babywearing question

ifwisheswerefishes

i don't know exactly where to post this, so i figured here would be a good spot to start.

DH and i have already decided that i am going to babywear until the baby becomes too heavy for me to manage, or until i become pregnant again. he of course will babywear from time to time, but that is something that i am more comfortable doing until i am unable.

however, we are also considering getting a stroller for when LO is toddler age but still occasionally needs to be pushed around (i.e. long trips to the zoo or mall, etc.). 

my question is, should we even bother looking at strollers now, or wait until LO is older and we cross that bridge, since i have no idea when the weight will become too much for me to handle like that.

 

tokenhoser

General advice is to get a snap n go that works with your infant car seat, then buy a stroller if and when you want one. It's very lifestyle and temperament dependent.

For us, I had a car-sleeping baby and I was happy to not wake him every time we got somewhere. 

dcox777

I second the snap n go...it's awesome.  and you can usually find them at a consignment store in pretty much perfect condition for very cheap.  (wish I would have done that, but mine was a gift)  they are perfect for transferring sleeping babies in car seats when you have to run into a store, etc...

I wore (and still wear) my son as well and did end up buying a Cybex (more upscale umbrella stroller) once we was around 6 or 7 months old for the times I wanted one.  (and then I have a BOB for walking/running)

Have you got a carrier yet?  If not I highly suggest trying out a variety of carriers with your baby to make sure you have one you like the best.  They are all actually very different and the one I got before my son was born (a bjorn as a gift) I actually hated and ended up getting a Beco Butterfly which I LOVE.  we travel with him everywhere and I end up just having him in that carrier, even at 15 months old, rather than lugging the stroller through the airport.  Then if he feels too heavy on the front, I just wear him piggy-back style and he loves it!

some places do "trials" of carriers.  I got mine from www.heavenlyhold.com and for $8 you can try one for 14 days...which is awesome!

good luck! 

 

pixieprincss

I'm a baby gear minimalist, so I would say just wait and see. Once baby is here you'll have a better of idea of how BW and/or stroller will fit into your lifestyle. You may like a snap-and-go right away, you may want an ummbrella stroller at 10 months, you may never want any stroller. If you have friends with kids, you also may find that someone will lend you something to try out. I use a stroller one day a week when DS comes to work with me and I have multiple bags to bring in. We borrowed a snap-and-go when he was little and got a basic umbrella stroller from Freecycle for once he was out of the infant seat.

Also, I don't know if you have a health condition that would preclude you from BW while PG, but for most women who want to continue wearing their kiddos, it is no problem because you've gradually built up your strength through time--it is just like if you worked out before PG, you can work out during PG. I have pelvic instability and still regularly wear DS--I just consider it part of my normal exercise.

TheMrs1009

Wait.  You can always get a stroller if you need one.  DS is 4 months and we've used his stroller once (and he didn't care for it).