Author Topic: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2  (Read 15598 times)

ysette9

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Re: Is a stroller necessary?
« Reply #50 on: April 09, 2015, 09:07:25 AM »
We have two strollers: a small one for the back of the car and a jogging stroller for actual jogging as well as walking around our neighborhood (no sidewalks). BUT, we extensively use the Moby wrap as well as the Breeze. I can't say enough good things about the wraps. We used the wraps from the beginning when my preemie was about 4 pounds and still going strong now that she is 10 months/15+lb. Not only does my baby love it, she would nap beautifully in it, it is comfortable for her and for us, hands-free so you can get stuff done, and is very easy/small to store. Especially when your baby is very young, they really need that closeness to your body and skin (my preemie in particular) and the wraps are an easy way of doing it.

My only caution is to be careful of the "crotch danglers" like the Bjorn which are not good ergonomically for the kid. You want to make sure the knees are higher than the bum. I highly recommend taking a class or having someone knowledgeable teach you how to do the wraps initially. It took me a couple of tries but both my husband and I got really good at them. Occasionally when our baby was throwing fits in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, we'd sleep with her in the wrap with one of us propped up on pillows. Oh, the joys of parenting!

mushroom

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Re: Is a stroller necessary?
« Reply #51 on: December 27, 2015, 12:03:15 PM »
I appreciated all the advice I got so I thought I would post an update since he's 7.5 months old now - I put a decent umbrella stroller on our baby registry (so not a piece of junk but still light and not too expensive) and we've used it maybe twice and hated it. So clearly we should've taken the advice to just wait and see. I'm still using the Moby wrap while my husband uses the Baby Bjorn Carrier One (not a crotch dangler) even though he's now 21.5 pounds (he was 15 pounds at just 2 months!) and it's working out well. A stroller could be more useful as he gets older, but we're thinking of FIREing in a few months and traveling around the country, so I have a feeling a stroller is not going to make the cut in terms of how much baby junk we can squeeze into our car.

N

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #52 on: December 28, 2015, 11:59:29 PM »
I liked the moby up until about 8 mos or so, but then it felt like it would get too saggy after wearing for a while. It sure is soft and comfy though. I got the most use out of my pouch sling and then I had a wonderful ring sling in a mesh cotton, that I dont think is still around. I have friends who still babywear and the types and styles and brands have exploded in the last ten years!

the nice thing about carriers is they pack up fairly small, too. :) a lot of my friends loved their ergos as well.

so fun that you are thinking about fire and travel! sounds like everything is going great!

mushroom

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #53 on: December 29, 2015, 09:12:58 AM »
Sounds like things are going pretty well for you, N! I'm planning on updating my journal once I have the end of year numbers and I'm sure I'll post a lot more while figuring out the FIRE plan.

TabbyCat

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #54 on: March 29, 2016, 09:49:45 PM »
That's great! We enjoy our stroller, but it isn't a must have for us either - we usually wear.

MayDay

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #55 on: March 30, 2016, 08:49:48 AM »
My youngest also loved the wrap.  We started with a Moby and then when it got saggy, I bought a woven wrap.  Those things can be $$$$$ but there are cheaper alternatives, like buying a long piece of fabric, lol. 

Good luck with your adventure!  Some babies hate being worn, mine never minded it.  But in the summer, I wanted them off me.  I was a hot sweaty mess.

cdd109

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #56 on: March 30, 2016, 02:15:44 PM »
 small fold up umbrella - actually very handy. We use this much more than the giant graco jogging stroller now that the kid can sit upright. sounds like in your situation no additional stroller needed. You can always get one later if you think you need to.

Kitsune

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Re: Is a stroller necessary?
« Reply #57 on: March 31, 2016, 07:20:34 AM »
I appreciated all the advice I got so I thought I would post an update since he's 7.5 months old now - I put a decent umbrella stroller on our baby registry (so not a piece of junk but still light and not too expensive) and we've used it maybe twice and hated it. So clearly we should've taken the advice to just wait and see. I'm still using the Moby wrap while my husband uses the Baby Bjorn Carrier One (not a crotch dangler) even though he's now 21.5 pounds (he was 15 pounds at just 2 months!) and it's working out well. A stroller could be more useful as he gets older, but we're thinking of FIREing in a few months and traveling around the country, so I have a feeling a stroller is not going to make the cut in terms of how much baby junk we can squeeze into our car.

An umbrella stroller wasn's useful for us until our kid was about 1.5 years old... and then it's a GREAT thing to have in the car. It's light, portable, you don't usually need it, but it makes wrangling a toddler who doesn't WANT to walk to go places much easier. And if you're halfway through the market and they decide they wanna walk, then the veggies go in the stroller and you have a hand free for the kid.

That's also roundabout the time they get too heavy to carry for extended periods: before then, a wrap is WAY more practical. :)

brycedoula

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #58 on: March 31, 2016, 09:19:07 AM »
I have a Moby wrap, ring sling & an Ergo (RS & Ergo bought used; Moby was a gift). I use the Moby & RS for wearing in the house, and the Moby & Ergo for shorter trips outside.

We were gifted a BOB Revolution Flex stroller by my in-laws. Yes it's expensive. Yes it's big (but the only stroller we demo'd that easily fit in our 2003 Cavalier trunk).

BUT

I'm now 8+ weeks postpartum & take the kid and dog on daily 1+ mile walks. The stroller handles snowy sidewalks & muddy paths like a dream. We're 1.6kms from the grocery store, so I can easily walk there, get food & back-haul. Once the kid is a bit bigger (~6 months, with good neck & trunk strength) then I can take her jogging with me. If my plans were to drive to the mall & walk around then a cheaper stroller with dinky wheels would be a-okay. But that's not our life, so a bigger/more expensive stroller is what works best for our situation. Is it absolutely necessary? Hard to say, but I wouldn't go outside nearly as much without it, and I think being outside/active has contributed to staying healthy both physically & mentally (VERY important in the postpartum period).

(PS: I haven't yet tried to take the stroller on the bus. If/when I do it'll only be @ non-rush hour times because, as another posted said, I don't wanna get stabbed for having a large stroller on a packed bus!)
« Last Edit: March 31, 2016, 09:22:22 AM by brycedoula »

Cognitive Miser

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Re: Is a stroller necessary?
« Reply #59 on: April 01, 2016, 04:21:26 PM »
I think umbrella strollers are kind of useless (and the handles are always too short for me so I have to hunch and its uncomfortable.

Yes!  I'm six feet tall and HATE our umbrella stroller for this reason.  I have another stroller that our carseats clip into (including toddler seat), and it has great tires, so I use that one for walks to the neighborhood park, trips to the zoo, etc.  Although the zoo rents wagons and I am considering that option the next time we attend with friends (stuff two toddlers in one wagon and then nobody has to bring a stroller).

My favorite carrier is the Lillebaby.  It's very versatile and I'm still back-carrying my 2-year old in it.  I've used it for hiking a bunch.  I hear it's equivalent/possibly better than an Ergo.  I'm pregnant with #2 and looking into a Baby K'tan - recently saw some used at the consignment store and one of my friends loved it for keeping her newborn close.  I also used a crotch-dangler Bjorn when #1 was very little.  They have terrible back support so they aren't good for kids over a certain weight, but they are by far the easiest to get baby in and out of.  I just kept it in the car and used it to run baby in and out of the daycare building - he was in it for a few minutes at a time (our infant car seat is super-heavy, and I was doing both drop-off and pick-up so I had no reason to leave it in the daycare building for spouse).  Baby Bjorns are ubiquitous so you can usually pick one up for $10 or so.

tobitonic

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #60 on: April 02, 2016, 02:23:53 PM »
We've got a  City Mini Double GT. It was a splurge, but we love it, and it was a huge upgrade over our budget single stroller. We use it with both kids (2y and <1y) and plan to use it for several years more in the future. It rolls like a road bike compared to the budget stroller.

Frugster

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #61 on: April 03, 2016, 09:28:26 PM »
One thing I'm not sure anyone mentioned yet is that most strollers (and especially the lighter/less expensive ones) are only suitable for babies over 6 months. If I had to do it over again, I would have waited to get the stroller until after the baby came, and probably would have picked a lighter one. My baby happens to love being in the carrier, but I hear from other parents that not all babies do! Point is, you won't know who you get until s/he arrives! :)

If you are on the fence about getting a stroller at all, at least wait until the little one is a little older so you can skip the heavy infant stroller, or at least have more options.

As the mother of a newborn, I can attest that people will still be plying you with gifts for months!

One another note that may have already been said: Carriers are often to be had at half-price and in good condition on Craigslist. For what it's worth, I have a Tula and a Boba and use them both constantly. (It's good to have two in case one is covered in spit up!)

greaper007

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #62 on: April 04, 2016, 08:30:40 AM »
Update, my kids are 7 and almost 5 now.   About 5 years ago I bought a BOB double revolution at an REI garage sale for $180 (retailed for over $500 at the time).    The only thing wrong with it was a broken lockout screw on the front wheel, I figured I could fix it or live with it.    I called up the company to see if I could buy a new part, they said "We'll ship you a new one for free."    I was able to fix it in about 5 mins and had an essentially new stroller.    We used that thing everywhere for about 4 years, then the kids started to get too big for it.

Fast forward to this past fall, I posted the stroller on craigslist and sold it within a day for $325.   

TL;DR I used a stroller for 4 years and then sold it for a $145 profit.    Check out the REI garage sale for a good deal on used gear.

MrsDinero

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #63 on: April 04, 2016, 08:49:45 AM »
I loved reading this thread.

Initially I was against having a stroller of any kind because I didn't think we would go to a lot of stroller-friendly places and I was very pro-baby wearing.  I was a little wrong. I wore (Boba and Erg) the baby until I became pregnant again and didn't want to strap or tie anything around my waist.   

I ended up buying a $25 umbrella stroller at Walmart and we use it several times a week, going for walks, shopping, etc.  My SO still wears the baby but we also use the stroller because sometimes it is more convenient and at 6 months the baby really enjoys the view the stroller gives. 

We have decided we will get a double stroller after our next baby is about 3 months old.  We plan on wearing the baby again, but will get a double stroller for convenience. 

lampstache

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Re: Is a stroller necessary? Update on page 2
« Reply #64 on: April 06, 2016, 11:14:21 AM »
I say go for the stroller. It's convenient and like many have said you can get a great one at a good price through craigslist, etc. Having previously lived in Chicago as well, we managed bringing the stroller on the CTA just fine.

Sounds like the big issue is space in your apartment. I'm going to make an assumption that you have a parking space in your building... If so, can you keep the stroller in the trunk of your vehicle when you're not using it? This way it's not taking space in your condo and it's just a quick trip to the vehicle to pull it out of the trunk when you're ready to go out on foot.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!