It is very important to me to find a stroller that we will be able to use when walking the dogs in the park, which means it has to be stable and extremely sturdy, and has to be able to handle cracked sidewalks as well as grass, tree roots, gravel, steep slopes and whatnot in the park. I'm not talking about x-games the stroller edition, or anything, but I don't want to be confined to the well-paved paths. Then, when we get home, we wave a steep stoop and limited storage space, which means it also has to be reasonably light and easy to fold. After a lot of looking (online) and comparing, we decided that the Baby Jogger City Elite looked like the best match for our needs, and after some hemming and hawing we even added one to our registry, because so far I have not seen a single one used-- BOB Revolutions seem to be all over the place, but not the City Elite. But before we go out and make a $400 commitment (even if through the generosity of others) I wanted to follow Puffer's sage advice and blog-before-I-buy.
Anyone have thoughts on the stroller thing?
I also have my first face-to-face meeting with a prospective doula this week. Does anyone have thoughts on important things to ask/assess?
I hope y'all had a good long weekend to end your summers. I for one am never ready for summer to be over, even with the hot, humid stankfest it has been here in NYC. Fall is a season of ominous portents. Winter is the season I dread most. But this time I have something to look forward to...
Why do I never look as big as I feel? I am beyond ambiguity at this point. I am getting random "When are you due?" questions regularly now. If I weren't the sort of person who is easily mortified when talking to strangers about things as intimate as the weather, I might enjoy it.
I have no advice on strollers, sadly, although I think it is a topic that we will need to investigate some ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAs for the doula part... We kind of cheated on that front, and have a friend who happens to be a doula, so we've been covered there since before conception. But I would think the biggest thing to assess would be how well your personalities mesh. (Hers and yours and Speedy's, since I'm guessing that she'll be there, too.) This is someone who's going to be with you in a fairly high-stress situation, so you don't want someone who'll irritate you even more. You might also consider how well her (I'm assuming a woman, although there are probably male doulas somewhere) views of birth align with your own. And how flexible she is. If you go in saying that you absolutely do not want drugs, for example, and decide 12 hours later that yes, in fact, you would quite like something, is she going to argue with you about it? Also, is she going to argue with the midwife? You want someone to help you feel more comfortable and supported, and who will respect your choices.
That's my take on it, at least. If you're at a loss, or just would like an extra viewpoint, I can ask my doula friend what she would recommend asking/assessing. Just let me know. :-)
Looking good mama!
ReplyDeleteWe bought a double Bumbleride and LOVE it although it is pretty heavy. It does fold up well for a double and is great off road - it is a nice smooth ride. Not sure how the single version of of it would measure up. I also have a newish single Peg Perego that I bought second hand and it's pretty nice but I wouldn't recommend it for your needs.
That is definitely a pregnant belly! I have a coworker who is a doula and friends in Brooklyn who LOVED their doula. Email me if you want me to pass along any contact info.
ReplyDeleteHey, was just thinking about you guys last night and wondering how things are going.
ReplyDeleteNo advice, but I wanted to say don't forget those ubiquitous 20% off coupons from BedBa.th&Beyond - use it B.uyBuyBaby and the stroller is $80 less!
You look great!
Yes, sign up at Bed Bath and Beyond (they own Buy Buy Baby) and get coupons you can use there or at BRUS.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, they usually are NOT good for big ticket items:(
I think you are right on with the stroller. That is the one I would've rec for you and your needs.
I don't ever see them online used either. I think that's a good thing. That means they last SO long no one is selling them!
When can I see you again? You look great!
Yay belly shot - looking good!
ReplyDeleteNice belly pic mama - You look fantastic! Be happy you don't look as big as you feel. I'm experiencing looking and feeling large! I'm a bit apprehensive for the next few months...the room to expand is running out. (BTW, swimming is nice to relieve the added pressure.)
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the doula and stroller front. I would think the most important aspect for the doula would be how well she could motivate you. Her biggest job will be talking you through a very intense, highly-emotional and physical experience. You want someone that can carry you through that in the most seamless way possible - for your personality.
Re doulas: interview a ton, and pick the one you'd most want to be friends with, if she has enough years' experience. But to have things to talk about, I'd ask re her approach to working in tandem w speedy-- how much and what each would do. If you want speedy to be yr primary coach, w the Doula stepping in as requested, talk about that, etc. I'd also ask what she's done in the past if she has disagreed with an ob or midwife during labor. She will prolly want to know about yr birth plan if you have one. I'd get references & call the ones given by yr top candidates. Some doulas have training w bf'ing too which can be helpful. You'll also want to know how many pre & post visits you'll have & how long she stays with you after the baby is born. Oh, and when she comes to your house during labor. & of course her experience w same sex couples. Also whether she's worked w yr midwife before & if so how they get along.
ReplyDeleteGreat belly shot! You're looking fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWe have the Baby Jogger City Mini and absolutely love it. It's lower on storage than the City Elite and lacks a few of the other luxuries with that one, but it's a fabulous stroller. Super lightweight. I can literally collapse the thing and put in the car while holding the baby in the other arm. I love the brand. One of the great elements is that canopy, which goes down a bit lower than some strollers making for some great sun protection. I think it's a great choice. You're going to love it. BTW, have you had a chance to test drive one yet?
If you need to cut cost and don't need the extras of the Elite, you might check out the City Mini. We do a lot of walking, and it does great on pavement or across sligtly rougher surfaces (love the rubber tires). It's also about $150 cheaper and a bit smaller too.
Lovely belly! No advice here but hope you find what you need. xxxxh
ReplyDeleteI am so behind on blog reading - just wanted to say I love the Ani reference of your last post. Sadly, I have no stroller advice. We inherited a rather unwieldy Schwinn jogging stroller that we haven't used thus far (the peanut is minuscule, so we're more into the Moby wrap / Baby Bjorn for walks). But I have lots to say about doulas! In a nutshell, I also think it's more about personality match than anything else. Well, birth philosophy is important too, but that goes hand in hand with how well you "fit" with her. Our doula joked that finding a doula is like dating, and I agree. We found ours via our midwife, who recommended her..didn't interview anyone else, though I think we should have. In the end, it worked out, as we love our doula. I have since discovered that she's very much a natural birth and attachment parenting purist, so sometimes her advice feels stringent - a minor complaint, all in all. Otherwise, I'm so happy we shelled out the cash for her. She was a great coach and support during the birth, but best of all she's such a helpful resource. We've loved how open and available she is for meeting, phone calls, pseudo-therapy and lactation advice, esp. postpartum. Being able to call her has made Uno feel far less insane in these crazy newborn days. We met with her several times pre-birth just to hang out, which helped us build rapport. Anyway, best of luck, I'm sure there are tons of good options in the city, and that belly looks fantastic.
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