travel system?

[BarefootGirl]

Pregnant with my first and trying to figure out what gear I need. I definitely need a car seat, but I'm not sure about a stroller, etc.

Options A: infant car seat, stroller frame (full-size seat and umbrella stroller later)
Option B: full-size car seat and umbrella stroller (no infant stroller, also can't use car seat as a carrier)

I don't particularly anticipate needing to use the infant car seat as a carrier since I'm planning on a Moby, Ergo, etc. However, the one time I think it would be a good idea is if I go to dinner with friends at a restaurant, etc. I don't know how comfortable/safe it would be for me to eat while wearing a babe. What if I drop hot cheese dip on his/her head? And not sure about the stroller frame either...maybe if I'm going to be out somewhere for several hours and babe would get heavy wearing him/her for that long?

Obviously option A is less stuff to buy, but also has less options... Hubby said he'd rather buy the extra stuff so that we have those options, even if 90% of the time I just wear the baby. But I really don't know. Any advice from those of you who've been there, done that?

[texaspeach]

I wish we'd gotten a convertible seat and umbrella stroller. I've only used my stroller a handful of times and ds is 8 months, I use the ergo/beco/wrap for everything, except the zoo now that it's hot. btw, there are lightweight strollers that can be used with young babies - the chicco liteway is one, it has a fully reclining seat.

[BlueLeaf]

I have an infant seat with a stroller frame for my 4 week old. I didn't expect to like it, but I do. It's nice for eating in restaurants - I'm like you and worry about dripping on her. I also have a moby, but it makes me nervous to keep her in for too long because of her lack of head control.

[tzs]

i think the best advice i've heard is just to use a snap-n-go frame stroller and then go to umbrella. i think even if you plan on using a carrier, you may find yourself using the bucket seat more than you think if you have a winter babe. especially when they are so tiny, i just couldn't imagine taking a sleeping warm newborn out of her seat just to pop her in a sling (still bundled up???) just run an errand and have to repeat the whole process again to get back in the car in the freezing/snow/slush/whatever. we honestly got some really good 3 hour long mega-naps out of my non-napper during those early weeks running errands in the bucket seat. (and yes, i know that riding in a sling is way better for them but logistically it just made way more sense, and it's not like she was in it all day everyday.)

i dont think the bucket seat is the dumbest buy. obviously depending on the size of your babe but ours is for sure lasting us a year and if you're thinking of having more kids it's not a total waste when you have to upgrade to convertible to have both.

i personally use my stroller alot b/c of health issues so i have a jogger with a car seat adapter but if i wasn't planning on using strollers all that much i'd do the snap n go and see if you want an umbrella later on.

[tzs]

oh and i've also used my bucket car seat around the house as a place to put her. i was able to take a shower everyday thanks to that car seat and bringing it with me in the bathroom.

i've used it instead of a swing to rock her to sleep using one foot.

it's been pretty multipurpose and useful.

[Katie T]

When I got a travel system it came with a big bulky stroller that I never used because it was just to heavy and took up too much room. I would get a carseat you love and if a comes with the stroller you love thats great, get the travel system, but if you can't find what you are looking for in a combo I would purchase separate. It won't save any money to buy something you never use.

I just had to have the nice cadillac of strollers and I wish I wouldn't have wasted my money on it, I sold it and bought the Britax Blink. What I should have done from the beginning. I also felt like there butt had to get sick of sitting it the carseat and a change in position (moving from carseat to stroller) was nice for them.

[Mawood]

I got a stroller with a bassinet for the first months as it is not good for babies to sit in those car seats too long. I sometimes felt that it would have been convenient to have a car seat that snaps on the stroller but than again I do take her in a carrier for errands but also I am not a Mom who is out and about all the time. I mostly take walks in and around my neighborhood. For me it was important that it was the healthier choice as babies who are in their seats all the time can't really stretch out their backs and are likely to develop a flat head.

[BarefootGirl]

Thanks for all the responses! I do know if I decide on the carrier/stroller option, I would get a stroller frame, not those giant strollers that hold the carrier and/or a toddler. I am having a winter babe, so thanks tzs for pointing that out. I'm also hoping to have another one or two, so if I do get the whole shebang and use it only a few times, a few times X 2-3 kids makes it more worth it. I'm also not planning on being out and about a whole lot.

About what age do they grow out of the infant car seat and/or can use an umbrella stroller???

[candelaria80]

Originally Posted by BarefootGirl

About what age do they grow out of the infant car seat and/or can use an umbrella stroller???

I think the reccommend age is 6 months, but it depends on the babe. In the umbrella stroller they have to must good neck/head control and be sitting up on their own.

BTW - I think it is difficult to know exactly what you need until you meet your LO. We ended up buying a differnt stroller, carseat and never used 50% of the stuff we registered for and recieved.

[belltree]

Some babes will outgrow the infant car seat quickly others not, some are so tiny when there born, that they wouldn't fit into the convertible car seats.

We got an infant car seat and it seems he'll be using it for a couple more months at least (he is 6 months now).

I don't use the infant car seat to transport him anywhere besides the car. A) because those things are really heavy and your pelvic floor will thank you if you don't have to carry the seat plus baby all the time and B) because it is not an ideal place to keep your baby in for extend periods of time.

We got a jogging stroller, because dh and I like to go running together and this has been a nice way of starting our day

[tessie]

Originally Posted by belltree

We got a jogging stroller, because dh and I like to go running together and this has been a nice way of starting our day

I read something recently that said it wasn't advisable to use a jogger (for jogging) with a baby under six months. Has anyone else heard of this? It's news to me so I'm not sure if it's a genuine risk or not?

It sounds as though the best solution is a frame to which you can attach a car seat, a pram/bassinet or a seat. As a pp said, a pram/bassinet is better for a baby than being a in a car seat for long periods. A bassinet is also much cosier for a winter baby. I was surprised to find that my big stroller is far easier to push than the lightweight maclaren umbrella fold stroller.

Maybe look at something like a Mutsy, Peg Pegero or iCandy? Maclaren are the best for umbrella strollers and I'm sure they do some to which you can attach a car seat.

I couldn't use the sling when sat down as she howled as soon as I stopped moving. I couldn't even sit on a moving bus!

[tzs]

we're at 8 months and will still be using the bucket seat for a few months. like a pp said, i don't carry her in it anymore....we cut that out when the weather got nicer and she got bigger. but like i said, when she was a newborn in the winter i did carry her in it if only because it was easier to get a floppy, tiny baby in and out of it indoors rather than outdoors in the freezing snow.

i think some umbrella strollers recline and/or have more head support than others so the age might vary. if it's the superbasic umbrella it would be around 5/6 months give or take.

but you could see what your needs are after a few months. umbrellas are great for being portable and lightweight and easy and all that but they're more of a pain to push in any kind of terrain. rocks are a pain, ice is a pain, cracks in the ground are a pain. jogger type strollers with the bigger wheels are more cumbersome and more of a pain to take in and out of cars or travel with, or be in crowds with but are easier for grass, hikes, beaches.

another plus for the initial bucket/frame combo is that it is great for air travel if you ever need. if you are needing a carseat at your destination and/or want your babe to potentially ride in it in the plane (which i did, if possible, i just felt safer in case of turbulance etc...) then the frame is great for carrying the carseat plus luggage around the airports.

[belltree]

Originally Posted by tessie

I read something recently that said it wasn't advisable to use a jogger (for jogging) with a baby under six months. Has anyone else heard of this? It's news to me so I'm not sure if it's a genuine risk or not?

From what I read it has to do with head control and their ability to sit up. Our son could sit up at 4months and head control was great. Other babies it might take longer. We didn't use the jogger before almost 5 months; it took me a long time to heal.

One could attach the infant car seat onto our jogger, or buy a bassinet, we just never did either one of those.

[Mom2M]

I really liked having a bucket seat in the winter because it was nice not to take her out of the seat in snow/cold weather, we just covered it with the warm cover and canopy. We got the frame that is only a frame for a bucket seat, it was really great for going out to eat...something we do all too often. I also used it for trips to the store. Once inside, if she was awake I could take her out and carry her in a wrap or if she was asleep I left her in it.
It took me a while to get her in and out of a wrap/sling in the beginning because I was not experienced at baby wearing and I liked being able to do that inside where it was warm.
Now I mostly use a sling or wrap shopping but I really like the seat for now instead of a convertible.
The frame is useless for anything else but it is very small and light and easy to fold. It has a good resale value too.