10 Ways to get from here to there with baby

Lily, my 16-month old, and I were on a bike ride today, and we were loving it.  I was so glad I'd gotten the bike and the bike seat for her, and the online reviewers were right - it's a great bike seat!  We'd ridden our bike over to a friend's house to pick up our Ergo Baby carrier that she'd borrowed.  And I got to thinking about all the different methods I've used to get out and about with my baby - as I thought back through the last 16 months, I was amazed at all the different apparatuses I've used!  As a new mom, I thought, I would have appreciated a blog or some advice about what worked for which situations and what I might want to look into getting.  

So this, my friends, is the blog post I wish I'd found when I was registering for all my baby showers.  A few quick things about my life before I get started:  I'm a part-time stay at home mom, and a part-time working out of the home mom.  I live in a very small town (population <3,000), but I shop in a large town nearby that has an indoor mall, an outdoor mall, department stores, etc.  Being a mom hasn't slowed my schedule, but rather has increased it - I didn't want having a baby to make me housebound, so after she was born, I took my baby out and did as I always had.  And this is how I did it...

10 ways to get from here to there with baby 

1.  The natural way - FREE!

The best part about carrying your baby in your tummy is that you don't have to pay a dime to do it (other than prenatal costs, of course).  However, the benefits come with drawbacks...  Kicks, flips, hiccups, heartburn, indigestion, squished bladder - it's lovely and horrible, sentimental and miserable, and thankfully it can only last so long.  Enjoy carrying baby this way, but if you're like me, you'll be glad when it's over too.  Thank Heavens pregnancy only lasts about 40 weeks!

And the joy of getting from here to there by simply carrying baby can't be overstated!  There's nothing better than just cuddling, snuggling, and otherwise loving on your little one while going places.  But beware the back pain that can be caused by carrying a growing baby too much especially if you carry primarily on one side.

2.  In an infant carrier - $75-$300 (depending on brand, pattern, and if you buy as part of a travel system)

This will likely be the first apparatus you put your little one into.  I loved our infant carrier.  We got the Graco SnugRide 35 travel system with the UrbanLite stroller (which I'll talk about more in a minute).  Here's a link to what we got (in a different pattern) on Amazon:  Graco SnugRide/UrbanLite Travel System  The car seat and base are easy to install, and the car seat is one of the lighter options on the market (at least it was when I was shopping).  My DH has a small car (a '99 4-door BMW), so it was important that the car seat fit in the back seat, and this one did!  I loved having an infant seat that just snapped in and out of the base - I could buckle my baby in her seat in the nice toasty-warm house, then cover her and carry her into the cold knowing that she was securely fastened and snug and warm.

The above is one of the two car seat covers I used on my Graco SnugRide.  New moms, here's a bit of advice:  get a car seat cover like this one!  It fits over the top of the car seat without going under the baby or interfering in the belts/fasteners in any way.  There's a face hole so mom can see baby, and a zipper going from the face hole to baby's feet so that I never had to remove or fiddle with the car seat cover until the weather got warm and I took it off.  There's a flap that veclros down over the face hole so that baby is totally covered for the windy walk from the house to the car, and then I opened up the cover in the car so baby could see.  Or I left it closed if we got into Walmart and baby was asleep - it kept things dark for her to sleep and people walked by without disturbing her.  These are great!  I had a Cozy Cover found here:  Car seat cover  and a fleece cover (the one pictured above) that was a bit lighter than the Cozy Cover and more appropriate for our spring/fall weather.  (I make these - if you want one, comment on this post!)  Covers cost between $20 and $50 depending on what you want.  

I have lots of friends that go with car seat brands other than Graco, and that's fine - do what feels right to you.  The reason we settled on the Graco was because it was a brand I recognized, and frankly, it fit into our limited budget and our tiny car.  No matter which one you get, in my opinion, the infant carrier is a must.

3.  In a convertible car seat - $40-$400

"What's the difference between an infant carrier and a convertible car seat?"  An infant carrier is only rear-facing, can be carried from car to house and back, and is typically rated for infants from 5 to 35 lbs or so.  A convertible car seat can rear-face for kids 5lbs-35lbs, and can front-face for kids 22lbs-40lbs or so.  Basically, when your baby outgrows his/her infant carrier, the convertible is what you'll need.  I used baby's first Christmas money to purchase her convertible, and we used it in the extra car rather than moving her car seat base back and forth.  Because they're rated for babies as small as 5lbs, you could use only this car seat for babies from newborn on, but then in cold weather you have to carry baby out to the car and buckle and unbuckle them with the car door hanging open and wind whipping all over baby's sweet little face.  Not ideal.    

Since our baby started toddling, I've really liked the convertible rather than the infant carrier.  Not only did she outgrow her infant carrier, but I also let her walk out to the car, which makes her feel like a big girl.  Also, she can see out of the convertible better than she could the infant carrier.  Authorities recommend leaving convertible car seats rear-facing until baby is 2 years old, though each car seat manufacturer has height/weight requirements for turning baby to forward facing too.  

The convertible pictured above is the Cosco Scenera.  We paid about $40 for it at Walmart.  The price alone was a huge selling point - we actually own 3 identical car seats - one for my car, one for DH's car, and one for grandma's car.  This car seat is large when rear-facing, but much smaller when front-facing.  That's something to keep in mind if you drive a compact car.  Now, I'm concerned not just about price, but also about safety, and when I researched car seats, this convertible got THE SAME SAFETY RATINGS as the $300+ brands.  So I figured, why spend just for a brand name?  Instead of getting 1 expensive car seat, we got 3, and that fit our need to get from here to there.

4.  In a full-size stroller - $75-$300 (depending on brand, pattern, and if you buy it as part of a travel system)

Depending on where you live and how you live your life, you may or may not use a full-size stroller.  I live just 2 blocks from the grocery store, library, post office, and thrift store in our small town, so I knew I'd need a stroller with some underneath storage.  I have used this stroller a TON!  The basket underneath fits 2 gallons of milk plus 3 bags of other groceries easily, and I still have room for my phone/drink/baby snacks in the parent storage on the handle.  It's a little bulky when folded, but I throw it in the back of my van for trips to the mall - it would take up most of a compact car's trunk.  It is easy to unfold, but does (in my experience) take 2 hands to fold.  For a full-size stroller it's not very heavy.  

The bar that goes across in front of baby has room for baby's drink, snacks and a toy, and it pops off and swivels down so that it's easy to get baby in and out.  Another thing I love about this stroller is that the baby's seatback lays back all the way so the seat and back are flat for baby to nap or sits up part way or all the way - we've used it SO much!  And did I mention that our infant carrier snaps into this stroller?!?  I have used it since Lily was born and can foresee using it for at least another 2 years.  It's held up well through my milk runs and other abuse, and has been a great investment for us.  We got the Graco UrbanLite as a part of our travel system like the one here:  Graco UrbanLite stroller as part of travel system  As I said in the infant carrier portion, a big portion of our decision to go with this stroller was due to our budget - but for the money I feel like we got a really quality product that fit how we would use the item.

(I only have one baby so far, but someday I hope to have more.  I've already looked into Sit n Stand double strollers, and this is the one I hope to get someday:  Graco Ready to Grow Stand n Ride Stroller.  The infant carrier I have already will snap into this stroller.  And while this one is a bit more expensive ($150-$180) than it's $120 counterpart, the extra $30 is worth it for the different arrangements for sitting kids.  If you're looking at a sit n stand, take a good look at the variations the different strollers offer and evaluate which will be best for how your family functions.

Also, I did NOT get a jogging stroller as I'm not a runner.  If you're a jogger, I suggest you check out the B.O.B.  My runner friends rave about this for a jogging stroller.  One friend commented, "Don't feel like I take the B.O.B. for a run.  I feel like the B.O.B. takes me for a run."  But warning: B.O.B.s are expensive ($300+).

5.  In an umbrella stroller  

"What's the difference between a full-size stroller and an umbrella stroller?"  Good question!  Umbrella strollers are *usually* cheaper, smaller, lighter, and generally less to deal with.  We bought a $20 one from Walmart, but were very dissatisfied with the wheels, and it was too short for us to push (I'm 5'9" and hubby is 6'3").  We felt like we had to hunch over to push the Walmart version.  So I did some research and we bought the stroller pictured above:  The First Years Umbrella Stroller  This stroller has parent storage between the handles, and a small basket underneath (enough to fit a small diaper bag).  It's light weight and perfect for air travel - we bought it right before a trip.  At $40, this is a steal!  It can handle infants from about 6 months till children are 50lbs!  It's sturdy, compact, functional, and comfortable for kiddos.  I've never regretted this purpose, and this stroller is a great back up for our full-size stroller.

6.  In your laundry basket - $10-$25

Ok, so maybe this isn't the first method of getting from here to there that you think of, but seriously, use the laundry basket!  My washer/dryer were in the basement, so I had to have a way to take baby with me.  If a laundry basket isn't your thing, then be a little creative.  I put this in this list because I think sometimes we get too uptight as moms and think we need every new gadget, widget, or baby item that is put on the market.  The reality is that we need much less than we "need."  So if your budget is limited like mine has been, or if you just don't want baby stuff filling up your house, that's ok!  Be the mom your baby needs you to be.  That's the most important thing.

7.  The Moby Wrap - $20-$50

I didn't think I'd like to "wear" my baby, but a trip that included 4 flights, 2 layovers, 2 different hotels, 1 cruise and 1 theme park changed my perspective!  There are lots of wrap styles.  I researched the K'tan, ring sling, regular sling, and the Moby wrap.  I settled on the Moby, because I got great reviews from a couple of friends who had Mobys, and because I found this online tutorial for how to make a moby.  I spent about $30 buying a cotton/poly blend fabric and accent fabric and made 2 wraps from it (one for me and one for my gift stash)!  And I do LOVE this wrap.  

It was especially great for air travel because there is no metal of any kind in the wrap, meaning I could wear baby as I walked through security without a problem.  Also, I loved that this wrap doesn't have anything around the waist area - I could sit and easily buckle my seat belt on the airplane without disturbing baby.  This is my favorite carrier for nap time, because I can really get baby snuggled in and cozy!  The carrier will handle tiny babies clear up to toddlers weighing 30 lbs.  A few drawbacks for this kind of carrier are:  it's a lot of fabric so it would be hot for mom and baby if you live in a hot climate, and it is only a front or front/hip carrier and baby must be facing mom (not facing forward).  All in all, a great option for us at about $15.

8.  In the Baby Bjorn - $55-$80

I lucked out on this one, because my sis-in-law loaned me her Baby Bjorn.  It's a great little front carrier, especially for newborns and infants.  I felt that baby stayed secure, and I loved that when she got bigger she could face forward.  In the cold months, I'd put her in this, put my coat over both of us (with her little face poking out the top) and we'd walk to the store/library/post office.  This carrier wasn't the most comfortable, and I didn't use it after Lily was about 6 months old because I liked my other ones better.  I gave the Baby Bjorn back to my sis-in-law because she had baby #3, and now that I have the wrap and the Ergo (described below) I don't think I'll want this one again.

9.  Ergo Baby - $100+

In the above picture I'm wearing the ErgoBaby on my front, but throughout our day at the theme park, baby rode on my front, my back, DH's front and DH's back.  It may seem silly, but one of the primary selling points (for me) on this carrier is that it looks like a backpack, thus my DH will wear it.  He loves our daughter and wants to help care for her everywhere we go, but he still wants to maintain some semblance of masculinity, and I can't blame him for that.  

Coming in right at $100, the Ergo is pricey, but it's been worth it for us.  This carrier will carry newborns (as long as you get the infant insert, something I plan to do with my next baby, which is about $20) all the way up to kids weighing 45lbs!  This carrier allows you to carry baby on front or back (thought baby always has to be facing you), and this was a big selling point for me.  I plan to use it for grocery shopping and other such errands until my baby outgrows it, and that she can ride on my back means that I could wear her if I get pregnant again.  

If I'm being totally honest, I bought this carrier on the recommendation of a friend who has a 16-month old and a 1 month old.  About 4 months ago (she had an 12-month old and was over 1/2 way through her 2nd pregnancy) when I was researching buying one, I asked to borrow hers.  She said, "Steph, I'll let you try it on, but you can't borrow it.  I use it every day."  That was recommendation enough for me!  Also, I suppose I should mention that this carrier is the one that hurts my back the least - it's named the Ergo because it's supposed to be the most ergonomically correct method of carrying your baby, and I have to agree, it is the most comfortable.

10.  WeeRide Bike Seat - $50-$80

This is our newest way to get from here to there.  I asked for a bike for Christmas, and Lily asked for a bike seat - and Santa delivered!  The bike seat Lily got is unlike any I'd seen before - it's a WeeRide front-mount seat, meaning that baby rides between my seat and my handle bars.  I was skeptical at best, but Santa delivered it, so I figured the least I could do was install it and give it a try.  I've been very pleasantly surprised!

This bike seat allows baby to see what's ahead and allows parent to talk to baby and hear baby throughout the ride.  The font-mount also means that baby's weight and movements are in the center of the bike making it much easier to balance than if baby were mounted behind.  To install, you first install a mounting bar between your seat and handlebars, then you attach the seat to the mounting bar.  This method of installation is great, because if you and DH both have bikes, you can purchase an extra mounting bar and move only the seat between bikes.  And the seat is super easy to move!  This also means that if you want to take a ride without the seat on your bike, you can take off the seat but leave the mounting bar.  Seriously, it's a really cool seat.

We've had 2 unseasonably warm days in January, which is why I mounted this seat and tried out my new bike.  And I wish it were spring.  We LOVE this set up!  The only thing I don't love are all of the forgotten muscles that are now reminding me how very forgotten they were... :)


Well, that's my list of ways to get from here to there with baby!  Seasoned moms, do you have a favorite way of getting you and your baby/babies from here to there?  New moms, did I miss a method you were wondering about?