[blparent] baby stroller question

Mon Aug 24 23:33:32 UTC 2009

Hello Jen,
Congratulations on your new baby!  I know there are fancier strollers out
there, but I used the Graco Veanna Travel System.  This is a stroller that
has an infant seat that fits in it.  When the baby is small he or she can
use the infant seat as a car seat and alaso in the stroller.  When the baby
gets old enough to sit up by him or herself then the infant seat is no
longer needed and the child can sit in the stroller.  The stroller I used
wasn't anything fancy, but it was light weight, yet sturdy, and pulled very
well behind me while working my guide dog.  That was two years ago though,
so I'm not sure if you'll be able to find that model.  My suggestion is to
go to a baby store in your area and actually touch, pull, fold and unfold,
etc. all of the strollers you can.  This will help you get a feel for what
you like and don't like.
	I also love the sit 'n' Stroll.  This is a car seat with wheels that
actually fold out from the bottom to make a stroller, or retract into the
bottom so it remains a carseat.  This is perfect if you do not have a spouse
who drives and need to have a car seat and a stroller together when your
child outgrows the infant seat.  As a stroller, the sit 'n' stroll works
best indoors, but it can certainly be used outdoors in a pinch.  It also
pulls well, though it is a little lighter than an actual stroller so it
takes a little getting used to.  I don't use it for walks in the
neighborhood or any rough terrain, but I use it all the time for
transporting my son in a cab in the car seat, then using it as a stroller to
pull him around in the mall, Target, etc.  Again, I would not recommend this
for a small baby; the child needs to be sitting well on his or her own and
have good head control before you can use the sit 'n' stroll.
	Just two more things I used...  One was a snuggllee.  It was a front
carrier I used until my son was about 6 months old.  I loved having him
close to me.  When he was very young he faced me.  As he got older he faced
away from me.  I used this to walk with him outside, but also sometimes in
the house while I was folding laundry, washing dishes, etc.  I also have a
backpack I still use with my son; he's almost three, but he's still light
enough so I can carry him this way.  Again, this is just another option when
I don't want to use the stroller for some reason.  I took him in the
backpack a lot on the bus, or at least to get to the bus stop.  REI has very
nice backpacks and great employees most of the time who can help you get a
good and comfortalbl fit.  I know others on this list use different slings
and carriers as well.  The great thing is, you don't need any of this, aside
from some type of carseat, right away.  We didn't get our Sit 'N' Stroll
until our son was about 5 months, and we didn't get our backpack until he
was about 6 months.  The important thing is that you find something, or a
few things, that work well for you and your baby, so you can get out and
travel comfortably and safely with him or her.  You certainly do not want to
be stuck in the house with your baby; for me at least, that would probably
have been disasterous!  It was amazing what some fresh air and sunshine
could do, and can still do, for both of us.
	I hope all of this helped.  Please feel free to write me off list at
melissa at riccobono.us if you have any questions.
Good luck,
Melissa
-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jennifer Bose
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 2:57 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] baby stroller question

Hello, parents.

I'm a new member and mom-to-be. I have only had a taste of parenting,
since my husband and I do get to have his daughter live with us for a
few weeks, but the parenting world is overall pretty new to me. I'm
getting ready for a new baby due in October and I'm anxious about
getting what I need for the baby. I'm also excited and enjoying the
process. The one thing I'd like to ask at this point is whether any of
you know of a stroller with swivel wheels. I've heard they exist but
don't know much about them. I have a wonderful guide dog I work with
and would like to find a stroller that could be either pushed in front
or pulled behind me. Has any of you used one? Do they even exist? Let
me know what you think of them.

Thanks very much.

Jen

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