I’m thinking way ahead here, so don’t judge me. I am looking at car seats and strollers and I really REALLY like the cyne baby travel system on amazon. Only problem is: it doesn’t allow for car seats to connect. It has a duel bassinet and seat feature which is great, I’m just wondering how important it is to find a stroller that allows for an infant car seat to clip in? I’m not planning to take this baby anywhere other than the drs office and my parents house 3 miles away until the weather warms up in May or June. At that point, they’ll be 3-4 months old and growing close to the end of their infant seat anyways and we’ll be getting a graco 4ever.
Soooo.... is it worth it to get a full travel system that allows for the car seat to connect, or is it fine to skip it and just take the baby out of the car seat and put them into the bassinet/stroller?
Edit: I should note here that this stroller is the only one I’ve found so far that I really like. All the other all-in-one systems I’ve looked at don’t have great reviews so I feel stuck. Get a full system that I don’t love because it has a car seat option available, or get separate pieces and hope I don’t miss that connection feature.
@taylork2020 I only ha e had the one that connects but in my opinion, it’s way easier than having to take baby in and out....especially if they’re asleep. But I could see where it would be beneficial to also just leave the car seat where it is.
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@taylork2020, my DD used her infant seat until she was almost 1. She was born in June but especially in the winter months I loved not having to take her out of the seat to transfer to a stroller. I am team infant seat/stroller combo!
@taylork2020 I hadnt thought about it until you mentioned it but i dont see us using a stroller until closer to May, when the baby is about 4 months. So shortly after that thw baby will outgrow a carrier, I think, and it wont matter. Thanks for giving me something to think about.
My first baby was in the 90th percentile for height and still used her infant seat until she was one. My second used her’s until she was almost 18 months. Most infant car seats are suitable until 35 pounds and 32 inches in length, I think. If you’re truly only going to use an infant seat for a few months then I’d just skip it and get the Grace 4ever now. Love the Grace 4ever BTW!
@jvk2012@robynlynn2000@doodleoodle Thanks for the input ladies. I don’t know why I thought they didn’t use them very long but I know better now lol.
So that being said, if the baby can use an infant seat for about the first year, how often are people putting their babies in the stroller while still in their car seat? At what point are people putting them in the stroller when not in a car seat?
@jvk2012@robynlynn2000@doodleoodle Thanks for the input ladies. I don’t know why I thought they didn’t use them very long but I know better now lol.
So that being said, if the baby can use an infant seat for about the first year, how often are people putting their babies in the stroller while still in their car seat? At what point are people putting them in the stroller when not in a car seat?
I stopped using mine entirely and therefore stopped attaching it to the stroller at 4 months. My kid haaaaaated the infant car seat, he is a giant tank of a baby and therefore was heavy to carry in that car seat and he didn’t sleep well with the transfer. In hindsight I might have skipped the bucket seat, but ours was a gift so it was nice to have the first 4 months
Just an alternative viewpoint. We never had an infant carseat and used the Graco 4 Ever from birth (DS is still in it now at 3). We used a baby carrier instead of a stroller and plan to do the same this time.
Hmm, i guess its been a while. My sil had a chunky monkey who outgrew her infant carrier around 4 months. But my daughter was in an upright forward facing by about 9 months.
Hmm, i guess its been a while. My sil had a chunky monkey who outgrew her infant carrier around 4 months. But my daughter was in an upright forward facing by about 9 months.
Babies under 1 absolutely, under no circumstances, should be forward facing. I’m fairly certain it’s illegal in most (all?) states to have your child forward facing until they turn one. But really children should be kept rear facing until age 2. Their bodies are not developed enough before then to handle the impact of an accident while forward facing. Their heads can become internally decapitated, causing paralysis or even death.
This is absolutely the hill I will die on, and I will preach to everyone. It’s literally a matter of life or death.
@craftywitch thank you for your viewpoint, I was worried I was the only one thinking about this! In your opinion, was it difficult handling a newborn without having the car seat to carry them to and from the car? I just don’t want to go the convertible route with a bassinet stroller or baby carrier if I’m going to miss it in any way....
If you have a clingy baby that has gotten too heavy to carry it’s nice to have the click connect option because the infant seat will face toward you instead of away.
As far as forward facing in the car... not to pile on but I’m pretty sure that in most states it is illegal to put your baby forward facing under age two and, there are usually warnings all over the car seat itself and in the manual.
Hey everyone is entitled to their opinion. But i would like a chance to defend myself before everyone decides im a terrible parent. This was 8-9 years ago and my daughter is was 95th % for height and weight and weighed 40 pounds. Even the law in indiana now says rear until 1yr old and 20 lbs. Somehow this went from predicting what kind of carseat stroller combo would be best to trying to figure out when kids outgrow their carrier to bashing on me for decisions i made based on my child's circumstances. I will say this also, once the shoulder straps are below the back of the shoulder the carseat is no longer appropriate.
My son was so attached to his car seat that latched onto his stroller we let him ride in it until he would sit upright in it forward facing when out and about. It looked kinda goofy but he loved it so that's all I cared about. He would grab onto the carrier handle and I'm pretty sure thought he was the captain of a large ship. They will grow out of it on their own and you'll know. I have a boy that absolutely will not reach milestones until he is 100% confident he will do it well the first time. One day he just got up and walked and that was that.
@robynlynn83, I don’t think it was an attack on you. There are many FTMs in here and it is important they have accurate information.
Times changes (even now the suggestion is rear facing past 2 which is new) and each state is different. Parents need to do their own research and know what is considered safe and not.
The info about the straps is not accurate. In rear facing straps should be BELOW the shoulder where it attaches to the seat. In forward facing the straps should be above the shoulder. ETA: In infant seats it may be what @robynlynn83 said. My info is for convertible seats. Check your manuals for each seats specifications!
@jvk2012 you are absolutely right. Ours is whatever the weight/height specifications are for the individual seat. Just turned around my son and he’s almost 3.
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
IMO having an infant seat in the early months is key. Bells often fell asleep in the car which was one of the only places she would fall asleep. To have to unbuckle her out of the car when she was finally asleep would just be sad. I also use carriers for walks, etc. but I have a cesarean so needed a stroller the first month.
In CT you have to be rear facing until 2 years old AND thirty pounds. my DD is almost 3 and 24 lbs. we will probably be rear facing until at least four but since it is safest I will leave her that way as long as possible. So check your state rules.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@robynlynn2000 this isn’t really a matter of opinion... BUT I do want to say that I’m sorry if I came across as bashing you. That wasn’t my intention at all. I was only thinking about the babies. I read again what I posted and can definitely see why it would have come across differently to you.
Beliefs and safety regulations change all the time so no one can blame you for that! Formula feeding used to be considered healthier for baby, I’m sure most of us here were put to bed on our stomachs in a drop-sided crib when we were babies, and my babies definitely slept in a rock n play from time to time which we now know is not okay.
Hey everyone is entitled to their opinion. But i would like a chance to defend myself before everyone decides im a terrible parent. This was 8-9 years ago and my daughter is was 95th % for height and weight and weighed 40 pounds. Even the law in indiana now says rear until 1yr old and 20 lbs. Somehow this went from predicting what kind of carseat stroller combo would be best to trying to figure out when kids outgrow their carrier to bashing on me for decisions i made based on my child's circumstances. I will say this also, once the shoulder straps are below the back of the shoulder the carseat is no longer appropriate.
First of all, no one was bashing. There was no name calling. Simply clarifying so for safety.
And sorry to correct again, but the strap SHOULD come from at or below shoulder level while rear facing. Once forward facing, strap should come from above.
Car seat checks is part of my job. I am trained on car seat safety.
@taylork2020 my LO also hated the infant car seat so we used it less than I thought we would! She never fell asleep in it so there was no point in transferring her from the car to the stroller that way. If you like that stroller, then I say go for it. You can't predict how your baby will be, and what he /she likes and dislikes.
I had it at about week 6 or 7 just 1 time (it wasn’t full on bleeding, not just a tinted discharge - sorry if TMI). I’m now 11 weeks and everything is good and healthy!
@clearlyclara that is for sure! you will never know what your baby likes until it comes. DD hated anything to do with swings or bassinets, and hated being swaddled. Don't buy a bunch of expensive velcro swaddles until you figure out if she likes them haha. I saved them all for this time and we will see if this baby is different.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
@taylork2020 I didn’t find it to be a problem at all, although it was one of those things I was told I “couldn’t do” because it would be “too hard”. I say nonsense it was fine. This will probably be an unpopular car seat safety tip, but infants are not supposed to sleep for extended periods of time or unsupervised in car seats. When I see sleeping infants in bucket seats being transferred under canopies, I always bite my tongue and remember that hell is other people’s unsolicited advice... You have to do what you feel comfortable with and what works for you.
Unsolicited parenting advice: never post a photo of your child in a car seat on social media unless you want comments from strangers about how you’re doing it wrong.
@craftywitch it is true that babies shouldn’t be allowed to sleep in a car seat out of the car. It has to do with the angle of the car seat when it’s on the floor, their head is bent forward more and can cut off their airway slowly.
For first and possibly second baby, I think just doing a convertible car seat is totally doable and possibly easier. It’s so much easier to wrap and go when with infants in my opinion. For more than two kids I definitely needed a stroller and an infant seat. I would wear the baby if my others were alert and awake, but they were all worn as infants and often times preferred to be worn if they were sleeping. Having all the options was key for me getting out and about when I had three under three+.
@daffodil_shoe and I cringe that I let it happen so much!! But it’s just so easy to do! To be honest, nobody told me it was unsafe until he was pretty much past the sleeping in the infant seat stage. I plan on baby wearing a lot this time, especially since I’ll be wrangling a toddler too. FX baby 2 likes it.
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@daffodil_shoe Sleeping in bucket seats being unsafe is personal to me because I worked in an infant room as a daycare teacher in college. A few years before I worked there they had a baby die in a bucket seat. Mom dropped it off sleeping in the bucket seat, staff left the baby asleep in the seat, hours later when baby wouldn't wake up they didn't know if it had died before or after drop-off and it was a huge disaster. Center policy was take all kids out of their carseats the moment the parents put them down, preferably before they've left.
@craftywitch yes, this is exactly it. It’s so sad, because some people don’t even know. And exactly like you said, they changed policy. Daycares should never accept a sleeping baby, and parents should never accept a sleeping baby from a daycare.
Also never let your baby sleep unsupervised in a bouncer. My neighbor lost her daughter when she left her asleep in the bouncer while she also napped, woke up 2 hours later and the baby had passed away.
Oh my gosh, you guys. As a FTM, I'm learning THERE IS SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW (this car seat discussion thread is SO helpful!!) I'm naturally a planner and a researcher, so I'm ready to learn everything I can. Do you have book recommendations for a newbie like me?!
Safe sleep is really important and there are some really good support groups out there. We tried our hardest to follow all the sleep guidelines. We did cosleep for a time because that was the only way DD would sleep and I have very fond memories of it. Also if you can get through the first month without falling asleep holding the baby I applaud you. We had no help with DD which made it worse.
This time I hope to do better and have asked my stepmom to stay with us for a week or two and I might ask my mom to come stay with us for a week after that. Not to say I prefer my stepmom over my mom, but she is more reliable haha.
Me: 38, DH: 36 Married Jan 2008 DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18" so in love Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Late to the party, but my daughter was in her infant seat until the day she turned 2. We only had one actual carseat, but 3 different bases. We would leave her carseat at daycare and whoever was able to pick her up would just attach the seat to the base. It was a perfect solution until she turned about 18 months when it was so HEAVY. Once she turned 2, we bit the bullet and just purchased 3 Graco extend2fit seats for my husband, my mom and myself. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had just gone with a Graco 4ever.
That being said, for what it's worth, we have a convertible stroller and used all of the "modes." I used the bassinet a lot for walks while I was on maternity leave. Then we used the infant seat attachment until she was about 18 months. Now she sits happily in the bucket seat. It converts into a double stroller, too, so we'll probably keep on using it for #2.
I have failed at not co-sleeping four times now. I will not be offering sleep advice ever, LOL! I suck at getting babies to sleep. However, I will not give up and will try to get my sixth and final baby to sleep in a crib from day one. Pray for me.
@DDRRT1982 I’ll pray for you! Baby sleep has always been such a mixed bag for me. My second son was a nightmare. My first and youngest sons are great sleepers. I didn’t do anything differently with them, so I’m convinced you just get what you get. Praying this last baby is not a sleep terror!!
I definitely fell asleep with baby on me a ton! We didn't co-sleep, and I did transfer back to bassinet over and over, but the half-awake nursing was constant. I don't sweat the dozing while nursing and don't know how anyone manages not to do it.
Re: The Great Question Thread
Soooo.... is it worth it to get a full travel system that allows for the car seat to connect, or is it fine to skip it and just take the baby out of the car seat and put them into the bassinet/stroller?
Edit: I should note here that this stroller is the only one I’ve found so far that I really like. All the other all-in-one systems I’ve looked at don’t have great reviews so I feel stuck. Get a full system that I don’t love because it has a car seat option available, or get separate pieces and hope I don’t miss that connection feature.
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
Thanks for the input ladies. I don’t know why I thought they didn’t use them very long but I know better now lol.
So that being said, if the baby can use an infant seat for about the first year, how often are people putting their babies in the stroller while still in their car seat? At what point are people putting them in the stroller when not in a car seat?
Imo, car seat adapter is a necessity.
This is absolutely the hill I will die on, and I will preach to everyone. It’s literally a matter of life or death.
As far as forward facing in the car... not to pile on but I’m pretty sure that in most states it is illegal to put your baby forward facing under age two and, there are usually warnings all over the car seat itself and in the manual.
Times changes (even now the suggestion is rear facing past 2 which is new) and each state is different. Parents need to do their own research and know what is considered safe and not.
The info about the straps is not accurate. In rear facing straps should be BELOW the shoulder where it attaches to the seat. In forward facing the straps should be above the shoulder. ETA: In infant seats it may be what @robynlynn83 said. My info is for convertible seats. Check your manuals for each seats specifications!
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
In CT you have to be rear facing until 2 years old AND thirty pounds. my DD is almost 3 and 24 lbs. we will probably be rear facing until at least four but since it is safest I will leave her that way as long as possible. So check your state rules.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Beliefs and safety regulations change all the time so no one can blame you for that! Formula feeding used to be considered healthier for baby, I’m sure most of us here were put to bed on our stomachs in a drop-sided crib when we were babies, and my babies definitely slept in a rock n play from time to time which we now know is not okay.
And sorry to correct again, but the strap SHOULD come from at or below shoulder level while rear facing. Once forward facing, strap should come from above.
Car seat checks is part of my job. I am trained on car seat safety.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
Unsolicited parenting advice: never post a photo of your child in a car seat on social media unless you want comments from strangers about how you’re doing it wrong.
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
This time I hope to do better and have asked my stepmom to stay with us for a week or two and I might ask my mom to come stay with us for a week after that. Not to say I prefer my stepmom over my mom, but she is more reliable haha.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020
That being said, for what it's worth, we have a convertible stroller and used all of the "modes." I used the bassinet a lot for walks while I was on maternity leave. Then we used the infant seat attachment until she was about 18 months. Now she sits happily in the bucket seat. It converts into a double stroller, too, so we'll probably keep on using it for #2.
Married Jan 2008
DD Baby Bells born Dec 2016 5 lbs, 12 oz, 18"
Due with #2 Baby Arya EDD February 2020