13 October 2012

ayúdame.

 provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need;
 render assistance to;
Spanish for 'help me'







I'm 30+ weeks pregnant
And I have a lot of stuff I need to accomplish 
Before my child comes
I need to make some maternal decisions
Mostly about baby gear
And I've never been a mom before
So I need help



Mom friends? I have some questions 
Like...
How come I feel like I need 3 different strollers? 









 




They all serve different purposes:

Snap and Go allows you to click your car seat right in 
Bob for running (OK fine, light jogging)
And the cute green one for everyday use

?



I have this swing:




Or one like it...so I don't need a bouncer? 



Oh and I kind of want this....


But will I use it if I have a swing??



Also...



How do I decide on one of these carriers? 




Do my car seat and stroller really have to match?
What car seat do you have?
Can I pass on a pack 'n play?
What about those entertainment/jumper things?
And play mats?
Surely I don't need all of these items
RIGHT?


Help. Me. Please.


Later we can discuss diaper bags, breast pumps, bottles, and nursing bras.


(you should know that we do have a crib, a cradle, and a changing table--so somehow I have made a few decisions) 

11 comments:

ms.mooy said...

Soon you will be a pro on all this! Then you can show me the ropes:)

Bain Becomes a Master said...

I have so much advice to give, yet Reese is sitting in my lap, sucking on my arm, and throwing a tantrum. Remind me at book club/cara party! I'm so excited you are having a baby... I think I tell you that every time I see/talk to you!

Brooke and Jonny said...

This is quite the topic...I think we should further discuss this Monday night. My personal opinion on strollers get the cute green one. You can snap a car seat in it. I got a running stroller at first and sold it because running was hard enough without pushing 25 lbs as well

Nick and Brandi said...

I have one stroller, a jogging one and it has worked well for everything so you probably only need one! Also, the swing is awesome and you probably won't need a bouncer. One of those exercise jumper things are great for when they are a little older. I think you definitely need a pack n play, especially if you go on trips with your baby!!! Hope this helped a little!

Kelli K said...

As far as stroller systems- I have Britax B-Safe- highest safety ratings of all car seats and strollers across the board. The car seat clicks into the stroller with attachments- but you can also use the stroller up to 70lbs when they are big enough to face forward (I started putting Arch like that at 3 months). It is also a great jogging stroller, the tires are plastic so you don't have to replace them, but you can't go off the beaten path as easy ie hiking. But I am a HUGE advocate for Britax, I can't say enough about the safety ratings- the extra cost was beyond worth it for my piece of mind. You don't particularly need a separate bouncer, but it comes in handy if you need a shower and want somewhere safe to set your baby in the bathroom with you. The bassinet is good for the first few months you have him in your room with you, I think it's worth the investment, he won't always want to sleep in the swing- unless he is like Archer. As far as slings/carriers go, I didn't use mine much- but Cort uses hers all the time, Archer doesn't fit well in them, he is too long or something. I used my pack-n-play as a bassinet and now it's at my Moms for napping purposes when I hang out over there. Archer loves his play mat, I started putting him on it at 6 weeks, you don't need a jumper until 5 or 6 months. As far as other advice and topics- we will talk Monday. XOXO

Kelsey said...

Ok, you definitely need a snap and go for when the babe is little. You should get a phil and ted, for light jogging and for everyday use like the mall. You can get it on costco's website. Its small enough, and it can be a double. The Bob is huge. and you MUST have a rock and play! Mac slept in it for the first 3 months. They like they incline it helps them sleep better. K love you i am SOO Excited for baby boy.

Heather said...

Girl... I can totally relate to you before I had Grady. it is a little overwhelming and confusing too! There are some things that I had that I am glad I had, but at the same time some things I would have changed. So here is my advice (I haven't read what the above commenters wrote, so forgive me if I am being redundant).

We bought a travel system (stroller and carseat) and we loved it. You can clip the carseat right into the stroller and then when they get too big for the carseat you can just use it as a regular stroller. We also have a jogging stroller (and a bike trailer that converts into a jogging stroller... if I could do it again I would have just bought a bike trailer that converts into a jogging stroller rather than have both). We also have a tiny little umbrella stroller that is nice because it folds up really small and we take that with us on vacations and such.

Our swing was our saving grace. Seriously. it was the best. But I also had a bouncer and loved that too. I could have him near me while he was awake but I didn't have to be holding him all the time. I don't think you will need the small cradle if you have a swing.

As far as baby carriers I can't comment on the Moby Wrap because I never tried it. I did try a sling and didn't like it. We loved our Baby Bjorn and I used it ALL the time. I would even carry him around while I cleaned the house. haha. I would definitely invest in a good carrier... we used it until he was too big to fit in it anymore.

My advise for a car seat... buy two bases... one for your car and one for your husbands. It will make it so much easier. We had the car seat that came in our travel system (Eddie Bauer) and we really liked it. When Grady got bigger we converted him into a big carseat that can be rear facing or forward facing, but I wouldn't suggest it for a small baby because you can't just grab the carseat and go you have to unstrap them every time. One thing I would highly suggest is a BundleMe by JJCole for your carseat... we loved ours for a winter baby!

I would say that no, you cannot pass on a pack-n-play. haha. We use ours all the time, especially when we go out of town. I have a lot of friends who have used their pack-n-play bassinet attachment and just put that in their room for the first little while. We had a bassinet that we had, so we didn't use that, but again... one less thing you would have to buy (I would forgo the bassinet and just buy the pack-n-play because you will use it much longer).

I would hold off on any entertainment things until the baby is a little older and you know more what they like. I would, however, buy a play mat. One that you can do some tummy time on or let them lay and kick the toys that hang from above.

My last piece of advice is that I would borrow what you can first and see if your baby likes it. We borrowed quite a bit and then we knew what to invest our money into. You are always welcome to borrow anything of ours and try it out first before you spend the dough. :)

Sorry about my novel of a response here, but I just know how I loved getting advice while I was pregnant.

Good luck with everything! I am so excited for you.

Tiffany Nelson said...

I'm glad you're asking these questions!!! I need all the help i can get too :) hahaha

Chris and Brooklyn said...

I use my jogging stroller 99% of the time. But they are large, so make sure your trunk can handle it. I think they are more comfy and recline more. My car seat snaps into mine for the first 4 or so months of life, then baby can just sit in it.
I would recommend a bouncy seat. They are much easier to carry around the house. I always put my kids in it when I shower, do dishes, etc..
we have also used our pack n play a lot. But this could be something you decide on later. Will used to play toys in his when he became mobile,i didn't have to worry a much!

whit said...

Shanae,
You've got lots of good advice and I remember I was so overwhelmed with everything..heres what I use that I like...
I have a swing which I love, I didn't use my bouncer until she was 3 months which now I totally use all the time. I use the bouncer when I do my hair and cooking food..Wren seems content and watches me..it's saved my life.
Baby carriers..I use ergo baby carrier and LOVE it..I hardly use my stroller because Wren hates the car seat and then I would end up carrier her plus pushing an empty stroller (hopefully she'll get over this soon) but she falls fast asleep in the carrier and doesn't hurt your back!!

I also use a play mat..Wren needs her time to play and it's perfect!!! Good luck!!!!

Rachael said...

I have only one stroller - it's a jogging stroller & my car seat snaps into it! I LOVE it but yes it takes up a lot of car space but I know your rogue can handle it - my murano has plenty of space for it. I got a hand me down swing and I love it - Whitley hated it in the beginning but now she will swing in it & eat or sleep while I am trying to get things done around the house. She loves watching cartoons while sitting in it as well - haha. I got a pack n play for my room (the ones that have the higher sleeper insert) I used this for Whitley to sleep in when we brought her home until I felt comfortable to have her sleep in her own crib in her own room. A Boppy pillow is an absolute must - I use it for more than just nursing. Whitley sits propped up in it ALL the time. She even takes short supervised naps in it sometimes as well. Whitley also loves her floor gym but she didn't use it until she was 1.5-2 months old.