Seeking stroller/car seat/bjorn advice : petite mum, stay-at-home, drives, no maid
- 05-08-2006, 09:08 PM #9Registered User
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
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- Sai Kung
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- 16
My wife and I happened to be in the Christian Action charity shop in Saikung this past weekend and we saw two really nice child car seats (Britax) for sale in their used book room. They had been donated by an expat family who moved out of HK and Christian Action was selling each one for $125. If we were staying in HK, we would have bought the deluxe one. So we thought we'd pass on the word to the Geobaby parents--the Christian Action charity shop in Saikung has good stuff (new and secondhand toys, clothes) for babies and children at very very cheap prices!
- 05-09-2006, 08:13 AM #10Registered User
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- May 2004
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- Sai Kung
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- 87
I don't have a helper and I drive and my boyfriend works a LOT! I am not much bigger than you. 110 lbs and gained 18. You'll have to be strong enough to lift a stroller in a car trunk!!! You have a lifetime of carrying stuff ahead of you. :)
Our baby bjorn carrier (acutally it isn't that brand but similar) was much too big when my baby was a newborn. She grew into it at 2 1/2 months so she was in the stroller at first.
My stroller which is a Chicco has great maneuverbility but sucks to open. You need 2 hands and now I also wish it could have reclined FULLY. So look for that one that does. But I got by. Now i have a smaller stroller from Mothercare that I use for public transport. I couldnt have used this before 4 months though. The Chicco one I use for the mall when i take my car. Also look for one with a BIG BASKET if you go to the supermarket by yourself. And you can buy hooks to hang your bags on the side of the stroller too.
I borrowed a friends Bassinet but never used it because my daughter sleeps with her arms spread out. As soon as she felt the space, out went her arms and then she'd touch the sides and would wake herself up.
I recommend two baby carriers, one for you and one for your husband. I just got a second one at Mothercare because it is a real pain to adjust when you are in a hurry from your husbands size.
- 05-10-2006, 01:23 PM #11Registered User
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- Mar 2006
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- central, hong kong
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- 64
Hello
yes the shopping when you are pregnant is so overwhelming !
Thats why I say borrow until you know what you need
Where are you living?
if you are living in the city (midlevels?) Baby carriers are essential.
The only feasible places to use a stroller is in a shopping centre
Even the supermarket can be a nightmare to navigate with a stoller.
We borrowed a combi storller with carseat capsule.
Good cos light (yes it is sturdy enough for normal use) and is narrow enough for navigating around most places
Good cos had a capsule that converted into a carseat for taxi rides (although we just use the Baby bjorn now)
Bad cos the handles are too low for anyone over 5 ft (and even I have trouble wheeling it down the hill) and also cos the space between the wheels is too narrow. So you have to take baby steps! Maybe suitable for the Japanese way of walking??!!
Also as someone else said , you need a big basket and this doesnt have it.
test as well if you can close up the strollerwith something in the basket.
If you can borrow or find 2nd hand I would, then you can see what works and doesnt before you fork out for a new one.
I would recommend you get the lightest stroller you can.
Hong kong is not stroller friendly and there will always be a couple of stairs you need to lift stroller and baby up .
(even new buildings dont put in ramps, its so annoying)
Lastly I would say get creative with your shopping
I live in a walk up (didnt think that one through did we?!)
So we order any groceries we can on line. including meat and fish.
Milk etc I can carry myself or have hubbie pick up on the way back from work
Or you could get the helper to pick some things up on the way over to your place.
you could also see if you cant get her to come supermarket shopping with you.
- 05-10-2006, 04:08 PM #12Registered User
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
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- Hong Kong
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- 24
I used the travel system as I bought it from USA. (It's quite heavy as I also weigh about 100 lbs). I put the stroller in the trunk so if I need it I take it out. I put the carrier/carseat in the car and carry my baby whenever I go, otherwise I can use the stroller instead.
My hubby bought a light-weight stroller later as my mother-in-law wants to take her by using the public transport.
I do not use bjorn as I usually use the stroller so it depends where u will go?
- 05-10-2006, 09:56 PM #13Registered User
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- May 2004
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- Sai Kung
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- 87
good point cinnamon about getting a light one to carry up stairs. i end up doing that A LOT!!!!
- 05-11-2006, 11:02 AM #14Registered User
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- Dec 2005
- Location
- discovery bay
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- 5
Hi
My son is now almost 6 months old and is too heavy for me to use the Baby Bjorn for more than a very quick trip round the shops. I have a Bugaboo Frog stroller which quite frankly I love but wish I had never bought. For getting around Central it is too heavy and cumbersome. I recently purchased a Maclaren which is really light and easy to use/fold up and so use that all the time. All my friends who already had babies said we would end up with another lighter stroller and they were right! Given my time again I would buy a light, easy to fold stroller. Dont be put off by thinking that the light ones are too fragile.
Mandy
- 05-11-2006, 12:07 PM #15
Hi all,
My daughter is 3 months old and i'm still carrying her in Bjorn most of the time. If we're going out for longer duration then we'll bring a stroller as well. we used to use a 0/3 baby stroller and it was quite light. however, it always felt a bit fragile and wobbly. recently we got a combi compact which is suitable for one month and up. it is very light (4.3kg) and very easy to fold and unfold. Plus, it feels very sturdy. We love it!!!
- 05-27-2006, 09:16 AM #16Registered User
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Hong Kong Island
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- 1
If you are due in November, the weather would be cool enough for you to carry your baby around for at least 4-5 months before you have to resort to a stroller. For the benefits of babywearing, check out Dr. Sear's books, or babywearer.com. I use baby bjorn more often in the summer b/c my our carriers can get hot, but I strongly urge you to try out a sling, a wrap, or a pouch. I carried my baby in a Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch for this past winter and took him pratically everywhere I went. He was warm and snug, and truly seemed to enjoy the experience whenever I put him in the pouch. Check out Kangarookorner.com.
I'd be willing to show you my pouch and how it works. It's especially practical for the Hong Kong winter with a newborn, and I received so many compliments from strangers in streets whenever I pouched my baby.
Obviously it won't be safe to drive while wearing your baby on you. You will still need a car seat but always have a sling or pouch nearby so you don't have to deal with a stroller till later.Last edited by silkroad999; 05-27-2006 at 09:20 AM.
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