Question Do you think a "travel system" is necessary for a newborn?

steph410

New member
I'm pregnant with my third baby, so I should know the answer to this by now, but....in your opinion- if you were going to have another baby, do you think it would be crucial to have a stroller that your infant seat can clip into? Or do you think it would be manageable to put the infant seat into the grocery cart if going into a store and generally just carrying the infant seat with you?
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I don't think it's necessary at all. I didn't use an infant seat or a stroller with my daughter. Some people like them, but no, I don't think they're necessary.

Wendy
 

featherhead

Well-known member
I have always just carried the infant seat or put it in the shopping cart. With my next baby I'm going to try to do more baby-wearing, so I might start leaving the infant seat in the car. But I definitely don't think a travel system is necessary. If you have a stroller, just put the baby straight into the stroller, they don't need to stay in the car seat. It's good for them to get out and be in different positions often.
 

steph410

New member
(to the previous posters): did you carry your baby around in the infant seat or did you use a sling? if so, what did you do when the baby was sleeping? thanks! i just need to hear that it's not a necessity to have a stroller. how did you do it??:)
 

sunnymw

New member
For our first child we used a shin-bruiser ;) of course due to safety reasons we never used it grocery shopping in the top of the cart, and when in the actual cart it took up too much room, lol. We used the stroller maybe 3-4 times.

For this child we've been using the Radian convertible car seat, and a mei tai or wrap. Ironically enough even with chasing 1 child, this method has been *so* much easier--even when baby is asleep because he falls right back to sleep in the carrier once he's in :)
 

skipspin

New member
If I wanted to take the baby everywhere *in* the infant seat I'd have to have a stroller or snap and go for it. That said, I had a travel system for my 1st that I rarely used, and I never had one for my son. I had an infant seat, but rarely took it out of the car except for very short trips like the post office or into church if it was raining and DH was around to carry it.

I found it much easier to just take the baby out of the car seat and put him in a sling, hold him, or lay him in a cozy stroller.

It's also not recommended to put your infant seat in the child seat portion of the grocery cart since it makes the cart top heavy and isn't secure. If you're going to use the infant seat in a cart you want to put it in the basket.
 

featherhead

Well-known member
I usually carried my baby in the infant seat unless I was going to a big mall that I knew I would be in for a few hours. Then I took my stroller and left the infant seat in the car. I have a sling that I now use for my dd, but I wasn't very confident with it when she was a newborn/infant. With my next baby I'm planning to use it a lot more. My dd outgrew her infant seat at 7 months, so from then we have always sat her in the shopping cart or used the sling or carried her (or the stroller in large malls). I would say I never had her in her infant seat for more than half an hour (outside of traveling).
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
(to the previous posters): did you carry your baby around in the infant seat or did you use a sling? if so, what did you do when the baby was sleeping? thanks! i just need to hear that it's not a necessity to have a stroller. how did you do it??:)

I used a sling. If she was asleep I either waited, or I woke her up and then she'd go back to sleep in the sling. A rocking mama's body will help a baby go back to sleep.

I never liked a stroller. We used one for the first time when she was nearly one. I still didn't like it.

Wendy
 

mum2two

Active member
I was never able to wear my kids...I seem to have an internal body temp like I'm always having hot flashes....I found esp with the second it was so convenient to have the infant seat and be able to use the stroller (I love our compact Combi strollers)..there are times when schlepping them in the cold weather into activities, etc that it was invaluable....as well...I never used the top of grocery carts too dangerous...either in the big basket or I shopped late at night by myself....it made going to restaurants convenient for the first 6 months too...and our lifestyle suited it....I don't think my kids spent too much time in their infant seats...I never kept them in them once at someones home etc like many of my friends do but you can't beat the convenience...I think so many also love to use the snapngo frames with their infant carriers.

Are they necessary no....but I wouldn't have done without my "system" albeit I didn't buy a true travel system just compatible seat (combi connection) and and combi stroller. I think the Graco or Evenflo systems are the one's folks tend to shy away from as the strollers tend to be huge and you are tied into either a seat you don't love or a stroller you don't love...
 

christineka

New member
I've never had anything but an umbrella stroller. I used to take the infant seat everywhere, but over the years have become less strong or something. Baby number five only came out with his seat when dh took it out. I left the seat and took the baby. I carried put him in the sling or mei tai. Next baby gets a convertible that we already have. I'm not buying another car seat for many years.
 

Mom2three

New member
We did both, and for us both had their pros and cons. My DH was not into wearing DD at all. He is a rough and tumble cowboy. But he would take her places and pack the SS1 or attach it to the stroller. In fact he chose the whole set up based on the handle height and shocks of the stroller. When I was out and about on my own I preferred to wear DD in a sling or front carrier, in fact I still do sometimes. But we have found good uses for the stroller due to our terrain and climate. But I also like lighter weight strollers if one is needed. There is nothing worse than having a stroller take up all of your cargo space. I could have easily done without the travel system...but in the cold weather here the bucket was nice for in and out to the house.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
I've never owned a travel system.

Baby #3 hated the car & the carseat and screamed nonstop from the moment she was buckled in. No way in heck I was using that thing outside the vehicle! I switched her from the infant seat to a convertible as soon as we bought a vehicle big enough (around 6 weeks).

Baby #4 was born in winter, and I wouldn't have felt comfortable carrying an infant seat over ice, even if I hadn't needed my hands free to deal with my spirited 4 year old. She went into a convertible from birth, and I use(d) a sling when I took her out of the car. I do have a stroller (several, actually) to use on long outings, but she usually ends up in the sling after a while. I find that my kids like the stroller a lot better after they start walking, especially if they haven't ridden in it much before that.
 

Morganthe

New member
I had a travel system and it was invaluable to ME (which, ultimately is all that matters, right? ;) )

Anyone who knows Ramstein AB and the steep walk up to the BX from the Commissary parking lot understands how treacherous that rail-less shaded bricked pathway actually is. Add inclement weather and you have an accident waiting to happen, imo. I've always been scared of not being able to stop on the edge to make the turn downwards. I was there at least once a week to shop the two locations, if not more.

There is no way on God's green earth that I would have trusted my bad ankle to support dd up and down that hill. I adored being able to put her carseat in the stroller for that primary reason.... and the fact I had a c-section that was painful for a rather long time. I only wish the Evenflo had come with brakes that are similar to the Speedi. :(

Why didn't I just use the stroller alone? Multiple of reasons -- she liked looking at me, We'd play games that way... People were less intrusive, especially if she fell asleep because the two shades would completely cover her-- it fit more securely than the stroller alone, and I suspect her reflux was lessoned with the slanted seat. She was also up higher, which she enjoyed. She was never crazy about a stroller as a baby.

The stroller came in handy for packing it with stuff from BX area so I didn't have baby + bags to carry back to my car. I'd unload it at my car, then sling dd through the commissary. It worked for us :shrug-shoulders:

As soon as she outgrew that infant bucket around 9 months, I sold the whole unit. I didn't care for the plasticky American Stroller. Too bulky and a waste of space. Tried out some others before settling on 2 strollers for various terrain.

LOL, even if there is a chance of another child, I'll just get a bassinet for him/her. I have the carseat/bassinet adaptors in the box for my Quinny Speedi. :love:

I wouldn't say the system is necessary for everyone, but in my situation, it was critical. :eek:
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Anyone who knows Ramstein AB and the steep walk up to the BX from the Commissary parking lot understands how treacherous that rail-less shaded bricked pathway actually is. Add inclement weather and you have an accident waiting to happen, imo. I've always been scared of not being able to stop on the edge to make the turn downwards. I was there at least once a week to shop the two locations, if not more.

That's kind of funny, because Nadia was born in Heidelberg, and the base there is NOT handicap accessible AT ALL. Roman had a broken leg at the time, and I had to push him around in a stroller, and it was a HUGE PITB just getting inside the bank on base with him. So, for me, living on base was a reason not to use a travel system. :cool:
 

smurf

New member
I never owned a travel system. Baby was in the car seat when I was driving, otherwise in the stroller (I walked at least an hour everyday during maternity leave, so I'm a huge stroller user, and my babies are all professional passengers, lol). I bought the stroller I wanted (Bebecar, not available in the US) for these long walks and eventually a second more compact stroller to keep in my car for mall shopping and the like. Turns out my carseat (Graco Snugride) could fit in my huge stroller, but I seldom used it than way.

I never liked the idea of a baby being in a carseat more than necessary, so the car seat was strictly for car use, and the occasional nap after falling asleep in the car.
 

a_js

New member
I think it depends entirely on what your needs are and what your family does.
We didn't really need it but we were not 'out and about' a lot with ds, mainly because we were too busy sleeping whenever he slept, which was not much :( but everyone is different..
 

Morganthe

New member
That's kind of funny, because Nadia was born in Heidelberg, and the base there is NOT handicap accessible AT ALL. Roman had a broken leg at the time, and I had to push him around in a stroller, and it was a HUGE PITB just getting inside the bank on base with him. So, for me, living on base was a reason not to use a travel system. :cool:
That had to be rough! I've seen the housing around Heidelburg. I had classes there a couple of times at the High School. Apartment living at it's finest :rolleyes:

Thankfully, I didn't live on base or on Vogelweh. DH had muttered about getting housing, but when he saw the horrible condition of the 2 -4th floor apts they offered us, he had no problems refusing. Our townhouse offbase was so much nicer and roomier for us than the tiny 2bdrm apt with the nasty bathroom.

Military bases are exempt from ADA laws. Of course, in Germany, those are primarily buildings built in the late 40s and 50s. Able bodied people can't even manage them sometimes ;)

As we were leaving, they were opening up new duplexes on Vogelweh, IIRC, some were even single floor ranch types with NO (gasp) steps. :eek:

Stairs were a pain in some areas on Ramstein, but they were avoidable in many spots.
That long L shaped sidewalk on that descent -- that was the stuff of nightmares for me. There was a slope, but it was nothing compared to sliding down about 20 feet of hill and landing in the main one way lane manuevering through the parking lot.

I"m really crossing my fingers that the New BX will FINALLY be open by the time we land at Ramstein. It was supposed to open Sept 2006, so it's a WEE bit behind the deadline due to a whole bunch o'reasons. I'm planning on having a good laugh if the Grand Opening is in the same month. I can easily be arrogant enough to believe that if we hadn't been exiled to TEXAS, everything would have opened right on schedule. :evil grin:

DH and I are planning a 'welcome home' celebratory dinner at Barbarossahof -- one of our favorite restaurants -- before heading up north to Spang the next day. Either that, or it's our old local haunts at the Greek Restaurant in Landstuhl. :D Haven't decided yet. :whistle:
 

SusanMae

Senior Community Member
(to the previous posters): did you carry your baby around in the infant seat or did you use a sling? if so, what did you do when the baby was sleeping? thanks! i just need to hear that it's not a necessity to have a stroller. how did you do it??:)

Almost 30 yrs ago, my parents did without a stroller all together. I was carried, rode in the cart or walked...as age/situation dictated. And I have 4 older siblings.

I plan to hold, carry and wear this baby. I do have a travel system and I love both carseat and stroller. I'm having a winter baby and I can forsee sometimes that it might just be easier to put leave baby in the seat for quick in and out trips.

Susan
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I didn't have a travel system with the boys, but it was absolutely a lifesaver with Joy even though I wore her a lot.
 

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