Travel Baby

If you get the wrong baby stroller for your personal lifestyle it could prove to be a costly mistake. Good baby strollers are quite an expensive purchase especially if you start looking at the initial investment for your newborn as one total outlay. Not only do you have to buy a baby stroller but there are all the other things you need such as a safety car seat, a crib and all the other nursery furniture, clothes, toys and nursery safety items such as a baby monitor, it all adds up.

The best bet is to make sure you get your baby purchases right first time, even if the cost of the baby stroller you really want is a bit more than you had originally intended to spend. A few dollars extra at the start is far better than having to fork out for another baby stroller when you find you have made the wrong choice.

As with everything baby, safety must come at the top of your stroller list. It’s advisable to buy a new baby stroller so that you can easily check that your baby stroller meets all the required safety standards.

A good baby stroller will have a five point harness but as a minimum you want a crotch strap to prevent your baby from slipping out from under the safety belt and the breaking system is important if you don’t want to find your baby making a run for it!

You will spend many hours pushing your baby stroller so check out the height of the handles, adjustable is best so that both mum and dad can comfortably push the baby stroller.

I don’t think you need reminding that babies make a lot of mess so only buy a baby stroller with washable fabric unless of course you can afford to consider your stroller as disposable.

Don’t forget that your baby won’t travel as light as you do, everywhere you go your changing bag, formula milk (if you are bottle feeding) and other necessary bits and pieces will follow, and somehow you have to carry the shopping as well, so make sure your stroller is sturdy enough to carry a bag or two on the handles and has plenty of storage underneath.

Where ever you go you need to be able to store your baby stroller, in the house, in the car or on the train so check out how easily your baby stroller folds away and if you are regularly out and about on public transport checking out lightweight strollers might be a good idea.

Standard strollers are generally more versatile. They are larger so offer your baby far more room and are designed with greater baby comfort in mind. Standard strollers also tend to have far more storage but it all comes at a cost, more weight and more bulk.

For the more active parents there is always the jogging stroller but this does tend to be for those that can stretch to a second stroller. Jogging strollers have all-terrain suspension systems and work well on most surfaces but they don’t fold as well as other strollers and they are not recommended for newborn babies.

For the regular traveller there is always the option of the complete travel system which incorporates the baby stroller and safety car seat all in one.

At the end of the day beyond the critical safety features which baby stroller you choose is totally down to lifestyle and personal choice. If you want to minimise the restrictions a newborn has on your life go for the stroller that best meets your everyday needs.

By: Terry Ross

The secret behind successfully travelling with a baby is to plan your journey with care. To be honest babies are very adaptable and resilient and can easily cope with travel as long as you feed them, change their diapers, pay them attention and don’t forget their baby toys and books.

Travel cribs are a brilliant invention, they are easy to set up and make your baby feel really at home and there’s a stroller available for nearly every terrain. Going by car is the best way to travel, you can carry everything you need and so once your baby is safely strapped into a car safety seat and all essentials are packed into the boot you can go wherever you want to go.

If you have chosen to use cloth diapers make sure you have sufficient supply, they aren’t as easy to get hold of as disposal diapers if you run short. Don’t forget to take a well equipped changing bag and plenty of changes of baby clothes.

Baby wipes are a must when you’re travelling. They’re a brilliant invention for when you are faced with a mucky baby with no water around. Keep a supply in the car all the time.

If you are bottle feeding don’t forget formula milk, bottles, teats and your sterilising kit.

A newborn will probably sleep for most of the journey but if you have an older baby make sure you take baby toys to keep your baby occupied while you are travelling. There are some well designed toys nowadays that you can stick to the back of the seat or the window of the car.

If you are travelling by bus, train or plane then make sure you plan with extra care. A backpack is quite good for all your essentials leaving your arms free for your baby which you could carry in a baby sling if need be. There are some really lightweight and easy to carry strollers nowadays specifically designed for confined spaces which are worth investing in if your use public transport on a regular basis.

Take care to keep your baby out of the sun. It’s well worth buying a good hat for when you are out and about and taking lots of sun cream. If it’s cold don’t forget your baby is likely to be a lot colder than you so will need a few more layers. It’s well worth checking that your baby is at a comfortable temperature at regular intervals throughout your journey.

By: Terry Ross