Speaking of strollers-? for BTDT

JennyLynne · October 2013

I was just reading a blog about baby essentials and non-essentials. The stroller was categorized as a non-essential. BTDT moms, can you weigh in on that one? As a potential first time mom, the baby gear I think of when I think "baby" is stroller, car seat, & crib. I do intend on doing a lot of baby wearing if baby is cooperative with it (as I hear some babe's are not). So do you think a stroller is a must-have? Or is it something that you don't really use much initially?

jasminelorraine20 · October 2013

The baby wearing didn't work for us, so the stroller was definitely an essential. For his first trips to the zoo and aquarium, I wanted him to see what was going on. It was a must-have for doctor's appointments, so that I could easily fill out paperwork and carrying that car seat was too much of a hassle. I often took walks, and when we did our Thanksgiving in NY we were walking all over Times Square, so our stroller has gotten much use.

frasey · October 2013

it was a must-have for us.

LittleFish1 · October 2013

am still early on, but definitly a must have for us. Am only beginning to wear LO more often because she is small enough that we can do it. Before she seemed too small to wear (couldnt until 3+ months old and she it took a little while for her to warm up to being worn).

klyann · October 2013

A must have. I currently have 5! I also have 3 baby wearing contraptions but DS seems to not be a fan. DD wasn't much of one either.

JennyLynne · October 2013

Cool--thanks, ladies! I'll make sure to get one on the registry. Yet another example of why we can't believe everything we read on the internet.

Nechie122 · October 2013

I think the takeaway from that suggestion is that you should think about your lifestyle and how you plan to use your stroller, because there are so many options out there.

For instance, I bought a Bugaboo because I thought I needed all the bells and whistles ... but I probably would have been equally well served with a Snap n Go because I always just used the base with the car seat; I rarely bothered with the bassinet. I spent nearly $1,000 on the Bugaboo and used it about five months. At that point, I switched to a City Mini and it was so much lighter and easier, I never looked back.

2ndGeneration · October 2013

Stroller is a must-have for me!!!

I have 5 kids ages 20-10 and am preg with #6...so of course my strollers are long gone but yeah I'm getting another! I used a Graco lightweight travel system with the youngest 4-it was inexpensive and light and lasted for a decade. This time I'm thinking the Chicco Nuevo-that looks like a good one.

Wish82 · October 2013

Nechie122 said:

I think the takeaway from that suggestion is that you should think about your lifestyle and how you plan to use your stroller, because there are so many options out there. For instance, I bought a Bugaboo because I thought I needed all the bells and whistles ... but I probably would have been equally well served with a Snap n Go because I always just used the base with the car seat; I rarely bothered with the bassinet. I spent nearly $1,000 on the Bugaboo and used it about five months. At that point, I switched to a City Mini and it was so much lighter and easier, I never looked back.

this exactly. I do think a stroller is necessary for 95% of families! however! what kind you need is truly dependent on your lifestyle, and there are things won't know/realize until you're dealing with it. We were looking at the Chicco Liteway, but got an awesome deal on BJCM. I love our stroller, but sometimes wish I had the Liteway because it folds up so much smaller. We also baby wear a lot.

Nechie122 · October 2013

Wish82 said:

Nechie122 said:

I think the takeaway from that suggestion is that you should think about your lifestyle and how you plan to use your stroller, because there are so many options out there.

For instance, I bought a Bugaboo because I thought I needed all the bells and whistles ... but I probably would have been equally well served with a Snap n Go because I always just used the base with the car seat; I rarely bothered with the bassinet. I spent nearly $1,000 on the Bugaboo and used it about five months. At that point, I switched to a City Mini and it was so much lighter and easier, I never looked back.

this exactly. I do think a stroller is necessary for 95% of families! however! what kind you need is truly dependent on your lifestyle, and there are things won't know/realize until you're dealing with it. We were looking at the Chicco Liteway, but got an awesome deal on BJCM. I love our stroller, but sometimes wish I had the Liteway because it folds up so much smaller. We also baby wear a lot.

-----
Yes! Even with the City Mini, I wish I would have put more of an emphasis on "lightweight" and not worried as much as having it be able to lie flat. But at this point, I'm not spending any more money on strollers, and at 2.5, I'd prefer that DD get used to walking!

So much depends on whether you live in the city or suburbs, how often you drive, how much walking you do, how much you travel, whether you want the option to convert to a double, etc. etc. etc.

jess9802 · October 2013

The stroller has definitely been a necessity for us. In the future I might try different types of baby carriers - we just had a loaner Moby wrap, and as much as I liked it, it was uncomfortably hot and difficult to put on in a parking lot before going into stores. The heavier DS got the less secure it felt. We have a City Mini, and it's great. DS has always been comfortable in it, it's lightweight, it steers well, it's easy to fold. DS has slept in it at the airport, the mall, the aquarium, and an amusement park. My mom and MIL have used it when watching him.

My parents never had a stroller - they used backpacks and carriers - but our stroller has been my absolute favorite baby gear purchase.

spinsoffresonance · October 2013

I'm the exception here, DD is 11 months and I don't own a stroller. It really depends on your lifestyle and where you live. We have a condo in downtown Boston, we're up 2 flights of stairs and have 1 closet in our entire condo. no way I'm logging a stroller up and down every day and storing it in the middle of my living room. On top of that, sidewalks in the neighborhood are too narrow to accommodate a stroller, restaurants are tiny and cramped and pretty much don't have room for strollers, and most retail stores are up or down a flight of stairs. Not to mention the subway still lacks handicapped accessible (ie stroller accessible) stations. So for me it is much easier to get where I'm going and go about with my day babywearing rather than dealing with a stroller.

chatita_78 · November 2013

Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.

ebp913 · November 2013

chatita_78 said:

Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.

Agree times a million.

strawberrytree · November 2013

I used my stroller maybe three times the first year. We used the Snap and Go occasionally during the first few months, but mostly we just wore him. Throughout the winter and spring we wore him exclusively in our Beco until he learned to walk. If I was shopping, I put him in the cart or rented one of those little car things at the mall. It is approximately 1000x easier to take a baby on public transit in a carrier than a stroller too. Now he likes to walk everywhere. I do have a Chicco umbrella stroller that is handy when we're going somewhere we either have to get to on time or where he'll need to be contained (like a doctor's appointment) but for us it was definitely not a must-have for the first year. On the other hand, we couldn't have lived without our Beco Gemini. It all depends on your lifestyle and parenting style.

Nechie122 · November 2013

chatita_78 said:
Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.

A 3 year old can walk!

orangecurls · November 2013

If you plan on doing a lot of baby wearing, I would just get a snap n go stroller. I wore my babies most of the time, but at times I liked having somewhere to put baby or the stuff I was carrying.

(I usually recommend the britax b agile and b safe combo to preggo friends.)

chatita_78 · November 2013

Nechie122 said:

Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.
A 3 year old can walk!

Duh of course a 3 yr old can walk! I would like to meet the 3 yr old that can walk all day at Disneyland for 8 plus hours. So congrats if you are blessed with such a child or are so ripped that you can carry a 3 year old for the times they don't wish to walk. For all you others you need a freaking stroller.

FmrAFBrat · November 2013

orangecurls said:
If you plan on doing a lot of baby wearing, I would just get a snap n go stroller. I wore my babies most of the time, but at times I liked having somewhere to put baby or the stuff I was carrying.

This. Then you can decide on a better stroller that suits your needs & lifestyle. Like another PP said avoid cheap strollers.

Plus you don't know if baby will like being worn. FWIW my DS hates being worn for any extended period of time. For short trips (now that I have 2) like into the daycare or pharmacy I still use my snap n go stroller because it is easy to use one handed and I can hold my toddler's hand or carry him while I push the baby.

My recs would be the Safety 1st onBoard air 35 with the Clic It or the Chicco Keyfit 30 with the Keyfit Caddy. Both of those SnG combos have functional baskets and work easily in a pinch and snap in without you having to adjust the car seat to adapt to the stroller.

I use at least one stroller daily. Right now it is both my SnG and double strollers I rely on to get things done.

Nechie122 · November 2013

chatita_78 said:

Nechie122 said:

chatita_78 said:
Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.
A 3 year old can walk!

Duh of course a 3 yr old can walk! I would like to meet the 3 yr old that can walk all day at Disneyland for 8 plus hours. So congrats if you are blessed with such a child or are so ripped that you can carry a 3 year old for the times they don't wish to walk. For all you others you need a freaking stroller.

You're using the most extreme example, Disneyland. For most people outside So Cal (or Orlando), that's a once-a-year journey. I rarely use my stroller with my 2 year old. We do bring it "just in case" when we travel (mainly for the airport), but if we're making a trip to the zoo or the mall or something, more often than not, she won't sit it in. She walks. So saying you HAVE to have a stroller with a 3 year old (and an expensive one at that!) ... again, just depends on your lifestyle. I hope to do away with lugging the stroller altogether in another year or so.

chatita_78 · November 2013

Nechie122 said:

Nechie122 said:

Yes a stroller is a must and not all strollers are created equally. Whatever you end up with make sure you can push it with one hand. Also know that you will need it on trips to the zoo or Disneyland when your LO is older. It is simply impossible to carry around a 3 yr old all day long. And cheapest isn't always best. IMO you get what you pay for. The 8 wheeled strollers are a total nightmare to push around.
A 3 year old can walk!

Duh of course a 3 yr old can walk! I would like to meet the 3 yr old that can walk all day at Disneyland for 8 plus hours. So congrats if you are blessed with such a child or are so ripped that you can carry a 3 year old for the times they don't wish to walk. For all you others you need a freaking stroller.
You're using the most extreme example, Disneyland. For most people outside So Cal (or Orlando), that's a once-a-year journey. I rarely use my stroller with my 2 year old. We do bring it "just in case" when we travel (mainly for the airport), but if we're making a trip to the zoo or the mall or something, more often than not, she won't sit it in. She walks. So saying you HAVE to have a stroller with a 3 year old (and an expensive one at that!) ... again, just depends on your lifestyle. I hope to do away with lugging the stroller altogether in another year or so.

Well congrats then that you don't need it. I personally did. The question was asked I answered it as I saw fit. In my opinion it was necessary in the early stages, we still use it now and especially being that I'm super pregnant. Clearly we differ on our opinions. Enjoy yours stroller free life and I will enjoy my stroller full life in my Northern California life in which I use it often with running (per-preg), trips to the zoo, museums, festivals, and our "extreme" cases of Disneyland and all.

lyingliarlies · November 2013

we started out w/ a snap n go (clic it) b/c i couldn't decide on a stroller. i also started wearing DS in our beco gemini around 3 months. when i finally decided on a stroller we got a jogging stroller. i'm glad i never got a travel system or a pricey stroller b/c the jogging stroller fits our lifestyle perfectly. we mainly use a stroller for walking w/ the dogs at parks, downtown (think cobblestone streets), on the beach. anything other than a jogger wouldn't have worked for us.

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