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baby travel systems recall image
Q. new baby on the way and i am researching strollers, car seats, and pack n plays. what are the best out there?
Answer
Travel systems are bulky and unnecessary. When kept in a car seat a baby can have trouble breathing, and sleeping in the car seat is even worse. So I'm going to talk 'types' rather than brands.
CARSEAT: the current recommendation is to keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible, at least to 2 years old. Look at the first link for information about why rear-facing is so important. There are infant seats that rear-face to 20lbs, and some that rear-face to 30-35lbs. There are also the option of convertible car seats which can go from 5lbs-45lbs (depending on the brand) rear-facing and then forward to as high as 85lbs. The cheapest convertible that goes to 40lbs rear-facing but then is quickly outgrown is the Cosco Scenara available at Wal-mart for $40 (including shipping.) The point being that you want a seat that will rear-face a long time, or if you want to use an infant seat to plan on a rear-facing seat when the baby outgrows the baby seat. I do like the Graco-Snugride 35, which rear-faces to 35lbs, but I've found most babies want to sit up more by 10-12 months and it might be wiser to either get a convertible or get a cheap infant seat and replace it once they're large enough to want a new one.
STROLLERS:
First, for a newborn you want the baby to be able to lay flat (sitting up can decrease oxygen levels.) Also, there is research about babies who face their parents developing better than babies who are faced out towards the public. So, if you can find a stroller that lays flat and faces you then that's what you want. However, it's rather hard to find that, and I personally find that it's easier to get a baby wearing sling (like the Ergo or Moby Wrap) and wear the baby the first 6 months. After that they typically can sit up and it's easier to find a stroller that works for them. Strollers are rarely recalled so you can try them out in the store and then watch to see if someone sells it on craigslist or something. When you try them out try going over different obstacles, larger wheels tend to handle things like sand and obstacles better, but if you're using it for shopping then you want to try weaving in and out of tight corners. If you're using it on parks and trails then you want a different stroller than if you're riding the bus with your baby every day. It's all about where you live and what you're using it for.
Pack n Plays:
Wait on this one. See the second link. As of this year, pack-n-plays FINALLY have a safety standard, and as of last month they have adopted a safety standard for the bassinet attachment (before then they didn't.) There are a lot of deaths from pack-n-plays not working right, and they are not a good place to leave your baby to sleep. With these standards there are exciting changes that probably will happen in just the next year... but it also means there may be a lot of recalls and discontinuing of unsafe pack-n-plays. Also, Disney has just released the first ever machine washable pack-n-play (that's right... before this they were not washable. We can all gross out now.) See third link. To me, that means that the play-yards in the next year or two not only are going to be safer, but they're going to start to be washable! It is NOT worth it to buy a play-yard right now, you'll only regret it in a couple of years when they're better.
BABY CARRIERS:
When I say this I am talking about a chest-carrier, like the Moby Wrap or the Ergo. However there are some like the Baby Bjorn where the baby is dangling from their crotch, and this can contribute to hip dysplasia. The fourth link explains what you want to look for in a wrap, carrier, or sling (or even how to make sure they sit in a car seat.) There are several carriers on the market that hold the baby right, I do personally like the Ergo because it goes from newborn to 40lbs and allows a chest, hip, or back position, the versatility has been something that keeps us using it year after year.
Travel systems are bulky and unnecessary. When kept in a car seat a baby can have trouble breathing, and sleeping in the car seat is even worse. So I'm going to talk 'types' rather than brands.
CARSEAT: the current recommendation is to keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible, at least to 2 years old. Look at the first link for information about why rear-facing is so important. There are infant seats that rear-face to 20lbs, and some that rear-face to 30-35lbs. There are also the option of convertible car seats which can go from 5lbs-45lbs (depending on the brand) rear-facing and then forward to as high as 85lbs. The cheapest convertible that goes to 40lbs rear-facing but then is quickly outgrown is the Cosco Scenara available at Wal-mart for $40 (including shipping.) The point being that you want a seat that will rear-face a long time, or if you want to use an infant seat to plan on a rear-facing seat when the baby outgrows the baby seat. I do like the Graco-Snugride 35, which rear-faces to 35lbs, but I've found most babies want to sit up more by 10-12 months and it might be wiser to either get a convertible or get a cheap infant seat and replace it once they're large enough to want a new one.
STROLLERS:
First, for a newborn you want the baby to be able to lay flat (sitting up can decrease oxygen levels.) Also, there is research about babies who face their parents developing better than babies who are faced out towards the public. So, if you can find a stroller that lays flat and faces you then that's what you want. However, it's rather hard to find that, and I personally find that it's easier to get a baby wearing sling (like the Ergo or Moby Wrap) and wear the baby the first 6 months. After that they typically can sit up and it's easier to find a stroller that works for them. Strollers are rarely recalled so you can try them out in the store and then watch to see if someone sells it on craigslist or something. When you try them out try going over different obstacles, larger wheels tend to handle things like sand and obstacles better, but if you're using it for shopping then you want to try weaving in and out of tight corners. If you're using it on parks and trails then you want a different stroller than if you're riding the bus with your baby every day. It's all about where you live and what you're using it for.
Pack n Plays:
Wait on this one. See the second link. As of this year, pack-n-plays FINALLY have a safety standard, and as of last month they have adopted a safety standard for the bassinet attachment (before then they didn't.) There are a lot of deaths from pack-n-plays not working right, and they are not a good place to leave your baby to sleep. With these standards there are exciting changes that probably will happen in just the next year... but it also means there may be a lot of recalls and discontinuing of unsafe pack-n-plays. Also, Disney has just released the first ever machine washable pack-n-play (that's right... before this they were not washable. We can all gross out now.) See third link. To me, that means that the play-yards in the next year or two not only are going to be safer, but they're going to start to be washable! It is NOT worth it to buy a play-yard right now, you'll only regret it in a couple of years when they're better.
BABY CARRIERS:
When I say this I am talking about a chest-carrier, like the Moby Wrap or the Ergo. However there are some like the Baby Bjorn where the baby is dangling from their crotch, and this can contribute to hip dysplasia. The fourth link explains what you want to look for in a wrap, carrier, or sling (or even how to make sure they sit in a car seat.) There are several carriers on the market that hold the baby right, I do personally like the Ergo because it goes from newborn to 40lbs and allows a chest, hip, or back position, the versatility has been something that keeps us using it year after year.
Can infant car seats rest on any stroller?
Q. I've been looking at these Travel System stroller/car seat combo kits, and I haven't actually gone to the store yet. I'm just wondering, do you have to buy the travel system together, or could you buy the car seat and stroller separately? Would they still work together? I'm only asking because I thought I could ask for them as a baby shower gift. Instead of asking for the 170 dollar travel system. I'd ask for the 90 dollar stroller and 50 dollar car seat. That way two different people could buy cheaper gifts.
Answer
If the seat and stroller are the same brand, then yes, they will likely work together with one exception: The Graco SafeSeat does NOT work with all Graco strollers. The Graco SafeSeat is bigger than the Graco Snugride, and most Graco Strollers will fit the snugride, not the SafeSeat. You'd need to register for a graco stroller that specifically says it will fit the Safeseat if that's what you wanted. Steer clear of Evenflo infant seats!!! Very flimsy, constant recalls, and awful recall fixes. They just haven't mastered the art of infant carrier making yet.
The universal car seat carrier strollers can be a good idea, cheaper than a full size stroller and will fit most major brands of infant seats. Less bulk, too, in the trunk. Baby Trend makes one, so does Kolcraft and Combi.
Also, its worth noting that you don't HAVE to get an infant carrier car seat. They are nOT a required stage in car seats. Newborns can go home from the hospital in a rear facing convertible car seat. Convertible car seats last kids until their 2-4 years old (or longer) whereas infant carrier seats are outgrown at 4-7 months, and then you're out shopping for a car seat...again.
as a single parent on a seriously limited income, I now realize I should've completely skipped the infant carrier stage. Its not a 'needed' stage in car seats, its just a convenience thing, and a recent - as in the last 15 years or so - invention to have a stay in car base and separate carrier. Here's why I think its a waste: doesn't last babies very long at all. You spend $60 and up on this carrier that is only going to last 5-8 months! And then you have to purchase a convertible car seat, and somewhere down the line a booster seat. If you skip the carrier phase, you just eliminated one seat. There is now one carrier on the market that promises to fit 99% of babies up to at least their first birthday - Graco SafeSeat1, goes to 30lbs. However, there are limitations to this awesome seat. It really will fit most kids that long, but that's a catch-22. You really going to carry your 25lbs baby in a carrier?! My son was a BIG baby (still is a BIG kid!) and outgrew his carrier at 4 months. And, after baby gets above 10lbs or so, they are a pain in the butt to carry - quite awkward. So its not as convenient as it may at first seem. And some of the 'convenient' ways people use them aren't good.
Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don't lock on, they're just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I've seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet - not a good idea for digestion or spit up.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. "Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby's car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. "
Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats...) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically 'for use in cars and strollers only'! But we all seem to miss that part.
So I highly recommend skipping the carrier phase. I think they are more a pain than a blessing, and a wasted of money if you don't have a lot to throw around. Instead, get a convertible car seat that will fit a newborn (more on that later) and a sling, pouch, or wrap. Not one of those silly snugli or infantino carriers, but something like a ringsling, moby, or maya wrap. Wearing your baby gives everybody what they need. Babies get much needed closeness to mom (or dad, or anyone else for that matter!) and you get your hands free to do what you need to do, as well as you can even breastfeed in one! They offer many different positions to use them in, too, and go higher than carrier car seat weights (20-22lbs). Most go to at least 35lbs, so you will get much more use out of it for your money.
OK - so if you choose to skip the carrier phase, be careful about the convertible car seat you choose, b/c not all will fit newborns well. You want it to have low bottom slots.
Perfect options:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. It can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode.
Cosco Scenera - $50 at Walmart/Kmart/Target. Great seat for the price. Goes up to 35lbs rear facing, 40lbs forward facing. Great rear facing seat, but is outgrown very quickly forward facing b/c of short top slots and short shell. You'll still get you're $50 worth out of it, though, as it will last most kids to at least 2 years, quadruple the amount of time of an infant seat!
As you're shopping, remember these rules about seats:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you're more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 - 3 - 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can't sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs.
If you choose to go with an infant seat I would pick the seat you (stay away from Evenflo infant carriers, too many recalls, crappy recall fixes, overall a very cheap seat) and get a universal car seat stroller like Baby Trend Snap n Go, Combi Flash EX, Kolcraft makes one, too. That way you can spend a little less, sell it when you're done, and get a higher end stroller that will last better.
DANGEROUS ON SHOPPING CARTS:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm
http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=n:&mstr=/ZZZT24LYQMC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH
WHY REAR FACING:
http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf
In the foreground is a forward facing seat, in the background a rear facing seat. You can see how much trauma the forward facing dummy has to endure. The rear facing child simply rides it out.
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosipriori.mpg
Here's another video. You can see how there is NO trauma to the baby, it simply sits there waiting for it to end.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v163/jen_nah/carseats/?action=view¤t=video06A_MGA_213_RearFace-Convertib.flv
SLINGS:
http://www.thebabywearer.com
TOO MUCH TIME IN SEATS:
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/car-seats.html
http://stonyfield.typepad.com/babybabble/2008/02/bouncy-chairs-a.html
If the seat and stroller are the same brand, then yes, they will likely work together with one exception: The Graco SafeSeat does NOT work with all Graco strollers. The Graco SafeSeat is bigger than the Graco Snugride, and most Graco Strollers will fit the snugride, not the SafeSeat. You'd need to register for a graco stroller that specifically says it will fit the Safeseat if that's what you wanted. Steer clear of Evenflo infant seats!!! Very flimsy, constant recalls, and awful recall fixes. They just haven't mastered the art of infant carrier making yet.
The universal car seat carrier strollers can be a good idea, cheaper than a full size stroller and will fit most major brands of infant seats. Less bulk, too, in the trunk. Baby Trend makes one, so does Kolcraft and Combi.
Also, its worth noting that you don't HAVE to get an infant carrier car seat. They are nOT a required stage in car seats. Newborns can go home from the hospital in a rear facing convertible car seat. Convertible car seats last kids until their 2-4 years old (or longer) whereas infant carrier seats are outgrown at 4-7 months, and then you're out shopping for a car seat...again.
as a single parent on a seriously limited income, I now realize I should've completely skipped the infant carrier stage. Its not a 'needed' stage in car seats, its just a convenience thing, and a recent - as in the last 15 years or so - invention to have a stay in car base and separate carrier. Here's why I think its a waste: doesn't last babies very long at all. You spend $60 and up on this carrier that is only going to last 5-8 months! And then you have to purchase a convertible car seat, and somewhere down the line a booster seat. If you skip the carrier phase, you just eliminated one seat. There is now one carrier on the market that promises to fit 99% of babies up to at least their first birthday - Graco SafeSeat1, goes to 30lbs. However, there are limitations to this awesome seat. It really will fit most kids that long, but that's a catch-22. You really going to carry your 25lbs baby in a carrier?! My son was a BIG baby (still is a BIG kid!) and outgrew his carrier at 4 months. And, after baby gets above 10lbs or so, they are a pain in the butt to carry - quite awkward. So its not as convenient as it may at first seem. And some of the 'convenient' ways people use them aren't good.
Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don't lock on, they're just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I've seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet - not a good idea for digestion or spit up.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. "Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby's car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. "
Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats...) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically 'for use in cars and strollers only'! But we all seem to miss that part.
So I highly recommend skipping the carrier phase. I think they are more a pain than a blessing, and a wasted of money if you don't have a lot to throw around. Instead, get a convertible car seat that will fit a newborn (more on that later) and a sling, pouch, or wrap. Not one of those silly snugli or infantino carriers, but something like a ringsling, moby, or maya wrap. Wearing your baby gives everybody what they need. Babies get much needed closeness to mom (or dad, or anyone else for that matter!) and you get your hands free to do what you need to do, as well as you can even breastfeed in one! They offer many different positions to use them in, too, and go higher than carrier car seat weights (20-22lbs). Most go to at least 35lbs, so you will get much more use out of it for your money.
OK - so if you choose to skip the carrier phase, be careful about the convertible car seat you choose, b/c not all will fit newborns well. You want it to have low bottom slots.
Perfect options:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. It can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode.
Cosco Scenera - $50 at Walmart/Kmart/Target. Great seat for the price. Goes up to 35lbs rear facing, 40lbs forward facing. Great rear facing seat, but is outgrown very quickly forward facing b/c of short top slots and short shell. You'll still get you're $50 worth out of it, though, as it will last most kids to at least 2 years, quadruple the amount of time of an infant seat!
As you're shopping, remember these rules about seats:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you're more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 - 3 - 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can't sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs.
If you choose to go with an infant seat I would pick the seat you (stay away from Evenflo infant carriers, too many recalls, crappy recall fixes, overall a very cheap seat) and get a universal car seat stroller like Baby Trend Snap n Go, Combi Flash EX, Kolcraft makes one, too. That way you can spend a little less, sell it when you're done, and get a higher end stroller that will last better.
DANGEROUS ON SHOPPING CARTS:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm
http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=n:&mstr=/ZZZT24LYQMC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH
WHY REAR FACING:
http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf
In the foreground is a forward facing seat, in the background a rear facing seat. You can see how much trauma the forward facing dummy has to endure. The rear facing child simply rides it out.
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosipriori.mpg
Here's another video. You can see how there is NO trauma to the baby, it simply sits there waiting for it to end.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v163/jen_nah/carseats/?action=view¤t=video06A_MGA_213_RearFace-Convertib.flv
SLINGS:
http://www.thebabywearer.com
TOO MUCH TIME IN SEATS:
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/car-seats.html
http://stonyfield.typepad.com/babybabble/2008/02/bouncy-chairs-a.html
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