My husband & nephew aren't circumcised. We will not be doing it to any sons we have. It's cosmetic and I don't believe in genital mutilation just bc some people think that's normal. Like bb said, it's not hard to keep clean & causes no problems. The only health risk is for Africans in Africa spreading HIV (easier to spread if uncircumcised).

And on a personal note, I definitely prefer foreskin. Feels way better IMO.

1/24/2012 8:20:15 AM

Yeah I had a boyfriend that was uncircumcized and it was no big deal. He also wasn't a nasty mouth breather that never bathed.

This might have been the documentary I saw though it's kind of hard to tell from the trailer: http://www.cutthefilm.com/Cut_Website/Home.html

And I feel like the one I watched had better production value.

Actually after further Googling, it might have been an episode of Penn and Teller Bullshit I'm thinking of

[Edited on January 24, 2012 at 11:05 AM. Reason : a]

1/24/2012 10:55:57 AM

My wife and I were kinda "eh" on making a decision about circumcision. Neither of us actually cared one way or the other but damn if you ask someone their opinion on it (especially if they have kids) you find some firey supporters and detractors of circumcision. We almost couldn't make a decision because we couldn't muster up a strong belief about it's positives or negatives.

We got them circumcised, ultimately, because we didn't want them growing up and noticing that daddy's is different from theirs*. That and so they can date Jewish women (that's a joke btw, a lot of people don't seem to catch on when I say it).

It might have been a mistake though, David's got botched, not enough was cut away. It wouldn't have been a problem but there was enough to form a skin bridge, so it's having to be redone. That's the plan for Friday morning.

Seeing the risk of it being botched would we have gotten them done again? Can't really answer that, as I still don't really have a strong opinion on the matter. David's bad job hasn't been a horror story. We think it got infected once and used a topical antibiotic that cleared it right up.

There's some studies out there talking about a lower risk of AIDS transmission but I don't know how reliable they are. It seems like good contraceptive education would eliminate the issue.

*I had this odd notion early on that I didn't want the boys to see me naked. At this point though I'm figuring that they're under 3 and won't remember anything, plus they have a habit of coming into the bathroom and watching my wife and my showers. It's really adorable, but weird to have an audience for showering.

[Edited on January 24, 2012 at 7:12 PM. Reason : formatting]

[Edited on January 24, 2012 at 7:22 PM. Reason : .]

1/24/2012 7:10:19 PM

our friends just had a son & had him circumcised. everything went fine, but she was telling me about how she has to put vaseline on it & rewrap it every time they change a diaper. she changed him in front of us & the poor little guy's penis was all purpley-black. i just can't imagine how painful that is.

anyway, do any of you use cloth diapers? i'm not looking to get into why we're choosing it or which way is better, but we're thinking that's the route we're going to take. which brands do you like? any tips/suggestions/things to avoid?

1/25/2012 1:36:25 PM

^my friends have been using Triangle Diaper Company http://www.trianglediapercompany.com/ and they seem to be really happy with it.

1/25/2012 1:43:55 PM

i'm not in the triangle

1/25/2012 1:50:12 PM

oh well.^ Just looking over the website makes me want to eat some granola and have a baby

1/25/2012 1:54:07 PM

We use BumGenius. They're good, although if you get the velcro instead of the snaps you'll have to replace the velcro bits after about a year.

Get enough (if you can afford it or have help) for at least two and a half days of diapers. You dont want to have to wash them every day because it takes two washes and you have to air dry the shells. On the bright side, there's a strong resale market (yay bleach!!) so the financial hit can be mitigated.

Also, we got some of the cloth diapers from Target and use them in the nighttime diapers as inserts. That improves the amount of pee they can absorb and makes for better nighttime sleeping.

When the boys were finally big enough to switch to cloth diapers their incidence of diaper rash went down drastically. Also, the boys really did start sleeping better at night with the more absorbant extra-stuffed cloth diapers. Of course, this was after they were a few months old so it might have just been a coincidence.

1/25/2012 2:01:11 PM

We choose to circumcise for the same reason as Timswar. We didn't want him to be different then daddy.

I just wanted to say that it went perfectly, he didn't whine, it didn't turn blue/purple, and was very, very easy to take care of while healing (a little vaseline on the penis or diaper). However, that's just my experience. I think it's a choice of the parents.

1/25/2012 8:04:43 PM

I think I am having a hard time thinking of changing a little baby penis that is possibly in a lot of pain and being that I will be the primary diaper changer, I will be changing it a lot.

1/25/2012 8:59:44 PM

I used Little G hybrid diapers with the flushable inserts with my older child for a brief period. I liked them, but didn't like them enough to stick with them. It felt like too many steps to tear, swish, and flush at every diaper change. I know, lazy, but that's how I felt.

I use Bum Genius diapers with my youngest. I have a mixture of sized all in ones and one sizes with the inserts. My favorites are the sized all in ones because they're the closest you get to the ease and fit of disposable diapers. Unfortunately, it's the most expensive way to go because you have to buy different sizes as they grow and they take the longest to dry. The only reason I have them is because Amelia started off so small that the one sizes swallowed her and they were on clearance. The one sizes are probably the most popular and economic way to go, but they're bulky until your baby gets up some size and there's a little extra work involved with the inserts. I think that it is worth having a little variety in your diaper stash. You never know when an outfit or activity might call for a trimmer diaper or a bumble headed grandparent might need the simplicity of an all in one diaper.

Even if you don't cloth diaper, I highly recommend buying some flannel wipes. I love them! While I do use them with a bottom spray to clean up little baby parts, I use them even more to wipe up drool, formula, spit up, eye boogies, etc. They're awesome.

Also, if you cloth diaper, your life is going to be much easier if you have a good washing machine that will let you set up your wash and forget about it. I started out cloth diapering with a twenty year old washing machine that was manual. I'd have to keep listening for it so I could go back to set it to wash again and extra rinse etc. Now, I have a new machine that I can just set to sanitary, prewash, extra rinse, etc and just walk away from until it's done. It's much better. Again, yes, lazy mommy.
----

On the circumcision thing, I think that if you're going to have it done that it's only right that you remain present for it. That is my opinion. I don't think that it is right to turn a blind eye and abandon your child to a painful medical procedure if you aren't strong enough to be there for them during it. And I would not allow anyone to do it if they weren't willing to let me remain present.

[Edited on January 25, 2012 at 9:26 PM. Reason : .]

1/25/2012 9:21:40 PM

^thanks for all the info! We got a new front loader washer & dryer when we got married in 2009, & it has a the extra rinse, sanitize, etc settings thankfully. Is there a good place to look for used diaper stuff (besides craigslist)?

1/25/2012 10:02:00 PM

Quote :

"The only health risk is for Africans in Africa spreading HIV (easier to spread if uncircumcised). "

So we have managed to eradicate HIV here in the US?

People who think AIDS is for Africans in Africa (& homosexuals I'm assuming) still exist? Wow..

Not trying to start shit or troll but WOW

1/25/2012 11:17:48 PM

^Uh, no. I'm pretty sure that she's alluding to a study that is frequently cited in support of circumcision.

The major study that has been done shows that in Africa circumcision lowers the risk of transmitting HIV, which is a major problem in Africa. There has been a movement in Africa to push circumcision along with other preventative methods to reduce the HIV/AIDS rate.

If you think about it, it does make sense from a mechanical stand point. The foreskin is mobile, sliding back and forth during sex. The thought is that this movement causes microscopic tears in the skin that provides opportunity for the virus to enter or exit the body. Not to mention, there is simply greater surface area. Also, rape is a problem in many African countries. If consensual sex can cause microscopic tears in the foreskin, just imagine what occurs during dry non-consensual sex.

But I think that as a parent in the US it is pretty radical to excise healthy living tissue from a newborn *just* to save yourself from teaching your child about safe sex.

---

The company that makes Bum Genius actually buys back and sells gently used BGs.

http://www.cottonbabies.com/

[Edited on January 26, 2012 at 12:26 AM. Reason : link]

1/26/2012 12:20:21 AM

^^^ UNC Hosptital does their circumcisions at 3am the morning before a baby is discharged. We didnt even know David's was going to happen until it had been done.

At least that's the case for NICU babies, I don't know about ones that stay with the mom.

Also, I am intensely jealous of your washer.

[Edited on January 26, 2012 at 7:37 AM. Reason : .]

1/26/2012 7:37:03 AM

Well they will be told repeatedly not to long before the time comes then. My SIL delivered there & didn't circumcise her boy.

And yes, bb knows exactly what I'm talking about.

1/26/2012 7:51:32 AM

Quote :

"I just wanted to say that it went perfectly, he didn't whine, it didn't turn blue/purple, and was very, very easy to take care of while healing (a little vaseline on the penis or diaper). However, that's just my experience. I think it's a choice of the parents."

I wanted to ditto this statement. Honestly, it was even easier than caring for his belly button/cord. Never got blue or purple, barely looked irritated, and never flinched when applying vaseline or putting on or taking off diapers. Our little man's was performed by a surgeon recommended by my bride's OB since she opts not to perform the operation herself.

1/26/2012 8:39:52 AM

^^ They started asking us months in advance. IIRC the default policy is to circumsize, but I never felt like they tried to convince us one way or the other (remember, we were undecided.so they had ample opportunity to try and convince us).

Dr. Strauss (our UNC OB/GYN) wasn't sold on the aplicability of any of.the disease transmission studies and didn't seem to have a pro or con opinion. Although he did advise.to NEVER get a full doctor to do one. Always let the resident perform the circumcision because the full doctors will be out of practice.

Incidentally, we chose Duke to get David's redone. Primarily because the child urologist we're seeing there is named Dr. Weiner. His father was aoso a urologist. :-)

1/26/2012 8:55:34 AM

we won't know what the sex of our child will be ahead of time, but we're going to make the point of no circumcision anyway. there will be a massive lawsuit if they end up doing it anyway.

1/26/2012 9:14:47 AM

I actually got into a fight with one of the doctors over my son's circumcision status. A young male doctor speaking outside of his field told us that we should circumcise Silas because he had a urinary tract infection and that a circumcision would prevent it from reoccurring. I very quickly put him in his place, went over his head, and demanded to see a urologist.

An immune compromised child who has been hospitalized and cathed multiple times contracts a urinary tract infection. Is that really a surprise? Does his intact foreskin really have anything to do with it? No. The urologist agreed and supported us 100%. The other doctor had no business telling us to circumcise our child and was rather ill informed. It really angered and disturbed me that lesser informed parents could have been frightened into circumcising their child for no reason because they blindly trusted.

I feel really strongly about the issue. I do not think that any parent has the right to make such a choice for their child. I do not think that it should be up to the parents. I do not think that such an option should even exist among civilized people. We're horrified at the thought that a mother would allow her young child to get a tattoo or subject a toddler to botox, but we don't even blink at circumcision. It makes absolutely no sense to me and I don't understand how it doesn't insult our moral sensibilities.

[Edited on January 26, 2012 at 9:59 AM. Reason : t.]

1/26/2012 9:54:58 AM

agreed. i think people should react the same way to boys' circumcision as they do to girls' circumcision in africa. if you type in female circumcision in google, you get this, granted it is from wikipedia:

"Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."

i just don't understand why people think it's okay to treat our boys that way.

okay, that's all i'm going to get into it here. this isn't the thread to argue over why it is or isn't wrong.

back to cloth diapers, bb you said the bum genius sized all in ones are the most expensive option...is going with those still cheaper than disposables?

1/26/2012 10:05:36 AM

haha. yeah. i'm holding back. if i told people what i really thought, this would blow up like a soap box thread.

--

Yes. It's still cheaper than disposable. Personally, I think that the 4.0 One Size BGs or Newborn BGs are best for your newborn or tiny baby. Then move to the one size diapers for intermediate and beyond. Now they have the new BG Freetime, which is a One Size All-in-One diaper. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks pretty neat because it's a One Size that doesn't require stuffing with an insert.

But timswar probably has the most experience and the best advice because he's got TWO older babies in cloth. My little girl is only 7 months and she's below the 5th percentile, so she's on the small size. I'm also pulled in about ten different directions every day, so I do not exclusively cloth diaper. First of all, I only have about a day's worth of cloth diapers and drying my diapers sometimes takes an entire day. And, I really don't have the hang of cloth diapering on-the-go. Some parents have their steps and wet bag down pat, but I get all tangled up trying to change the baby and a pin down my preschooler. Since I use a liner in diapers to catch poop, I have stuff that needs to be tossed or flushed and then a cloth diaper to bag for washing. It can get too tricksy for my simple self when I'm changing her out and about.

1/26/2012 10:32:01 AM

yeah we won't be able to do 100% cloth when/if the kid goes to daycare. we'll just have to see what works.

1/26/2012 11:19:28 AM

We just had our first dealing with lice in the classroom. In Maya's class one of the little one's had lice. I have never dealt with it but I know it can be contagious. Maya and the rest of the kids were cleared by checks but I def had her put her clothes in the dryer when we got home. I looked in her hair twice and there seems to not be any lice. I had her wash her hair with the tgel stuff we have here. I hope we don't get this is our house.

Should I do anything else?

1/26/2012 12:13:50 PM

^^ You definitely want disposabkes around for family babysitters. A lot of people balk at working with cloth diapers and won't use them the right way. Plus disposables are more diaper bag friendly, as the cloth diapers tend to be rrally bulky.

But you will save money. I buy a small pack of disposables about every other month. Between us and our family we've spent about 3-4 hundred on stocking up on cloth diapers, and after doing the math on the BJs boxes of disposables the cloth diapers were paying for themselves after like six months. I'm sure that's helped by having two babies to change but we also probably bought more diapers than you will.

Definitely go with the one-size. They're great and they make your baby's butt look huge which is just funny :-)

[Edited on January 26, 2012 at 6:37 PM. Reason : .]

1/26/2012 6:31:58 PM

2^wash her sheets and put any stuffed animals/pillows she uses frequently in a garbage bag tied up super tight for a day or two.

1/26/2012 9:41:06 PM

My nephew got circumcised and then had to go back because of issues with it, of course, the hospital didnt admit they didnt do a good job doing it the first time around....came up with all sorts of BS reasoning as to why he needed follow up surgery.



[Edited on January 26, 2012 at 10:19 PM. Reason : w]

1/26/2012 10:18:31 PM

Quote :

" I will not validate anyone who compares it to female circumcision. Not the same thing at all."

This is bullshit. I wasnt going to say anything but you can't seriously believe it's any different.

If you define female circumcision as full excision of the clit and labias then yes, it's not the same.
But ask yourself if you would want to cut the hood off your baby girl's clit; that's physically exactly the same. If you wouldn't agree that is the same then you're being naive. Any argument you can make for or against male circumcision can be applied to this type of female circumcision. IMO the supporting arguments for female circumcision are even stronger. How many women have had UTIs? Wouldn't some women be prettier without all that ugly skin? Wouldn't they be much cleaner? Would they smell better?

You would think I was a lunatic if I had the hood cut off my daughter but you would consider doIng the same to a boy?


I would never perform cosmetic surgery on a baby. If I have a boy and his foreskin becomes a problem then it's no big deal, we'll circumcise him if that's needed, but it's not my right to subject him to unnecessary risks just because I want him to look a certain way.
Weigh the options. Is it worth the risk, even if it's just a small risk, to fix something that isn't broken?
I imagine it would be difficult to tell your 10 year old daughter that she was born a boy but the doc slipped when he was doIng the surgery and it was better to cut the whole thing off than having a severely disfigured penis.

I honestly respect some parents' choice to circumcise, it's not my kid. Just be real about it. Saying you're doing it for sanitation is wrong; how many uncircumcised guys get UTIs? I actually had my first UTI last month and the doc suspects a kidney stone. I'm not circumcising my kid to reduce his chances of contracting HIV. That's his problem, not mine. Basically the only valid argument is aesthetics because that's the only thing you won't find any good scientific data against. Even then, I'll leave that up to my kid. When he's old enough I'll let him decide for himself if he wants a piercing, tattoo, or circumcision.

[Edited on January 28, 2012 at 9:57 PM. Reason : iPhone auto correct]

1/28/2012 9:37:02 PM

Quote :

"I will not validate anyone who compares it to female circumcision. Not the same thing at all. Thanks."

i know we said we're not arguing here, but this is out right wrong. you're removing external genitalia without the child's consent for appearance/social/religious reasons. same thing in my book. it makes me sad that there are people who still think this way.

1/28/2012 9:40:24 PM

I am pretty militant in my beliefs. I think that circumcision is little more than socially sanctioned child abuse and that parents who circumcise their sons should be held accountable.

BUT I don't think that it is necessarily the equivalent of female circumcision. Can the two be compared? Absolutely. The removal of the clitoral hood is anatomically comparable to male circumcision But typically, female circumcision is far more extreme, obliterating the woman's ability to feel pleasure or achieve an orgasm during sex -- sometimes sewing the vagina shut, making sex a painful bloody affair. Female circumcision is absolutely far worse than male circumcision.

Do I think that they are both betray the sacred relationship between parent and child? Yes. Do I think that they are both horrific violations of basic human rights? Yes. Are they comparable? Yes. Are they the same thing? Seldom.

1/28/2012 10:01:18 PM

Ok, we know female circumcision is a range of things, but we still can't shake the thought of its more extreme forms. Let's agree that female circumcision is full excision.

Now, would anyone like to cut the hood off their baby girl's clit?

[Edited on January 28, 2012 at 10:15 PM. Reason : We'll let the docs carefully cut it off. They're the pros and know what they're doing. ]

1/28/2012 10:08:51 PM

I don't know who just cuts the hood off of female for circumcision. What I have read reports on, watched videos on and have read accounts on female circumcision, it is the total removal of the clitoris and sewn shut. It is for the demeaning of a woman, keeping her a slave and will often be ripped open when sex is warranted. With what I have researched on my own, it is never about appearance and there is vast amounts of brutality involved often done in the name of religion.

With circumcision for boys, it is cutting the outer fold of that skin that does not retract at the beginning. The 8th day is important because that is when an infant starts producing vitamin K that helps with clotting and should be done by a ped urologist.

I would never circumcise for appearance, religion (bc I am not jewish), or social norms.

Maybe what I think is bullshit but what I believe comes from me doing a lot of research on this matter. I think next time you are passionate about something, it would help to think that a person asks a question because they are unsure of a decision and don't want to tread lightly into a matter that is a big deal instead assuming that being tactless will help me to think any different or help me at all. I appreciate the way bb came across. I KNOW she is very militant in her ideals about her kids but she did give me a little space to parent my own kids without judging me up front and also trust that maybe I did do a little research on this subject. Her opinion really matters to me and can help Ken and me to come to a decision that is right for our child.

I am still on the fence about this procedure but I have more facts to help make a decision now.

1/29/2012 1:30:46 PM

Punch, there's no reason to circumcise for anything other than aesthetics, religion, or social norms. Think about it. The Us and Australia are the only two developed countries that do it widespread and it's on the decline. Do you really think a society such as the French who are so wrapped up in fashion would still leave their boys in tact if the alternative was nicer? Why hasn't a place like Japan had an epidemic of aids due to all the men being uncut?
If it was such a health hazard wouldn't we have lost foreskins in evolution tens of thousands of years ago?
Would Paul have bothered to say circumcision wasn't needed anymore in Galatians if it had such great health benefits?

What's appauling to me is that a young, educated, open minded woman can't play make believe for one second to ask themselves "what if cutting a hood off was a social norm." if it's so damn disgusting then ask yourself why you don't have the same reaction to cutting the same piece of skin off of a boy. You've been brainwashed.

Sorry for being mean.

[Edited on January 29, 2012 at 2:42 PM. Reason : I did say its cool if you circ. for aesthetics, just be real about it. ]

1/29/2012 2:31:04 PM

Quote :

"I appreciate the way bb came across. I KNOW she is very militant in her ideals about her kids but she did give me a little space to parent my own kids without judging me up front and also trust that maybe I did do a little research on this subject. Her opinion really matters to me and can help Ken and me to come to a decision that is right for our child."

Thanks! I really appreciate that.

Any harsh feelings that I have aren't directed towards parents as individuals, but society at large and at what I feel is a great injustice and inequality in our society. I think that we are merely custodians of our children and that their bodies are their own. Circumcision is just one more way that we as adults and parents violate the rights of the child. It wasn't so long ago that children were considered personal property, but we're progressing as a society. I think that the fact that it is now a parental choice instead of something that is automatically assumed is wonderful progress. I hope that one day it will no longer be a choice and be viewed as an outdated custom. But that only happens when people question and people become informed. Even if you decide to circumcise your little boy, you have at least done it with thoughtfulness and consideration. You have refused to be passive and that is worth congratulations.

[Edited on January 29, 2012 at 4:23 PM. Reason : .]

1/29/2012 4:23:09 PM

Quote :

"Even if you decide to circumcise your little boy, you have at least done it with thoughtfulness and consideration. You have refused to be passive and that is worth congratulations"

Hell yeah
I'm serious, if a parent wants to do it that's cool, just dont do it without understanding anything or with false justification.

1/29/2012 4:46:08 PM

Has anyone seen or tried the Mabu Baby cloth diapers at Walmart? I saw them last night. They have 4 sizes of covers made of bamboo & "white charcoal", disposable or washable pads, & then bio-liners. It's like $30 for a start up kit which has 2 diaper outers, 2 snap-in pad holders, 2 washable diaper pads, 2 disposable diaper pads, and 5 liners. I wonder how these compare to the other brands.

2/4/2012 7:10:02 AM

Quote :

"Why hasn't a place like Japan had an epidemic of aids due to all the men being uncut? "

Because only foreigners have AIDS

2/4/2012 3:42:12 PM

I had that wrong. The covers are actually made of recycled plastic bottles & the washable inserts or whatever are bamboo & charcoal. I wish they came in colors but they're advertised as dye free for sensitive skin.

2/4/2012 4:23:02 PM

We cloth diapered our second daughter. Used Thirsties with organic cotton prefolds.

My wife works at the retail location in Raleigh of http://www.sweetbottomsbaby.com/

They have everything you can think of relating to natural parenting and cloth diapering. If you aren't in NC, they ship every order free anywhere in the US. I think they have a location in Fayetteville too.

2/4/2012 7:37:06 PM

My son is 16 months as is at the limit for the rear facing car seat he has....it can be flipped to forward facing until he is 40 pounds. The pediatrician is adamant he stays rear facing until he is two.

Would you get another carseat...I don't know anyone who has one....so I would have to buy since I refuse to buy a used carseat from anyone I didn't personally know.

2/5/2012 10:37:47 PM

^ My son is only 4 months, but I think I would just from what I have read on the benefits of rear facing for safety.

2/7/2012 6:23:41 AM

Personally I'd a new convertible one and keep the kid rear facing for a while longer.

We did that recently, but that's just because we were upgrading from the Keyfit30s to some that can be rear or forward facing.

2/7/2012 7:55:29 AM

Never read this thread, but would just like to add that if I ever have a boy, he will be circumcised. I couldn't live with myself if I knew my kid could possibly miss out on a blow job because a girl might be grossed out by sucking his un-circumcised penis.

2/7/2012 8:16:19 AM

hey what strollers do you people use & what do you like/dislike about them? we need to set up a registry soonish.

2/7/2012 9:17:27 AM

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4089527&searchURL=false

We use this one. It's light, stows easy. Nothing I really dislike about too much.

2/7/2012 9:26:41 AM

We use the City Mini Double by BabyJogger. It's great, and fits through about 95% of the doorways I come across. Revolving doors, however, are a pain in the ass and usually mean I never go to that building/business (really a bummer, the comic book store across the street only has a revolving door).

I've seen the normal City Mini out a lot, and handled it a little in stores. It seems nice but to be honest I'm not sure how much I would trust a 3 wheeled stroller. That's probably irrational, but it's just how I feel.

Also, they're expensive as hell but I have seen a metric buttload of Stokke Xplorys and Bugaboo Cameleons (their misspelling) out on the streets in the last 6 months or so. I like the Stokke Xplory. In red it kinda makes me think someone from Ducati designed a stroller. The Bugaboo just looks nice and has the pram setup that a lot of people like. But like I said, they're both expensive as hell.

BTW, never buy diaper bag hooks for your stroller. We got a pair of giant carabiners from Sears for 5 bucks each. Target basically sells the exact same thing for 16 bucks each.

EDIT: We also have some crappy umbrella strollers (TIGGER STROLLERS WITH CUTE EARS) for travelling. The double stroller doesn't fit through airport scanners so if we take it through it tacks an extra ten minutes on our security checks. We got the cheap umbrella strollers from Sears and haven't had nearly the security issues.

[Edited on February 7, 2012 at 9:43 AM. Reason : .]

2/7/2012 9:41:48 AM

my only thing with strollers (not having had a kid before) is that i don't want one with 62479198 wheels and is way overbuilt with extra plastic, padding, other crap that isn't needed. i don't want just an umbrella stroller but i just hate all the ones with like winnie the pooh & stuff.

i love the look of those stokke & bugaboo ones. you're right though, too expensive

[Edited on February 7, 2012 at 10:21 AM. Reason : ]

2/7/2012 10:18:16 AM

Personally, I think strollers are a big waste of money for how rarely we use it (but I'm a baby wearer). With my first child, I only used it to when I had to do some major walking like parking in a parking deck and hoofing it on the city streets. With my second child, I use it a little more often, but only because I'm trying to keep up with my older child and need to sit the baby down somewhere to keep a handle on the older one.

We bought a Chicco travel system. It's a great infant car seat and stroller. We bought the stroller because it was one of the few that had an adjustable handle for my 6'5" husband. However, we just don't use it that often. When I do use a stroller, I bought a light weight stroller that's like a step up from an umbrella stroller at Target and keep it in the car.

Oh, convertible car seats are awesome. We bought one when Silas outgrew the infant carrier seat and have been using it ever since. Silas is four now, so that's a good 3+ years of use. And when we move him to a booster, we'll be able to put number two in it.

2/7/2012 10:53:13 AM

i have been wondering how much we'd actually use one. i *think* we'll be more of the carrier type of parent but idk for sure. we'll definitely still pick out a stroller i just can't decide what i want. chris wants a bob, which i think is overkill & not very versatile. there are other jogging strollers that rank higher on consumer reports & cost about half what a bob does.

2/7/2012 11:39:23 AM

I like the Chicco car system thing. Just in general. I wish it had been an option for us. We originally had a Snap-N-Go double so we could take the carseats out and just push them around when they were smaller.

If you really think you're going to be a mostly carrying parent (even once they're 25-30 pounds but not doing much long-term walking) then just get an umbrella stroller for 15 bucks. Sure you're going to lack all the fancy crap that gets added onto other stroller and it won't be as sturdy, but if it breaks then it's just 15 bucks to replace it and you can get some nice little cute ones (like I said, our have Tigger ears, you'd be amazed how many people stop and just ask where we got the crappy little umbrella strollers with the Tigger ears, although I imagine none of those people included you ). Plus it won't take up much room in your trunk (our twin monstrosity basically means nothing else that isn't soft and shiftable can fit in our trunk).

[Edited on February 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM. Reason : .]

2/7/2012 11:47:13 AM