Question/Discussion for city mommies about car seats

aminalex · August 2014

Hey City Moms! I've been wracking my brain about the car seat situation and I figure I'd go to the source before I explode. FTM status, obviously.

We are registered for the Baby Jogger City Mini, which is a very highly rated city stroller (for weight, ease of use, maneuverability, etc...). We are also registered for a Chicco Convertible NextFit carseat. DH and I then realized that the City Mini adapters only fit infant car seats. So we will not be able to fit the car seat we chose with the stroller we chose. I don't want to pick a new car seat. The one we chose will serve us for years, whereas an infant car seat will last maybe a year.

Sooooo.... should we even get a car seat? we live in NYC, don't own a car and take public transport everywhere. On the occasions that we take a taxi, we could have him in the carrier. How old until he can sit in the stroller himself? I've heard differing opinions/stats on this and was wondering if you had personal experience. If we can't put him in the stroller for 6 months plus, is the only option really to carry him everywhere?

As you can tell, I'm all over the place on this one so I hope this makes sense. Please help!

MrMrsandBaby · August 2014

Ummm...if you don't have a car why would you get a car seat? I really don't get it.

I don't know about your specific stroller but mine lays flat and I could put DD in it right away (and I did). She still uses it to this day and she is 2.5 now. If the stroller doesn't lay flat then I *think* the suggestion is they have to be sitting on their own. I know to actually jog you are supposed to wait 6 months.

MorganWP · August 2014

I also dont understand why you would get a car seat if you dont have a car.

As for strollers. It depends on how flat it lays. Newborns should lay as flat as possible. That said ours lays almost flat and we put DD into it right away with an infant head insert thing.

meggiev123 · August 2014

We live in Kyiv without a car, and we have a car seat. When DD was an infant we used the bucket seat that could be easily strapped in the car all the time in taxis. If we were going to dinner, a friend's etc we wouldn't bring the stroller and she had something to sleep in if she was so inclined. We did buy a biggger car seat for toddler years, but we use it less because it's such a pain to set up, it's not practical for around town rides. We do use it when we go to the airport though (a 45 minute drive) or if we rent a car for a day or weekend trip.

MrMrsandBaby · August 2014

meggiev123 said:

We live in Kyiv without a car, and we have a car seat. When DD was an infant we used the bucket seat that could be easily strapped in the car all the time in taxis. If we were going to dinner, a friend's etc we wouldn't bring the stroller and she had something to sleep in if she was so inclined. We did buy a biggger car seat for toddler years, but we use it less because it's such a pain to set up, it's not practical for around town rides. We do use it when we go to the airport though (a 45 minute drive) or if we rent a car for a day or weekend trip.

This is a great point! Good reason for the infant seat.

andrieya · August 2014

For those of you who don't understand the need for car seat in the city--there are those occasional times when a car may be rented, but primarily the car seat is so that we can face the baby toward us in the stroller. Also so we can pop out the seat from the stroller in restaurants or before we have to walk up to our apartments. @Alexturnier‌ I registered for the same stroller, but for the graco click connect infant car seat. It's super light and less expensive than the cybex which is what we initially scanned at the store. We figured too that since we should probably only use as a car seat a handful of times, we should opt for a lighter and less expensive option.

aminalex · August 2014

andrieya said:
Also so we can pop out the seat from the stroller in restaurants or before we have to walk up to our apartments. @Alexturnier‌ I registered for the same stroller, but for the graco click connect infant car seat. It's super light and less expensive than the cybex which is what we initially scanned at the store. We figured too that since we should probably only use as a car seat a handful of times, we should opt for a lighter and less expensive option.

So much sense and so clear! I feel so much better about not getting a crazy car seat that we'll hardly use. I

pinkshades05 · August 2014

I started putting DD in our City Mini around 2 months. Before that, I would walk around with her in a carrier. She hated the carseat so it was pointless to keep her in it...besides in a car of course.

Thewizardofrhythm · August 2014

We're in NYC too and getting a car seat. We do have a car but I think as other people said, it's useful for other reasons. Also good to have one for taxi transport. But I would think about changing to the infant because the convertible is really only useful for the car. If you want tonuse if to carry, infant is much lighter and has a handle bar. If you're set on the car seat you already chose, most strollers have a bassinet attachment or an infant insert for the toddler seat I think...

Justabean3 · August 2014

A car seat is the more safer alternative for like the subway, train, taxi, bus or any other mode of transport besides walking. I have seen many wrecks where a baby has been ejected and the seat saved them.

It would be the same with a subway wreck. It isn't likely to happen but it could.

aminalex · August 2014

Thanks so much for all the input ladies! After reading your comments, I did some more research and changed the car seat to an infant one. I realized I wasn't comfortable not having the option of the safety and convenience of a car seat. And this one will fit the stroller!

andrieya · August 2014

Good plan--the bassinets are pricey and won't last as long as the car seat

Eastie156 · August 2014

I'm pretty sure that you can't leave the hospital without a car seat of some sort. It literally has nothing to do with owning a car, but they want to know you have a safe mode of transportation for baby... Maybe I'm mis-reading your post, but is this what you are asking @Alexturnier ?

JAH12 · August 2014

I was just going to say the same thing - I'm pretty sure all hospitals in the US require you to have an infant seat in order to be released from the hospital.

A good friend of mine had a baby in march and they acutally live in a building attached to the hospital where she delivered (her husband is doing his residency so they live in "student" housing) and they required her to still leave with a car seat.

BKLiz · August 2014

We also live in NYC and got the City Mini jogger GT. We aren't getting a car seat, but my parents are getting one for when they visit from the suburbs. Most car services have carseats if you call ahead to let them know -- Uber has them for an extra $10 as well. We had originally planned to get one, but after more thinking it seemed to just be another thing taking up space in our apartment. Also, while not the safest, you don't legally need a car seat in a taxi.

BKLiz · August 2014

Eastie156 said:

I'm pretty sure that you can't leave the hospital without a car seat of some sort. It literally has nothing to do with owning a car, but they want to know you have a safe mode of transportation for baby... Maybe I'm mis-reading your post, but is this what you are asking @Alexturnier ?

My hospital paperwork in NYC said you only needed a car seat if the baby was going home in a car. If you walked home or took the train they wouldn't require a carseat.

Beth Israel:: " If you are taking your baby home in a

car, New York State law requires you have an approved infant car seat. "

Amaher01 · September 2014

Please, please, please get the infant car seat. If you ever take a cab or car service in the city, the baby will be 100x's safer in the car seat than in your arms. We're in the city, too, and our CPR instructor scared the cr@p out of us with the statistics for NYC taxi accidents, etc. Also, the infant seat is good as a carrier or sleeping spot when you're at a restaurant or friends house.

Amaher01 · September 2014

The Uber car seat is not an infant seat, only the convertible seat for 12 months+.

Amaher01 · September 2014

Same with NY-Pres Weill Cornell. You cannot leave the hospital, regardless of transportation method, without one.

jarc2009 · September 2014

Get a car seat! You will need it for cabs/taxis/rental cars. Plus for flying I am not planning on lugging my heavy city stroller with me. I think I am going to bring a snap and go and car seat- figure that will be much easier for travel. Look into car seat adapters, they make them for most strollers and can fit different types of car seats.

aminalex · September 2014

We got the chicco keyfit. Good for newborns to 30 lbs. Just have to get the adapter for the stroller. I took all your suggestions to heart along with my own research for quality, etc... We needed the infant seat. There was really no two ways around it for our life style.

side note: We just picked up the registry gifts from my parent's place (we're never home and my dad doesn't work so he agreed to accept the packages) and a lot of hand me downs from SIL. It's so much more real now! I got so overexcited opening everything and organizing that my back is literally throbbing and I'll probably be lying down the rest of the night. Totally worth it!

Waterlilly11 · September 2014

I would say buy a comfortable carrier and possibly a bassinet feature for your stroller. Car seat is a PITA to lug around anyway, personally I would skip it.

TinyTRex321 · September 2014

I used our City Mini from the beginning and just put one of these in there to give him a little more cushion.

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-77510-Snuzzler-Ivory/dp/B0045VA3SO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410048390&sr=8-1&keywords=snuggler

I personally would not be comfortable taking the baby in a cab without a car seat. I would buy one to have for cabs, rentals, etc

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