Moving up to convertible seat - how to bundle up in Midwest?

[firemama]

We are moving up from the infant seat to the convertible seat, and the Vista stroller . We are currently using a sweater, hat and the JJ Cole BundleMe . I just read someone's post that said we really shoudn't be using it. I don't know how to bundle DD up now. Do I have to buy a snowsuit or winter coat? Do you put this on and strap into the convertible seat? I thought they are not supposed to wear bulky clothes in car seats. Then what do you do when you transfer from car seat to stroller or carrying from parking lot into a store?

I feel like winter might be over soon and buying a snowsuit/winter coat would be a waste of money. Can I get away with a sweater and make sure she is wearing shoes? I am thinking about getting the Hanna Andersson swedish mocs to put over her socks.

I need help! TIA

[rin]

Originally Posted by firemama

We are moving up from the infant seat to the convertible seat, and the Vista stroller . We are currently using a sweater, hat and the JJ Cole BundleMe . I just read someone's post that said we really shoudn't be using it. I don't know how to bundle DD up now. Do I have to buy a snowsuit or winter coat? Do you put this on and strap into the convertible seat? I thought they are not supposed to wear bulky clothes in car seats. Then what do you do when you transfer from car seat to stroller or carrying from parking lot into a store?

I feel like winter might be over soon and buying a snowsuit/winter coat would be a waste of money. Can I get away with a sweater and make sure she is wearing shoes? I am thinking about getting the Hanna Andersson swedish mocs to put over her socks.

I need help! TIA

We bought our currently 9 month old baby a snowsuit and a winter coat last fall, and haven't really ended up using either of them (mostly because she HATES being stuffed into them, but also the carseat safety issue you brought up). Here's what we do instead: we've got a really warm bunting bag on herstroller, and then we keep two warm blankets in the car (one fleece, one wool). When we put her in the carseat we buckle her in/tighten the harness, and then tuck the blankets over her. When we transfer her to the stroller she's got the bunting bag (we use the 7 am enfant), and if we're carrying her into a store without the stroller we just snuggle her into one of her car blankets, unwrap her & stick it in the shopping cart once we're inside, and then rewrap her for the trip to the car. She does end up being exposed to the cold air for a few seconds during the car/stroller or car/blanket transfers, but it's really only a few seconds and it's worked fine for us all winter. We live in a pretty cold area (it was 15 below here last week) and have traveled this winter to visit family in NYC and Chicago and have been fine without using the snowsuit or winter coat. The only winter clothing we've ended up using (aside from thin sweaters/sweatshirts) is a warm hat (pretty much whenever we take her outside) and a scarf for when she's in the stroller.

Since you've got the bundleme, maybe you could just use that in the stroller, with an extra blanket inside if it isn't warm enough, and then use a few cozy blankets in the car? As long as they don't in any way go under the harness/under the baby, it's my understanding that pretty much anything should be fine.

[Katigre]

Buy a winter coat on clearnace in a size up - even better, get one that is a '2 in 1' with the inner fleece coat that zips out - that is slightly smaller than the outer shell. The inner liner will fit for this year, and the outer shell for next year. This is what we did with DD when she was an older infant/young toddler (before that we did the fleece snowsuit).

You can get a snowsuit but honestly if you're just going from house to car and back again it's overkill - your baby isn't playing in the snow for an hour, they're in the cold for mere minutes.

[mom2binsd]

We live in IL, honestly for DS he's been in his Land's End Fleece for most trips, it's warmer than many winter coats and when we're only going into preschool, shopping etc it's fine. He' s in a convertible car seat.

If we have a winter jacket on that's bulky we take it off and put it on backwards or put it on and pull back the front of the jacket so the harness straps are not over the bulk (there's a video somewhere on the net showing this).

[boltfam]

I would get a thick fleece. I find them great not only for winter but also year-round...spring and fall for moderate weather and even cool summer nights. I just saw some Columbia ones on sale on younkers website:

http://www.younkers.com/shop/kids/ba...olumbia+fleece

You can take an additional 20% off.

Or, if you get a thicker winter coat, get the straps properly adjusted without the coat on and then don't loosen them while the coat is on. The straps can be a bit difficult to get fastened this, but then at least i know they're not too loose.

ETA: I like the idea of the 2-in-1 winter coat, too.

[DebbieJ]

We do fleece. We have a Lands End fleece coverall. We also have a hooded fleece jacket. Then in the car I also use a fleece blanket on top of him once he is strapped in, which I will often use to cover him as we walk from the car to the store or whatever. Seems to be working fine for us.

[blondflava]

I used snowsuits and bundle me during my DD's first winter (she was 7-10 months then) but only for walking her in her stroller. I'd stuff her in the snowsuit, hat and bundleme, and we'd walk for hours . But for the car, we used blankets, and the jeep carseat cover (for infant seat) - the 'shower cap' type. Now, this winter, DD's been on her convertible seat and I'd bring her to the car with the coat and hat on, get in with her, undress her and put her into carseat from the passenger side. More hassle, but she's been fine like that (or wrapped in blanket), didn't get a cold once!

[firemama]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll use the BundleMe in the stroller with a sweater/jacket and hat. And just use blankets and a sweater/jacket on backwards in the car.

Any suggestions on where to buy fleece jackets? I think some of you said younkers or lands end, but I don't have either of those by my house.

And do they have scarfs for babies/toddlers? Where do you buy these?

[arivecchi]

I think Land End no longer carries items for kids under 2. You can find LE fleece buntings on ebay. Patagonia and Polo have some really nice items for toddlers but they are a little pricey.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/shop/kid...ddlers?k=1F-eW

http://www.google.com/products?q=fleece+bunting&hl=en

[lizzywednesday]

Scarves are a strangulation hazard.

Get a balaclava:

http://www.novanatural.com/woolens/wool-hood

Or you can try a hat like this one:

http://www.columbia.com/Earflap/Mitt...efault,pd.html

Or do turtleneck onesies (we have one from Gymboree) but I don't like them so much.

Of course, I don't worry about her neck so much because her fleece covers up to her chin. (I bought it 2 sizes big so I could layer stuff underneath if I had to.)

We are in NJ and it's been frigid here, but DD wears a fleece (Columbia brand) and layers. If I think the car will be chilly, I toss a fleece blankie over her legs. I have 2 coveralls that could work as well (1 is Carters fleece w/ a hood; the other is ON sweater-knit with a hood. I'll put a l/s onesie on underneath, plus socks pulled up to her knees plus the HA mocs.)

And I usually bundle her up with the Hanna mocs over a pair of socks if I know she'll be outside at any point during a super-cold day for peace of mind.