Reddit mentions of Chicco Keyfit Infant Car Seat and Base with Car Seat, Lilla

First, take a breath. Everything is gonna be all right.

Unless you helped raise your siblings or work in a daycare, most people go into parenthood without much relevant experience. (I had absolutely none.) It's one of those things that you learn on the job.

You have 8 months until the kiddo arrives. Enjoy your last childfree days. Trust me, there will be times you miss them. Get as much sleep as you can now, because the lack of sleep is rough. For me, that was literally the hardest thing about having kids.

If she's not already there, very soon your wife is going to start having morning sickness. While my wifey was puking her guts out, she preferred for me to bring her a glass of water to gargle and drink afterwards, hold her long hair out of the way to keep it from getting messy, and gently rub her back. Find out what your wife likes.

Once she gets to her last trimester, keep a close eye on her health. That's when things can go really bad. (Mine nearly died from preeclampsia during her first pregnancy) She should be seeing her OB regularly -- at least weekly if she has any high risk factors.

Literally the first thing you'll need is a car seat. The hospital will not release your child unless you have one. We used this one which is a car seat and carrier, and has seperate stroller attachment.

After the kiddo arrives home, you need to have a nursery ready. To that end, you're going to need a crib, diapers, diaper cream, wipes, 2-3 baby blankets, and some onsies. (I got this one for my kiddos). I would highly recommend getting a diaper genie too. If you have family members who are retired, having them stay over during the first month or two is a good idea. You'll probably be too tired to cook or clean, so an extra set of hands is always useful. You might also want to stock up on lanolin cream, because breast feeding or pumping is very hard on the titties and has a tendency to tear them open.

The best places to buy infant clothing are Goodwill and Once Upon A Child. They grow so fast that you'll get maybe a month of use out of it before it's time to buy more.

You also need to have some idea of what you're going to do with the kiddo after your maternity/paternity leave is over. Is wifey going to be a stay at home mom, or are you going to put your kid in day care? If you go the daycare route, you need to spend the months before the kiddo is born finding one. Do research to find good ones in your area, then go on a tour. Once you find one you like, put your kiddo on the waiting list. (Yes, they have wait lists for day care, especially for the infant rooms.)

As far as general parenting tips, the first year is the hardest. If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's OK to put the baby down in his crib and let him cry, while you walk away for 15 minutes to clear your head. Until around 6-10 months, infants aren't very interactive. Once they're walking (10-12 months) and talking (12-24 months), they're a lot more fun.


Oh, I asked my wifey and here were her tips:

• Most insurance plans will give you a free breast pump, which you can order around the 6th month of pregnancy. Get one, preferably the Medallia double action, which is the cadillac of breast pumps)
  
  
• Subsribe to the "One Bad Mother" podcast on the Maximum Fun podcast network.
  
  EDIT: Oh, and you'll need bottles, a bottle brush, and a sterilizer. This is the sterilizer we use.

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.

1. Lucie's List - it has a whole registry walk-through, reviews, and separates things by price.
   
   All car seats have to meet safety standards so you can really pick any one you'd like. More expensive seats will have a higher weight limit, nicer fabrics, and can be more comfortable.
   
   This is what I have and love:
   Chicco Keyfit 30
   
   Graco 4ever - We've moved onto this seat now.
   
   Baby Jogger City Mini (not actually a jogging stroller)
   
   Pack N Play w/bassinet
   
   Swing - I'm pretty sure we got this for $150 at BRU
   
   Edit: formatting

Carseat: Chicco Keyfit 30

That stupid baby wipe warmer thing I thought was a waste of money: actually awesome.