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2nd Trimester
Stroller and Car Seat Advice Please
I have been reading up alot on both of these but I am still unsure of what to buy.
As for a car seat, I haven't decided if I should go right to the convertible or spend the extra money and start with an infant seat. I was looking at the Graco Snugride 35 for an infant seat if that's what I choose to do.
As for the stroller... I'm getting nowhere. I'm not sure if I need a frame, a travel system, or a lightweight stroller that either has a full recliner for infants or infant seat compatibility (if I go with the infant seat). I will mostly be walking at the park and mall and most likely the grocery store. However, I am also trying to think of which option will give me the most for my money (I'm on a slightly tight budget).
Any advice?
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Re: Stroller and Car Seat Advice Please
I can only give you my limited experience. DD is 7 months old and still in her infant car seat. I have to say, I cannot imagine having a convertible seat for a newborn. They sleep SO MUCH that getting them in and out would wake them and be a pain in the rear. It is so nice to just lift her out in her seat, still sleeping and take her where ever. At this point she weighs over 16 pounds, her car seat weighs around 10 (graco snugride 32) so that means 26 pounds to carry. It's a lot but when she's asleep and we are just going to the store I know I don't have to go far. I put the carseat in the grocery store cart or at a restaurant in the high chair or just a regular chair and she does fine.
I got the travel system, which is also nice. I use it for the zoo, the mall and walks around neighborhoods. We also used it for her to sleep in at the lake when she was tiny. Again, very convenient to just lift her seat and put it in the stroller. It is bulky and heavier than something like a snap and go or an umbrella stroller, but she is at an age now where sometimes she is active/awake and so I take her out of the infant seat and sit the stroller upright for her to ride around in and watch the world in. If she gets sleepy, I recline it, pull the hood and off to sleep she goes. I love that.
I know many moms that love the snap and go with an infant seat and many moms that just use baby carriers til their kids were big enough for an umbrella. That wasn't me. We are just about to buy an umbrella and it is going to be used about 1/2 the time and the travel system the other 1/2.
I got the graco system in Ben (gender neutral). I am able to lift it in and out on my own. I am 5'2" and drive a volvo SUV. My mom bought it for us as our gift. She used a 20% off coupon and also a friend gave her an old carseat to use on one of those turn in old baby gear and get 20% off. I think in total she spent $150 after the coupons.
Good luck deciding!
Strollers are a whole other ball game. If you don't get an infant seat, don't get a snap and go. Maclaren make really nice light strollers and are pretty affordable.
I didn't buy the infant seat for my first child because I had a realative whose kids had outgrown it and passed it down. And then I passed it down. Honestly my son grew out of the infant seat by 6 months. He is very tall and honeslty it got to the point that we (DH and I) didnt want to carry the infant seat around anymore. So we moved him into a convertable.
I will probly buy an infant car seat for DS #2...since I no longer have the one I used for DS #1. It is convient when they are young that they can fall asleep in the seat and you can carry them back and forth that way instead of risking waking them up when you unbuckle and get them out of the car. Not to mention shopping with your LO. They can't sit in the cart so putting the infant seat into the cart is a convienance.
I am on a pretty tight budget myself but I will still be getting an infant seat.
Get the infant seat, not having to wake up your baby is sooo worth it! Often BRU has a metrolite/snugride travel system for not that much, around $150 or so. This is what I got and it worked out great. It's not a fancy stroller, but it is light and has all the bells and whistles of a full size stroller without the extra heft.
I only used the metrolite as an indoor stroller. I would not enjoy pushing it outside, but I'm an all-terrain, air tire snob when it comes to that. Your local craigslist might be a good resource if you're interested in a budget friendly air tire/all terrain stroller.
Def get an infant seat. You cannot put a price on not waking a sleeping infant and I can't tell you how many nights K actually slept in the thing when she was tiny b/c I could get her down anywhere else. Some of the least expensive ones (Baby Trend) are actually some of the safest.
I ended up keeping K in her infant seat until about 10/11 mos, then we bought the convertibles because she started to protest the infant seat and she as too darned heavy to carry in it.
As for strollers, I'm probably a bad reference point because I have gotten to the point that I have way too many of them. I started off with a Chico travel system when it was recalled, we got a Maxi Cosi Foray with the Mico infant seat. LOVE that system, we still use the stroller now (it's like a Bugaboo, but 1/3 of the price). That was a PITA to travel with when we flew anywhere (it's 2 pieces), plus on short trips to the mall/grocery store, so at that point (15mos?), I bought a Maclaren Triumph. LOVE that thing and also still use the crap out of it. We were fine with those 2 until we went to Disney in September and ended up picking up a Peg Perego Pliko P3, because I wanted something that was light, folded easily, had a huge basket, full recline, a good sun canopy and cupholders for both K and us. I also LOVE and would rec that one (above the other 2) to start out with, but it's kind of pricy.
So now I have 3 great strollers and I'm looking at doubles. I may need an intervention!
May 2011 Siggy Challenge
I definitely think an infant car seat is very convenient for the first number of months, and safer than carrying the baby to and from the car from a convertible car seat.
We are also on a very tight budget. I am buying a Maclaren stroller as its light weight for travelling. I do want a travel system to put the car seat on in the beginning but its just unpractically unaffordable. I did however pass a nice consignment store and they sold infant car seats in excellent condition and a travel system for approx $20! A car seat I would be wary of for safety reasons, you don't know how etc.. without researching, but I am considering a travel system as only the car seat would sit on top anyway. After that LO will be old enough to be in the maclaren.
We used an infant seat (Graco Snugride 32) for the first four months and then switched to a Britax Marathon. We definitely plan on using the infant seat in the beginning again; it's so handy when babies sleep all the time!
For a stroller, we used the Graco snap-n-go stroller frame with the infant seat and a Craigslist travel system stroller after we stopped using the infant seat. The travel system stroller sucked, so we bought a Britax umbrella stroller (and love it). I'm hoping to use the infant seat long enough this time to go straight to the umbrella stroller from the snap-n-go.
I would absolutely get an infant seat. I think the Graco Snugride 35 is a great choice. It will last longer than many other infant seats. I would sacrifice many other things before putting a newborn directly into a convertible car seat.
I also love my stroller- Baby Jogger City Mini, but it is a tad pricey. The great thing about the BJCM is how versatile it is. The infant car sear snaps right onto it so there's no need for a snap 'n go. It's extremely light weight, I can lift/fold it with one hand, it doesn't take up much space in our trunk,it's not to wide to use in stores, and it fully reclines so there's no need for a travel system stroller or light weight stroller. It's not made for actual jogging, but it's great outdoors or on uneven surfaces and it's easy to steer so there's no need for a all terrain or jogging stroller.
The Baby Jogger City Mini was the most bang for our buck. I only wish we were able to use it longer, but with LO#2 on the way we'll be getting the Baby Jogger City Mini double soon.
This. We used the metrolite/snugride travel system and it worked well for us. When DD was around 7 or 8 months old we got a used jogger to use outside (much easier for going on walks and being outside).
We've decided to go with a Graco SnugRide infant seat and one of the $60 snap and go stroller inserts to start. And cross our fingers that we won't need to move up to larger versions of either until late December, when the grandparents are in 'Baby's First Christmas' shopping mode.
We also both figure we'd prefer to use something like a Baby Bjorn or Snuggli a lot of the time but who knows what reality will turn out to be.
just to muddy the water... I had the snugride 35 and HATED it. So much so that I sold it and am buying another. It was HEAVY! It was BULKY! and my son was in a convertible sooner because of it.
I am looking at something smaller and lighter. There is no way that your child will be 35 pounds and still in that seat... and if he/she is... you won't be toting him around in it. It's heavy!
I also had the travel system and then got a maclaren and then got a BOB jogging stroller and wish I had gone straight for the BOB with the infant attachment. LOVE it. like would marry it, if I could.
and I like the maclaren for an umbrella.
but every person is different and what worked for me, may not work for you. good luck!
We have a Graco Snugride 35 and really like it. It is very heavy, but it's heavy for a reason. You'll get used to it, and you should be able to fit your baby in it for about a year. My son is in the 95th percentile for height and only just outgrew it a few weeks ago.
We opted for a Graco LiteRider stroller instead of just a Graco frame or Snap n' Go. It's only about $10-15 more, but it can function as an actual stroller when you aren't using the infant seat, and it can carry the infant seat. It's nothing too fancy, but it's great for traveling and running errands and has all the essential features you'll need. We still use it all the time and I highly recommend it.
Most friends I know that recently had children advised me to get an infant car seat. So after weighing the pros and cons DH and I decided to take their advice. We however did opt to get a travel system (I thought this was the best bang for your buck). We purchased the Graco Sung Ride travel system $168.00 via Amazon.
I personally would rather have a real stroller and not have to purchase one later. Also you can get good deals on convertible car seats once LO reaches that stage. I am VERY frugal so I definitely shop around for the best prices. So far I think Amazon when it comes to prices has all the other baby specialty sores BRU and BBB (buy buy baby) beat! Also try wholesale places like BJs, Sams Club or Costco!