Seeking stroller/car seat/bjorn advice : petite mum, stay-at-home, drives, no maid

M

mamamau

Registered User
Our daughter is due in November and we would like to seek some advice re: the combination of stroller/car seat/bjorn to buy or not buy.

First there's the stroller.
My situation: I'm a stay-at-home mum with a parttime cleaning lady. I plan to drive to grocery-shop perhaps twice a week starting month#2 postpartum. I might not be able to lift a heavy stroller into the car trunk due to my size (100-pound pre-pregnant.) Fortunately (?) the baby seems to be quite petite as well - I've gained only 11 pounds at 27 weeks.

We'e looked at some stroller models and found the sturdy ones (10kg) probably too heavy for me to lift into the car trunk daily... But the Graco and Combi ones (4kg) look rather frail to me... Are they safe enough? If I plan to go out with baby by myself only twice a week - with some groceries in hand, would I still be able to get by with just a baby bjorn for the first couple of months? (Hm... maybe I'll use a grocery bag with wheels!?) Actually how many months would I be able to survive with a bjorn? :) (Husband will take a month off.)

Also, since I won't be taking public transport, can you think of other scenarios where I might need a stroller that can be folded single-handedly?

==> So do you think we could actually get a heavier stroller to use only on the weekends while my husband is around?

And if we do get a heavier stroller which I might have to skip using some of the time, do you think it's feasible for me to use an infant car-seat as a place for baby to sleep in while I go out to, say, eat with a friend in a restaurant?

How do people like their infant car-seats? Since it will only last for maybe 9 months, is it worthwhile to get one instead of the convertible ones just because you can pick up the whole thing withouth waking up baby?

And, how much in advance do people buy their strollers, car seats and cribs? Shopping is giving me a headache... :P

Thanks a bunch!
 
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Hi Mama,

I'm not petite, but I do have a weak back.

Baby Bjorn
I used the Baby Bjorn till D was around 7 or 8 mths. My husband was able to carry it for a bit longer. We got a light weight Combi when D was around 6mths and able to sit up. I LOVED it! It was so easy to manage.

The infant car seat was great too. I loved being able to pick it up and take it with us for dinners/playgroups etc. But we only did this till he was 5-6mths.

Have you looked at the travel systems - carseat/stroller combos? I beleive there are a couple that are lightweight that you maybe comfortable managing on your own.

D calling...gotta run.
Rani
 
Hi,

Our baby is due at the end of September and after doing loads of research and talking to friends this is what my husband and I decided upon:
We don't have or plan to have a full time helper, just a part time cleaner and we also will have a car by the end of this month, so hopefully not too many trips on public transport need be taken :)
We purchased a Bugaboo Frog, see www.bugaboo.com
It's a bit expensive, however is suitable from birth until about 4 years of age. It has a seperate basinet for use from birth and then a seperate stroller/seat. The website is very helpful.
The best thing though is it is REALLY light, can be turned one handed. The only downside is that is folds into 2 pieces so no good for public transport. We also bought a Chicco stroller (currently on sale half price) for plane trips or public transport days. With the bugaboo, you can also buy an adaptor for a Graco, Maxi Cosi and Peg Perego infant seats so that you can click it in and go. My husband and I have decided not to get this though as we are going to get a convertable seat from birth which will last with our child a lot longer, as the bugaboo has the basinet for the baby to sleep in should we go out.

We also bought the Baby Bjorn Active upon advice from other mum's in Hong Kong....I know the shopping is overwhelming!
Hope this helps! :)
 
Hi Mama,

We've similiar concerns. Here's how and what we've finally settled:

1) A mid-size Chicco Stroller, it's rather stable and not too heavy (suitable from 1-2mos up to 2 years old). We were looking at the travel systems in the first place but they all seemed too heavy and bulky for me if I'm on my own....

2) A Snugli and a baby bjorn carrier - one for my husband (he's tall) and one for me, so we won't have to worry about adjusting the straps & etc... also, we plan to use the carrier for our newborn before she's ready for the stroller.

3) An infant car seat - we bought ours in Wing On Dept store at a sale for only $400. The seat comes with a 3 point harness, it's locally made but quite sturdy and passed safety standards. We supposed the baby should overgrow this in months and will prefer to spend our money on an upscaled one that could last longer, e.g for 6mos to 3 years...

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Maryann
 
Hi,

I'm due in September and am baby product obsessed and have read about every review and interviewed loads of Moms.

Stroller/car-seat. I opted for the Quinny Zap. Its 6kg so pretty light weight and sturdy. Its currently on sale at Mothercare and B2B. The baby car seat maxi cosi cabrio straps into this stroller. After the baby is greater than 6 months, then you can use the regular seat. My Chic Mom-friends who have 4 strollers tell me this is the only they use b/c of how light it is. Its also really snazzy looking. B/c this stroller is light, I've heard its best of flat smooth surfaces like shopping malls & grocery stores. Its not ideal for walking about Soho and LKF, but then only the Mountain Buggy seems equipped for those steep surfaces and that's when people use the Baby Bjorn.

Am tempted to also to get the Quinny Buzz. This has bassinet option so the baby can lie flat and the seat reclines to 3 levels. This is heavier, but is the only one that I've tested that can be opened and closed with one hand easily. Its really cool. Its currently on sale at Mothercare, but did not buy yet b/c the baby can only use one stroller at a time and I think that we will be fine with the Zap. If I find that I also need to the Buzz, I'll buy it when the time comes or they may be something even better on the market then.

Baby Bjorn: Moms tell me its a must, but can get heavy for long hauls and really hot in the summer. If you have a baby less than six months, its not a good idea to keep it upright in the sling for a long time b/c its spine is not yet strong enough to sit up properly and babies usually end up slouching in the sling. There are also studies that suggest the for the first 6 months babies need to lie flat so that their spines properly develop which is why alot of people suggest that a stroller they can lie flat in is best. I don't plan to be out with my child so much in the first 6 months and don't believe that their growth will be stunted by short naps in its baby carrier when we are out.

There is a book printed in the States called "Baby Bargains". I resisted buying it, but my sister bought me a copy when I on holiday. It only covers US brands, but its like a consumer reports and a review by real Moms. Its my shopping bible. Although it doesn't cover the Quinny b/c its not sold in the US, it has a review on almost everything you could possibly need that is baby related. Don't let the title fool you as it reviews all the high-end products too.

Good luck!
 
My wife and I happened to be in the Christian Action charity shop in Saikung this past weekend and we saw two really nice child car seats (Britax) for sale in their used book room. They had been donated by an expat family who moved out of HK and Christian Action was selling each one for $125. If we were staying in HK, we would have bought the deluxe one. So we thought we'd pass on the word to the Geobaby parents--the Christian Action charity shop in Saikung has good stuff (new and secondhand toys, clothes) for babies and children at very very cheap prices!
 
I don't have a helper and I drive and my boyfriend works a LOT! I am not much bigger than you. 110 lbs and gained 18. You'll have to be strong enough to lift a stroller in a car trunk!!! You have a lifetime of carrying stuff ahead of you. :)

Our baby bjorn carrier (acutally it isn't that brand but similar) was much too big when my baby was a newborn. She grew into it at 2 1/2 months so she was in the stroller at first.

My stroller which is a Chicco has great maneuverbility but sucks to open. You need 2 hands and now I also wish it could have reclined FULLY. So look for that one that does. But I got by. Now i have a smaller stroller from Mothercare that I use for public transport. I couldnt have used this before 4 months though. The Chicco one I use for the mall when i take my car. Also look for one with a BIG BASKET if you go to the supermarket by yourself. And you can buy hooks to hang your bags on the side of the stroller too.

I borrowed a friends Bassinet but never used it because my daughter sleeps with her arms spread out. As soon as she felt the space, out went her arms and then she'd touch the sides and would wake herself up.

I recommend two baby carriers, one for you and one for your husband. I just got a second one at Mothercare because it is a real pain to adjust when you are in a hurry from your husbands size.
 
Hello
yes the shopping when you are pregnant is so overwhelming !
Thats why I say borrow until you know what you need

Where are you living?
if you are living in the city (midlevels?) Baby carriers are essential.
The only feasible places to use a stroller is in a shopping centre
Even the supermarket can be a nightmare to navigate with a stoller.

We borrowed a combi storller with carseat capsule.
Good cos light (yes it is sturdy enough for normal use) and is narrow enough for navigating around most places
Good cos had a capsule that converted into a carseat for taxi rides (although we just use the Baby bjorn now)
Bad cos the handles are too low for anyone over 5 ft (and even I have trouble wheeling it down the hill) and also cos the space between the wheels is too narrow. So you have to take baby steps! Maybe suitable for the Japanese way of walking??!!
Also as someone else said , you need a big basket and this doesnt have it.
test as well if you can close up the strollerwith something in the basket.
If you can borrow or find 2nd hand I would, then you can see what works and doesnt before you fork out for a new one.

I would recommend you get the lightest stroller you can.
Hong kong is not stroller friendly and there will always be a couple of stairs you need to lift stroller and baby up .
(even new buildings dont put in ramps, its so annoying)

Lastly I would say get creative with your shopping
I live in a walk up (didnt think that one through did we?!)
So we order any groceries we can on line. including meat and fish.
Milk etc I can carry myself or have hubbie pick up on the way back from work
Or you could get the helper to pick some things up on the way over to your place.
you could also see if you cant get her to come supermarket shopping with you.
 
I used the travel system as I bought it from USA. (It's quite heavy as I also weigh about 100 lbs). I put the stroller in the trunk so if I need it I take it out. I put the carrier/carseat in the car and carry my baby whenever I go, otherwise I can use the stroller instead.
My hubby bought a light-weight stroller later as my mother-in-law wants to take her by using the public transport.
I do not use bjorn as I usually use the stroller so it depends where u will go?
 
Hi

My son is now almost 6 months old and is too heavy for me to use the Baby Bjorn for more than a very quick trip round the shops. I have a Bugaboo Frog stroller which quite frankly I love but wish I had never bought. For getting around Central it is too heavy and cumbersome. I recently purchased a Maclaren which is really light and easy to use/fold up and so use that all the time. All my friends who already had babies said we would end up with another lighter stroller and they were right! Given my time again I would buy a light, easy to fold stroller. Dont be put off by thinking that the light ones are too fragile.

Mandy
 
Hi all,

My daughter is 3 months old and i'm still carrying her in Bjorn most of the time. If we're going out for longer duration then we'll bring a stroller as well. we used to use a 0/3 baby stroller and it was quite light. however, it always felt a bit fragile and wobbly. recently we got a combi compact which is suitable for one month and up. it is very light (4.3kg) and very easy to fold and unfold. Plus, it feels very sturdy. We love it!!!
 
If you are due in November, the weather would be cool enough for you to carry your baby around for at least 4-5 months before you have to resort to a stroller. For the benefits of babywearing, check out Dr. Sear's books, or babywearer.com. I use baby bjorn more often in the summer b/c my our carriers can get hot, but I strongly urge you to try out a sling, a wrap, or a pouch. I carried my baby in a Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch for this past winter and took him pratically everywhere I went. He was warm and snug, and truly seemed to enjoy the experience whenever I put him in the pouch. Check out Kangarookorner.com.

I'd be willing to show you my pouch and how it works. It's especially practical for the Hong Kong winter with a newborn, and I received so many compliments from strangers in streets whenever I pouched my baby.

Obviously it won't be safe to drive while wearing your baby on you. You will still need a car seat but always have a sling or pouch nearby so you don't have to deal with a stroller till later.
 
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stroller

having 3 strollers myself (Combi - the very light one 3.6kg, Bugaboo Frog, and Chicco Ponee XS) - i have to say that Chicco is the best buy. it was SO cheap (i got it on special sale too that I could have gotten 9 Chicco for the price I paid for the Bugaboo) - i still love the Bug, but it's not good for getting in and out of cars. i only take my chicco when i am in the cabs. Combi - such a waist of money. it is horrible.

PreggerC
 
Infant car seat

Do you need an infant car seat in Hk to use in taxis or can you use a baby bjorn? Seems like a nightmare strapping a car seat into the taxi every time. Not sure what to buy.
 
There are no laws in HK requiring babies/children to be in car seats in cars/taxis.

A lot of people carry babies in taxis in a baby bjorn- however this offers no protection should there be an accident.

Yes it can be stressful lugging a car seat around and getting it in and out of taxis- but it is by far the safest option.

But with no laws it is a personal choice.
 
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