(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best child safety car seats & accessories

I'm glad I didn't buy much before the baby was born. This was mostly due to laziness than planning though. The only criteria I had were related to saving money, making my life easier, and avoid things I would use for a couple of months only.

For the first 6 months you basically need to worry about sleep, carry, and play.

1. Sleep. Here you can save some serious money, depending on how you thing you'll organise your new sleeping arrangements. Do you want to cosleep? Will the baby room with you? If yes, for how long. My first child is almost two, and is still sleeping with us on the first crib I bought. It's a crib, with a removable side so that it attaches to our bed, but also works as a standalone bed. I was planning on having her sleep there until she was 4 years old, but this new arrival means I'll have to get her another bed now. If you find something like this on sale, and you skip basinettes and other, in my opinion, short term solutions, you're set for three years at least, while still being flexible. Just remember to get rid of all the fancy things that come with it, like crib guards and blankets, since they are actually not safe, and create more work for you (more frills, more washing and dusting). Swaddles you can easily find second hand, and the same goes for sleeping sacks. We live in a small apartment, so baby phones weren't needed. The entire building could hear her waking up, and she didn't sleep much alone at any rate. White noise machines and other fancy equipment I didn't even know were a thing, so I cannot recommend one way or another.
   
   
2. Carry. You live in a city, so you probably will be looking for a compact pram. It's safer to buy the car seat new, since they are only effective if they've never been dropped. That being said, you can decide on a model and then find a compatible pram second hand. This can potentially save you a lot of money. For winter you will need something to keep baby warm. There are many options, and I'm sure you'll be able to find many second hand. Look for things that are easy to wash though. Also consider investing in a good baby carrier, not just for going out, but also to keep your hands free around the house. I bought my ergobaby on sale. It's not the prettiest (the cool colours are never on sale, apparently) but works just as well, can be used with newborns, and is safe for baby girls' hips. Also a place to drop your baby is a wise investment. There are tons of chairs, swings, some more fancy then others. In keeping with the spirit of not buying things that would only last me a couple of months, I got a babybjörn baby rocker second hand. It's still in use in her play area, since it supports children up to 3 years old, and it's apparently fun to test how fast it can rock even after two years. It's also easy to clean and doesn't take up much space. But try to find it second hand, as new it can be quite pricey. Then you'll have to think about how you'll carry baby paraphernalia around. I'm not a bag person, so I got a backpack. I've used it for just a year or so, but it did make going out easier, if only because it was a bag I would only use for that purpose, so it was easy to keep organised. I also cannot recommend enough to sew (If you can) or buy a diaper clutch bag. A friend of mine made it for me, and I'm still using it. You can fit in 4-5 diapers, wet wipes, cream and other baby products. I always keep it stocked and ready to go, so when we're in a rush (which is always) I just need to grab it and I know that I'm covered. Plus I have everything on hand when changing my octopus daughter in close quarters.
   
   
3. Play. I'm grouping clothes on this as well. Onesie are the most cost effective items you can invest on. They can sleep in them, and they leave them free to explore and play as well. You can find some cutesy outfits for outings, but don't overbuy... they change sizes so fast, it's not worth it. Plus, in my experience, clothes in 0-6 sizes make the bulk of presents you'll receive, so it makes sense to wait until you see what you get. Buy some white short armed bodies thought. Since those are boring, nobody gifts them to you. But they are the one thing you're sure you use. In terms of play proper, I had a very active baby, so a baby gym was a godsend. I didn't think to buy one, so we received a pretty basic set as a gift. But, essentially, a soft mat and some hanging toys will do the trick.
   
   That's all for big buys. We didn't have a nursery, we used an old desk in our guest room with a changing mat from Ikea to change her. I'm thinking of buying a dresser to replace the desk now that baby#2 is on the way, but mostly because I only have a tiny wardrobe in that room for my daughter's clothes, so it's more about space than anything else. I didn't want to buy furniture that I would use just for the baby, it seemed like a waste to me.
   
   As for breastfeeding, I found that a breastfeeding pillow on the sofa worked fine for me, but that's really personal... wait until you know if you will breastfeed, and which position works for you and your child. Some muslin cloth for spit up won't go amiss. You can save money by skipping the cutesy print ones, and just buy a bulk of the white ones.
   
   One last thing, someplace to wash the baby. Out bathroom is really small, and we only have a shower. Since, as mentioned, I was too lazy to plan things beforehand, I had resolved to wash the baby in a plastic tub that doubles as clothes hamper. But my mother came up with this foldable tub with a hole in the bottom. I can set it up on my kitchen counter, and I don't break my back or make a mess when cleaning up. Plus I can store it on the top cabinets. I cannot find the exact model, but it looks like this. To make my life easier when she was still a small baby, I got a her a support-thing. This I only used for about six months, but it did make my life easier.
   
   For everything wise, I would recommend waiting. You don't know what or who will come up with a bag of second hand clothes, or some toys, or some brand new extravagant but brilliant thing. Once you've covered the basics, you can approach everything else on an as-needed basis. Good luck, and congratulations!
   
   Edit. I forgot, pregnancy care tips. It really depends on how you pregnancy develops. And every pregnancy is different. My first trimester seems to be cursed with morning (and afternoon and evening) sickness. I tried more fibers, no fibers, only fibers, no fat, no dairy, all possible combinations. Eventually I decided to go with my gut. Eat what feels like you might be able to keep down, keep hydrated, and take your vitamins. In a pinch, ginger can help. Also, when you're further along, but still able to move around, consider going on a short vacation with your partner. It would be the last time with just the two of you, and it's a nice treat before labour and taking care of a baby.

Look for a babywearing group in your area. You'll find lots of different carriers to try out and find something that is best for him. I find some of the carriers difficult to get on on my own, but there are tricks to each of them that you can learn at a meet-up. Also, YouTube is great for how-to videos. I would suggest something other than a Baby Bjorn. Boba, Beco, Tula, Ergo are just a few. I also love the ease of a padded ring sling (specifically I have a Maya Wrap ring sling). He might find the adjustments on a buckle carrier too much. But the ring sling is beautifully simple! And it is good from newborn through toddler.

I would imagine a number of ways to put baby down that are higher up (than the floor) would be helpful, like a Rock n Play sleeper

You might look for a car seat that is extra light to carry. The Maxi Cosi Micro is the lightest one that you can get.

And check out a good stroller. Whatever you do- get one that you can push with one hand! If you have a "baby boutique" type store nearby, you can go and check them out and see what will be best for your family. I suggest a higher end store than a Babies R Us because they can be extremely helpful in finding one that is a good fit and pointing out features that might be useful. Even if you don't buy one there, you can get ideas of things that might be helpful to look for. Some strollers have a more complicated folding system that require 2 hands while others are super easy and just require you to pull a strap.

Very similar to our situation. We got both home on the 3rd after 10 days with just 1. We stuck with the nicu feeding schedule they were on which was bottles on the hours of 3,6,9,12. We have pretty much been able to stick to that, occasionally getting off by a half an hour here or there. I don’t set an alarm for when to wake up to feed them overnight because one of them always lets me know. Even if one is not crying they both get woken up for food and diaper so they stay on the same schedule. I have just recently started occasionally feeding both at once if they both are screaming but i usually just do one after the other. Thankfully our girls eat at a good pace so it’s not an issue if one is crying a little waiting for her meal. During the day our girls like to nap in the fisher price infant to toddler rockers and they go down pretty easy in their cribs at night.

Here is a rundown how my days have been and I should mention we are exclusively formula feeding. I am on maternity leave and my husband works 4 days a week, so those days i do both the 3 am and 6 am feedings by myself and they take around 45 mins between warming bottles, changing diapers, feed and burping. So i sleep between 12-3, 3-6, 6-9, minus the wake time for feeding. I wake him up to help overnight on days he is off. Sometimes we stagger things, for instance I’ll go to bed after 9 pm feeding and hubby will handle the midnight and put the girls down to bed by himself so i can get a more solid chunk of sleep. If they eat every 3 hours and one person can do one by themselves the other person can get a 6 hour stretch of sleep which is all you need to feel like a new person! Anywho days I’m alone...After 9am bottles and diapers they go in their chairs and I get my coffee, this is essential and should never be skipped. Between feeds when they nap or are just hanging out i use the time to restock diaper stations, do some laundry and one time a day i make 24 hours worth of bottles for each girl. Staying organized and on top of little things like always having wipes when you need it can keep you from getting frustrated. My mom has come about once a week to help out, I time her visits with my own dr visits or errands so i can leave the house without the babies.

We have a swing and haven’t even opened the box yet and not sure i want to! They actually go to sleep in their cribs or their little chairs with little to no soothing from us and i’d like to keep it that way. Maybe we will set it up down the road or maybe we will just return it. Here are some things we’ve loved
disposable changing pads to put on our changing pads.
infant to toddler rocker
formula mixer pitcher
flat head boppy pillow
No link for this but cloth diapers have been the best burp cloths, we took a bunch from the hospital and I’m about to order some more, Green Sprouts brand has been pretty good too.
We have been using the app baby tracker to keep track of feedings and diapers.
Time to feed a baby...might add more later!

The poop bags are still invaluable (baby is now 20 months). I like having a disposable option (sometimes in addition to the wet bag) because sometimes you have a 10-wipe blowout diaper and you need a trash bag to dump all that stuff in. Sometimes it's a fellow mom that has the 10-wipe-poo and she desperately needs a trash bag. Agree that the dog poop bags are way cheaper than the Munchkin brand but I will say the Munchkin brand bags are much larger (I can fit three or four used diapers in one bag if we're out on a day trip without easy access to trash cans) and are cost-effective if you find them on sale. (This was supposed to go under u/hemipenis post. Sorry.)

I'd recommend a lightweight car seat cover/blanket that attaches to the handle of the car seat. Have to stress lightweight and breathable as you want to ensure that airflow. The cover is so helpful when at the doctor's office or the store or pretty much anywhere you take your newborn to keep strangers from sticking their heads into your car seat, etc. Having it attach to the car seat handle makes it so much easier to deal with than just throwing a blanket on top. Something like:
https://www.amazon.com/Lightweight-Breathable-Standard-Carseats-Protecting/dp/B01HA83V9G/ref=sr_1_1/136-0669938-7097812?ie=UTF8&qid=1505227094&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=muslin+car+seat+canopy&psc=1

The other small item that we found extremely helpful is baby entertainment in the form of big black and white pictures. There are books available but my husband just printed out some bold graphics like spirals, triangles, etc. The more bold contrast the better and no other colors, just black and white. He would just sit with our baby and show her the pictures for about 10 minutes or so and it was their bonding time. She was a little over a week old when he started and we eventually got into books, but the pictures were a fun way to engage her in the middle of endless feeding, changing, and swaddling.

Heck yeah you can ask! The crib we didn't get from amazon. We live in DFW and so have access to a Nebraska Furniture Mart. We ended up going with the Kalani brand from them because 1) it's cheap and 2) it came with the toddler rails already (we didn't get the full bed conversion kit, still undecided there). You can get it from Amazon, but it's more expensive and I'm not sure that the rails are included!

It's the same deal with the changer and dresser combo. We found it at NFM but you can still get it on Amazon

The bookshelf we had to get on Amazon. Everything in store was cheap quality or extremely expensive. Some were also way too tall and a kid could seriously hurt themselves on it. So, we ended up with this.

We also ended up getting the travel system on Amazon, too. We made sure to check it out in the store first but the price is the same and shipping was free so we figured, why not? I also really like this system because the stroller will fit the carseat BUT when she's too big for the carseat, I can still use it as a toddler stroller.

The mattress we ended up getting on Wayfair because it was cheaper and shipping was free. We seriously spent hours looking at mattresses and ended up just picking one. You can get a super cheapie at $20 or you can shell out over $300 for one. We ended up getting one that's decently priced (maybe even a bit cheap) but figured we'd rather start there and see how she tolerates it, rather than spend big bucks on a super expensive one. This also has really good reviews so definitely do your research and figure out what's best for you!

Let me know if there's anything else you need! I love shopping and we're doing a lot of it! :D

We got these and they are SO lightweight, but also grow with the kids. My 5 lb babies passed their car seat test in this and they’re nice quality and again, SO LIGHTWEIGHT. I can carry both of them at a time no problem :) this was the nicest gift we got!!

Safety 1st onBoard 35 LT Infant Car Seat (Monument) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073VRJMWK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fhYXCb0H4AVPN

**as an added bonus these work great with the bases, or if you’re switching cars a lot they are very secure if buckled in, which is very intuitive, easy, and doesn’t take as much space. I can’t get over how much I love these. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Definitely a bouncer with vibrations and a play bar. Baby can sleep in it, play in it and in the beginning, be fed in it. Light and easy to take with you on trips (especially if you get a folding type). Like this

Car seat cover like this if they live in a cold climate. You don't have to bundle baby.

Definitely zip up baby jammies. Snaps suck.

A baby mirror for the back seat so parents can see baby while they're driving. The light up kind are best here Edited to add this to it's even less distraction for the driver to see baby in the mirror on the backseat.

These chains can attach baby toys to nearly anything, can hook on to a pacifier, and the baby can play with them. I love them.

Sleep sacks. I think the swaddlers are a waste of money when you can do it with a blanket and they're only used for a month or two. Ditto with baby gowns. Other than that, I agree with avoiding clothes.

Sun shades for the car, back seat windows.

A stuffy that crunches, rattles and squeaks. Bonus points if it's got teething corners. The crunchy toys really get baby's attention and can distract them from a full on baby fit.

Gift cards, gift cards, gift cards and bring over a batch of frozen meals that are easy to prepare (lasagna, spaghetti sauce with a box of pasta, casseroles). House cleaning gift certificate and offer (and follow through) to come watch baby so mama can shower or go clean the house and make them dinner then leave.

It depends on your lifestyle and budget, but the convenience of infant seats can be pretty significant. They frequently fall asleep on car rides, and being able to bring the seat in not unstrap the baby is really nice. Also, they're pretty darn fragile at first, so being able to carry a seat that is protecting them can be easier than pulling them out of the seat from the side.

Agree with everyone else: if you do infant seats, you only need two and get extra bases for the second car. Most daycares allow you to leave infant seats there during the day, so that a different parent can pick them up.

If you decide to go with convertible seats, we have and love the Graco Extend2Fit. It starts at 4 lbs, and it allows them to stay rear facing up to 50 lbs, which is the safest way to travel in a car for kids (or anyone).

If you want a car seat, go for this one - the Safety 1st 65. It's the one we travel with because it's very light weight and easy to carry around when on the go. I find it strange you say it's heavy, because it is about 10 pounds lighter than our regular everyday car seat and is one of the few that I found are narrow enough to fit in plane seats. So, I'd recommend sticking with the Safety 1st. And I never used a pool noodle... and honestly don't understand what you'd use it for. Anyway, we used it with great success, and no, she won't be sitting on the buckle because the belt path will be closer to under her thighs than under her butt. (Edit - if you want to be able to carry the car seat easier, get something like this.)

However, ever since my daughter hit 25 pounds (at about 18 months) we use the CARES harness instead of a car seat on the plane. It's the only FAA approved harness that isn't a car seat and it's wonderful. You can get it on Amazon.

Here you go!

http://smile.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Stroller-Saddlebag-Black/dp/B00SHYEJ58?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
http://smile.amazon.com/Jolly-Jumper-727-Stroller-Caddy/dp/B000JQ4B3C?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
http://smile.amazon.com/Munchkin-Backseat-Organizer-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00FROCX7W?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
http://smile.amazon.com/Sight-Magical-Firefly-Mirror-Safety/dp/B00B7M7CMO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
http://smile.amazon.com/Boon-Whale-Drain-Storage-Scoop/dp/B007D1NWD6?ie=UTF8&keywords=boon%20whale&qid=1463974909&ref_=sr_1_1_a_it&sr=8-1
http://smile.amazon.com/Diono-Travel-Pal-Car-Storage/dp/B005NMP6IG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
http://smile.amazon.com/Britax-Seat-Saver-Waterproof-Liner/dp/B00E1ABYSC?ie=UTF8&keywords=britax%20liner&qid=1463974959&ref_=sr_1_1_a_it&sr=8-1
http://smile.amazon.com/Diono-Travel-Pal-Car-Storage/dp/B005NMP6IG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Few other things I found while digging in my Amazon orders:

• Trunk organizer. I keep wipes, sunscreen, first aid, emergency food, etc. in this. I have a Prius so there isn't much room, this has helped keep all the random stuff put. I had a bin in back for ages but it just took up too much of my precious space!
  http://smile.amazon.com/BackSeat-Trunk-Organizer-Lebogner-Multipurpose/dp/B014PZWK44?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
  
  Trashcan/tissue holder. I'm this mom now, god damnit.
  http://smile.amazon.com/High-Road-PuffnStuff-Trash-Organizer/dp/B000HZT89C?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
  
  Various babyproofing things. I had these cool door stoppers that hook into the hinge, but as it turns out my kid loves trying to jam the door shut even more and actually stripped the holes with the screws. I had to put super glue in the holes while shoving the doors back into place while it dried. I use these now and he hasn't ripped any doors off yet.
  
  http://smile.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Finger-Pinch-Guard/dp/B0035RQF7M?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
  
  Baby gates. I like this one. We have 3.
  
  http://smile.amazon.com/Regalo-Easy-White-spaces-between/dp/B001OC5UMQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01
  
  Little knick knack type toys that are really nostalgic for me. I didn't buy many of these things, but I could NOT resist the Mister Rogers trolley. So redeemed, my kid is obsessed with it now.
  
  http://smile.amazon.com/Wooden-Neighborhood-Toy-Trolley-Limited/dp/B004U3TXZG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
  
  Books! I had done so much of the essentials (sounds like you have) that I ended up putting a fair amount of books on my registry. People were more than happy to buy those.
  
  

The elf suit in particular is a thin but dense cotton. I will use them for out and about over a onesie and pants, maybe some socks too. It would work over a footed onesie as well (I call those sleepers lol) but I don't plan to have or use many of those because they make diaper changes difficult and every brand fits so differently.

You're not supposed to have too much padding between the baby and the car seat. Something like this (car seat bunting) is your best bet if you want to be sure baby is super warm in there. The Zutano elf suit is thin enough to be OK but won't really be warm enough. A silky wool bunting from Bumby (custom order) will be warm enough AND thin enough.

IDK though, this is mostly speculation, my firstborn was a summer baby 😘 and I'm not dealing with car seat planning because I use public transport in a city!

I'll do most expensive products compared to their competitors that I considered "worth the upcharge" -

Firstly - this is my list of products that have gotten us through my son's first 2 years. Check the blurbs for raves on my favorites.

1. Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System $380. Love this system. No complaints. My son lasted in the bucket seat for at least a year. We still use the stroller at 2 years. Damn thing looks and operates like new.
   
   
2. Chicco NextFit Zip Convertible Car Seat $299. Again - no complaints. Easy to install. Great ratings. It'll last us for the duration, I think. I have 3 of these - 2 for my son and 1 waiting for my daughter (will be getting more in the future for daughter when she's ready to switch).
   
   
3. Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Formula Dispenser Machine $200. My son was EFF. This thing saved our life.
   
   
4. Keenz 7s Stroller Wagon $390. Got this when my son was a year old. One of my FAVORITE products so far. With kid #2 coming I'm hoping to skip over a double stroller by using this as our everyday stroller. Highly recommend. It's awesome.
   
   
5. Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad and Scale $130. Compared to $15 or $20 pads, this thing is insanely expensive. But SO worth it. By the time you buy enough covers for the foam versions to get you through messes and wash cycles you're not far off from the cost to upgrade. And my son made HUGE messes during diaper changes. This thing is easy to clean - just wipe with a baby wipe each change and lysol wipes as needed. The scale is great if you're breastfeeding and want to do weighted feeds. And for my EFF son it helped us track his weight when his reflux made him spit up (alotalotalotalot) more than the average baby.
   
   Pretty much everything else... like... you (or we) could have gotten by with cheaper versions of. I like the products we purchased, but I don't think they added more utility than their alternatives would have at a fraction of the cost.

A cheap front only dashcam which works really well, like $35 on Amazon. Got interesting views as I evac'd during a fire.

Sunscreen for windshield, don't want a melty dash!

Safety belt adjuster thing because I'm a shrimp.
https://smile.amazon.com/Seatbelt-Adjuster-Protector-Positioner-Universal/dp/B07KPD3JYB/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=safety%2Bbelt%2Badjuster%2Bfor%2Badults&qid=1573109388&sprefix=safety%2Bbelt%2B&sr=8-8&th=1&psc=1

Hang bars for dry cleaning.. https://smile.amazon.com/IPELY-Universal-Vehicle-Headrest-Grocery/dp/B01FESXGSU/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=seat+back+hanger+hooks&qid=1573109491&sprefix=seat+back+hanger&sr=8-6

Organizer thingy for the back. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DZ03PP8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Various decals and such - Ravenclaw, USMC veteran, and a metallic "Improbability Drive" one that makes me laugh when I see it. Got those on Etsy.

New Amoeba Music "Peace Through Music" license plate frame straight from Amoeba.


I REALLY want a Tesla Tap so I can get that sweet sweet level 3 quick charge.

We got a Chicco Keyfit30. Amazon doesn't seem to have the combination exactly of what we got available anymore, but these are different color versions of our choices:

Stroller

Seat

Extra base

The convertible seat we got is a Chicco NextFit Zip. I chose that one because it was consistently rated at the top of lists, and the cover zips out for cleaning. This is the exact car seat we have.

If you have a tiny car (prius, etc.) these seats might not work well for you. The convertible one does have a variety of recline positions to choose from so you can sit your kid a little more upright to make more room (if they're able to sit up, don't do this if your kid doesn't have good head/neck control) but it definitely isn't the most compact seat available. It is REALLY easy to install, though - we took kiddo with us while test driving cars since we have to replace our current vehicle in the next month or so. We popped the seat out of the truck, installed it easily in the vans we were driving, and were on our way. Took less than 5 minutes (it is rated as one of the easier seats to install on several of the comparison sites) from "I'll go get the seat" to putting the kid in it.

Edited to add: we moved kiddo to the convertible seat around 11 months, because he was constantly trying to sit up in his infant seat. He'd get really frustrated since it was such a recline. Car rides went from frustrated baby to happy kiddo as soon as we switched seats because he could look out of the window. Technically he's not too heavy for his infant seat even now (27.5 pounds at his 15 month appointment last month) but he is too tall for it (it goes up to 30 inches in height; he was 30.25" at his 15 month appointment.

-Old Englishman - Diapers! Because I'm old and I probs pee my pants

-Never be seen in public with - This camera for watching the baby when it's born. It's creepy to video tape people.

-Phallic? HARRY POTTER'S WAND!

...

-Geeky - HARRY POTTER'S WAND!

-Achieve a goal - Keep my baby boy safe on car rides.

-Deserted Island - Baby wrap so I don't drop my child

Thanks. =)

We went with the Peg Pergo 4/35. I like it for its safety ratings and that it wasn't made in China. We just installed it and it was super easy to do it correctly. I had it checked by a certified installer too. It can be used with or without a base and looks super easy to use when flying (a big plus for us). I'm not sure how much we will use the whole travel system, but we did get a stroller that will work with the seat.

These window shades are a cheap gift idea, and I'm complimented on them all the time by people I fly with. They stick to the plane windows, can be moved around to match the position of the sun, and work amazingly for the price (on the ground of course).

My other favorite airline pilot thing is this incredibly expensive spork. I used the cheap plastic ones for years and constantly broke them in my bag. Finally I bought the titanium one and now I've had the same one for about 5 years and it looks like new. Every pilot needs one of these in their bag.

I have done lots of international flights with kids, but never with Aegean, so here's my input:

The booking office often has no fucking clue what is going on. Trust your cabin crew and gate staff.

There are US-made car seats that are cheap and often used for travel - the Cosco Scenera comes to mind - that you could look at purchasing if you wanted a travel car seat. I have seen those frequently in use for the children old enough to fit in them (not usually newborns) as a family's travel car seat, keeping the gigantic setup at home.

We brought an approved car seat on a KLM flight once and were shown by the cabin crew how to put it in for Leg A - and then told we couldn't use it for Leg B, because that "wasn't an acceptable installation method" (...) and it affected the arm rests, and the arm rests had to be able to be down during the entire flight. The cabin crew will have final say, and if they are saying to your family you only need a booster - that's all you need.

Yes! As a Dad of a 3 y/o and 6 month old, the rear facing car seat (a Chicco Key Fit 30) fits snugly but well! And a Graco toddler front facing seat sits alongside it in the back!

You'll appreciate having the rear-facing behind the passenger seat so that you don't have to compromise driver seat position. I've had the infant seat behind me and I have to limit how far back I can push the seat but it does still fit..

We regularly take the whole family places in the Spark EV, only problem is I can't fit the stroller that the car seat snaps into, so we have to decide if we will compromise with just an umbrella stroller and the 3 y/o walking.

I'll try to take a picture today when I'm home! Right now it's just the car seat base and the toddler front-facing.

Middle =)
In our case, the hospital nurse installed it for us. They even gave us the car seat, actually.
And get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Brica-Baby-In-Sight-Mirror-Gray/dp/B004L2JJAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344662053&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+car+mirror
they are lifesaver

I use a carabiner-style seatbelt for my dog and don't do this, but I have seen a seatbelt cover for sale at places like Amazon, or you can make one yourself using a plastic cup.

Seatbelt lock


Premium Safety Seatbelt Secure Buckle Cover by Wididi (1 Pack and 2 Pack) (Red, 1-Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y56N2DW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pEX5Cb77SV447

We got the Peg Perego 4-35. I wanted something with head protection and it was one of two that I found. Britax Elite was the other. We haven't used it yet, but I really like the way it looks!

https://www.amazon.com/Peg-Perego-Viaggio-Infant-Atmosphere/dp/B00J3KL4HG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1466516443&sr=8-1&keywords=peg+perego+4-35

We were given this one as a gift. Lasted four months before the suction cup devices broke in half during a car ride and freaked out the baby.


We now have these in our car and they are working out pretty well. It has been hot here and they are still sticking up with no problem at all. You get three in one pack, which is real nice.

I provided a link to where Walmart sells it for 38 dollars. It's available on Amazon for about 50.

Cosco Scenera NEXT Car Seat OTTO https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TZMED20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p51YBbQEQNGN4

I didn't see it online for anywhere close to a hundred dollars. Maybe you're thinking of a different seat?

This thing?

These work:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZOKJVAG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6RtSBbENJE4YC

- Portable chargers

- Extra phone cables

- Sunglasses

- Bluetooth Headset

- Extra AA Batteries

- Sun Screens

-Small Lint roller

We had a similar problem and found that this one ( Brica Baby In-Sight Mirror, Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004L2JJAK) works for us. It has several options including tether but as part of that it has a moldable wire and fabric adjustment for the angle.

A lightweight mirror can fix this. $12, it won't hurt the child in a crash even if it detaches, and you can see the child in the carseat. http://www.amazon.com/Brica-Baby-In-Sight-Mirror-Gray/dp/B004L2JJAK