Car seats and travel systems?
Originally, I wanted to buy a travel system, since they seem like a good bargain. However, I noticed almost all of them have rear-facing only car seats, which means we'd have to buy one that could be forward facing when baby gets bigger. Did anyone else notice this? Is it just a better idea to buy one that is both forward- and rear-facing and a separate storller, or is that too much of a hassle?
That really depends on your situation and preferances. With my first three, I did the whole combo thing, because I loved the ease that I could transfer the baby from car to stroller without waking him/her, especially as a new born and you have so many doctors appointments. Just snap out the car seat and snap it in to the stroller and go. If money isn't a big issue, I would buy the combo and purchase a new car seat later. I am now pregnant with twins and am going to get a double stroller that allows the car seats to snap into it for the same reasons.
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That really depends on your situation and preferances. With my first three, I did the whole combo thing, because I loved the ease that I could transfer the baby from car to stroller without waking him/her, especially as a new born and you have so many doctors appointments. Just snap out the car seat and snap it in to the stroller and go. If money isn't a big issue, I would buy the combo and purchase a new car seat later. I am now pregnant with twins and am going to get a double stroller that allows the car seats to snap into it for the same reasons.
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mother of three, pregnant with twins
I just thought of this as well, but what if you go grocery shopping by yourself, noone to carry the baby, the infant car seats are designed to snap right into the front of any grocery or shopping carts, if you don't have one, where will the baby go, he/she can't sit up, and you can't lay them in the cart. There are tons of reasons to have the handy little infant car seat for at least the first 6-8 months now that I think about this more.
the convienience of having those rear facing only seats at first is the luxery of being able to carry your baby all over in it and not have to take them out of their seat at every store you go to….I have yet to see a portable that goes both ways..after my boys were both able to go forward facing I bought a booster and car seat combo..it goes up to 100 lbs……its the cosco alpha omega elite…I have 2 of them for each of my boys…it actually is rear facing too (starts at 5 lbs.) but I honestly recommend sticking with the smaller car seats for a while though so you can carry your baby around in it for awhile
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momma of 2 w 3rd on the way
An infant carrier carseat is really handy during those first few months. The baby nearly always falls asleep, so its a way to get the baby from the house to the car the the grocery store…etc without waking the baby. Also, since the baby can't "sit" in shopping carts, stroller, or high chairs, its something for the baby to be "in" while shopping or dining in a restaurant.
The other choice for infant carseat is called a "convertible" carseat. The weight limit on these is generally 5-40lbs, so you can use it right from birth for a few years. They have the option of rear facing and forward facing installation in the car. Downside of course is that the seat stays in the car. Of course, if you plan to use a sling or other body attaching carrier, its no big deal to not be able to take the seat out of the car.
Eventually, of course, you'll probably end up with a convertible seat anyways, since most babies outgrow the infant carrier before they turn 1 (requirements for forward facing seats are one year old AND {not or} 20lbs).
Buying a separate stroller opens you up to more options. A jogging stroller with swivel front tire can be used at the mall, while walking, running, and jogging–but is not the most compact option in the world (mine does fold down flat enough to fit into the trunk of my Corolla). And, because most jogging strollers have fully reclining seats and 5 point harness systems they can be used right from birth (though not on bumpy trails, you'll want to wait til baby's a little older for that). Umbrella strollers are cheap and compact, but you can't use them until the baby is about 6 months old (seat doesn't recline so baby has to have ability to sit up by self).
Personally, we bought the travel system, with additional base for second car, two convertible car seats (one for each car) and two high back boosters (again one for each car). We also have jogging stroller and umbrella stroller. Added up, we've spent about upwards of $600 on all that "gear" over the last 3.5 years. You just really need to decide what works best for you.
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What you should buy depends really on your budget. If you are not going to be able to buy the travel system, and then buy a convertible car seat within the next 5-6 months (when most babies outgrow their carrier by either weight or height) then you need to get a convertible seat, and make sure it has padding to use for newborns. And, while you're at it, if money is going to be an issue for a while, try and purchase a convertible seat that will last the longest. Sometimes these cost more up front, but remember they will keep your baby safer for longer, avoiding buying other interim seats. Some important things to remember about car seats:
1) not every seat fits in every car, in every position
2) babies should be kept rear facing (rf) AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, not just to the 12months/20lbs suggestion, but to the limits of their seat. Which means look for seats that have higher rf limits, over 30lbs. examples: Britax Roundabout, Britax Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard, Cosco Scenera (A steal at $40 at Walmart!), Fisher Price Safe Voyage (same seat as Marathon, just fewer features for cheaper!) check out the links for why extended rf is better.
3) kids should be kept in a 5 point harness AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, that means they shouldn't automatically be put in a booster just because most boosters say you can at 30lbs. The Britax seats also forward face (ff) longer, another reason they're worth the money. Roundabout ff to 55lbs, Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard to 65lbs., Fisher Price Safe Voyage to 55lbs.
Actually, most people (like myself, lol) end up buying several seats: an infant carrier (for convenience, don't have to wake baby to get out of the car), a convertible seat (b/c they still need to be rf but have outgrown the carrier), and a booster (b/c they've outgrown the convertible height limit, but still need a seat). There's no right or wrong, you really have to figure out what's best for your situation.
References :
REAR FACING LINKS
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx
http://myangelsaliandpeanut.tripod.com/id5.html
http://momtoaliandshae.tripod.com/keepingkidssafeinthecar/
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
http://www.aap.org/family/1to2yrs.htm
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/travelsafetytips.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI