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Martin M
Hi,
My girlfriend and I are expecting our first child and have no idea what to buy when it comes to pushchairs and prams etc.
We have heard many different things, ranging from the pro's of buying an entire travel system to the cons that the baby will not use the carrycot much as it will grow out of it quickly.
We own a fiesta and we're not sure if we'll even use a pram much?? We are looking for something which is sturdy but lightweight, easy to fit into the boot and something which we'll get plenty of use with if we spend lots of money investing in it! We are also aware of the advise that a baby shouldn't spend long amounts of time in carseats etc and ideally should lie flat.
Can somebody please give some advice on what you would recommend if you have a baby and travel mostly by car?
Thanks
Answer
those bucket seats are absolute punk. i HATED it. the (dubious) merit of not disturbing the baby when sleeping wasn't worth the hassle and harassment of lugging that sucker up and down stairs and babies don't sleep too well when the thing bangs off doorframes trying to get in and out of apartment buildings and shopping malls. as it was, she was in it for 4mo before she outgrew it both height and weight (21", 20lbs - at 4.5mo, she was 22" and 20.5lbs, legal to face forward in ontario although we kept her rear-facing for a few more months).
and i was never comfortable with the way it just "clicked" into position. i can't help but feel "easy in, easy out" and wonder how safe that actually would be in an accident. i feel more secure if i've had to actually belt her in myself and i've tested the seat and it's solid.
another problem with those systems is they encourage you to keep the baby in it for hours and hours and that's been shown to result in positional asphyxia: the baby's head is kept dropped forward on their chest and they suffocate. it also contributes to plagiocephaly (baby flat-head) and torticolis (the muscles on one side of the neck are tighter than the muscles on the other) because the baby can't move her head about and is forced to keep it in one position. my daughter also puked each and every time she was put in it because of the half-curved body position - pressure from clothing, belly fat, and the straps forced her stomach contents out.
i also feel this is just one more device designed to separate parents from baby. i don't know why industry feels we need mechanics to hold, rock, and soothe our children when our arms are free and superior.
honestly, get a good seat that's rated from birth to 100lbs (or whatever the upper limit is in your jurisdiction). it'll save you money, they're more sturdily constructed, and it only takes thirty seconds to put baby in and out.
for carrying her about, get a cuddlywrap - she'll be kept warm, snug, and close to you or mom. if your wife is breastfeeding, she'll be able to stand in the checkout line and chat with the lady in front of her and nobody will even know she's breastfeeding. i carried saari in one of these until she hit 28lbs at 10mo and my back never once hurt - my hips would feel a bit tight and achey but that was resolved with a long, hot, luxurious bubblebath (that's my story and i'm sticking to it).
those bucket seats are absolute punk. i HATED it. the (dubious) merit of not disturbing the baby when sleeping wasn't worth the hassle and harassment of lugging that sucker up and down stairs and babies don't sleep too well when the thing bangs off doorframes trying to get in and out of apartment buildings and shopping malls. as it was, she was in it for 4mo before she outgrew it both height and weight (21", 20lbs - at 4.5mo, she was 22" and 20.5lbs, legal to face forward in ontario although we kept her rear-facing for a few more months).
and i was never comfortable with the way it just "clicked" into position. i can't help but feel "easy in, easy out" and wonder how safe that actually would be in an accident. i feel more secure if i've had to actually belt her in myself and i've tested the seat and it's solid.
another problem with those systems is they encourage you to keep the baby in it for hours and hours and that's been shown to result in positional asphyxia: the baby's head is kept dropped forward on their chest and they suffocate. it also contributes to plagiocephaly (baby flat-head) and torticolis (the muscles on one side of the neck are tighter than the muscles on the other) because the baby can't move her head about and is forced to keep it in one position. my daughter also puked each and every time she was put in it because of the half-curved body position - pressure from clothing, belly fat, and the straps forced her stomach contents out.
i also feel this is just one more device designed to separate parents from baby. i don't know why industry feels we need mechanics to hold, rock, and soothe our children when our arms are free and superior.
honestly, get a good seat that's rated from birth to 100lbs (or whatever the upper limit is in your jurisdiction). it'll save you money, they're more sturdily constructed, and it only takes thirty seconds to put baby in and out.
for carrying her about, get a cuddlywrap - she'll be kept warm, snug, and close to you or mom. if your wife is breastfeeding, she'll be able to stand in the checkout line and chat with the lady in front of her and nobody will even know she's breastfeeding. i carried saari in one of these until she hit 28lbs at 10mo and my back never once hurt - my hips would feel a bit tight and achey but that was resolved with a long, hot, luxurious bubblebath (that's my story and i'm sticking to it).
what are some good baby travel systems? What did you go with?
EvelynR
Answer
I can tell you which one NOT to go with...Eddie Bauer. My son is 9 months old and we're returning it to the manufacturer because it's already broken. One of the fasteners has come off causing the frame to spread and because of that it will not open. Some other things that I hate about it: I found that the front wheels have a mind of their own, the canopy (even though there are umpteen snaps holding it on) cannot come off to be washed and the most pain in the @ss thing of all is how you attach the carrier to the stroller. There is a spring loaded bar (picture a toilet paper holder but longer and skinnier) that stores under the stroller handle which must be removed and placed on the stroller in order for it to accommodate the carrier. Then once you are done using it, the bar must be removed and placed back under the handle or the stroller will not fold. So you have to do this EVERY time you want to use the darned thing. To boot, I've almost lost the bar several times because it's popped off the holder and isn't very secure. I'm actually going shopping this weekend looking for a better stroller. I think I'm going to go with PegPerego...it's more money but I'm starting to realize it may be worth it as we use our stroller a lot...going for walks and down at the ball diamonds all the time!
I can tell you which one NOT to go with...Eddie Bauer. My son is 9 months old and we're returning it to the manufacturer because it's already broken. One of the fasteners has come off causing the frame to spread and because of that it will not open. Some other things that I hate about it: I found that the front wheels have a mind of their own, the canopy (even though there are umpteen snaps holding it on) cannot come off to be washed and the most pain in the @ss thing of all is how you attach the carrier to the stroller. There is a spring loaded bar (picture a toilet paper holder but longer and skinnier) that stores under the stroller handle which must be removed and placed on the stroller in order for it to accommodate the carrier. Then once you are done using it, the bar must be removed and placed back under the handle or the stroller will not fold. So you have to do this EVERY time you want to use the darned thing. To boot, I've almost lost the bar several times because it's popped off the holder and isn't very secure. I'm actually going shopping this weekend looking for a better stroller. I think I'm going to go with PegPerego...it's more money but I'm starting to realize it may be worth it as we use our stroller a lot...going for walks and down at the ball diamonds all the time!
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