Today brings 24 weeks pregnant and I celebrated it with a trip to see my parent’s primary care physician here in Florida.
Pregnancy-wise, I’m feeling great but today marks four weeks of battling various cold/respiratory ailments. My symptoms were getting worse and not better so I finally caved and saw another doctor today and started an antibiotic. Something has to give!
24 WEEKS PREGNANCY UPDATE
Can you believe that baby boy is the size of a cantaloupe!? That seems so big. He’s just under 12 inches and around a little under a pound and a half.
- baby has developed sleep and wake cycles and is even yawning in there
- this is so cool…as baby’s brain grows more complex, he’s begun developing memory and thoughts (baby is probably thinking “what is all that coughing and can you stop jostling me around mom?”)
- lashes, eyebrows and hair have grown but are white and not pigmented at this time. I am SUPER curious to see what kind of coloring this baby gets as ours couldn’t be more opposite
- face is almost fully formed
HOW I’M FEELING AT 24 WEEKS PREGNANT
Weight Gain/Body Changes: still in that 13-15 pound range. I seem to gain in spurts and then hover in that area for a few weeks. And although you guys can’t really tell because I’m always wearing sports bras in these photos…my breasts are still growing too!
Workouts/Workout Modifications: workouts have been very few and tame over the last seven days since I’ve been feeling really sick again. Since you heard from me last…
- taught three strength classes
- one prenatal yoga practice
- three one-hour walks
And that’s all. I’ve really been trying to rest my body and to be honest, for the last five days I have had ZERO desire to do much more than walk.
Symptoms: I’ve really just been dealing with being sick but when it comes to pregnancy, I have started experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions, which I have been surprised to experience so early. My doctor says they’re normal and as long as I don’t get more than 4-6 in an hour, all is okay. He did say that if I’m getting them regularly they can be a sign that I might need to slow down a bit.
I get them mostly at night and I’ve definitely been able to create the connection that I get them more on the days that I’m super active teaching/on my feet/working out so those doctors do know what they’re talking about. 😉
I’m feeling better emotionally this week. Seeing my family has been really great.
Food Aversions: mostly just averse to preparing anything that takes a lot of effort. Haha.
Food Cravings: I’ve always loved grilled cheese but I think I’ve eaten more grilled cheese sandwiches in the last few months than I have in my life! Still going strong on the kettle chips. My mom and I stopped at the grocery on the way home from the airport and she was like, “you’re getting chips!?” YES. Also loving spicy ginger ale right now mixed with unsweetened cranberry juice to make it a bit less sweet.
Sleep: mostly not great due to coughing at night again. GO AWAY!
Maternity Clothes: YAY! I have an update here. My friend Lauren loaned me a bunch of her maternity clothes and my mom and I went shopping for a few tops at Target. I still haven’t really found any maternity-specific pants I like. I squeezed myself into pre-pregnancy jeans for an event last week (that was fun…) but mostly wearing Lululemon Align pants or high-rise Wunder Unders.
I love how much the maternity tops accentuate the bump.
Speaking of the bump, I definitely have one now but I feel like it’s so hard for you guys to really see in the shirt off weekly progress pics.
Fun Shares: on the topic of the bump again…it was so much fun for my mom and grandmother to see it!
Also, baby boy has been moving like crazy lately! I’m definitely recognizing his patterns of sleep/wake and he is very active at night and early in the morning. He’s been kicking and wiggling so much since I’ve been in Florida that you can even see it from the outside. My mom got to feel him move!
I mostly feel him on my right side. He’s had his feet over there for a few weeks now it seems.
Next Up: I finally finished my Amazon registry. YAY! I also loved the doula I interviewed last week and hope to hire her. I have actively been researching nursery decor/furniture and also ideas for maximizing baby’s closet organization.
I see my OB on Friday for a check-up. Hard to believe that the next time I see him I’ll be in the third trimester. Time is flying.
Questions: I have questions about car seats. HELP. Do I need an infant car seat and probably two bases for the cars? And then two separate convertible car seats for after the infant stage? And when it comes to the BOB stroller…I need the infant car seat converter for that, right? Car seats are overwhelming.
When did you start feeling Braxton-Hicks contractions?
Stroller question…for those of you who got a jogging stroller, did you also get an umbrella stroller?
Love your updates!!! So excited for you!! Your bump looks adorable!! Baby gear is so overwhelming and expensive! We have the Chico keyfit 30 car seat for the infant stage and managed with just one base. It’s super easy to transfer to another car but my husband and I would trade cars if one needed the car seat to save the hassle of moving the base 🙂
And we have one car seat the Britax boulevard clicktight car seat for after our baby turned one. Just one of these car seats though since it’s so expensive!!
And for our bob stroller I got the attachment for our stroller so I could insert the infant car seat and it was super easy! Sounds so much more overwhelming than it actually was 🙂
And I would recommend getting the Chicco keyfit caddy stroller to go with infant car seat because the bob is a beast and even though it seemed easy and light weight in the store it was such a pain to put it in the car that I would just carry the car seat or wear baby on me when I was out and about. Strollers were kind of a waste of money for me other than neighborhood walks ha. I had grand plans of running with it but it didn’t happen. I’m sure you will love it though!!
Oh my gosh, the gear stuff is SO overwhelming. I’m leaning heavily on advice from those of you who have gone before so THANK YOU for offering it. Everyone has raved about the keyfit caddy so that’s going to be a must for me. Thank you!
I am planning on doing a good bit of babywearing.
We did one Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat too and 2 bases so we can leave them in the cars. Also did the Bob and converter piece for the Keyfit (super easy) and the Keyfit caddy (much easier for quick trips inside stores, restaurants, etc. where the Bob won’t fit and great for airport travel too). Haven’t looked into the next stage of car seats yet because we’re not quite there – good luck!
Thank you Amy! 🙂 Definitely going to look into that keyfit caddy!
They make convertible car seats that are infant seats as well…only thing is you can’t remove them from the car like a traditional infant seat. I wouldn’t stress about getting a convertible car seat right away, your baby will be in the infant one until close to a year old.. obviously you want to register for one and see if someone gets it for you but if not don’t worry!
I have the Thule jogging stroller which was rated higher than the Bob..it’s amazing!
I think I’m really going to want the flexibility of being able to move the baby in and out of the car with the infant seat.
Y’all are making me consider switching to the Thule. Thank you! I wasn’t even aware of it!
I bought my sister the city mini GT system. I offered all the high end ones but this one is light and EASY to use.
She has two bases but you can also strap the seat into the car without it. One of the other reasons was this stroller has an airplane bag! For when it goes under the plane.
Thank you Jenny. This is GREAT info!
Def get 2 bases. Makes life so much easier. At this point youre looking for anything to make life easier! We had a graco infant car seat and have been very happy with it. Same goes for convertible car seats – get 2, one for each car.
I got both a jogging stroller and umbrella stroller. Used the jogging one way more, but the convenience of an umbrella one can’t be beat – ie for the airport when you’re already lugging a million things! Plus they’re not horribly expensive. Worth having.
Yes, easier with a baby sounds right up my alley. I just think having two of everything sounds like such a better plan for me, especially since I’m on the go so much. And yes, I think that I’ll need the umbrella stroller for travel to see my family, for sure.
Love the bump pics and hope you feel better soon!
Car seats – yes, they’re overwhelming. You definitely don’t NEED to get an infant seat because convertibles can hold infants, BUT the infant carrier and bases are super convenient (especially when baby boy is sleeping in the car, which will probably be often). We had the Britax B-Safe with both kiddos with two bases when they were little, and now have them both in a Britax convertible (can’t remember which model, tbh, because we bought them years ago!). My boys are 3 and 4.5 now, so we’ve actually got 4 between our two cars! I’d recommend checking which models may fit best in your cars, because while all should be able to be installed in any car, some are wider/taller than others and fit better in different model cars. And as silly as it sounds, check to see if CMC Main still has their car seat class – they’ll teach you how to install whatever you choose correctly and check it in your car for you!
As for strollers, we never had a BOB when the boys were babies, but I wish we did! Unless you get a snap n’ go (which I’ve heard are awesome with infant seats), you’ll likely need an infant seat adapter with any stroller model. We only had a city mini gt, which we loved because it was so easy to fold up, although a little bulky.
Have a great time in Florida, and feel better!
I’ve heard great things about the Britax gear. Good to hear it works well for you guys. This is so much to figure out!
As a first time mom I dwelled in strollers and car seats for ages!!! It’s so overwhelming. Here’s what I did… infant seat with two bases, one for me and Dad, we waited until 11 months to get a convertible seat (Black Friday!) also I didn’t want to have to store it while we used the infant seat. Baby girl is on the small side, so she can still fit in the infant seat so that stays in dads car in the base now, and just one convertible for now. Wanted to make sure we liked it before we took the plunge for two. Also, look for local Mom resale groups on Facebook, we had someone give us old bases so Grandmas could keep one in their cars.
For the stroller, we LOVE LOVE our BOB, we walk or run with it alllll the time! And it’s Big and cumbersome but love traveling with it bc we can stash everything. And yes, we got the car seat adapter, another great thing to buy used! Most people use for just a few months. We were gifted a different everyday stroller (chicco bravo) and loved that. I bought a used umbrella stroller off craigslist, and great to keep in dads car. Lastly, the same neighbor who gave us the bases also gave us a “cart” which is just a simple stroller frame for the infant car seat. Much less cumbersome than a whole stroller to clip infant seat in for errands and such. It’s so much stuff! Love helping new mamas! Baby’s needs change so quickly too!
THANK YOU for all of this great info Erin. It’s SO very helpful. And yes, I need to use secondhand resources for SURE! I so appreciate all of your insight and input. 🙂 <3
Hi!
I would recommend a click connect type car seat until the baby gets to the height limit (30” I think). It makes life so much easier! I had the graco click connect and really liked them!
When both the kids were around 9mo we switched to the graco 4life car seat. They are expensive but I watched sales and was able to get $100 off each time.
As for the BOB yes you need that, make sure you look at the chart to order the one that fits your car seat. I am an avid runner and love running outside w my kids. I know every doctor is different but mine allowed me to start running w baby at 4 mo! Let me just say that was SO great
Hang in there! Feel better!
See, I didn’t even know that car seat “sales” were a thing. Good to know. Wonderful on the running with the BOB. I’ll definitely ask the doctor what they are comfortable with and see what kind of sweet baby I have and what he’s ready for. I know we’ll be doing a TON of walking in the beginning.
I love the baby updates!
As other have said, you definitely want an infant seat with 2 bases and 2 convertible seats/one fore each car for when the baby is bigger. We switched to the convertible ones with both kids around 9 months. My kids weren’t all that big and still fit in the infant seat, but I was tired of lugging the infant seat around.
For strollers… we had a snap and go type for the infant car seat and the Bob for everything else. You definitely want the infant car seat adapter if you want to use it before baby is 6 months or so. When my son was 2 we bought one of the $20 Babies R Us very basic umbrella strollers to get us through the airport. My advice on strollers is to wait and see what you need/what fits YOUR lifestyle. We never really needed a better umbrella stroller because we mostly used the stroller to run or walk outside. I would definitely get the snap and go type and the Bob as both will suite you well and get you through the first year. Hold off on any others until you find you actually need them.
Hope you are feeling better soon!
Great advice on not overloading on strollers Erin. Thank you!
So for car seats yes two bases!! As far as the convertible one we ended up getting the $200+ diono for my car and my husband got the $99 Costco one for his (less used) we get ours installed by the police station and they explained that they all have to pass the same safety standards so it’s more bells and whistles and comfort on the more expensive ones!! We love our city mini gt stroller, most car seats have an adapter for the stroller. We got an umbrella stroller for free and have never used it, it was just not comfortable to wheel and has no bottom storage which was annoying.
Thank you so much for this input Julie. It’s helpful!
Hope you feel better soon! Being sick while pregnant is awful.
The strollers / carseats / adapters question confused me too. I bought an umbrella stroller that clicked on to our Graco Snugride carseat (Graco Click Connect). I wouldn’t say the stroller is amazing, but with the baby in the carseat it was plenty smooth for her (and I did a TON of walking in the early months to keep us both sane), and the stroller is easy to fold one-handed, put in the car, travel with, etc. A few months after she was born I bought a Bob for running, and I started using it on smooth paths with her between 5-6 months (without the car seat, with her mostly reclined). I’m sure your pediatrician will have a recommendation about when it is safe. Now, at 9 months, she can sit up more in it and I’ve ventured onto a little more rugged terrain. I LOVE the Bob for running and exploring around town, but it’s wider and heavier of course – more work to fold up and put in the car. Anyway, that’s just my experience, but I have been glad to have an umbrella stroller and we still use it now for traveling or for a quick walk somewhere.
Yes, I think a lot of walking will be in the cards for me this summer to get out of the house. And thank you for the input on BOB v. Umbrella!
One of my biggest mistakes as a first-time mom was buying a really heavy infant seat that said it went up to 30-something pounds! I moved both of my babies into a convertible seat around 9 months because it was so heavy! They were both under 20 lbs when we switched. Good luck!
Thank you for sharing this!
I would DEFINITELY recommend getting an infant seat. That way when he falls asleep in the car on the way somewhere you can just take him with you.
When our girl turned one, we got the Evenflo convertible car seat. I think it’s around $47 on Amazon!! They were so inexpensive we had no trouble buying one for each vehicle. But don’t let the price put you off. I did lots of research and it has a very high safety rating. Check out consumer reports summary on convertible car seats! It made me feel better about getting a less expensive one to know the safety ratings are so high. I think you sacrifice on ease of use because the buckles/straps are kind of annoying but it’s really no big deal.
The bump is SO CUTE!!! Hoping you feel much better soon. Also thanks for the recommendation of the booty loop – my husband and I had such fun running it and looking at all the gorgeous houses!
Oh wow, thanks for the head’s up on the Evenflo Christin. That is great advice. I’m a BIG fan of Consumer Reports so I’ll check out that carseat report for sure! So glad y’all enjoyed the Booty Loop!
I had braxton hicks early on and throughout all 3 of my pregnancies. They definitely intensified more during the last few weeks and I would often wonder if “this is it!”. I had relatively easy deliveries and I kind of attribute that to all of the “practice” contractions. 🙂 I can’t comment on baby products because my youngest is 19 and so much has changed since then! I would suggest though keeping the receipts and tags on any items so if they don’t work you can exchange to try something else…baby boy may not like one swing but love another. Loving the baby posts!
Great advice and it does seem that all babies are different in what works and what they like!
Definitely get an infant car seat with bases for each car! It’s so much easier to get the whole seat out than have to take the baby in/out of the seat every time. We have a Graco Click Connect Infant Seat with a base installed in each car. We got a Britax Marathon convertible car seat to put in my car once she outgrows the infant seat and we’ll probably also pick up a cheaper convertible car seat for my husband’s car.
As for strollers, we have the Bob Revolution Flex stroller and got the Graco car seat adapter so we can use it with the infant seat. The Bob is a fantastic stroller and we used it a ton for walks when I was on leave in the fall, but it is BIG and pretty heavy so it’s not great for everyday errands if you intend to use a stroller for stuff like that (I don’t, I either leave her in the car seat or wear her). We also got a lightweight umbrella stroller that I expect we’ll use instead of the Bob when we’re out and about once she’s a little bigger.
This is super useful Kaitlin. I am hoping to babywear a good bit and the BOB does seem a little much for being out and about.
Hi! I’ve definitely got quite the collection of strollers after two kids. We have always had the car seat adapter, but I have always found it easier to wear babies on walks, rather than stroll with the whole car seat contraption. I definitely love my snap and go for errands where baby was sleeping and it didn’t make sense to get her in/out of the ergo. If you have friends with some of the equipment it doesn’t hurt to test drive it. We didn’t end up getting a stroller until my 1st was about a month old because we wanted to have a better sense of what would work.
And I second the Evenflo car seats. They are great and safe and affordable.
Hey Meredith – I’m hoping to do a good bit of baby wearing so thanks for that insight. Also, great point on maybe waiting to get the stroller until you figure out what you need!
Hi! I was just rereading this post. I wanted to add – 2 infant seat bases are convenient, but it’s safe to just buckle the bucket seat into a car. Read the manufacturers instructions, but it’s super easy once you do it twice and makes it really easy to swap cars.
Hey Jen!! You look great!!
I have a bob revolution stroller for jogging.
Uppababy g lux for travel — it’s a lightweight reclining umbrella stroller.
Uppababy mesa car seat. I did not purchase the full heavy duty converter stroller as I felt it did not meet my needs, I’m not a big shopper or errand running person.
I’ve had Haynes in the bob with the snuzzler insert since he was one week old. He loves the stroller and I think it’s because I started him into very early. I’ve never actually stroller with him in his car seat. He has great head and neck control.
Our car seat came with a base but you can use it without one too!
Take care and happy ‘baby crap’ researching lol. It’s very overwhelming but I hope you find what works best for YOUR lifestyle 🙂
Hey Jessica – such a great point about not being a big “errand/shopping” person. I just realized that I’m not really either. I appreciate your recommendations. And the research is driving me CRAZY! I think there will have to be a lot of trial and error here.
First, congrats on the bundle! I just had my first in November and the stroller/car seat combo tortured me. We have an old house and very little storage space so wanted only one stroller and we really wanted a jogging stroller. We bought the thule urban glide and the car seat converter. We have used the stroller twice in the 7 weeks since our little girl was born. We take our dogs for walks every day and I wear our little girl in the k-tan. It is so much easier to get out the door with. Maybe things will change, but right now I prefer the k-tan.
FWIW my sister-in-law and brother love their bob and car seat converter with the britax carseat. They have taken their little girl (5 months old) on many hikes in it… even through streams!
Good luck!
Hey Ellie – thanks for the congrats. I’ve been reading such great things about the Thule Urban Glide from you guys. I wasn’t even aware of it so thank you! I am also planning on doing some babywearing so that’s definitely something to consider as well.
Definitely two bases for the infant carseat, and you’ll eventually need two convertible carseats but I’d hold off on that! The BOB is really big and bulky to move around – like some other commenters have suggested, getting some sort of snap-and-go is super convenient for the first 6 months or so. We had the Chicco carseat so we got the Chicco caddy (basically just a super lightweight frame you can plop the infant seat into). It’s also great for travel. You can usually find these used for pretty cheap! I would say you would only need the infant seat converter for the BOB if you want to use the BOB for long walks around the neighborhood–sometimes its nicer to have the nicer stroller for walks but it’s usually too much of a hassle to bring it in the car for errands etc. As for picking a carseat, I don’t think there are big differences between the various infant car seats and you only use it for less than a year, so I wouldn’t splurge on it (as in, I don’t think it’s worth it for a $300+ infant seat) and would put the money toward nicer convertible carseats which you use for much longer. Good luck – baby gear and registering is so overwhelming!
So many people have recommended the Chicco Caddy. I’ll have to definitely check that out. Thank you. I don’t anticipate using the BOB for errands as my car is pretty small. TY for the car seat budget insight!
The BOB is great! That’s what we have. We have a Chicco carseat and an adapter to go with it. Just check the year of your BOB. If you buy an older one used, I think the adapters are done differently. I think the older BOBs have a universal adapter vs the newer ones which have car seat brand specific adapters.
Yes, I’ve been trying to figure that out. Didn’t realize that strollers had “years” like cars. Haha.
Echoing most of the comments above to say I would definitely recommend getting both the infant seat and two bases for ease and flexibility. I’m sure people manage with starting with Convertible seats, but I loved being able to take my daughter in and out of the car still in her carseat and hopefully keep her sleeping!
We used the Chicco Keyfit30 and really liked it. We moved on to the Chicco Nextfit for both of our cars, purchased when there was a really good sale back in the fall (our daughter is almost 20 months now). I LOVE our Thule Urban Glide and use that for running with my daughter, but we didn’t get that until she nearly a year and I did ok walking and even running with her in her infant seat and with the Keyfit Caddy as long as it was on really smooth, paved, flat trails (which was all I was up for when I was venturing back into running anyway and generally I tried to leave her with Dad so I could get some me-time early on). We also have a lighter mid-range umbrella type stroller that we got for travel once she could sit up (can’t remember the brand right now).
Like everyone says, some of it will be anticipating what is right for your lifestyle and some of it will still be trial and error on what you will end up liking best. Good luck!
Hey Laura – thanks for this insight! I think being able to take the carseat in and out of the car will be very important for my schedule/lifestyle.
I will check out the Thule stroller. Someone else recommended it too!
And yes, I think there is going to be a LOT of trial and error. Ahhhh.
Umbrella stroller always falls… And I did have a LOT of Braxton contraction, like you said, when I was on my feet longer or walking a lot. They began around 28 and lasted until the very end… I had so many of them I couldn’t count. But my midewives weren’t worried, rest is the only good option. And to drink enough also.
Ho, umbrella stroller sorry. We have one, the Bugaboo, I find it perfect, I use half and half baby carrier and stroller. The baby even slept in it for the first 3 months (the bassinet, before it converts into a seat format), beside my bed.
Yes, I have been trying to drink so much and stay hydrated as I’ve heard that’s a big cause. Good to know you had a bunch with no issues!
Yep you need an infant car seat and I recommend 2 bases. It allows much more flexibility. Then you will need a toddler car seat in each car at around 1 year old. Give or take a couple months depending on your baby. Also yes get the infant adapter for the stroller. In the beginning they sleep so much on outings you don’t want to take them in and out of the car seat. Also the baby can’t sit in the bob for a little while. We have the uppababy Mesa car seat and love it.
Thank you so so so much! This is helpful!
I highly recommend a “travel system” stroller and infant car seat to start. You’ll want something light and easy to use the first several months. I chose the Graco Click Connect Aire 3. Being able to move the baby from car seat to stroller and back is priceless.
You wont be able to run with baby until he’s 6 months (at least that is what is recommended by the manufacturer) because baby’s head won’t be strong enough for the jarring. I’ve used my click connect system for almost daily long walks, and just started using my Thule Urban Glide at 6 months. I liked the Thule better than the BOB because it’s easier to close and has a zippered storage. And it costs less!
I’m really thinking that travel system thing is going to be key for me. Thank you. I will look into the Thule stroller!
When I was pregnant with my first I was wanting to cut down on the amount of baby stuff and thought that we would go straight to the convertible car seat, so we purchased one for each of our two vehicles. Most are good for infants 5 lbs and up. Well, my girl came several weeks early and still wasn’t big enough for the convertible by the time she left the hospital so we ended up having to buy the infant car seat anyway, and after just a couple of weeks I couldn’t have imagined not having that. It made everything so much easier not having to take her in and out of the seat for quick errands. We got by with only 1 base, but that was because we did have the convertible car seat, and by the time I went back to work and we were actively using two cars with her she was big enough for the convertible. I am now pregnant with #2, and we will definitely be purchasing another base this time around, just so we aren’t having to manage our schedules around only one car that can carry the baby. I am only 3 days behind you (I hit 24 weeks tomorrow) so I love keeping up with how you are doing!
These are all good points, thank you so much. Great advice from you guys! And congrats on your pregnancy and love that we are so close. 🙂
Yes, one infant seat and 2 bases. That way you can pop him in and out quickly. If you do the Bob for jogging, I’ve heard great things, but just a warning that it’s not recommended to run with baby until 6 months – something I was really surprised to learn when I was looking for a second hand running stroller.
Get the converter for the Bob. We got the Britax car seat and stroller system (pretty much the same as the City Mini which is also great – it’s a Godsend so you just take them in and out. You can do a convertible seat from the beginning, but it’s way less convenient since you have to wake them to take them out every time.
Car Seats for the Littles is a great FB page to follow – those ladies know what they are talking about and can answer all your questions.
Hey Stephanie, thanks for the comment! Yes, I’ve heard that you have to wait a while before you start running with baby. I am registered for the converter so good to hear that you found it useful. I think I’ll definitely go the route of the infant seat and THANK YOU for the FB rec!
You’ve gotten some great advice about car seats so far, Jen. I thought I would add another perspective for getting an infant car seat and not just a convertible one. My daughter was small for gestational age, and would have been too small for all models of convertible seats. This is true for preemies as well.
See, hadn’t even thought of that. You guys are the best!
Car seats are SO overwhelming!! I will echo what many others have said – definitely get 2 bases, and the lightweight frame caddy stroller. That was the easiest for quick in & outs, and the basket was so big I could do (light) grocery shopping with just that. Adapter for the BOB will be great too for longer walks. As for the convertible seat… I registered for one and received it, which was awesome, but by the time my baby was ~8 months old and I was ready to use it, I realized that I have an entirely different list of must have features now that I’ve been using a car seat and other baby gear for a while. We ended up putting that convertible seat in my husband’s car and I got a different one. That’s worked out really well because the original one was cheaper, he has zero preference as long as it’s safe and ready to use, and it has been great to have two. We figure she’ll be in this car seat for many years so it makes sense to have them in both cars. Good luck!!!
Hey Sarah – thanks for the comment. And great point on the convertible car seat. I hadn’t even thought of that!
I’m going against the grain a little bit. We had a bucket seat for our girls, but I always carried them in a wrap when going places. Except for quick zips into the grocery store, but most have carts you can clip a car seat into. I had a Mountain buggy Terrain jogging stroller, I chose it over the bob because the sun shield moved more and it reclines fully. I also didn’t have trouble folding it up to take places. (It fit perfectly between the front and back seats of my RAV4) it might not fit into a sedan as easily.
I guess it’s personal preference, but I didn’t want baby gear taking over my house.
Oh, and someone mentioned not getting a bucket with a high weight limit. My first out grew her bucket at 4 month at 22lbs. She was still so young it would have been nice to have her in bucket longer for when she’s fell asleep in the car. My second didn’t outgrow the bucket until she was 18months. The nice thing about it is that you don’t Have to take the seat out if carrying it gets to be heavy. They are supposedly the safest seat your baby will ever be in, in a car.
I hope you’re feeling better!
I am hoping to do a lot of baby wearing. I think that will work well with my lifestyle. Thank you so much for the insight into the car seats and strollers. I hadn’t even considered that option and will look into it. I agree with you on the house being overtaken by gear. It’s overwhelming!
We went with the Graco infant car seat and we did get two bases but we would have been fine with just one! We also have the converter to hook our infant car seat into the BOB revolution stroller and it is SO EASY to do. I seriously love that stroller and have been walking with it almost every day!
Hey Amber – thanks so much for this input. It’s very helpful! Good to hear about the stroller! 🙂
I think I remember you mentioning a pregnancy podcast that you listened to. Can you refresh my memory as to which one that was? 🙂
Was it the birth hour? I saved it to listen to too!
I like The Birth Hour and Birthful!
We actually got the Chicco Keyfit infant carseat and originally intended on getting two bases but they are so easy to swap out we saved the money for other stuff and just used the one base. The newer cars have special slots the carseat base just clicks into like a seatbelt, one on each side. And then for the convertible carseat, we also found it not that hard to swap it out so we saved money and only have one. We got the Diono R120 and get on extra seatbelt buckle thing so we don’t have to move that, just the carseat, run the seatbelt through it and you’re good to go!
Thank you so much Brittany! This is helpful.
We are getting the Chicco Keyfit 30 (best rated on consumer reports for safety!) and then getting the Uppababy Cruz and the converter for the carseat. Once the baby outgrows the infant carseat, you can pop the cruz seat back in the stroller base and use that for years! Everyone I know with this stroller raves about it!
I know I am late on this post but wanted to share some car seat help. My daughter will be one year old next month so we very recently went through this and it is a lot! We went with the Graco SnugRide35 infant car seat (with two bases, one for each car) and the Graco Modes jogging stroller. I HIGHLY recommend this stroller and car seat! Over the last year it has been a breeze to click the car seat in and out of our cars and into the stroller. While I was on maternity leave I walked nearly daily with her using this stroller and it gave such a smooth ride. Now, at 11 months, we use the toddler seat so she can face forward and see the sites and she loves it. I have run a few times with it and it’s been very smooth as well. Super easy to use.
Once she hit about 10 months we purchased one “all stages” car seat and used that to replace the base in one car. They are so expensive so we wanted to stagger the purchases. For now she can still safely ride in the infant seat in the other car. And yes, we also have an umbrella stroller (HIGHLY recommend the Summer Infant Lite 3D) which we use for areas that will be cramped like the mall/shops/etc. We did not need this until she hit 10 months.
I hope that helps!!
I meant, “sights”!
Yes on the car seats. No idea on BOB, I do not have one.
We tried to set a budget for the car seats and spent more on the one for the vehicle we would ride in the most as a family. The cheaper seat (still good rating) went in the other vehicle for quick trips. Check out Car Seats for Littles if you haven’t for ratings on safety.
That makes a lot of sense on splurging on the car seat that the baby will ride in the most. Thank you for the website recommendation.