Let's Talk Strollers (Baby Products 101)

In My Humble Opinion
41

/sigh I had a nice reply typed up and something errored out.

In reference to the first question about strollers

We got a Graco one from Toys R Us for around $100 last year. It’s not part of a travel system but we really like it. What we did at the store was, hubby would grab a stroller and see if I could figure it out. This included picking it up and seeing if I could ‘break it down.’ I was about 6-7 months pregnant so I wanted something that was easy to pick up and goof proof to pack up. Some were too heavy, others…well you needed to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Ours has a button on the handle that you hold as you twist the handle and voila! The stroller is ready to get packed up. It has several adjustable options for the little one, 2 cupholders for the driver, 2 container area to stash keys/snacks etc and a tray for the little one.

We also got a free umbrella stroller when we bought some other items at Toys R us. This thing is definitely worth no more than $10-12. It’s great for those times when we just have to run in and out - trips to the post office, book store etc.

As far as other baby items, I’ll echo some of the same passes:

Pass:
-Baby bath: we actually were given this piece of molded foam to put in the bath. It worked out really well and kept her from sliding around.
-Temperature duck: I’ve never seen it get hot, even when I use it in the tub!
-Blankets and toys: EVERYONE will knit, buy, sew you some type of blanket. No joke, our baby got 10 blankets and we live in FLORIDA! Some were downright ‘interesting’ too. Oh, and everyone will pick you up some type of stuffed animal toy too.

Must Have-Bouncer: some vibrate, others have tunes
-Foam baby seat: We had a Bumbo, but some stores don’t carry it anymore. It was nice to put the 3-4 month old in while I did some light housework. Helps kid learn to sit up and watch Lil Einsteins!
-Boppy: We nursed and this was great, but also great for tummy time, cuddling, learning to sit etc.
-Electric nursing pump: I pumped and froze milk for those ‘just in case’ times, and we were also travelling on a 10 day trip and wanted to have milk on hand for the in laws to feed the kid. (Yea…that worked out GREAT…) I had a hand one for the first 6 months and after sucky results (yes literally), we spent the money on a very nice electric one. My suggestion, look online at the medical suppliers, you’ll easily save $100-150 dollars off retail. Ours came with a cute little carry bag too!
-Sound machine: From the first night we started a routine of reading her a story, turning on the sound machine and off to sleep she went. She started sleeping through the night after about 4 weeks, and have had few sleeping problems.
-Darkened room shades: Dark room = happy baby.
-Night light: Somewhere on the path to the baby’s room for those first few weeks where you forget where you’re at and where you’re going and inevitably trip on something.
-Sleep blanket: Halo makes these great sleep sack type things. Our 13 month old still wears them, and her grandma makes some too. Put the baby in, zip 'em up and you don’t need to worry about a blanket in the bed.

Phew…

42

Good grief. People think you’re supposed to wash them before you nurse? I’m not surprised your husband asked to do it, though. :wink:

I couldn’t agree more with you about the over-sterilization around babies. I get basic handwashing around kids, especially newborns. And I get making sure that what goes in their mouths should be relatively clean (how much can you even control that after a certain point?). But a lot of people go totally overboard sterilizing their house so it’s like some giant bleached biosphere.

One of the biggest things that bothers me about parenting in general is the thought that any one solution to a problem (sleeping, pacifiers and breastfeeding tend to be the big three, but cleaning definitely falls in there, too) is the end-all, be-all solution and everyone else is wrong. Over and above the obvious (don’t shake a baby or toddler, don’t abuse them, put them in danger, etc.), I’ve never been able to figure out why other people care what others are doing. The only thing I can figure is that people assume that if someone else is right, they must be wrong and no one wants to be wrong. Okay, I’m done with that now. Really. Still, you probably already know this, but do what works best for you. Pant, pant, pant. Steps off soapbox.

43

So not much luck calling the airline. Ah well.
I may just have to make a big fuss on the day we fly.

As for baby stuff…

We did use the baby bathtub up til about 5 months. Our tub was just too big to bathe her in, and the sinks not quite big enough.
We used the Bumbo quite a bit - in fact that’s what we fed her in from 6 months til about 9 months. (just set it on the kitchen table in front of us. Yes, I know. THIS IS A VERY BAD THING. DO NOT DO THIS. In my defense, I was never more than a foot from her, and she couldn’t get out of it. YOUR BABY PROBABLY CAN. DON’T DO THIS!) However, our hand-me down Peg Perego high chair was huge and you could barely see her in it.
We got a fair amount of use out of our Baby Bjorn as well. I had heard that it was a good idea to get the fancy sport version, (cause it has more back support) and I’m pleased that I did.
I also have a super spiffy jogging stroller (a Chariot Cougar 1) that I love and forgot to mention before. I didn’t use it as much as I had hoped during her first year (silly picky troublesome baby) but I love it, and will keep using it until she’s 4ish.

44

Well, I took your question to my sister and niece. My niece is planning to be a carseat/stroller design engineer, and she’s studied and compared these for years. For strollers, her favorite is a New Zealand-based company - Phil and Ted. Their Sport isn’t terribly heavy (22 lbs) and is very durable and maneuverable. It’s versatile, allowing for a second kid. The second-kid seat also becomes a bouncy seat for infants and a toddler chair or a toddler carry-pak. The handles are adjustable (my niece is about 5’8"). It comes in many colours. Here’s a link.
As for infant car seats, she believes kids should be rear-facing for as long as possible. One of the safest seat, which installs easily and correctly is the Chicco Keyfit which is good for kids up to 30 lbs, or until the kid is too long. Here’s a link. If you choose a convertible (rear and forward facing) the Britax Marathon would be her choice. She’s installed both these seats in different cars and can vouch for their ease of installation.

Congratulations!

StG

45

Could not agree more.

Way I look at it, I’m willing to tell others what worked for me, and I’m willing to listen to what worked for other people, because I’m just learning as I go.

But when others start to claim that something is the one right way (and other ways are at best wrong or at worst morally bad), I tend to tune out these days.

Way I see it the only way to be really “wrong” is to be uncaring or abusive (and I reserve this smilie [ :rolleyes: ] for those who elevate their pet parenting peeve to the “uncaring or abusive” category).

Certainly, there are some things that I have found work better than others - but every baby is different. I’ve been amazed at just how different they can be.

46

Addendum: My sister send me this e-mail:

StG

47

What? What?!? Congratulations! You old sneak, coming in here to ask a stroller question.

No advice of course, kidlet is as old as Kiddonym.

48

My wife and I are in the same life-stage you are, and we couldn’t decide on a stroller for a while. It was between the bugaboo chameleon & the Snap-n-go. $900 vs. $50. After weighing the options for a long time, my wife (who is incredibly frugal) decided she would like the bugaboo. It is so rare for her to want to spend money on things, so I just said “yes ma’am” and bought the thing. Here’s the deal:

Do you walk a lot? We go via foot to the market, to friends’ houses, to restaurants, and on walks quite a bit. If you are like us, then the bugaboo is worth every penny. Think “urban lifestyle”. I’ve taken Junior out on a long stroll around the city once in a friend’s umbrella stroller & I was worried I was going to shake the baby to death.

On top of that, he lived in the bassinet portion of the bugaboo for the first 3 months of his life. That was a fantastic option.

On the other hand, if you are going to use your stroller to go places via car, get an umbrella stroller or a Snap-n-go. You won’t need the smoother ride when you are in a store, restaurant or mall. They do just fine on the sidewalk for short periods of time. Plus, they take up very little room in the car. The bugaboo takes up quite a bit of space.

Otherwise, we made great use of hand-me-down cribs, bouncies, high chairs, etc., etc., etc. The showers were great, too. We saved a bunch of money due to the generosity of others.

49

We have the absurdedly expensive Bugaboo, too. We haven’t used it yet, because it’s damn cold outside and my husband is still home to run errands, but we got it because we a) have no car, and b) live in a walking-intensive neighbourhood.

We looked for something that would be tough but fairly light, have a handle comfy for both of us (I’m 5"3, Mr. Lissar is 6"3), good wheels, and a handle that flips. I’m going to try out the bassinett for naps soon- great idea.

Sorry, mild hijack- what the hell do I do with the eight billion bibs everyone has given me? And why does everyone give a newborn bibs? Aren’t bibs for older kids?

50

We have a travel system, but ever since he could sit up, we used his $10 umbroller nearly exclusively. Hubby uses it around the house because he should not carry much and we use it when we go to the hospital or store. It is much more convenient, and he likes it better.

We do not do a lot of walking outside though.

51

Some people like to use bibs when they are bottle-feeding an infant. It keeps spit-up, or spilled milk, off of their clothes. We used it sometimes, but usually just kept a burp cloth handy.

Our newborn slept in his bugaboo bassinet exclusively for the first few weeks of his life. We kept it attached to the stroller while he was in the living room during the day, and we detached it & put it next to the bed at night. Once we got to the point where we were only doing one late-night feeding, we moved him into his crib. However, he still napped in the bassinet for next few months. After that, we converted the stroller into the seat.

52

Bibs are 1. cute, 2. cheap. So lots of people like to buy them for new babies.

53

The bibs will also come in really handy when they’re starting on solids.

For what it’s worth, I’m a minimalist where it comes to baby things. One of the reasons I have so much stuff is because my mom really enjoyed baby shopping. Out of all the stuff I got, I used my car seat, bouncinette, Bobby, bottles, breastpump and diaper changing pad the most.

Second most were the rocker, books and running stroller.

Bonus items were the sling since I had a baby who didn’t like to sleep when he wasn’t touching me, the crib (those two months he slept through the night all by himself were heaven, but that was over in a heartbeat after a serious illness) and the space-saver high chair, which I wish I had gotten instead of the regular high chair.

The rest of the stuff - the baby tub, wipe warmer, bottle sterilizer, cutesy spoons and bowls and bottle warmers were all just space hogs. And the toys were nice, but my son prefers household stuff over his toys most of the time anyway. Plus, the noisy toys are annoying as hell.

54

Babyrian was a drooler, so she wore a bib all the time.

55

Is this too old to bump?

My question is the bugaboo good for the beach or pushing it on hardish sand? Are their any others?

I need a stroller for a newborn to walk around with at the beach, mall, neighborhood, put it in my car and take it on a plane for trips (very important). I realize maybe I have to buy two strollers but which model is good for pushing in the sand mostly. I’m also 5 feet tall and it can’t be that heavy. I’ve heard some things about Orbit. Anyways I went to USA Baby today and spent a long time being overwhelmed with all the things we have to buy since this baby will be our first. But narrowing down various strollers and trying to decide which works best for many different settings was hard.

56

Please don’t be overwhelmed with all the things you “have to buy” for your baby. Really, all you have to do is keep the baby fed, clothed, diapered, and not screaming most of the time. Most of the stuff you think you have to buy is not necessary or even useful. The temperature of bathwater is readily determined by running it over your own wrist, and there are a lot of wipe warmers gathering dust in houses all over America. Other examples abound.

I’m not saying don’t have fun getting ready for the baby. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t let it stress you out. Do you have a good friend that is already a mom? Take her along with you and let her tell you what you really need. I did this, and it was the best thing ever.

57

One of the Bugaboos main claims to fame is the abiility to pull it across sand or snow. You can pop out the two little wheels and fold the frame part back underneath it. You can either pull it behind you and push it in front of you. There are no swiveling wheels to get caught in the sand. I would say that it sounds ideal for you. It is not very heavy either. The only part that may not be ideal is that when you fold it you have to take the seat part off, making travel not as easy as it could be. However, for travel, I recommend something really cheap so that it doesn’t matter if the airlines break it. YMMV.

58

Thanks Shera I was thinking about it more last night and am thinking maybe the Bugaboo is the way to go and get a different one for the travel trips. I’m going to hit some more stores to investigate other brands as well.

StuffLikeThatThere, I see what you mean but look forward to getting some things I would need but really it was mostly a room full of cribs. Who knew there were so many choices. I’ve got a list and I think there are some threads about things you should buy and things to skip so I’m going to dig that up to.

59

It’s a little heavy, but it works well on sand and snow. Well, not on the absurd 4 foot high snowbanks we got here this winter, but nothing would, really.

It would be awkward to use the bassinet for plane trip, because it’s big, but I can’t think of any newborn-type strollers that wouldn’t. For the plane trips, could you maybe use a front carrier? We have a Baby Bjorn, and love it, although once our kid hits sixteen pounds carrying him will be Mr. Lissar’s job.

60

I second the idea of a front carrier for a plane trip. I loved our Baby Bjorn - it’s very comfortable. And when they get older, I’d recommend moving to a sling. Or starting out with one if you prefer (I didn’t find our sling as comfortable with our son when he was a newborn because of the extra material - as they get bigger, there’s not as much extra hanging out but the good side is you can nurse very easily with a sling). We took our 1 and 1/2 year old on a trip to India and December and found the sling invaluable when trudging through the airport and all over Bombay, Madras and Delhi. It was also wonderful not to have to lug around a bulky stroller along with a month’s worth of luggage for three after an international flight.

One thing I had never seen on a plane before but that may be only available on international trips was that they had these detachable bassinets that affixed to the bulkhead seats for smaller babies. A couple with twins was sitting in the bulkhead and I remember walking by fantasizing about such a bed for my toddler. If you’re doing air travel, you might consider calling ahead to see if they have those bassinets - they looked awfully handy. They actually made me wish I’d traveled by air with our son much earlier instead of using the car. I suspect our son would have been a lot more comfortable in a bassinet in a plane vs. a car seat.