Congratulations! Now that it is confirmed a baby will be on its way, preparations should start as soon as possible. Where do I start and what do I need to buy? Let’s find out together so that we can prepare well. In the weeks to come, we will discuss each product in greater detail so that decisions are easier to make when purchasing a product for our newborn baby.
Means of transportation: With the arrival of a baby, and if you are in the market for a new vehicle, there are a lot to choose from. However, here are some important factors to think about when purchasing or leasing a vehicle for your needs.
Safety: This should be the main factor in the consideration of buy a vehicle, whether it is for a standard car, wagon, SUV or cross utility vehicles. Five-star crash safety ratings are published by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) website, and offers much information about how safe is a specific make and model for reference. In addition, since you will also be buying infant car seats for your baby, further research can be made about vehicle’s safety features such as stability controls (traction control systems), accidental avoidance features (blind spot warning, land departure warning), tire pressure monitors, and telematics (emergency aid, and GPS services). Websites such as www.consumerreports.org/ and www.iihs.org/ can certainly help.
Infant seats: Infant car seats are specifically designed just for younger infants or newborns. These rear-facing seats are designed to click on a base which is then attached to vehicle’s LATCH or ISOFIX anchoring system. Most cars manufactured after 1997 has ISOFIX anchoring system in place already. When you purchase infant seats with a base, ensure the infant seat can swivel to place and remove the baby with ease, and ISOFIX to anchor the base of the infant seat. This is to minimize time spent on struggling to attach the seat to the vehicle. If you have an older vehicle, there are also infant seats that work in conjunction with seatbelts of the vehicle. A few of the infant car seats are detachable from a base which can then be attached to a stroller so transfer of a baby from a vehicle to a stroller can be seamless.
Convertible car seats: These types of seats are “grow-with-your-child” type seats so you do not really have to buy a separate infant seat and then a new car seat as your infant grows older and bigger in size. In addition, this type of car seat can accommodate your child up to a certain age (usually 12 years old) or weight (65 lbs / 29kg) so that you do not have to buy two separate car seats. Certain car seats have age and weight limit of up to 5 or 6 years of age and you will have to buy another one for older children. However, one main disadvantage of the bigger car seat, is that you cannot detach it to fit into a stroller like the smaller infant seats can.
Stroller: Now-a-days, strollers come in different sizes, colors, and weight. Finding the right stroller can be daunting for new parents. However, there are couple of important factors to consider: weight and safety. If you are the type of parents that travel a lot or spends a lot of hours on commuting, try to purchase a stroller that may be lighter than other brands. Think of how many times you will have to remove the stroller and set it up for your newborn on a daily and weekly basis. For safety, strollers now have built in shock absorbers and other measures which can help you feel more secure for your baby’s health and well-being.
As stated earlier, we will go into each product in greater detail, and will also discuss other smaller items such as sterilizers, humidifiers, cribs in the posts to come. It is an exciting time for new parents to be preparing for our newborn, so we should always be prepared for what is to come in the near future for our baby!
