My new online obsession (now that I am no longer perseverating over infertility) has become stroller and car seat safety. Which model? What is safest? Which is lightest? Which one has the bells and whistles? Travel system or not? Where do I find the best deal? It's all incredibly overwhelming. Thankfully, I have a great deal of baby items from my sister, so I don't have to go through this with each item that we need (I think I'd go crazy if I did!) I think that I have narrowed it down to the Chicco Cortina Travel System -
Apparently, Consumer Reports ranked the car seat #1 for safety in 2008, and the stroller itself is a touch more lightweight than its competitors (an important point, since I am small and unbelievably wimpy). The seat back lowers all the way down to sleep position on this little number, and has a "memory" capability so that it can recall the last position you set the seat at. The car seat comes with a cushy head-support for newborns, and the base is supposed to be very easy to install. There are cup holders for both child and parent, and even a snack tray for the baby that is removable and dishwasher safe!! Man - it seems like the caddy of travel systems! I am pretty excited about it.
My sister tells me to avoid travel systems at all costs and to invest in a separate car seat and car seat frame, but I'm not too impressed with how low the car seat sits in a frame, and besides - I'd have to have a stroller eventually anyway! My husband laughs at this latest obsession. This past weekend, I was in a frenzy about the stroller, as it was on sale at Sears ("Baby Days") and when I called around, I discovered that most stores in our city had run out of stock. This drove me crazy, and when DH came home from the gym, I told him that he had to get showered right away because we had to go to Sears because we had to get the stroller before they ran out!! He shook his head and chuckled, "We have 5 more months! You don't think they'll get more stock in 5 months?!? You don't think they'll be another sale in the next 5 months?! Baby - you need to relax!!" Um...okay. Point taken.
If any of my cyber-friends can give me advice on strollers, I'd love to hear from ya! What worked for you? What didn't? If you had to buy a new one today, what would be different? Stroller-obsessed mommy-to-be would love to know!!
XOXO,
SR
15 comments:
Oooh you can feel Dim Sum already, how exciting!
As for strollers, we have a Graco Quatro travel system that worked very well for us. I still love the stroller but wish that it had a much bigger hood. A friend has the peg perego pliko that I really like as the hood can completely cover baby and block out any light for the times you hope they nap on the go, but it is expensive. That said, I'd have bought it had I had the cash.
Springroll, I love reading your posts, even if they are infrequent. It's so important to hear from those who get good news and make it to the other side!
I have no assvice about strollers- the whole thing seems terribly complicated to me!
T.
Unfortunately, I have no idea about strollers because my mother (who lives in the UK) has decided that strollers shall be her obsession while I'm pregnant. She absolutely insists this is the perfect 'grandma gift' so that's what she's shipping me. So I guess I'm gonna be surprised!
But I can hardly wait till you start obsessing about cribs... I need more opinions to read on those things. :)
OOooh... cribs and then deciding on the nursery decor. That caused me quite the trauma even knowing it was a girl :)
Oh yay!! You can feel him/her!! Those are the best feelings and as they get stronger and stronger you will live to feel them! I miss that soooo much.
As for strollers, I have a Graco and I love it. I think the ones that go with the carseat are the best, I'm kinda sad that we have to upgrade to a bigger carseat now. Its so good for when you run out and have a little sleeping baby, and you dont have to wake them for anything....thats what is going to suck about this new carseat. I know lots of people that have the Peg perego and they love them, but I like the one handed break down of the one I have. Just my 2 cents.....
I wanted to add, that I agree, aside from the carseat, the nursery stressed me out quite a bit and I knew it was a boy. You just want everything to be perfect :)
Good point CJ, the Graco is really easy to fold up and I agree about how great the travel system is.
Hey girl,
I was wondering who you went for for acupuncture at the end? I am wanting to find someone very experienced in calgary! Thanks!
Ladies - you guys rock!! Thanks for the advice on the strollers...Graco was definitely a front-runner, but I got worried because the reviews all said that the stroller was heavy (27 lbs!) Did you girls find it heavy to lift?
Anonymous - I went to see Leslie Ring Adams at the Calgary Winter Club. Amazing. I would recommend her in a flash...and may go to see her again because another acupuncturist told me to go during pregnancy for a smoother delivery!!
Good luck!
Thank you!(I was anonymous!never used this before!) I did try to contact her but never heard back. Have you heard of TerraSana Health? Dr. Abbs? She also does the acupuncture for invitro patients but I don't know if she is any good. We have just been put on the wait list at the Calg. Reg. Fert. Clinic so I would also like to ask for any advice! I am 28 healthy my husband is 39 had a vesectomy reversal and now has antibodies so we have to do ivf icsi! just nice to have someone who has gone thru all of this. Let me know if you have ANY advice or ways to make this more successful! Thanks-
I don't find the Graco to be super heavy, after all lifting the baby in the car seat is much heavier. After a few weeks you don't really notice the weight of the stroller. It is super easy to fold unlike the pliko, you just twist at the wrist and it's folded down.
I Avoid graco like the plague. I did research and found out that they did not make recalls on a few products that resulted int he death of babies. That was enough for me to say forget graco!
So peg perego is my vice! I loved my peg SIPs. They were wonderful. I also love peg strollers but I love love love VALCO Baby. Best strollers ever.
So yeah, I felt that graco did not deserve my business for thinking it was acceptable to put babies and children in harms way. Not my thing! I will silently protest and protect my children.
Has anyone been on the wait list at the Calgary Regional Fert. clinic for ivf/icsi? and how many months did you wait?
HI BeginningJourney -
Sorry about the delayed response - in any case, I haven't heard of Dr. Abbs before, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I went to see Leslie Ring-Adams, whom I believe is well known in the fertility/infertility community in Calgary. She is able to come to the clinic and give you treatments the day of transfer - she is amazing!!
As for the wait - I have been on the waiting list twice and both times it took about 5-6 months. Right now, however, they are saying that the wait is shorter (3-5 months). This is what they told us for our second wait, but it still ended up being 6 months for us, so try not to get your hopes up. Dealing with IF is hard enough without feeling disappointed every month that you haven't been called off "the list".
I wish you much luck!!
-SR
Does anyone know of a good fertility diet to follow 2-3 months before IVF??? Thanks so much
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