Cracking Up: Not the Laughing Kind, The Crazy Kind
Feeling blue. Too literal?
With one goal in mind, to buy a car seat online, I sat with my laptop and a toaster waffle at the kitchen table this morning.
An hour later, I’m sobbing in bed, yesterday’s mascara smeared across my once white, noodle-shaped pregnancy pillow. There is a small chance I am cracking up, because I am weeping like Sally Field in “Steel Magnolias” during the funeral scene, only no one has died. Nope, I just can’t figure out which car seat to buy today.
Disproportionate emotional response + crying in bed before noon = going mental.
I consider calling someone, but how can I explain that I’m losing my shit because I can’t figure out the difference between a Snap-n-Go and a SnugRide?
I had wandered into an online netherworld of car seat bases, attachable strollers, locking clips, 5-point harnesses, boosters and retractable sun canopies. It’s like I didn’t get the travel warning from the Department of State telling me that going to the Republic of Car Seat alone was a bad idea. Honestly, I would have preferred taking a Sunday drive down Jalalabad Road in Kabul. That would have been more soothing.
There was no map, I didn’t speak the language, and I had not one coin of the realm.
When I went looking for an expert to translate, or at least tell me exactly what to buy, I found this on a popular baby site:
“Parents often ask which of the many car seats is the best car seat on the market. The truth is, the best car seat is the one that fits your vehicle, your budget, your baby and that you will use properly each time your baby rides in the car.”
Thanks, douche bag. That’s helpful.
You ever go to therapy and instead of just having your thoughts and feelings mirrored back to you (you seem angry at your mother, sounds like work is really frustrating right now) you just need the shrink to tell you what to do (break up with him, he has serious attachment issues and they aren’t going away)? Sometimes you need your GPS just to tell you which way to turn, not to ask you which route you think is best for you right now at this juncture of your life. Thanks, baby seat expert, for telling me I have to look within myself to find the right car seat for me, but I wouldn’t be going to you for answers if I had any clue so just give it up. Give me a link, a brand name, a model number, I’ll give you my credit card number, and let’s do this thing. Just tell me what to do because I am lost.
This isn’t a life or death decision, I try to tell myself as I click around.
Oh wait, I guess it is. There are numerous car seat experts telling me all of the things that can do wrong, from buying a recalled model to installing it improperly. If you don’t want to take the time to figure it out, to purchase the perfect car seat system, it’s on you if the baby flies through the moon roof. It’s on you.
Worse than the overload, the onslaught of products and fear mongering and confusing plastic parts, are the reviews from moms on consumer sights. Wow. These are some opinionated ladies, and they know it all, know every niggling detail about why this travel stroller is too bulky for a trip to Costco and why that one has sub-par anchor straps.
I just wanted to have a baby with five seconds to spare before my fertility window flew shut on my fingers. I didn’t want to know about anchor straps.
It’s so difficult to work up any tolerance for these mothers, who post 400 word treatises on the relative merits of Britax vs. Graco. They intimidate me with their superior knowledge of which products are the most useful, and they rattle me to my very core with their single-minded momminess. I don’t like how repelled I am by these well-meaning strangers, who just need to share with the world, or at least to those on Amazon.com, how the cup holder on the Nautilus 3-in-I is just too darn narrow for baby’s fave sippy cup!
And maybe it’s not just about my inability to purchase the ideal base, seat, stroller combination that has me freaked, maybe it truly is the neighborhood. It’s Nightmare on Mom Street, where the monster doesn’t wear a clawed glove but instead dons a pastel yellow Slurp & Burp Nursing Cover Up and an all-consuming, full-time focus on babies and their gear. I’m six months pregnant. I live here now.
Chicco keyfit.
T!
Please let us know how you are feeling. This post scared me a little!
T.
I can totally relate being overwhelmed from all the decisions to make when buying stuff for your first baby!! We went with the Chicco brand for the first year. We are pretty happy with their products.
After the first year, we were trying to decide between the Britax and the Recaro. In the end, we really liked the Recaro…It’s a new brand for baby seats, but they are well known for making car racing seats, and seats for higher end cars like Audi…The baby seats are also ranked very high for safety. We felt the sides around the head were MUCH stronger and comfy too! The price is around the same as the Britax, although some places it was less expensive! We have been really happy with this brand so far.
http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=525&L=2
Best wishes on your baby!
~A
Teresa – I’ve always felt I related to you well, as we’re the same generation, entered the parenthood game at a later age, love to write, and seem to enjoy the same sort of humor. Here’s what I did with regard to carseats for my one and only child. Forget what all the safety obsessed 20/30 somethings preach with the rear facing 5 point harnasses until the kid is in college. After all, I got through babyhood pretty much riding in the front seat in my mom’s arms. My baby’s first car seat: $2 one I got at a yard sale. 2nd car seat (toddler): $5 one I got at a rummage sale. 3rd car seat: New Graco Turbobooster I got free with my Toys R Us credit card points. Plus, it was $20 off because for some reason the girls one was on sale sale but the boys one wasn’t. Even though I have a boy. He still doesn’t care that his booster seat is lavendar with white daisies and he’s 6.
That’s pretty much what I think of thinking too much about carseats.
It IS confusing and retarded for the first time. Then years later you become the expert and as you install a carseat for one of your friends, it’s hard to remember that you TOTALLY didn’t get these things at all at one time.
Just ASK someone (in real life) who you respect who has had a baby in the last 4 years or so.
Period.
Don’t go it alone. And don’t ask for help on the internet. That, too, will overwhelm you.
Hi Teresa. Since I haven’t seen it mentioned here, I will toss this into the mix: Orbit Baby (http://www.orbitbaby.com/). Not cheap (in fact, quite expensive), but then again… it is for your baby! Full disclosure: The founder and CEO of Orbit Baby is a good friend, so I am biased. But on the flip side, let me know if you want an introduction, which I would be happy to arrange. Best of luck, with this decision and all the others.
As long as you’re not one of those parents who absentmindedly leave their kids to cook in the car, you’ll be fine.
love it.
Is the this the drunk from the wedding?
We’ve learned the ex-front man for the 80′s hairband Warrant — Jani Lane — was officially charged with DUI and hit-and-run.
The 45-year-old singer was busted on June 17th when he allegedly hit a parked car in Los Angeles. Lane refused to take a sobriety test.
If convicted, Lane could get 6 months in the slammer and a $1,000 fine.
He’s set to be arraigned today.
T – a good book to peruse is called “Baby Bargains”- which lays out every product you could ever want to buy for your baby, got a lot of feedback for each one, and actually tells you what’s the best one to buy.
That’s my advice. Good luck – there’s a lot of crap out there.
H
The bast part is in a year and a half you’ll laugh your a$$ off at how stressed out you were about things like car seats and strollers and stuff.
Hi Teresa
What a nice surprise to find you on Adam’s podcast today, loved it! I miss hearing you balance out Adam every morning.
Hang in there with the pregnancy and upcoming baby. Our kids are 10 and 11 now my advice is to not sweat the small stuff.
Best wishes!
I usually hate when parents feel the need to give parental advice like their experience is going to be exactly like yours, but…
As a Dad with twins we started with a Graco which was fine, but when the boys were ready for a forward facing car seat we stepped up and went with the Britax. They are the best, safest, and any guy can easily secure their little ones. Use the latch system which makes putting the car seat in the car very easy. Most newer cars should have latches under the seats. I think your CRV should have those?
Love you on the AC podcast.
Best, Joe!
Agree, the Britax for a convertable seat is fantastic. Easy to install and easy to get kids in and out.
This is exactly what I came to say!!
I did the exact same thing, Graco for backward-facing and the Britax for our toddler. We had one rear-end collision with the Graco and is worked great.
I did the same thing for all four of our kids. That will definitely work. Don’t let the fear mongers overwhelm you.
T-Bone – lots of good advice in here. I am going to echo some sentiments above. I have a sixteen month son, so my wife and I have gone through what you are doing just now, and have gone through enough transitions to have a lot of perspective.
Here’s what I’d recommend. My wife and I lived in a small place, in a downtown urban area, with a small car (two door Honda Accord). We needed maximum versatility and longevity, which means you will pay more up front, but this minimizes long-term cash outlay. Also, don’t be fooled by some of the “convertible” nonsense – specialize where required! We are now in the burbs, though we still have only one small car, and the wisdom of our approach is still paying off. We are totally awesome.
1. Peg Perego makes a fine infant seat. We have the Primo Viaggio – also a good name for your…. Get an infant seat for your infant. Not a convertible. Convertibles are perfectly fine after your kid is a year old.
Peg Perego seats are really good quality and will last for decades… and make a great gift for another family after your last kid has outgrown it. They are overbuilt but are also smaller than a lot of other seats. Worth the extra $50 any day of the week over the other good brands.
You also (as someone noted above) can get a simple adapter that allows you to mate the Peg Perego removable unit to a Bugaboo stroller – it’s cheap.
2. Bugaboo stroller – we didn’t get the Chameleon because my wife @ 5’2″ has no need for an extendible handlebar. We went with the Frog, which is basically the same, but considerably cheaper (like $200).
Using the bassinet configuration, you now don’t need to buy a bassinet to clutter up your place! You can also stroll with your kidlet in the bassinet configuration rather than strap a little tiny infant into a seat, which sucks! This is the best way to do it for the first few months.
Time to upgrade to a stroller configuration? You have a cloth and pressboard unit to change out, utilizing the same frame as the bassinet unit. You now have a stroller seat that you can use for four years, and fully adjustable for kid comfort. Since the bassinet and stroller seat are basically just cloth, the units barely take up any room when stowed.
The frame is aluminum, folds up really easily, and is super easy to fold out and put away, or deploy. There are some people out there that say it’s hard, but I suspect they are just retards. If you watch the video that comes with the thing and practice a few times (make your husband do it), you’ll see how easy it is.
Don’t be a chump and have two or three strollers, unless you have a dedicated jogger for jogging. My wife and I use the Bugaboo for jogging, though a dedicated jogger would be best – but it works well enough!
There are a lot of strollers out there that are all fancy, but the Bugaboo is basically the smallest of the versatile ones. The little tiny collapsing ones suck – don’t waste your time.
There are so many options to choose from that it can make anybody crazy. You are not alone. Check out the consumer reports on car seats, it will give you a good idea of which company makes the best, and then just go to your local Babies R Us or Target and purchase the one you like best from that brand. Good luck!
To Miss T – don’t let the know-it-alll Mom’s rattle you – remember that statistically half their kids will wind up on drugs, pregnant, gang banging, drop outs and maybe all of the above – and won’t their mothers feel pretty damn stupid.
To Oy Veh – I agree with Viri – go away bad seed ! The only real tragedy is that nature doesn’t automatically sterilize humorless, hateful hags like you leaving the unsavory legacy of another generation of people too stupid to understand well written humor. Why don’t you float over to the myriad of right wing hate blogs – you’ll feel ever so comfy at home.
I have two kids one is 4 and the other is 1. I have bought probably 8 car seats. Just pick the one you think is cute, install it and then let the PD check that you have done it correctly and you are good. Your husband will get the hang of it.
T.:
Don’t sweat it. You have good instincts. Just go with your gut. How many generations of kids have survived without all the f..ing ridiculous choices? 99.9% of these stupid things are fine. All the different crap and features are nothing more than a way to drive up the cost and seperate you from as much money as possible.
Caught you on Adam’s podcast today. You rock. Hope childbirth goes well for you.
I’m getting tired of the word Douchebag.. show some creativity and find a new word…
Tersa,
I’m pretty sure the correct nomenclature is douche nozzel. But keep the good work. I subscribe to the RSS feed, it works well. I encourage everyone who wants to get this blog delivered to them to sign up for some sort of RSS reader (I use google reader), this way I’m guaranteed my 2 sccops of strasser each time she posts.
If you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend a visit to Traveling Tikes: http://www.travelingtikes.com. They have a store on Santa Monica Blvd and are extraordinarily helpful for choosing the right car seat & stroller combo. Their prices on the Britaxes can’t be beat. I spent hours agonizing over this decision (totally normal for a first time Mom BTW) & couldn’t find a better in-store deal in LA. Good luck!
I hope it’s going better for you. At least your writing is still very good. It’ll all work out okay.
Here’s how we did it:
Read Consumer Reports
Bought one of the top rated Britax infant seats
Found out that the Local CHP would install.
I think Fire Depts, Sheriffs, and local Police also do car seat installs for you.
Best of luck and keep up the writing / podcasting!
Hey T,
I totally understand what you’re talking about. It’s a hard balance between functionality, safety, price and a color you like! The link below is for the exact car seat we used for my son, which we will be using again for the next kid. We liked it because it was small enough to get in and out of our civic and had the adjustable sun shade. We also liked it because you can get a converter with the car seat and attach it to a bugaboo stroller too (the second and third links). The stroller is lightweight and easily broken down. Anyway, hope this helps. Don’t get too down on yourself either… my wife used to turn from crying hysterically to laughing hysterically on a dime. Not uncommon.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2844620
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3144411
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2744766
You should consider giving this child to a family who WANTS to be parents. If you hate everything about this process so much…you’re REALLY gonna hate being a mommy for the rest of your life. Seriously. You’re just too selfish.
If you have ever heard her speak or read any of the previous blogs, you would be very aware that she WANTS this baby and WANTS to be a parent. You REALLY should have knowledge on a topic before you speak. If you’ve ever had a child, you should know that it is nevre wracking and scary as hell, so lay off!
Agreed. In addition, if you don’t like reading this blog, then go elsewhere. Don’t comment simply to spew your hateful vitriol because there’s nothing even remotely constructive about it. Get lost.
T. will be a fantastic mom.
Oy vey, Oy Veh! So dumb.
Obviously she had read any of her previous blogs you would know that she wants this and she wants to be a part of the process and she worries about it! Which means she will probably good at it!
I don’t even know why you would say something like that to a pregnant woman who just poured out her hormonal heart?! Sheesh!
What a dick.
Teresa,
You are two months ahead of me. My God I could so relate. Almost had a panic attack trying to make the best choice. I bought Consumer Reports Best Baby Products book. It’s the best $16.95 ever spent. The top two are Britax Diplomat folowed by Cosco Scenera. I’m going for the convertible car seat. So it can last till it’s time for a booster seat. I found the Britax Diplomat on Craig’s List for half the price. Good Luck and thanks for the blog. Your sister in pregnancy ;0)
I haven’t read all the comments…but a great resource for car seat questions is http://www.car-seat.org
it’s a free website and they love car seats!!
Your blog cracks me up and I miss you on Adam every morning, the podcast isn’t enough esp when he doesn’t let you do the news!!!
It honestly doesn’t matter. They act like it does, but that’s just to get your money. You’re boy will be big and he’ll out grow it in 4 months tops. By then, you’ll know what you like and what you’ll need.
I think I understand exactly how you feel.
It may be helpful to remember that just because you’ve decided to add a baby to your family, it doesn’t mean you have to be a member of the ‘mommy’ club. In other words, you make your ‘family’ with baby what you want it to be. Sure, you need a car seat but you can pick one out that will suit YOUR lifestyles (not other internet mommies). You will learn alot as you go through each experience. You do not have to be mummified (so to speak) once baby comes…………just incorporate baby into your exisiting life!!!
Hey T,
I mean this in the nicest way possible: you’re loosing your shit =). You don’t have to get the perfect seat and this isn’t a test. I trust you enough to say that any car seat you would buy will be fine and safe for your as yet unnamed (and unborn) child.
It’s OK sweetie. Deep breaths. =)
Anyway you can let your husband be in charge of the research for the baby apparatuses (apparati?) It helps him feel like he’s doing something when in reality no one can really DO anything the entire second trimester except wait for the baby to finish growing his testes and fingernails.
I stayed away from all that stuff, knowing that trying to figure out the best product for whatever-we-need makes me crazy on a non-pregnant day, so trying to figure it out while pregnant would have resulted in at least one less pet in the house. Perhaps intentionally damaging all the house plants, too.
And I know those women of which you speak – the ones who somehow have the time to write a clinical review of every product? Where is their baby while they are paying their research debt to society? Strapped to the TV learning Baby Einstein ala Clockwork Orange? Those ladies scare me just a little.
First of all, thank you to everyone who has replied to this post. I appreciate all of it – the recommendations, the support, the empathy, the identifying, everything. Thank you.
I think I’m going to let the Mr. take on the car seat problem, as you suggest, because clearly, I can’t hack it.
Good idea.
T
Slight modification if you are a control freak like me. Have Batman do the research and present his top picks. I had the exact same breakdown over carseat, stroller, travel system in a babies r us and made hubby pick. He did ok, but we ended up replacing the stroller on baby number two, so maybe an intermdiate approach will work better for you.
Teresa,
I am 29 (until July 23rd) and not a Mom, yet. (Much to the chagrin of my family.) Anywho, all my girlfriends/aunts/cousins etc. have these and swear by them. Don’t get a huge fancy schmancy stroller with all the bells and whistles they’re too clunky, and don’t maneuver well in crowed places, e.g. farmers markets, grocery stores, shopping centers, festivals and so on. Then when your little man get’s bigger, an umbrella stroller will do just fine. Good luck woman and keep the stories coming. I’m storing all of this into my what to REALLY expect when I am expecting, mental log. Peace.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3330193
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266236
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265744
Hi Teresa,
First, let me start by saying, I miss you guys so much. I have resorted to sports radio because I can’t stand the music. I really hope they figure out that L.A. needs some good morning talk radio. Maybe with the failure of satelite, it can come back.
Now onto your breakdown. My wife is also pregnant and due on October 10th. I loved the comment on the podcast that kids born in early October had parents that got it on around New Years Eve.
She had a mini breakdown last night because I haven’t moved something out of the soon to be baby room. I got the, “you don’t care”, “you dont understand” and I just took it. After she let it all out she was hungry! Being a good husband I went and got her dinner and then gave her a foot massage.
You will be ok. Don’t stress, we were in Bergstroms this past weekend and I felt like I had to go to work and make money!
I can’t wait till your next podcast wit Adam.
I can’t tell you how much I miss you, Adam and Bald Bryan. I have been distraught and began learning Spanish by CD instead of morning radio. It is a poor substitutte. I love your blog. You are so not alone in your worries and the car seat situation is just one of many I’m afraid to say. Just never think you’re the only one to have doubts and fears. You’ll do the right thing.
Go to consumerreports.com! They are awesome and break everything down, they have best buys and reccommendations. You pay a yearly fee, but it is well worth it. I don’t even know if they do car seats (because I don’t have a baby – you better believe if I did I that is the first place I would check), but they do pretty much everything else and I find them BEYOND helpful when I am diving into something of which I know nothing about.
Good Luck!
Hi Teresa,
First I should acknowledge that I was the caller on ACS who got you to recite your high school Lick Wilmerding cheer. Thanks for doing that and being a good sport about it, by the way.
I have a 1-year old daughter and had the same concerns — my wife and I found that the best thing was the snap out seat that went into a stroller. We chose a Peg Perego, and the key with the stroller part itself is making sure it is as LIGHT as possible, since you’ll be hauling it in and out of your car a lot. Also, we got two bases – one for each car – because if you and Batman are going to be taking turns driving the kid around, it’s waaaaaay easier (and only about $50-60) then moving the base between the cars.
Peg Perego was our choice – i can’t remember the model, but it was green with little bubbles on it.
Teresa:
Key word in the post above “LIGHT”. Dragging the stroller in & out of the trunk all the time is a hassel. Make it as small a hassel as possible. Get the lightest stroller you can find.
My wife & I were in Babies R Us looking at strollers. She likes to pick these sort of things so I was more or less staying out of the way. However, when it became clear that she was about ready to cry I jumped in by asking the sales person “which is the lightest of these 3?” She pointed, we folded it and picked it up. I said “OK, this is the one.” My wife agreed & that was that.
Good Luck!
These all sound great…and I can’t help but feel like your Comments section just turned into that Mommy Expert page you wrote about! This sounds like the same level of hysteria I can achieve when trying to find a flattering outfit for a really critical event. And all the salespeople and my girlfriends trying to advise me are blonde, tan and weigh at least 50 lbs less than I do! At least you are hysterical over your boy (Mickey? Seamus? Shane?) instead of a dress you’ll wear once. You have depth to your hysteria…that’s good, right?
That’s exactly what I was thinking!! I came to the comments to tell you not to worry- that not all moms are freakishly consumed by all things baby.
I will not give you any advice because what you end up doing will be just fine. Remember – we all made it out of childhood just fine and we didn’t even have car seats!!
Good Luck!
Advice:
When you do go and register, DO NOT take your husband. Take a friend who has kids. If you bring your husband, he’ll just make you mad. Plus, later you’ll just have to go and delete all the stupid stuff he picked out.
Hey, Idiot! Do you know T’s husband? If not then shut the F up. My wife and i went and did all the shopping for our baby as both of our families are out of town and it was a great experience. We discussed things and took advice from our friends who had children and even some of those that didn’t and everything worked out great. I’m getting sick of the “Husbands are useless” BS and wish you would all just wake up and smell the new millenium. If your husband is ignorant and stupid then that’s your fault for marrying him.
Hey Theresa, sorry for that, i had to get hat off my chest. Try to work with your husband with this, it’ll pay off when it comes time to raise your little one.
I agree with Richard, and I’m a chick.
Another chick for Richard signing in ! I totally agree with Richard – not only should you include Dad – he should be your “go to” person for all child related situations – while my sweet ex-hubby and I didn’t necessarily agree on everything – that was the POINT … to have another opinion from someone who is equally as emotionally, intellectually and spiritually invested in the child as you are. My daughters turned out despite being with me the vast majority of the time – to actually be clones on their Dad – it was soooo wonderful to be able to say to him “ok they’re doing xxx what could they possibly be thinking” and have him say “ahhh right … well, this was something that drove me crazy about my mother in my own childhood” … try this approach instead. It was so awesome. He was also really good about pulling me back from the stratosphere when I’d launch into mania over whether I’d picked the right … carseat, pediatrician, discipline method, etc…etc.. Woman OFTEN treat their husband like ininvolved morons when it comes to kids (forgetting entirely that THEY learned it all by the seat of their pants OJT) ..SO after being treated like a moron, any self respecting guy would NATURALLY drift off for a beer and some quality ESPN time – why be bashed ? And then the Mom complains that they’re “disengaged”. Only a truly emotionally dysfunctional guy would stick around for repeated bashing.
Whoa! A little HARSH. At no point did I say my husband was stupid or ignorant. When it comes to raising our daughter, we discuss and agree on everything. He’s a great, hands-on dad and has been from the beginning. I just didn’t like his taste in baby equipment…What happened to you that you feel the need to be such a dick and an asshole?
Hey, i’m sure your husband is a great guy but if i was him and read what you said in that post i’d be pissed. Maybe he didn’t care about it or try very hard to be included, i don’t know; however, why wouldn’t you tell T to try and work with her husband and include him. “I just didn’t like his taste in baby equipment” is a little different from “…and delete all the stupid stuff he picked out”. What happened to me? I just felt that your comment warranted a severe reply. Why wouldn’t you say something like… i don’t know… “My husband is a great, hands-on Dad but I didn’t like his taste in baby equip. so i would suggest taking a friend who has kids and can give you some practical advice on items,” and stop trying to be funny. Just a suggestion.
T- PLEASE email me back and ease my mind! If you don’t have any friends with babies, like these other posters have mentioned, then PLEASE just contact me and I will help you out! I am not an expert by any means, just a mommy of 2 (1 boy, 1 girl) who also had to ask for help the first time around! I had a girlfriend who had a baby come with me when I did my first registry, and have since done the same thing for other pregnant first-timers. I may not be able to tell you the BEST thing to get, but I can certainly help you out as to what I use and love and can’t do without, and what sucks and is a waste of money. Being pregnant is overwhelming enough, you shouldn’t have to stress and suffer over shopping for the baby!
Hey T.
Do you have girlfriends who have had babies? If so, grab one of them, go to Babies R U (or where ever) and say, “Tell me what to register for.” If you don’t have a pal to do this with, go to a locally owned and operated baby store, ask for an appt. with the owner or the salesperson that’s been there the longest and say, “If you were having a baby in 3 months, what would you register for. Go.”
But, since it appears as though you just want someone to tell you what to do, I’ll give you my advice. Take it or leave it! (BTW, I’m due Aug. 29…so just went thru this same torture.)
The infant seat/stroller set up that we went for –
1) Our infant seat was a hand-me-down from a co-worker who’s kid grew out of it about 6 months ago. I think its a Graco Snug Ride with two bases that fit the model. The Snug Ride is good because it has the removable doo-hicky that keeps a teenie tiny person’s neck supported. Get two bases, one for your car and one for your husband’s car and just leave then in the backseat. That is the part that the safety belt goes through and the seat just snaps into it.
2) They have “snap-n-go” strollers that are “universal” and will fit most infant seats so you don’t have to get a brand name seat if you don’t want to. The snap-n-go is good for the first few months until they can sit up in a normal stroller. You just keep them in the little infant seat all the time. Go from the car, to stroller, to house with ease.
3) You’ll need a ‘regular’ stroller at some point, but if you don’t want to get it right away, don’t worry about it. You’ve got some months before you really need it. We went with a type of jogger/hybrid that was recommended from a friend. Its called the CityMini and it is REALLY easy to operate and light as a feather. Its the one that the salesperson in the baby shop said “if I were having a kid now, this is the one it’d go for.” Its got all-terrain wheels etc. And it was only like $200. SOLD.
4) If you plan on traveling with your kid, get a light collapsible stroller (umbrella stroller). They’re only like $50 and are easy to use. But this will be for a stage when you’re kid is at least 12 months. Again, you’ve got time to get this one.
5) Once your boy is over the weight limit of the infant seat, you’ll have to invest in something called a “convertible car seat”. Its for when they are more than 20 or 25 lbs. That thing is huge and stays in the car as much as possible. It will be the primary car seat till 65lbs.
WOW. That was long, but I hope that some of these tidbits are helpful!
I am enjoying your blog so much. Keep it up! – Catie
Quick notes from a dad.
If you haven’t already bought the stroller, buy that at the same time and make sure you can easily move the seat from it’s base in the car and lock it on the stroller. Sometimes going from the car to the stroller can take a little messing around and that gets old quick, so make sure it’s easy. Do it (the locking it on the stroller) in the store.
Next, make sure you register your gear online. This will get you in the companies database and they will email you if there are any recall issues with your stuff. That will give you a bit of piece of mind.
Just buy this and be done. Get the car seat, the stroller, and 2 bases (if you have 2 cars or a nanny?) and be done! http://www.chiccousa.com/gear/car-seats/keyfit-22/keyfit-22-coventry.aspx
I have the above and a couple of my friends bought them as well. We are all very happy with them. Easy to use, fold, attach, etc. DONE! Don’t worry about it! You’re not going crazy–just too many options out there and just about any of them would work great!
Agreed. Go for the Chicco (pronounced Key-Co) travel system. then, you have the car seat, bases, stroller, etc. in one package.
T-
Do you have your stroller yet? Try to get an infant car seat that is the same brand as the stroller, that also has bases. (We had Graco, but I know there are others out there). We had bases in each of our cars, and could easily lock the infant seat in place which snaps itself into the base (the seat belt buckles around the base, and you only have to do it once or twice; its fairly foolproof). It is a quick and easy motion to detach it from the base, pick the carrier (baby included) up by the handle, and pop it into the stroller (until the baby is able to sit up on his own).
I had twins, and as even able to use these car seats in a double stroller until the kids got too big for them.
Good luck.
PS – The hormones are making you act crazy, you aren’t really losing your mind. =)
Teresa,
I have 9 month baby and when I was looking I asked all my firends who have kids and who have done research. We used the snug ride first and now are using the Britax car seats (love them and they are supposedly the safest). For the infant carrier seats snug ride was great. You get one car seat and two bases. Our daughter outgrew hers and we got tow Britax car seats. Hope that helps!
Teresa,
I’m 7 months pregnant and had a very similar experience, except my breaking point was baby thermometers. While trying to put together the registry, (like I have any clue what a baby needs!) I found that Target.com had 35 different options for baby thermometers. I panicked. I cried. I called my mother in hysterics. I texted everyone I knew who had procreated in the past 5 years. HELP! Which one is right? Finally, I just picked one and comforted myself with the realization that my child is not going to know the difference between a LCD read out and a normal digital read out. All she is going to care about is if my husband and I are there to comfort, feed, and change her. Don’t let the baby product industry get you down! They pry on the emotional state of the pregnant. Your son will be fine no matter what you pick.
p.s. – Since you’re looking for direction, we went with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP for our car seat.