Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Open Call for Baby Advice
Thanks to the three friends from way different aspects of my life and Shelly's life for commenting on the last post. We've taken your advice and shopped around the last couple of days for rocker-recliners, and found a really great one we are probably going to go purchase tomorrow.
But we're still stumped on the crib idea. Plus, who knows what information is out there that the mothers and fathers who read this blog know about and we just don't know.
Therefore, let this post be the forum for all my readers to inundate me with baby gear advice. Crib vs. Pack-n-Play. Travel system stroller vs. car seat and frame vs. out-and-out stroller. The merits of Baby Bjorn. How to decorate a kid's room. Where to find great deals on Item X.
Let's hear it. Our daughter's future depends on you.
But we're still stumped on the crib idea. Plus, who knows what information is out there that the mothers and fathers who read this blog know about and we just don't know.
Therefore, let this post be the forum for all my readers to inundate me with baby gear advice. Crib vs. Pack-n-Play. Travel system stroller vs. car seat and frame vs. out-and-out stroller. The merits of Baby Bjorn. How to decorate a kid's room. Where to find great deals on Item X.
Let's hear it. Our daughter's future depends on you.
Comments:
Great, a chance for advice :)
Pack-n-Plays are great for traveling, but they will take up a significant portion of your trunk if you have a small car. I wouldn't have just a Pack-n-Play though. I think they sit too low for putting little babies in to sleep. If you get a crib, be careful if it is used. Older ones have gaps that are too big. (The crib I have is from DI and both my kids have gotten legs stuck between the slats).
I liked our travel system. It had a carseat and stroller. We could only use the carseat for the first 3 months. After that, our babies got too tall and had to move to a regular car seat. I would still suggest getting one though. It is very nice to be able to buckle the baby into the seat in the house (especially when it is cold). It is also nice not to have to wake up the baby if he/she falls asleep in the car. The carseat may be too heavy for the wife to carry during the first 6 weeks, so be careful.
Stroller-wise, test it out at the store for manuevering, and check how bulky it is folded up. My travel system stroller will fill my trunk on my Civic. You also might want to get an cheap umbrella stroller to keep in the trunk.
When we went shopping for a regular carseat, we got a convertable one and it has worked just fine. Just be sure it will fit in your car.
I suggest getting a front pack. I did a lot of cleaning with the baby happily snuggled next to me. It was also nice for shopping when the baby was too small to sit in the cart. I have a Baby Bjorn and liked it, although it took me a while to get used to how to buckle it up. The front pack was a life saver when baby #2 came: toddler in the stroller and baby strapped on front.
Wow that was long. Sorry :)
Pack-n-Plays are great for traveling, but they will take up a significant portion of your trunk if you have a small car. I wouldn't have just a Pack-n-Play though. I think they sit too low for putting little babies in to sleep. If you get a crib, be careful if it is used. Older ones have gaps that are too big. (The crib I have is from DI and both my kids have gotten legs stuck between the slats).
I liked our travel system. It had a carseat and stroller. We could only use the carseat for the first 3 months. After that, our babies got too tall and had to move to a regular car seat. I would still suggest getting one though. It is very nice to be able to buckle the baby into the seat in the house (especially when it is cold). It is also nice not to have to wake up the baby if he/she falls asleep in the car. The carseat may be too heavy for the wife to carry during the first 6 weeks, so be careful.
Stroller-wise, test it out at the store for manuevering, and check how bulky it is folded up. My travel system stroller will fill my trunk on my Civic. You also might want to get an cheap umbrella stroller to keep in the trunk.
When we went shopping for a regular carseat, we got a convertable one and it has worked just fine. Just be sure it will fit in your car.
I suggest getting a front pack. I did a lot of cleaning with the baby happily snuggled next to me. It was also nice for shopping when the baby was too small to sit in the cart. I have a Baby Bjorn and liked it, although it took me a while to get used to how to buckle it up. The front pack was a life saver when baby #2 came: toddler in the stroller and baby strapped on front.
Wow that was long. Sorry :)
You definitely want to go with a crib of some kind. Kids can stay in cribs nicely until they are big enough to climb out (about 2 1/2)-- the pack-n-play is just not that durable.
Unless the carseat/stroller combo is cheaper than buying both individually, I'd get them separately. The carseat/carrier thing is going to get lugged around a lot. We've had two and the one with the curved handle was much more comfortable to carry than the one with the straight handle. Make sure it feels right when you are carrying it.
As for the stroller, make sure that it is the right height for you to push. Drink holders are nice for those hot trips to the zoo and just for walking.
One really nice thing, if you have the room, is a baby swing (battery operated, of course)-- very handy to get things done.
Good luck!
Unless the carseat/stroller combo is cheaper than buying both individually, I'd get them separately. The carseat/carrier thing is going to get lugged around a lot. We've had two and the one with the curved handle was much more comfortable to carry than the one with the straight handle. Make sure it feels right when you are carrying it.
As for the stroller, make sure that it is the right height for you to push. Drink holders are nice for those hot trips to the zoo and just for walking.
One really nice thing, if you have the room, is a baby swing (battery operated, of course)-- very handy to get things done.
Good luck!
A crib for the house (new, not used, because of changing safety rules) and a Pack'n'Play for travelling. If you have a 2-story house, you can leave the packnplay set up on the floor without the crib, so you don't have to run up and down stairs for naps. Packnplays have bassinet / changing pad attachments, so they act as a changing table for that floor.
Get a copy of "Baby Bargains" - it makes navigating the whole thing much easier.
Try Baby-2-Teen in Manassas (I think it's Manassas) or Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg -- they're further but they're very helpful and have excellent service.
If you tend to walk a lot (if you're in a walkable neighborhood), or if you'll be taking the baby on the Metro with any frequency, get a good sturdy lightweight stroller. We loved our Maclaren, which turned on a dime (to turn in an elevator, etc.). If you're more likely to drive places with the baby, it doesn't matter as much if you have a heavier stroller.
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Get a copy of "Baby Bargains" - it makes navigating the whole thing much easier.
Try Baby-2-Teen in Manassas (I think it's Manassas) or Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg -- they're further but they're very helpful and have excellent service.
If you tend to walk a lot (if you're in a walkable neighborhood), or if you'll be taking the baby on the Metro with any frequency, get a good sturdy lightweight stroller. We loved our Maclaren, which turned on a dime (to turn in an elevator, etc.). If you're more likely to drive places with the baby, it doesn't matter as much if you have a heavier stroller.
