July 2009 Weddings
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Major baby items - Recs/warnings?
I have DH into the baby mode and he has agreed to look at the big ticket items with me....so I'm looking for your recs on travel systems, umbrella strollers, pack n plays, swings & high chairs.
I think we're decided on chicco cortina for the travel system, but I'll still take opinions on that!
TIA :-)
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Re: Major baby items - Recs/warnings?
We started with a Chicco Cortina-the car seat is great, but the stroller just wasn't working well for us. I opted for a stroller that's more uneven terrain-friendly after about 8 months. I think the cortina is great if you're planning on walking on pretty flat sidewalks, malls, and not a lot of hills.
Swing: we have the My Little Lamb by Fisher Price and I love that it has 3 different positions. One thing to think about-do you want battery power or outlet? We opted for battery because we have an older home with limited outlets. In the 4-5 months we used it, we only had to change the batteries once.
High Chair: we have a wooden one by graco (I can't remember off the top of my head) that's about $100. I wanted a wooden option and we haven't been disappointed by ours in the least.
PMP: we have one from BRU that was about $69 I think-it worked well for us. I never wanted a bassinette or changing station for ours.
Things we use(d) regularly: fold and go highchair, floor playmat, Boppy, bouncer
Things we never needed/used: Bumbo, exersaucer (out kiddo hated it), umbrella stroller
What stroller did you go with?
I think for the area we will be living in, we won't have much uneven terrain, but it's something I never thought of, so I'm interested in hearing more!
I didn't know what to do about battery vs. plug in. We have no idea what the house will be like that we'll be living in since we're moving a month after the baby's due date!
SO much to think about!
We were looking at the Graco Elements in Morgan for the pack n play. Which swing did you go with? There are SOOO many..I'm overwhelmed!
Not surprisingly, we got the Mickey Mouse swing by Graco.
For our high chair we had a space saver Fisher Price one. It goes on top of the chair and takes up less space. For us, it worked great, It had an infant postion and we actually still use it as a booster.
This this this!! I LOVE my Graco stuff! I know of a couple people who consider them "cheap" but why would I spend extra money on something that isn't going to be any better???
I do have the fisher price fancy shmancy swing, and it is very nice (MIL got it for us), and I do really like it. It plays music that I wouldn't mind listening to all day, whereas sometimes the Graco sounds drove me crazy. Not that it is a big deal at all though.
If I could go back, I don't think I would buy the stroller that comes with the carseat, mostly because Wyatt didn't like being in the car seat while we were pushing him in the stroller (convenient for most people, but it drove him crazy). He wanted to look around at everything. If I had known that ahead of time, I would have probably bought something a little more light weight, maybe one that converted to a 2 man stroller.
We have the chicco cortina system - I love that the car seat snaps in, that it folds pretty flat and that it isn't too heavy - but it is BIG and takes up a lot of space in the back of the truck (I have yet to try it in the back of my Jetta). Chicco now makes a Snap-n-Go frame. If I had to do it over I would get the Chicco car seat, snap-n-go and a lightweight (umbrella) stroller.
We have s Samsung monitor that we really like.
I would borrow the big stuff if you can, at least to test it out. D is pretty fond of the exersaucer but it is a lot of $ if your baby doesn't like it. We just got the FP Rainforest Jumperoo and he is having a blast in that.
D spits up every time I put him in the Bumbo :-( he used to love it, this just started about a month ago.
I don't use my Boppy very much, I think if my torso was longer I would have used it more to nurse, but it sets him up too high for me.
He have the Chicco highchair - can't say that I'm in love with it. The straps fit him funny and I don't like how the 2nd cover sits on there. I do like how it folds flat and rolls away.
If you are going to nurse get a good pump. I have the Medela Pump in Style Advance (PISA) Everything is packed into a backpack for easy (sort of discreet) carrying. I would definitely recommend a double pump.
I took everyones advice and didn't get a travel system. I got a graco snugride 35 and a snap and go. I LOVE it. The snap and go was inexpensive and we still use it and will continue to do so until he is out of his infant carseat. My mom is buying us a baby jogger citymini for Christmas as our second stroller. It is very compact and lightweight so I am excited about it. We almost went with the Chicco Cortina but I am so glad I didn't. Why drag around the carseat and a huge stroller if you don't need to. That being said everyone is different. I would recommend the snap and go and then wait on the second stroller until you know more about what you want.
pack n play - is graco with infant napper which Brin slept in for the first month or so then he slept in the top bassinet part until he moved to his crib at 2 months. We are very happy with it.
high chair - graco the one that grows with the child and matches our pack and play and car seat.
swing - snug a bunny fisherprice. LOVE it and Brin still uses it sometimes! It is gread because it has and AC adapter and you dont have to use batteries but you can if you need to.
Other stuff : I use my ring sling constantly and never use the baby bjorn
I loved My Breast Friend pillow for breast feeding but boppy is more versitile later on I registered for and got both. My Breast Friend was awesome for when I was just coming home because it had back support.
and... lol
I registered for my exersaucer and got it (we are so spoiled by DH grandmother) but I would recommend that if you don't get it as a gift check out consignment stores. We didn't get a jumperoo origianally and ended up spending 25 dollars on fisherprice rainforrest jumperoo at a consignment store and it is in great shape!
-- I use the boppy a lot now to put behind Brin because he still falls when he sits sometimes.
Craigslist Craigslist Craigslist. At least for the "less" important things;jumper, pack n'play etc.
We got the Chicco cars eat, I love how sturdy it is, I HATE how heavy it is, but I have a child that's off the charts. Right now it weighs over 30 lbs with him in it.
I also got the first years indigo stroller http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Indigo-Stroller-Retro/dp/B002WB2GKW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323616899&sr=8-2
Its has the "snap and go" option, then when he doesn't want to be in his car seat, you can use the other attachment. The only pain is that you do have to take the seat off to fold it. But I absolutely love it.
I have the snug a bunny swing and it's awesome, I think they discontinued it so it's the snug a puppy or something now- you now have the option to plug it in.
Never used a pack and play, so I didn't buy one.
I loved my medula freestyle pump.
I also had a my little lamb little bouncer seat. I loved it when KR was little.
That being said all major items (except car seat and breast pump) I got off Craigslist. Everything was in perfect condition, so I would definitely search there before buying at the store.
Hmmmm...This is really good insight! We (well, DH..but hey, if he has a strong option on a baby item..I will go with it..lol) like the Limonata pattern, but it doesn't come as the system. Maybe we will do the carseat & snap n go...then find a good lightweight stroller. I have a mazda 3...the trunk isn't going to be any better than the Jetta for sure, if not worse to fit the stroller....and I'll likely be home with the LL next year with my car!
Edit: hmm, just looked up price..It's 180 for the car seat & 100 for the snap & go....that's as expensive as the travel system...plus I would need a stroller still. AHhh, this isn't easy!!! lol
Never thought of Craigslist! If we dont get things for showers..I will definitely look into craigslist first!
Also, I want to recommend my angelcare monitor, it has been a total godsend, and has helped with peace of mind. I still turn it on just in case.
Plus, I have a seven slings sling and a moby, and I have never once managed to use the moby properly so I gave it up. I still use the sling to pack Wyatt around quite often. It is like having a 3rd hand, so I love it
I'm the opposite - I love my Moby. He never felt secure in the sling. I tried it again recently and I'm still not comfortable with it. I have an Infantino front carrier that I use too. I like it and it fits me (at 110 lbs) and DH (at 300lbs) It is really easy to adjust. I don't think I would ever get Ricky in the Moby.
and I love and use both my moby and my sling! lol
and I love and use both my moby and my sling! lol
I would definitely recommend some sort of snap and go stroller. I have the Combi brand that I got for $50 and I love it. It's super small and lightweight and easy to pack around, just snap the carseat in and go. Perfect for things like the mall. I wouldn't recommend the Combi one though because the bin underneath for storage is ridiculous. If you have the carseat in, you can't get anything into it.
We are using a Graco carseat that was lent from my sister and I have no complaints. We are also using her Bumbleride Indie stroller for once Kenzie can be in a stroller without being in her carseat. I've used it with the carseat though and it's awesome. Super maneuverable, big air filled tires.
I have a moby, which I like. And a Snuggli front and back carrier which i also like. I have a few slings, but I don't like them for the infant stage. I can see myself using them more once she is bigger and I can use them to hold her on my hip.
We got a Graco pack n play with the newborn napper and change table attachments and have never used either attachment. It can be set at "bassinet" height and she slept in there the first couple nights home but moved to her crib in her own room right away because she is such a noisy sleeper.
We bought a Baby Einstein play mat at Costco, where it was significantly cheaper than Babies R Us and Kenzie loves it. She lays on there staring and swatting at the toys.
We were given a Graco swing that the vibrating bouncy chair detaches from the swing. It's a great 2 in 1 and space saver, except our daughter hate the swing. She is super happy and content to sit in the bouncy chair though, it's how I get my shower every morning. She comes in the bathroom with me and hangs out in the chair.
The glider we got for the nursery is one of my favourite "baby items". I've spent many hours in that chair nursing. We got a Dutailier from Costco online. The reclining feature is awesome.
We have an Angelcare monitor which I love for the peace of mind, and also a video monitor which I love so that I can peek in on her without having to open the door to her room. I can see it coming in more handy has she gets older. In hindsight I wish we would have just splurged on the video angel care instead of having two separate monitor systems.
If you have a store like "Once Upon A Child" near you, definitely check it out. Baby stuff is so gently used because they grow out of it so fast that you can get great stuff at a fraction of the price. Happy shopping!!!
William born 7/12/2000
Andrew born 10/30/2011 (9lb 4oz at 37 weeks)
Thanks! I'm sure I'll get a million barnes & noble gift cards from the kiddos at school (because apparently teachers have time to read anything but their teachers edition..hehe), so I'll pick that up!
Yes! I forgot about that book. I consulted it for everything from furniture to crib mattress to bathtub. It is a great resource
seriously...how in the world do I pick between all of these options?!?!?!?!?!?! OVERWHELMED!!!!
Is there any reason the strollers you get in the travel system are truly necessary or will I be okay with the snap n go/car seat then lightweight stroller?
We bought a Baby Jogger City Select. We opted for the BJCS because you add on a 2nd seat in the front, instead of a rumble seat which is the "add on" seat for many strollers. The wheels are huge, it handles really well with one hand and it has a lot of position options for the seats (forward facing, facing mom, reclining at lots of levels). We also have a BOB Revolution Duallie for running with the kiddos.
I second that the Chicco Cortina is pretty big in the trunk. We were using it with a Volvo s80 which has a pretty big trunk and that sucker took up a TON of space. my BJCS weighs a ton (I think it's 28 lbs with just one seat) and it takes up half the space of the Chicco. We're holding onto our set until LO is old enough to be in a convertible car seat, the stroller is just chillin' in our basement.
Also, I LOVE the Boba carrier-it's a front and back carrier. I was able to use it with Anders until about 32 weeks no problem. I used a Moby when he was an infant, and I will use it with 2.0, but I'm borrwing a k'atan from a friend for out and about since it's less fabric than the moby.
The only thing I would stay away from is the convertible carseat we just sent back-Graco myRide65. I liked it, until the straps stopped tightening equally. We have worked with CS for 2 months and are said "screw it" and sent the sucker back for a refund. We now have a Britax Advocate 70-it is heavy and looks huge, but it takes up less space than the Graco and is SO much easier to use.
Also, the Baby Bjorn killed my back. There's a lot of interwebz talk about how the position is not good for baby's hips since all of the weight is on their pelvis v. bottom with carriers like the Ergo/Boba/Beco.
I 2nd looking at consignment sales for certain items. I would just stay away from anything that cannot be completely cleaned and carseats.
The snap and go is fine for the infant carrier. Maggie was in her regular stroller at like 10 weeks. I will say that make sure the stroller is comfortable. Obv you can't try it out, but make sure it reclines, has enough room etc. We spend a lot of time out and about and Maggie has spent a lot of time sleeping in her stroller (even this past trip to Disney). It was important to me that she had the space and option to nap in hers.
I am another lover of the snap and go. Although, If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten the britax system. You take the seat off and the carseat attaches, then the seat can go back on along with a second seat turning it into a double stroller. Essentially, 3 strollers in one.
I couldn't live without my Ergobaby carrier. I have used it everyday since she was born. I mostly use it now when walking the dog, but when she was a newborn I put her in it so I could get things done and she still felt close to me.
I also love my summer infant video monitor. Mostly now, because she still wakes up at night, and I can look in on her to see if I really need to go in to her or if she is able to put herself back to sleep. If she was halfway between awake and asleep and I went in, she would wake up fully. Plus, it gives me peace of mind.
Thanks for pointing that out! If I go the snap & go route, I will definitely look for a reclining stroller!