Anyone have a car seat, baby jogger, stroller, crib, glass baby bottles, co-sleeper....any product for a new baby.... that they love? I am overwhelmed by the choices. We are looking for excellent quality and as non toxic, as possible. I understand many of the paints, glues are not good for the baby! Organic is great!
I was looking at the Bob Revolution baby jogger, and some kind of car seat that would fit into that for the first several months of use.
Also, Nordic Cab's Sport Combo jogger. LL Bean shows both.
Thanks so much!
I switched to glass bottles after the BPA/plastics came out. Even though there is supposed BPA free now, I would stick w/glass.
We have the single and double BOB Revolution. LOVE them! We used the Graco snugride that fits w/the attachment you can buy from BOB.
#1 rule for carseats--make sure it fits YOUR CAR. That's the most important thing. If it doesn't fit properly, it isn't going to protect your child.
If you plan to breastfeed, skip getting bottles and a pump until breastfeeding is well established (6 weeks).
If you are getting a jogger stroller I'm guessing you're already a runner. Most joggers can't be used without a carseat until baby is 6 months old and has good head and neck control and can sit up. The sling style seats don't have the support a newborn needs.
Wearing your baby in a soft carrier (www.peppermint.com) is the best way to bond with your baby and help him/her figure out their world.
We never used a crib, but did have a cradle or Arm's Reach Co-sleeper in our room until they were too big to sleep in it. We practiced safe co-sleeping, and the kids each moved out of our bed when they were 2-4 years old.
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We have the Eddie Bauer Elite 3-in-1 carseat that goes from newborn (5lbs) to kid (100lbs)! It's rather bulky (no carrying it around to stores & restaurants), but it fits securely, is easy to adjust for age/size (just take pieces off as baby gets bigger), and feels very safe and comfy for my girl! I figured that for $170 we'd have her covered from birth to 100lbs (12 years old?) :) !!
We had a hand-me-down stroller/carseat combo and kept both in the back of the truck (suv) when she was little. If we went out to eat and needed a place for baby, we'd just carry in the little carseat and sit her in it. It worked for us (and we didn't feel safe using a used carseat for driving). It also kept us from being one of "those parents" who keeps their kid tied up in a carseat all the time. The stroller is awesome--padded, perfect for baby (newborn bundled in blankets or stretched out toddler), and fits in the back. It is also rather bulky, but was FREE.
It depends on your view of things and how much money you want to spend... but I am all about hand-me-downs, yard sales, and etc! With babies, you just never know what they will or won't like and it would be a huge waste of money to buy something and find out that the baby (or you) hate it!
Good luck!
I don't know about any non toxic stuff, but get a car seat with a 5 point harness. It is safer.
My favorite car seat is one that my son (4 y/o) is still using & an infant can not use. It is called the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 car seat. The 5 point harness goes up to 65 lbs. which is amazing for a $150 car seat & booster combo. You should look into it when your child is ready to turn forward facing (keep your baby rear facing as long as possible! the minimum is 1 yr. & 20 lbs., but the longer the better as rear facing is safer than forward facing.)
With paint look for low VOC (Voilitile Organic Compounds).
God bless!
First thing you should do is go buy the book "Baby Bargains" by Denise & Alan Fields. They have every product and maker listed and rated by moms, consumer testers and recall history. They talk about things that you probably haven't considered yet as possible problems or issues. I researched everything and brought the book on all my shopping trips. As a result, I love everything that we bought and have not had 1 item recalled to date.
My favorite must haves are
-"Arms Reach" Original sized co-sleeper. Baby sleeps next to your bed not in it so no getting out of bed if breast feeding, it's safer for baby and it's well made so baby is safe and secure! My son slept in the co-sleeper till 6 months old and transitioned to the crib seamlessly. We now use it as his travelling crib and play pen.
-Bonavita Lifestyle crib - it's a beautiful piece of furniture not just a crib. No matter which maker you get - make sure to buy the bed rail and conversion kit at same time in case they discontinue the pattern as your baby will be in it several years before that stuff is needed
- Graco makes the best pack and plays. Get one with a high changing table if your tall - low if your on the short side.
- Clean Water Infant Tub with Built-in Thermometer
By: 4 Moms. My son still uses this today at 18 months and he's 90% for height.
- Halo swaddle me sleep sacks for baby. And Halo Big Kids Sleep sacks for toddlers.
- Summer Infant Complete Coverage Video Monitoring System - love it!
And still use it every day.
-Especially For Baby Wipe Warmer With Light - Just takes the chill out and looks nicer than the ones wipe companies make.
-Chicco Keyfit 30 w/Cortina Stroller - buy 1 extra base for spouses car. Baby always seemed very comfortable and it's one of the safest according to consumer reports. The only think I didn't like - the baby carrier on grocerey shopping carts (but they say not to put baby carriers on the front of shopping carts so ...)
- Finally if you give the baby a pacifier which they recommend to help prevent SIDS - go with playtex brand and not the soothies that the hospital will give you. Kids look so goofy sucking on those and won't transition off of them easily.
Buy the book - it's well worth it!
The Bob is a great stroller, so is Dreamer Design. I have a double and have had both brands. We sold the bob b/c it was so much bigger and took up every square inch of the back of the car.
BEST car seat is SUnshine Kids. I don't know for infant use, but it is the only seat that is designed to be 3 in a row, it's top notch for safety, narrow, so it doesn't overwhelm your back seat, and the only seat that offers 5 point harness for your child as they grow. THere is a 65 pound limit one and an 85 pound one. My almost 5 year old is 98% for height and weight - coming in at about 45 lbs. She is a stringbean - and while her classmates are in booster seats - none of my research indicated that this was a safe choice. That was how I discovered this company. It also folds up for travel use.
I strongly recommend a great sling. Baby wearing is awesome!
Ergo's will get you through all stages, but it's nice to have one better designed for those first 6 months. I suggest a Maya wrap, or Moby (although a moby can be made easily - since it's just a giant piece of jersey)
(All these companies sell organic)
If you have time, don't be afraid to shop craigslist for used anything.
The Boon bowl has become a god-send for feedings. Suction that works, catch flip for spills, and BPA free.
Cloth diapering is not nearly as challenging as you might fear. Bumgenuis and Happy Heiney are our diapers of choice.
Congratulations and best of luck to you!
I don't have a Bob, but if I had found about it before my DD was 18 months, I would have sprung for. They are EXCELLENT strollers!
I had a totally matching Graco set of carseat, stroller and pack n play and loved them. The stroller was great on streets and small amounts of gravel. My DD lived in those for her entire first year (we moved too much to have a crib, she actually used the PnP as a bed). Now she has two identical Eddie Bauer Elite 3-in-1's (one in each car) and I LOVE those too! Someone here said you can use it for newborns, and if you don't mind holding (or wearing!!) your newborn, then it's a wonderful one-purchase investment. They are a little complicated to take apart for cleaning, but after DD threw up three times in a month in it - I'm a pro! LOL!
Also, for comparison, my DD was 9lb 5oz at birth (so big from the start), and I only carried her IN the Graco carseat until about 12 lbs/6 mos, then she was too heavy for me, and able to sit up fairly well on her own.
Good luck!
Ditto on getting the Baby Bargains book. There is a new copy each year and I carried mone around like a bible when we registered.
We used a Graco "bucket" seat when my kids were babies, but when they were growing out of that, get a Britax convertible seat (and when they are around 4, a booster). Expensive, but beautiful, tops in safety and worth every penny.
For a stroller, I recommend one with inflatable tires a swivel front wheel if you plan to use jogging. We have a Zooper and then when we had two kids, went to a side-by-side InStep. They are great from birth to toddler and have been hiking, on the beach and even just down the street; while they are heavy-duty, they are also HEAVY and take up quite a bit of trunk space. I loved both those strollers-- but the one I used the most? Our Chico umbrella stroller about $80. Once your baby is big enough to hold up his own head, this is the one you'll always have in the trunk for trips to the mall, etc.
When I was shopping for a car at the end of last year and was worried about the chemicals in the "new car smell", I found a website that appears to be a very good resource. I am not affiliated in any way with this website and found it by reading a few news articles that referenced it - it appears to be "good". Here is the page which has links for its childrens products including car seats - you'll have to look around to see if they review baby joggers - I don't think they do but they also have a place where you can request that they review things - seems like this forum here is a good place to post this website for everything that they do review: http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/childrens-products/
Also, their parent page looks like a generally good resource about toxic things in our world: http://www.ecocenter.org/
Oh where do I start?! I can make so many recommendations for what I love that it will make your head spin. Funny thing though, I already shared a list of my baby must haves in my Eco-Babyz community on Lunch_com, you can read it here: http://www.lunch.com/ecobabyz/Lists-51-81-My_Top_12_Baby_... . I would add Mythic Paint to that! :) Feel free to message me if there is anything you have questions about.
Mimjumi BPA free bottles
BabyHawk carriers
Sprout Shell Covers
Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics (hands down the best for nursing moms)
Rockin Green detergent or Soap Berries (all natural)
Itzy Ritzy bags (reusable)
Air Biscuit Cloth Diaper (super green!)
Shaklee cleaner (safe for baby)
All sold at http://www.mymammasmilk.com in Sagamore, MA (ship world wide). They offer a registration for expectant parents as well!
As for strollers: SilverCross makes beautiful stuff and has been in business since 1877!!!! Look for a stroller that faces towards you AND away as they grow. They also make brilliant carseats (I think they are far superior to Britax, but few people know about them).
Skip the co-sleeper. Instead, go for a crib with a side that comes off, then push the crib against your bed (especially if you are going to be co-sleeping and breastfeeding). For Cribs: Pali, Cocoon, Sorelle and Status. Really want the best? Want to SPLURGE? Go here: http://masongrayco.com/categorydetail.php?categoryid=73&a...
