Hubby wants both carseats..

[GinaRae]

I showed him the Britax Marathon (5 lbs+ and $269) and the Britax Companion bucket seat (5-22 lbs and $199).

I told him we were definitely getting the Marathon because it's the Cadillac of carseats for the long term, but he also wants the Companion so he can use the bucket seat to carry baby around, etc.. I don't think we should. It's $100 to $120 more than the cheaper buckets. I guess I could compromise and get a cheaper bucket seat. Our babes grow to 22 pounds so quickly!

But, I am not sure we really need it. We're going to sling and what-not but maybe he's thinking it would be easiest in the grocery store or restaurant or something.

What are you getting and why?

[scheelimama]

I think if you choose to start out with a convertible carseat, you should spend a few more dollars and get the Britax Decathalon. It comes with an infant insert and the crotch buckle adjusts much smaller than the Marathon which only has one setting. I will be using the Britax Decathalon from day 1. I have a good friend who started out with it and she said her baby fit wonderfully from the very start. He was a bigger baby, over 9 lbs, but he lost a significant amount of weight, over 1.5 lbs. in the first week and he took awhile to gain it back. I've heard conflicting reviews on here about using a Britax from the beginning, but Britax claims it is safe for a 5 lb. baby, so I'm going with it. I almost exclusively sling the first few months and with 2 other kids and no dh around, I don't need to be lugging a carseat around all the time.

[sorteep]

we just bought the Cosi infant seat (it is one of the cheaper ones ) but I have major issues with the 1/2 padding and padding gaps under the covers.. (bad for spinal cranial stuff) the COSI has NO padding, which is fine, so smooth surface.. only I would care about this stuff, or otehr ped chiros!! but it matters to us.. the only one we saw that had contiguous padding under was the Peg Perego Primo something Italian or other .. it was wicked $$ and my porkers get to 22 lbs fast too! also we need two extra bases (three total) which really adds up.. bonus the reclining nice umbrella stroller that it snaps onto is awesome and we will use it a lot.. got all on clearance with a coupon!! yay! we still have a Britax marathon and a Britax husky for later..

believe it or not my sis brought home one from australia for Evan , a Baby Safety Capsule made by the Aussie branch of Britax , there was NO continously padded seat at taht time for infants.. it was clunky and awkward but worked.. the seats for bigger kids also have the same prob of a break in pad mid back , that is why we got the MArathon.. the store clerks think we are INSANE on this topic!! The prez of the Int Ped Chiro assoc doesn't!! (she's a friend of mine!)

anyway.. that is SO much more than you ever wanted to now about our love/ hate with baby seats! sorry

but that's why we ended up with what we did!!

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by scheelimama

I think if you choose to start out with a convertible carseat, you should spend a few more dollars and get the Britax Decathalon. .

I am pretty firm on getting a Britax for the big seat, but don't mind a different model than the Marathon as long as it's just as good. I can get the Marathon at Target. I haven't seen the Decath. yet... do you know where they are in regular stores like Sears, Target, etc..? Or do I need to order online?

So my biggest thing isn't the kind everyone uses but whether I should get a bucket seat first?

[Googy]

I was considering just doing a convertible seat too (we already have an extra Marathon in DH's car that I will just move into my car), but DH pointed out that its going to be COLD here in New Hampshire for MONTHS after the baby's born, and we have one of those great Bundle Me sacks that goes in our bucket seat (I have a Peg Perego I can use again from DD), so that I can keep her all snug and warm in the bucket seat when I run into stores and such and not have to wrestle her in and out of a snowsuit. So, I think I am going to use the bucket again and buy the new Maclaren version of the snap n go to put it on when we're walking anound the mall and such. I can always pop her right into the sling when we get inside, but at least this way she'll be warm and cozy when we're outside. I don't know where in California you are--if you're far enough south this may not be an issue for you...

[scheelimama]

I think you'd be just fine to start with a convertible immediately. I don't know if you can buy the Decathalon in any stores, maybe BRU? But there's plenty of places online that have free shipping. I have both a Marathon and a Decathalon and IMO, they look pretty much identical besides the two things I mentioned previously. The Decathalon also has a removable pillow at the top for big kids.

[scheelimama]

Googy, that was definitely a consideration for me with my last dd. It was pretty cold in KS in November. Some days I was very glad for the bucket, it really sheltered her from the bitter cold and wind. I didn't even think about that in my response previously because this time we are in Savannah, GA and it won't ever be cold enough that I'd feel bad for taking her out of her convertible carseat to put her in the sling. But in a colder climate, I'd be much more inclined to do a bucket seat first.

[wwisdomskr]

We live in CT...and just use convertible seats. We have the Evenflo Triumph 5. I put my babies in the sling, inside my jacket, before we get out of the car. It will be a little more challenging with dd2, now...but, we'll manage. I guess I'll get her into her out of her car seat and into her snowsuit while baby is still in the other car seat. Then, I'll pop baby into the sling and we'll all get out of the car. I really don't like the infant seats...

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by Googy

I don't know where in California you are--if you're far enough south this may not be an issue for you...

We're northern CA, Bay Area, so it's not that cold. It gets a bit rainy and some mornings are pretty cold to where we're uncomfortable, but it's not like NY. Baby would be fine in cold weather outerwear, but not necessarily a huge snowsuit. However, I guess it wouldn't hurt to carry babe in the bucket with a blanket over top. Still, I can see just slinging baby too.

*sigh* I just don't know.

[Isaac'sMa]

We'll be using the Graco bucket carseat we had for ds (which will expire in 2009, I think...) Ds outgrew his bucket seat by 2 months old--he was way too long for it. When the new baby gets to that point, we'll have to either put both seats in one car (we have one in each car right now for ds) or buy a new seat(s).

It sounds like you should just get the convertible seat since you plan on slinging/baby-wearing and your babies grow fast anyway!

[yogachick79]

I have to check on the exp date of DS's bucket seat but I think it should still be fine. It was new in 2005 and never been in any accidents. That said, it will be our back-up/alternate car seat if I have my way because I would like another Britax this round (but from the start). We plan on slinging most of the time too, and honestly with my back it is hard for me to carry a bucket even with little ones. We have a Decathalon now for DS (got when he was 1) and love it!

[Valerieg]

I've heard great things about Britax. But we will be using DD's Graco SnugRide for this one again. It was excellent with DD (she was born in late October) with a BundleMe. I'd pop her out of the car and into a stroller most of the time. I hated to wake her up. If she'd wake up, then I'd put her in the sling.

But my DD is TINY! She was in the carrier until she was a year old and aged out of it, she was still small enough to fit in it! She's still only 23 lbs and in a rear-facing convertible seat.

We will re-evaluate car seats once we NEED to buy one. But at this point our plan is to use what we have.

[lisalulu]

We are going to re-use our Graco Snugride too. When ds outgrows his Britax Roundabout, we'll move baby to that.

Our rationale for the snugride with ds was that we wouldn't want to distrub a sleeping baby and we could just take the carrier wherever we were going. But ds isn't much of a sleeper as it turned out and just the motion of moving him from the car to somewhere else woke him. We'll see-maybe it will be different with this baby.

Honestly, I hated carrying that thing around-I always felt lopsided. And I didn't like always having to remember to put the handle back down when it went in the car-sounds like a dumb think to complain about but we have a compact car and getting it in and out of the base and putting the handle down was a pain! I slung ds a lot the first 6 months and rarely used the bucket in the stroller when we were out. I think we had to move ds to his Britax around 6 months because he was too tall for the Snugride anymore.

[GinaRae]

Ugh, I hate carrying the buckets too! My friend's soon-to-be 12 month old is still in one (Hmm... I wonder how much he weighs!) and it's killer on me when I try to crry him. I don't remember being such a wimp with my other boys who all had buckets.

[scheelimama]

I think most people keep their kids in the buckets long past the recommended height/weight range. My kids both outgrew the height max by 4-5 months. And I don't think anyone, even if you had a perfectly natural vaginal birth, is suppose to carry more weight than what your baby weighs for the first 2 weeks. So, only your dh can carry the bucket in those early weeks. DD2 was always a good sleeper and would go straight back to sleep after a transfer, rarely even waking at all. She's still like that. I hope this one is the same.

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

I am having this same issue. I didn't want to get the "bucket" infant carrier seat, because I figured if I'm asking for a carseat on my registry, I want it to be "the" carseat, a Britax convertible (marathon or roundabout), and not have someone buy me the SnugRide just because it's cheaper. I talked to my in-laws who have babies and everyone says "oh you MUST have the infant seat, you don't want to wake them to get out of the car...." and it seems very convenient, I guess, but I'm also planning to sling from the beginning...

How is it grocery shopping with an infant (under 6 months) in a sling/soft carrier? That's the only situation where I can see the bucket really coming in handy...but do they even fit in the carts when there's food to be bought?? Seems like a lot of hard plastic trouble.

What's a girl to do??:

[GinaRae]

Actually, I have an answer for the 'waking them' thing. Apparently you're not supposed to leave them in the bucket for sleep outside the car because the position lowers their oxygen levels. Babies have had to be resuscitated.

Where did I read that, I don't know??

[scheelimama]

I'll say that I'd rather grocery shop with a baby in a sling, at least up until 8-12 months old. It's not a problem at all. You may have some tricky maneuvering if you get something especially heavy or when you have to get things out of the bottom of the cart, but overall, it's very doable and preferable to leaving them in the bucket. It's really not safe to sit the bucket on the seat part on the front of the cart and if you put them down in the basket, you have no room for groceries. There's always the carts with infant seats, but I've never used them because I'm a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to things like that.

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

OOh thanks Gina & Alisha...those are really good points I'd forgotten about.
I've heard the thing about them not sleeping in the seats as well...can't remember where either, but it makes sense. Plus I don't want to flatten her sweet little head by keeping her in the seat all the time!

[Googy]

Grocery shopping with DD in a sling/carrier is the ONLY way I was ever able to buy food! She would last all of 2 minutes in her carseat--I'd have to take her out before we even got through the produce section! In a carrier she was happy as a clam for the whole trip!