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September 2017 Moms
jena333-2
member
Car seat and diaper bag questions
jena333-2
member
FTM here. Absolutely freaking out, but "someone" (pretty sure it's my step-mom) purchased some of the bigger ticket items off my slim registry (I've really mostly just been "window shopping" with it). We're getting this gorgeous stroller: Baby Jogger City Mini Single Stroller, Evergreen/Gray - which leads me to my next questions...
So can we talk car seats and diaper bags? Do you have/have heard about an amazing car seat? How many times are we going to have to change seats? (eg, there are infant seats... toddler seats... all the seats)
And diaper bags... I am hoping to breastfeed, and we will be cloth diapering.. so how big does a diaper bag need to be? Do you like lots of pockets, or prefer a wide open interior?
Thanks in advance
So can we talk car seats and diaper bags? Do you have/have heard about an amazing car seat? How many times are we going to have to change seats? (eg, there are infant seats... toddler seats... all the seats)
And diaper bags... I am hoping to breastfeed, and we will be cloth diapering.. so how big does a diaper bag need to be? Do you like lots of pockets, or prefer a wide open interior?
Thanks in advance
Re: Car seat and diaper bag questions
As far as bags, I breastfed my kids till they were each over a year old - I still had a packed bag!! Get one that has comfortable straps, whether messenger or backpack style. I always packed: 2-3 burp clothes, 2 change of clothes, 4+ diapers, diaper rash cream, extra pacifier, water bottle and snack for me, changing pad, blanket unless it was on the car seat. As you can imagine, that fills a bag pretty quickly. What you put in there will also change as baby gets older and then when their 6 months + snacks come into play and boy oh boy you will need the space lol.
We got the Britax B-Agile stroller and the Britax B-Safe bucket seat which work really well together. Now that DS is big we got Britax convertible seats for both our cars. I have a Boulevard and DH has a Marathon.
I am a little worried about it holding enough for two under two but I am holding out and not buying another one until I know we need it.
I also kept one of these in the stroller: https://m.indigo.ca/product/gifts/product/879674012189?mkwid=sXRWKvZbD_dm&pcrid=44154571502&pkw=&pmt=&s_campaign=goo-Shopping_Baby&gclid=CjwKEAjwwcjGBRDj-P7TwcinyBkSJADymblTtGU7ZVM1jBPMKsAp97Sep9eidcVz8VOCfFVCxNCZqxoCyorw_wcB
It was handy when we were just out for a walk or something and didn't want to take the entire diaper bag.
After the bucket seats we got dd2 a graco 4ever. It should last her until she is out of carseats but it is super bulky compared to my other daughters harness booster. But the trade off is less car seats to buy.
For bags, I'm a fan of pockets. That way I put certain things in certain pockets and know where they are. The middle of my bag tends to be a bottomless pit full of receipts and fruit snacks wrappers.
Edit, I hate typing on mobile
For diaper bags, if I could have a do over I think I would have just used a regular back pack. I have a skip hop chevron bag ( that literally everywhere I got I see a hundred other moms with) and I hate it. I cant organize well enough in it and I find it uncomfortable to lug around.
June Siggy Challenge: Workout
TW
Now for me to just say a quick little blurb, that I am sure you all are aware of, but I feel like I have to say. Please be careful when babies are sleeping in the car seats. I know it is easy to just leave them in the infant car seat when they are asleep, and while that is ok, it can be dangerous. If you don't watch the baby, their head can fall in a certain way and it can be a cause of SIDS. I had that happen to a girl I went to high school with. That's all. I know you are all smart moms, but I just have to give my PSA. Back to happy notes.
As a FTM I preferred a bag with lots of pockets, and that diaper bag survived my first but was demolished by my second. It was a vera bradley diaper bag and I loved it. TBH, I threw everything in my purse. I have a large Vera Bradley purse with pockets on the inside. It has snacks, toys, book, wipes, diapers, wallet, pens, chapstick etc. I wont be purchasing another diaper bag. If you're going to cloth diaper be sure to grab a wet bag for your diaper bag.
I've already purchased two more B-Safe car seats for the twins because Amazon had an awesome sale.
As as far as diaper bags go, I think that's something you are just going to have to try out and see what works best for your needs. I was pretty laid back with my diaper bags, but I have a friend that tried about 5 before she found one that worked for her needs.
Does anybody have a recommendation for a convertible car seat that is small front to back while rear-facing? Our DD is in a Britax Marathon and while I like it, it is sooo long and the only way it fits rear-facing in my car is in the middle with it sticking between the two front seats. Once we have 2 car seats in the back, I am not sure we will be able to fit one in the middle next to the Marathon (edited to say we will front face DD when this one's born). Any suggestions for something that will fit better without sticking out a mile would be much appreciated.
This time around, I bought a Maxi Cosi infant seat. It's super, super light weight and the handle makes more sense to me. The downside is that it's a bit bigger (longer) than the Graco Snugride, but my car is bigger this time. I focused on the lightness of it, hoping I wouldn't hate it so much. When they're tiny, the "bucket" seat is very convenient, which is why I even bought one this time.
The next seat up, as I mentioned, was the convertible - a Britax Marathon. My son was in it rear-facing until just before his 3rd birthday, when I flipped it to forward-facing. We used the convertible until just a couple months ago, when I bought the Britax Frontier. That is the last car seat he'll ever have.
For diaper bags, I also wasn't a fan. I used a large purse/tote instead, and never took with me more than I might need. I also cloth diapered, which when it comes to diaper bags, has no real relevance. You still need to have 2-3 diapers on hand (depending on where you go), a wet bag for dirty dipes, and some wipes. I never carried around toys, extra clothes (past a few weeks old), tons of creams/ointments, etc. I breastfed and pumped until he was a year old, so I had a little bottle cooler/carrier that fit perfectly in my bag when needed. He was with a nanny until 18 months, so no need for a special diaper bag at daycare. That said, some daycares have diaper bag requirements that would be worth looking into before spending money on anything.
I am loving the car seat info. There are so many brands and things to consider I find myself getting overwhelmed.
https://blogs.babycenter.com/products_and_prizes/got-a-small-car-8-compact-car-seats-sure-to-fit/
https://www.babylist.com/hello-baby/best-convertible-car-seats
I'm going with the chicco 30 infant seat (because I'm in love with the TRE jogger that is a frame to hold the car seat until jogging can commence) and will get a convertible seat later on.
As for diaper bags, I got the 31 zip top organizing tote for it's outter pockets, roomy interior, and wipe clean fabric. Added on a couple zipper pouches and thermal zipper pouch for bottles. Registered for a planted wise dry bag. It does seem like a very personal thing...since hubby will do the day care transport due to my early commute, I couldn't just go with my purse.
(edited with stroller deets)
Me:35 DH:35
Married 9/2013
BFP#1 1/28/2014 DS born 10/21/2014
BFP#2 7/4/2016 , MC at 7w5d on 7/27
BFP#3 1/5/2017
As far as diaper bags I went for the black Coach with the baby blue lining inside. Just an FYI... I HATE diaper bags. This time around I am throwing a few things in my purse and out the door we go. I never used half the shit I crammed in that thing. LOL!
eta: our convertible seat is the recaro performance racer. We love it, but it is a big seat. It fits our large SUV but might not fit smaller vehicles.
Blessed
As far as diaper bags go I just use the Walmart book bag that has a bunch of zippers on it. And we just put my sons stuff in his Mickey Mouse book bag that he can carry on his back.
From my super scientific analysis of infant car seats (I manhandle every single one that I see in stores to see how idiot-proof they are) I thought the Peg Perego was really easy to attach/detach from its base. It's a bit on the pricey side, but it's also one of the few seats with an anti-rebound bar, so if you decide that's an important feature then it might sway your choice.
Re: diaper bags, we're looking into a backpack-style one, which isn't the most convenient for strollers but will be a godsend when we're babywearing. If you get a messenger bag-style, I would recommend putting something heavy in the bag and walking it around the store, to see if it digs into your shoulder weird or hits your hips at an odd angle or something. My stepmom had to return 2 different bags because she kept going for "looks" over "usability".
We got a frame stroller for the carrier (also Graco), rather than the carrier/ big stroller set. We lived in 3rd floor rowhome when DS was born, and I couldn't haul a heavy stroller up the stairs. Also, my car is small (00 Jetta), and the frame stroller takes up way less space than the full size stroller does in the trunk. We did eventually buy a bigger stroller for DS, but we were able to get it at a consignment shop for $40, and it was still cheaper than if we had gotten the carrier/ stroller combo. This is something you want to consider while looking at strollers.
Also, convertible car seats are BIG. Even when the reviews say they're small, once you start moving the head rest further up for the baby, they take up a lot of space. Keep this in mind if you have a small car, and will have the convertible seat behind the passenger side, and you travel as a family a lot together. I'm sitting at a 90 degree angle in my car right now, and it gets uncomfortable, fast. DS will thankfully be going forward facing later this year!
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17
https://www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/infant-car-seats/
Try to not get too overwhelmed. There are way too many choices, just find the price range you are comfortable in and then start narrowing down what you want/need.
Keep in mind usability if you have more children. I had awesome car seats that became completely useless when baby number two came along because either only one could rear face and we wanted both to rear face or they were too wide to install in my car properly, etc. Car Seats For The Littles is a fantastic group on FB to use to get technician's feedback on your specific car and a the seat or two you've narrowed down to.
We now have narrow, multimode/convertible seats that are fantastic. You CAN purchase one seat to last from day one to 6-7 years old. We did that for kid #2 and love it.
Same thing for strollers. Will that pricey awesome stroller store well in car when your family packs up to camp or will it even be usable if you have two kids? Or will you have to replace it?
I had many purchase regrets after kid number one because I just never thought about how kid #2 or 3 or 4, etc. would factor in.
Edit it to add missing words.
<><><><><>Angel Baby- June 2012<><><><><>
<><><><><>DD2- March 2013<><><><><>
<><><><><>DS1- ETA September 2017<><><><><>
I bought a messenger style diaper bag from target with my first and hated it. I have back problems and holding it on one side killed me (and it wasn't very heavy). I bought a used PPB backpack style bag the second time around and it has held up great. We still use it and it's so easy to pack and carry. I would never, ever buy one new, but if you can find a used on for a reasonable price I would recommend it.
<><><><><>Angel Baby- June 2012<><><><><>
<><><><><>DD2- March 2013<><><><><>
<><><><><>DS1- ETA September 2017<><><><><>
Maybe a dumb/easily Googled question: how long (eg until how old) do you front carry baby when you baby wear? A backpack seems like a good idea, but when baby transitions to being worn on my back, I'll have to figure something else out (when I'm out alone)
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
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BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
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Edit: mobile bumping is hard
+1 for an infant bucket seat that has adapters to fit your stroller. Or a frame stroller if you are in and out of your car a lot. You can get an extra base if you have 2 cars. We chose a version of the Cybex Aton Q. It is very pricy but we live in the city and I take Uber almost daily. A European latch system installs very safely without the base. If I didn't switch cars so frequently I would have skipped the expense but it is a cool seat with a load leg base, telescoping side impact protection bars and best for me was a no re-thread harness (meaning no need to move straps when adjusting height as baby grows.) I thought I would write this all out in case there are other city dwellers.
I mostly front carried DS in our lilliebaby but have a much harder time with the lilliebaby carry on so now I mostly back carry.