for about a year I'd rather save a little and the Graco has really good reviews. I'll definitely go back to Britax when it's time for a convertible seat. 

pshaortao

We have the Britax B-Agile stroller with the B-Safe carseat that clicks in it and used it regularly for long walks and occasionally errands for DD. I also enjoyed baby wearing for shorter walks or when it was colder outside. It was nice to be able to baby wear while shopping if I really needed a cart for a bigger trip, otherwise I would just have a large reusable bag to carry lightweight stuff and put the heavier stuff like milk under the basket. It was just super easy to keep DD in the infant seat and just click it onto the stroller

When DD starting sitting up more independently, we switched to an used Graco stroller (it just steered better and access to the basket was better and bigger). Now that she's 2 (and 2ish months), we rarely use the stroller anymore. And because I have her and plan to be on the go more often, I will probably get a ktan baby breeze or something that will be good for summer time here then switch to the ergo by fall. 

nda_roxybabe

If I lived in a big city (and was super rich) or Kate Middleton (oh gosh, I wish!) I'd buy this $2000 pram.

Squirtgun

@nda_roxybabe and if you were that rich, you could afford to wear an all white dress around baby, just like that fancy lady!  (You only wear each dress once, right? So spit up and such is no biggie!) 

caileajayden

We used a stroller and carrier most of my sons first couple of months and the carrier was used more than the stroller, as he got bigger we used the carrier less and now at almost 2 we don't use it at all. When we go in a restaurant we use the stroller in place of a high chair. We have the britax b-ready so the seat is decently high. 

chickyclg

caileajayden said:

We used a stroller and carrier most of my sons first couple of months and the carrier was used more than the stroller, as he got bigger we used the carrier less and now at almost 2 we don't use it at all. When we go in a restaurant we use the stroller in place of a high chair. We have the britax b-ready so the seat is decently high. 

@caileajayden do you always bring your stroller into restaurants?  That seems like a PITA, what do you do if it's busy?

caileajayden

It doesn't matter, it tucks right into the table like a chair would so it's not really in the way. Or they'll usually park it somewhere out of the way for us if it really is too busy and we just use a highchair. It sounds annoying I guess but it's really not at all. I've never had any issues lol

Kori+S

nda_roxybabe said:

@SWE2 Thank you! I really love the looks of the Nuna's. I think we will head to Strolleria soon and test some stuff out

I have the Pipa Nuna and LOVE it! I'm such a weakling I knew I couldn't handle a heavy seat with a baby. Like, I would pick empty ones up and I thought my arm was going to fall asleep. I was able to pack the car seat in and out of restaurants while DD was tiny and slept the whole time. 

I have the Stokke Xplory and the Pipa pops right in. Super easy! I used this mostly when I was going to the mall. The stroller also has the bassinet piece which I loooved for walks. She's a little too big now, but it will work well for our next babe. 

I still use the stroller all the time. With the seat it's perfect for taking into restaurants in place of a high chair. It sits up high and doesn't take up any more room than a high chair. 

As far as wearing, I loved the solly wrap when she was super tiny! It was the easiest way to get stuff done while still snuggling her. She's 8mo now and I still wrap her up in it when she's sleepy and I'm in the store. I also have an Ergo 360, which is nice for the different positions. But when she faces forward it looks like her legs are spread really far apart. I think it looks uncomfortable, not that she complains. Haha! 

There are so many fun options!! Good luck picking. ☺️