Stroller Advice for First Time Moms

COOLEST STROLLER EEEVVEEERR!!

http://www.stokkeusa.com/xploryhome.htm

I wish I had the $$$ to buy this one...

Good Luck!

Jaymi,

My advice as a mother to 3 boys would be to go into the store and try them out. Each stroller has differnt options and while looking at them online is fine and dandy you aren't really getting a clear picture of what you are getting. Go into babies r us, or ideal baby or any other baby store that is near you that sells baby items and pull the strollers out and try manuevering them and folding them up and just try them out now, before you get to big and see how they work for you and see if it is something that you can live with once the baby is here.

Good luck.

S.
35 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
13, 6 and 3

if you're not an avid runner the Graco travel system strollers work great for walking/ some running. They hold up very well. I exercised with mine regularly on roads and trails. The wheels are very sturdy and do not lock up.

First of all, congratulations Jaymi on the pregnancy. Next, I have a Chicco stroller. Chicco makes a travel system, but I purchased the KeyFit car seat/base and then the stroller that it snaps into. I walk daily and have found it so easy to "wheelie" up the curbs and it really gets through areas that don't have sidewalks. The steering is awesome.

I absolutley love my BOB. There is an infant attachment that you can get to be able to put the carseat in it. It will be my one and only stroller!!!!

I was on the same brainwave as Shelly. I've got 4 children and strollers are a definite must have. But there are so many to choose from and each one has different features. Some have the harness straps that are super hard to open and close. Some are difficult for one person to fold down or open out. It depends on what you drive and how much storage space one can take up in the trunk of your car.
She did mention Babies R Us, which does have a great selection. But one other that I found always has a great selection as well is Baby Depot. It's inside the Burlington Coat Factory stores.
Congrats on the happy news to you and your growing family!

Jaymi,
I have one son & have the Britax Vigour. It is good for walking b/c it has air tires. There is also an infant carseat (Britax Companion) that attaches to it. I am very happy with the stroller. It is a little pricy though. The stroller is anywhere from $250-350. And the carseat is $200. Britax's safety record is really good, which is why we went with this brand. The stroller turns on a dime. Great when you are in the store, etc. Also, you arent supposed to put a baby into a baby jogger until they are 6 mos old, so this is a nice alternative. I will say though, that once they grow out of the infant carseat & use the big kid part of the stroller, it is heavy to get in & out of the car. But from what I hear, they all are heavy. They both come in several differnt colors too.

Here is a link to the stroller:

http://www.britaxusa.com/products/product_detail.aspx?ID=11

And here is a link to the infant carseat:

http://www.britaxusa.com/products/product_detail.aspx?ID=2

I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy!!

H.

Hi Jaymi- There's no doubt, everyone likes something different and the only way to know is to check them out. I had a Baby Trend for my first and now have a Graco. The Graco is better. I guess that's why they are the number one selling stroller. Affordable but durable. I want to add one piece of advise, if I may, which no one has mentioned. Please be prepared that after having your baby, you may not want to walk. You may be completely exhausted and overwhelmed and pregnancy hits alot harder when you are over 35. I only mention it because most of us think things are going to just go on as usual with the addition of a baby and then go through a time where we feel like our life is turned upside down and we can't handle anything. I know I felt like a total failure because I couldn't handle the housework, baby, job and working out. I just couldn't do it all. Please be kind to yourself if this happens and let it go. Focus on your new baby when he/she gets here. You will get yourself back eventually. Good luck and many many congratulations on finally becoming pregnant. It will be everything you wished for.... and more.

Hi Jaymi,

I don't have the "best brand" but here are some advice/things to think about:
- How easy is it to fold?
- Is the cover washable?
- Is is light enough that I can carry it easily in and out of the trunk? Or even with one hand sometimes ;-)
- Take a drive test in the store. Some strollers tilt to the side when you turn.
A jogging stroller might be the best option for you so you can keep exercising.
Actually, I teach a fitness stroller class in Davie if you're interested after your have your baby. It's inexpensive and my clients love my class.
Check me out on mamasource: Little Booties Boot Camp.
Congratulations and best wishes,
S.

After many years and children and who knows how many strollers, here is what I have learned. If you do a lot of walking, find one with rubber wheels, not the hard plastic. I can't tell you how many strollers we have worn out the wheels and axels on. Larger wheels will go over uneven surfaces much easier and smoother, less work for you and more comfort for baby. Your precious little one will grow faster than you can imagine, don't waste money on a small stroller, get a travel system that comes with a carrier, or has the ability to snap any car seat/carrier into it, most of the full size strollers today do. Make sure you can remove the seat/seat cover for machine washing, your child will get some disgusting stuff in their stroller. A basket underneath that will accomodate your diaper bag filled for an entire day out will save your back, shoulder, and spouse a whole lot of grief. A cup holder for mommy and one for baby will be a must in about a year, if you can get it, a cup holder for baby that is deep enough to accomodate a sippy cup. Keep in mind baby will need a place to rest his/her feet when they get bigger, so watch for those strollers that will not accomodate that.

Unless you are going into the over $300 range for a stroller, lighweight strollers really don't last too long. We keep two strollers on hand, a really good full size one for trips to the zoo, disney, full days at the mall, long walks or any event that will take more than 30 minutes, and a cheap lightweight one for quick trips (once baby is big enough to sit up) you need your hands free for (like a quick trip into a store that doesn't have carts).

Currently I have a Graco, sorry don't remember the name of the model, but it has rubber wheels, all of the amenities, accomodates from birth to 50 pounds, the top is high enough to accomodate a four or five year old, and moves so you can shild baby from any angle to keep sun out. It was one of the few models I found that the seat both fully reclined and sat all the way up without leaving a child at a reclining position. It did not come with a car seat or carrier, but will accomdate almost any car seat/carrier for newborns. It also came with headrests, a foot sleeping bag thing for newborns that keeps them from sliding out under the tray, five point restraints that are removable and reconfigurable to just a seatbelt. I got this at Babies are us, and it ran about $175. I personally prefer to buy one stroller and use it for years, than a new one every year, and less costly. Graco warrents the tires on this thing for five years.

Good luck

And what Shelly said - go to the store and try them out. I found a few I couldn't get to fold easy enough, too heavy, too long to fit in my car, etc.

Hi -
I have a 2 1/2 yr. old & a 10 month old, I use the Peg Perego P3 with both esp when they're newborn to 6-8 moonths and then a Maclaren afterwards. I've been very happy with that combo for the past 2 1/2 years. It took me 3 other strollers to find what one that I liked....
Good Luck!

Congratulations!
My advice (as was others) is to go to the store and try them out. Try to fold them, unfold them and pick them up (at least to knee level) so that you can get an idea of how heavy it is when putting it into and out of your car! This was something I didn't do and wish I had. I got a lovely SUV of a stroller (with the matching car seat) from Evenflo. I didn't realize how heavy it would be to get in and out of the car! I wish someone had advised me that bigger isn't always better when it comes to strollers! LOL That said, I did love it anyway (and got some nice biceps out of the deal). Mine had a removable snack tray (dishwasher safe), the canopy went down 180 degrees, it had nice big wheels and had multi-position recline. (Easy to operate, too.)
Baby Love is a great store down in Ft. Lauderdale area... a bit of a drive for me, but worth it to see so many different kinds of things on display... everything baby!
Best wishes )and I became a first time Mom at 36),
T., Mom to Katie now 3 and Matthew who'll be 1 in 5 days!

Jaymi-- My sister advised me to get the lightest stroller possible, because you don't realize how heavy your stroller is until you're constantly lugging the thing in and out of your car! I think her advice was excellent! I really liked my Graco stroller-- I think it was called a Metrolite. You can check the weights of different strollers and test them out at Babies'R'Us to see which one you like the best. I liked the Graco system a lot-- your infant carrier will snap right into the base in your car and right into your stroller. My friend also gave me her Graco Duo Glider double stroller when I had my second baby, and it was nice because I could use my Graco infant carrier and snap it right into the stroller and let my older son ride in the front. Now that the boys are 3 and 1 1/2, I use a BOB double jogging stroller. I love how easy it is to push and how lightweight it feels, even though I'm pushing about sixty pounds of little boy around! It's made to fit all standard doorways and anyplace that's handicapped-accessible, which should be everywhere. It's expensive (around $400), but I use it every single day, and I think it's worth very penny. I didn't put my baby into the jogging stroller until he was sitting up, but I'm not sure how early you can do that. By the way, I became a first-time mom at 35, too-- congratulations! :)

Jaymi,
I have owned two graco strollers and one Eddie Bauer and had a zooper for a few days that I returned. I have to say that the graco by far outweighs them all. It's the best for the money. I have three boys and they haven't been able to destroy either of my gracos. I use them almost every day. Sure you could put a lot of money into a really nice expensive stroller, but why when graco makes great strollers!

hi there and congrats :) baby trend makes the only combo system (carseat clips in to stroller for infants, then take it off to use for bigger kids) with an all-terrain jogger stroller. nice big wheels to get over any surface...i haven't jogged with it too much (though it does great for running), but it's been reeeally helpful as our street was under construction for almost a year...did fine on gravel & sand. and i can fit it in the trunk of my civic...bonus! also, the baby trend carseat, even though it's one of the least expensive, rated one of the highest in safety by consumer reports. we're happy with it.

I researched EVERYTHING for my babies here:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=13

you can also get an expert opinion here, you have to pay, though, but she really helped a good friend of mine:
http://www.strollerqueen.com/