It won’t be long before you and your daughter are out and about. There are a few pieces of equipment you might want to have in the house before your baby girl arrives to make travel safe and easy. These include a diaper bag, front carrier, car seat, carrier seat, and stroller.Every time you leave home with your daughter, your diaper bag will go with you. Look for one that will hold up for the long haul. It should be washable and contain an insulated compartment for keeping bottles warm or cool. It should have various compartments for organizing the many baby items you’ll need to find quickly while traveling (pacifier, baby wipes, rattle, bottles, diapers, ointment, burp cloth, and on and on). You should also consider buying the bag in a design and color (other than pastel baby prints) that both Mom and Dad will feel comfortable carrying. You’ll quickly find that newborn babies love to be held close to your heart. You’ll also soon discover that doing this all day long makes it difficult to do anything else! That’s why so many new parents love their baby carriers. Front carriers are best for newborns because they need the extra head support. You’ll notice that the front carriers come in many different designs and shapes: Some look like a sling that hold the baby in a prone position; others are more sacklike and hold her upright against your chest. Either way, your daughter is kept warm, cozy, and near your body. As your daughter grows and gains weight, you’ll probably want to switch to a back carrier, which puts less strain on your own back and gives her more opportunity to look around.Strollers these days are very portable and lightweight, but some don’t hold up well when little girls begin to wiggle and turn. When shopping, look for a sturdy stroller that can hold its ground and won’t tip over. Also look for one that has a sunshade and front wheels that pivot. It’s also nice to have a model that reclines for comfortable napping. Here are some tips for choosing a stroller: If you plan to use a stroller before your daughter can sit up, make sure the stroller fully reclines. With adult supervision, such a stroller can double as a portable bed for use indoors or in the park. Just make sure your baby daughter lies on her back and is belted in. The safest belt design is a T-buckle: a crotch strap and waist belt that connect together. Umbrella strollers—lightweight cloth slings with thin metal frames that fold like an accordion—do not provide enough support for newborns and usually don’t recline. But they can be fine for short jaunts with a toddler. Make sure your stroller has a canopy to block the sun, preferably with a plastic window so you can see your daughter. (You won’t need the window if your stroller handle reverses so your baby girl can face you while you push.) Check carefully for weight, ease of steering, and ease of folding. Weight it down with twenty or twenty-five pounds and then push it around the store. Try pushing with one hand—you should still be able to steer the stroller in a straight line. Try folding and unfolding it. For stability, the wheel base should be wide and the seat low in the frame. The stroller should resist tipping backward when you press down lightly on the handles. A roomy underseat bin can save your shoulders and back from the strain of carrying heavy bags. Strolling with Two: Strollers for two come either in tandem style, where one child sits behind the other, or side by side. Not all sideby-sides can fit comfortably through a standard doorway, so check before you buy. Tandems are generally easier to maneuver, especially if you have riders of unequal weight—an infant and a toddler—rather than twins. They’re also more compact when folded. But side-by-side transports allow both users to recline more comfortably at the same time. And being side by side may be more fun for them. Jogging Strollers: These carriages, also called sports or running strollers, are designed to be pushed as the adult runs or jogs. They are elongated and have three large wheels—one in front and two in back—which make them easier to roll than regular strollers. They’re also higher priced—starting at about $150—and too big for indoor use. If you’re already a confirmed runner or brisk exercise walker, such a stroller may make sense. If you don’t have a steady track record with exercise, they may be a waste. In either case, go slow on getting a jogging stroller. Because of the shaking that comes with higher speed, it’s best not to run or jog while pushing a baby until the child is about one year old. Even then, look for routes that are smooth underfoot. By law, all children under age five must be strapped into a car seat when riding in a vehicle. This is so important that most hospitals will not release a baby until they are assured the parent has a car seat in the vehicle that will be taking the baby home. That’s why you should make this purchase before you deliver your child. Because your daughter will use this car seat for several years, it’s worth the time to do some comparison shopping. Here are some basics to help you make the right choice: Car seats are made in two basic styles: 1. Infant seat: This is designed for children under twenty pounds and faces toward the back of the car. 2. Infant-toddler seat: This can be used by both infants and older children up to forty pounds. It faces backward for infant use and is turned around to face front when the baby reaches twenty pounds. When you are comparing car seats look for: Price. They run from around $50 to $200. Somewhere in the middle of the range is probably the best buy.
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