There is another big decision to make that I thought would be so simple, but it's not. What will I carry my baby around town in? I mean at some point you do have to leave your house and take the baby with you.
The car seat is so very important. I chose a Graco. I checked the safety rating and it was great. I also liked the fact that the seat came out of the base to put into a stroller. This is something that is necessary. There is a 100% chance that your child will fall asleep in the car. There is also a really good chance that they will do it right as you arrive at your destination and you do NOT want to wake them to put them into another seat.
No matter what brand you use, MAKE SURE IT IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY!!! I did several run-throughs months before I had my daughter to make sure it was installed correctly and to make sure I knew how to get it in and out of the car. If you don't think it's installed the right way you can go to your local fire department and they will install it for you.
Then there is the stroller. This is like a nightmare. Do you get a system? A Jogger? There is so many to choose from that it can be overwhelming.
I had a friend recommend that I get a Snap and Go. I had been looking into the systems and there was so much going on with them that it was a welcomed opinion. The snap and go was for me!
It is lightweight and basically as thin as the car seat so it fits into snug places. It is EASY to close. That is so unbelievably important. You have to make sure that you get a stroller that is easy to close and put in your car.
If you are like me and travel on alot of planes than make REALLY sure it is easy to close. There is nothing more un-nerving then trying to close a stroller to put it through the security scanner holding a baby. Oh, and nobody will help you. They will just huff and puff about how much time you are taking to get it done.
I also got a second stroller. I knew I wanted to work out as soon as I had the go ahead from my doctor so a jogging stroller was necessary. I got the Instep Safari and love it. It is really easy to use. It is also very comfortable for my daughter.
The one accessory I really recommend to everyone is a stroller shade extender. Stroller shades never extend far enough out to keep the sun off your baby. A great one is by Summer. It stretches far out beyond the stroller shade to give your baby extra protection.
There was one item that I had seen in magazines that really interested me. The sling.
There is so much history about slings. In native cultures women wear their children in slings all the time. They wear them for so many reasons. Convenience, feeding, bonding, and so much more. If the have been used for so many years then maybe there was something to them, right?
I read that slings are a great thing for the baby because they keep the baby against you which makes them feel safe since they can feel your heartbeat, smell your scent and feel the safety of being right next to you. These were all things I wanted.
I was sold on the sling, but there are so many different styles and brands it's shocking. I knew I needed something that was easy to get my child into. Seriously some of the slings out there are way too complicated to get into and since I am doing this all by myself it had to be simple. Remember you will be ALONE for the most part putting this thing on and trying to get your child into it so you have to be able to work it.
I chose the Peanut Shell sling. I love this sling. I could carry my newborn sleeping against me. I even made dinner with her against me when she was having her "I need to be near Mommy" moments. It was also great to carry her through airport security. I was able to close the stroller and take her through the scanner attached right to me! I used that sling up until my daughter was too heavy to carry.
It's also versatile. It starts off across the chest and belly to hold a newborn snug and once your child is old enough to hold themselves upright you can move it to a different position to hold them on your hip. It literally holds them in place so snug you can take your hand off them and they are secure.
I cannot tell you how many people stopped me and asked me what brand it was and where they could get one.
I loved the convenience of that sling. I carried my daughter in it everywhere. She loved being in it and being near Mommy. I was sad when she got too big for it.
No matter what you chose to carry your baby in make sure it is convenient for you to use. You do not want to have to battle to get your child into an item. It will upset them and frazzle you.
Till next blog......
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