[BecW292]

Hello mums and mums to be.
I fall into the mums to be category and having just hit 14 weeks I finally feel safe to embrace my pregnancy and start planning, and shopping!
DH & I went looking at strollers and car seats and all the other accessories we need to get but we were a little overwhelmed at all the choice.
So I was wondering if I could please get people's opinions on what brands are good and what to avoid. I've been told the safe & sound car seats are great ("expensive but worth it") but if anyone has had a bad experience I'd like to hear why I should avoid.
Likewise & more so with prams - what is a good 4 wheel pram that will last baby to toddler is lightweight and most importantly easy to fold up/out. I swear some you prams you need an engineering degree to operate! Also we have a Subaru forester (not a new one) so if anyone can recommend a pram that fits well in the boot that would be great.
The opinions and experiences of EB mums who have actually used is far more valuable to me than the shop reviews.
Sorry for the long post, but thank you for your time.
Bec.

[gonggirl]

Each to their own, it is a tough one and all depends on the budget. I for example have 3 prams and 2 children. 1st pram bought out if pure excitement, it was way too heavy for me 15kg, but we used it to jog with only, had 3 wheels and the front one didn't move made it very hard to get around. Then grabbed a steelcraft profile stroller wasn't expensive and was 7kg could use from birth was a great stroller but probably not good enough to use child after child although for the price I would buy again.
Lastly I bought a steelcraft dlx strider has been an excellent pram I liked that you can pop the capsule in when they are little, is a touch heavy but I'm fine with it. My BF has a Phil and teds which she loves although everything u buy extra like sun covers etc. it really depends on ur needs for us going over grass due to DHs sport was important as is something that is easy to steer cause we walk a bit.
Carseats - much of a muchness and really depends on ur budget another thing we have a few of. I have an infa turnatot for when they are born, pretty much stay in this til they are big enough to get in a maxi rider to a SMS hi liner I also have a steelcraft capsule I did look at the sns when I bought this but I liked that it can fit in my pram. Not much help I know.

[Natttmumm]

We bought a baby jogger city select and the safe n sound capsule. Also has a second seat when u add to the family

[Natttmumm]

We bought a baby jogger city select and the safe n sound capsule. Also has a second seat when u add to the family

[zaacaa]

Hi there. We have a mountain buggy swift and have no complaints. Only 10kgs, easy to fold and open, goes on all terrain, and fits easily in my Subaru outback with heaps of room to spare. I've just gotten the bassinet to use with it with this bub as it wasn't around when DS was born. But we knew that if we had #2 it would be a long time between bubs so doesn't take a second seat.

As for car seats, SNS are definitely the best. We have 2 maxi rider AHR tilt and adjust which are great, and this new bub can use as they are convertible and DS will get new SNS maxi/booster seat when the time comes. Really can't go wrong spending the money on SNS.

[88k]

For a stroller I'd recommend either a Steelcraft Agile or Baby Jogger City Mini. They are very light, and you can fold them one handed. They are pretty much the same, but I prefer the look of the Agile. You can also get a capsule that clicks into either stroller. The capsule that works with the Agile is made by SNS and I've heard good things about them, they are safe and very easy to use.

For capsules maybe have a look at the CREP website which is an independent organisation that rates car seats for safety. However many of the car seats and capsules rated are old models so it's best to check the model numbers.

Good luck!

[misty123]

Hi guys

We have the valco rebel q pram and I love it. We still use it for our 21 month old (but only just as he is getting tall). Folds away easy and is nice and skinny unlike some prams that you need to go down disabled shopping isles to fit through. Would recommend checking it out.

Car seats I agree safe and sound best way to go. We hired the newborn capsual from kids safe for the first 6 months which was fine but I wouldn't do that again as the tilt and adjust which is what we bought soon after (one of the top of the range in the brand at about $400 back then) fits a newborn so wished we just had that sooner. We love it. Easy to clean, easy to use and set up.

Good luck!! So much to choose from.

[BecW292]

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate all your ideas and opinions.
I wonder if a shop like baby kingdom would let me put a pram in the boot of the car to test out space?

[Boyz_Mama]

My one bit of advice would be to try to think ahead to how many kids you plan to have, and the age gaps between them.... which will give you a better idea of prams/carseats.

eg. will you need a doublepram, toddler seat attachment ??
what carseat will toddler be in (approx) when 2nd bub planned?
if 3 kids, are they narrow carseats that will fit across a backseat if needed??

we bought a SNS maxirider for our first when he outgrew the borrowed capsule... which is a fabulous carseat, but now 4 years later im pregnant with our 3rd.... its so wide it takes up lots of space and we have to squeeze 3 carseats in our small car!!! We're ditching the maxirier now, and *hopefully* going to be using a SNS booster (can't remember its name) and 2 x SNS Compaq, which are a narrow convertible 0-4yrs. Just hoping we can squeeze our hands in the gaps to do up the buckle for the booster seat each time we go somewhere! I never even thoguht of this when buying the first carseat, but would have been valuable. Had I thought of this, we would have bought the compaq from the beginning and not the maxirider which is now a 'spare' for nana's car

This post has been edited by Boyz_Mama: 30/12/2012, 10:02 PM

[Nervy]

Hi! We bought a valco matrix baby which was good for newborn because it had a bassinet that you put in the top, we still use it and DS is 2.5, BUT really big i wish i got the city mini jogger, thats what we will get this time. Even though the bassinet was great, he was only it for 2.5 months, we used the bassinet for him to sleep in when we went places (put it on someones bed etc) the pram is too big and so heavy & awkward. We had a little car at the time (have a subaru outback now like you zaaca) and it took ten mins to get in the car. Then i even started to pop him in a shopping trolley as i didnt want to have to get the massive pram out! I would definatley say something small & light weight. P.S I could prob use the pram for the new baby, but its quite ratty now and food stain etc so will get a new one!