Lightweight for errands - what errands?

[Gracie]

I was wondering if people would share when they use a lightweight stroller for errands & what those errands might be. I'm a fairly new mom & in deciding what combo of strollers to get, I am stuck on the need for a lightweight. I am looking at heavier strollers & plan on using them for activities lasting >1 hour (park, zoo, mall, etc). Most errands I can think of seem like they'd have carts available (grocery store, Target, etc) or I can just carry my DS or he can walk, eventually (post office, doctor's office, ??). Is this naive thinking? I would love to hear when an easy, light stroller has been useful for you so I can determine how much I'd use it.
Thank you for your time,
Grace

[lotsofjoy]

When I had only one child, I never used a stroller for errands.... not even for long trips to the mall. I always used my sling. She was much happier that way anyway. The only time I used the stroller it ended up being to carry things.. not the child! LOL! She still ended up in the sling.

I even did the zoo, art fairs, and pretty much anything with her in the sling.

Now that I have twins in addition to the 3.5 year old there is no way I could even do a quick in and out at the grocery store without a stroller. They have carts for 2 toddlers, or a toddler and a baby, but they just don't make carts for 2 babies. Let alone 2 babies and a toddler!

[HIU8]

I could not do any errands without a stroller. I use my lightweight to go to the doctors, post office, when we are bringing dinner home...basically when I go anywhere that i just need to pick up a few items. DS prefers to be in the stroller rather than the cart--especially if he was sleeping in the car. I find it easier to carry a hand held basket and steer the stroller than to carry DS who is very squirmy.
HTH

Heather

[MamaParis]

Errands for me are ...

*Post Office
*Pharmacy
*Photo Developing Place
*going inside the bank - which I rarely do, but its nice to not have to lug a 30 lb stroller in there for a 5 min trip!
*Running into starbucks - when the drive through is out to the street! ;)
*For picking up a few things at Target, Grocery, Part store - (those carts are just SOOO gross IMO - I only use them If I HAVE to and when I do I use my cart cover - but for picking up a few things, I just use the stroller! :) )
*For days when I'll be in and out of the car a lot. LIke when I got to best buy and then a shoe store and then this place or that place. My heavier strollers just get annoying after a few quick in and outs.
*for travel the lightweights are nice.
*For stores with NARROW NARROW TIGHT SKINNY aisles - my lightweights ar also some of my smallest strollers - so they fit just about EVERYWHERE!

[lmariana]

I think it depends a lot on your child and your personal preferences.

Although my son walks well, he can't restrain himself from touching and picking up EVERYTHING anywhere we go. I think you just move faster with a child in a stroller than in your arms or on the ground. Once your child becomes even a little bit mobile, they will want to wiggle, squiggle, and squirm everywhere you go. So, the gentle restraint and comfort of a stroller can be really helpful!

If I'm doing a longer errand, like a full grocery trip, I will use a cart...but only with a shopping cart cover! You just never know who/what has touched the cart and if they had a cold or not. I'm not germophobic, but I don't want my son to get sick either. It's also an issue of comfort, younger babies still flop around a lot in the carts, so the padding is really important!

If I'm just running in to get a couple things that fit in a basket, I will always opt for the stroller. It's quicker, more comfortable for the baby, cleaner, and saves time (you don't have to put the cart back). The stroller is also handy with you're dealing with a sleepy baby. It's much easier to nap in a stroller than a shopping cart or on the run.

Now that I'm about 5 months pregnant with #2 on the way, I am LOVING my strollers! I don't want to carry my toddler anywhere and avoid it at all costs! So he's in the stroller a lot these days. :) Even my "lightweight" 16 pound stroller is feeling a bit heavy, so I'm planning on getting a light 9 pound Volo for the rest of my pregnancy.

Don't sweat it though. You'll have a better feeling for your needs once the baby is here. We all have tweaked our stroller "fleet" to better suit our individual needs. You may find that your lifestyle doesn't need a lightweight, just wait and see!

Mariana
Owner of HappyDayBaby
Mother of Gabriel, 08/2003
www.heinzandmariana.com (personal site)

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[emilyf]

I do not have a lightweight stroller, because my errands are usually like you describe. If in Target or the grocery store he goes in the cart. For in and out places like the post office I usually carried him or put him in a sling. I think lightweights are a necessity for people who are in and out of the car a lot or use public transportation. I generally walk a lot of places, or have a single destination (that requires a stroller) so getting it out of the car isn't a big deal. My stroller isn't super heavy though-a z-street about 17 lbs.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[ctmom]

I just had to buy another stroller because my old one broke and this time I wanted a lightweight one because on the rare occassion I use one, I didn't want a big, bulky one that takes up a lot of room in the back of my minivan. I, like you, usually use the basket of the shopping carts, but I do occassional use one when I go to the library, outdoor mini malls, farmers market and airports. I also realized, when trying to figure out what kind of stroller I need, I try to save a lot of errands for when dh comes home from work and then I run out, so I don't have to bring the kids with me and I have some quite time...I have two kids, dd#1 is 4.5yo and dd#2 is 18 months, so #1 usually keeps an extra eye on #2 in places like the post office, coffee shop etc. DD#1 was out of a stroller by about 2 1/2 so I never got a double and I'm assuming I will only be using the new one for another year or so. By the way, I bought the Combi STS-1 Strolee which seems like a perfect fit for my needs.

[lmarcam]

My lightweight stroller is not particularly light (17 lb P3), but its lighter than my primary neighborhood stroller. I use the baby bjorn at the grocery store (by the way, slings and bjorns start to cause back pain fairly quickly, so you may not wind up using them as much as you plan to), but still use my P3 a ton. Places I use it -- for airplane travel, at the mall, for outdoor walks away from home. A three to eleven month baby is pretty heavy for carrying, much more so than you may anticipate now.

[DebbieJ]

>(by the way, slings and
>bjorns start to cause back pain fairly quickly, so you may not
>wind up using them as much as you plan to

Just wanted to chime in here...

Yes, a Bjorn will cause back pain, not only for you, but also for your baby. It puts undue spinal stress on your little one and the poor design puts the bulk of your child's weight on your upper back and shoulders.

Slings, on the other hand, should not cause any serious back pain when used correctly. They distribute the weight equally across your back and do not require you to bear the brunt of your child's weight on your shoulders like the Bjorn does, and your child's weight is carried on his/her bum instead of pelvis. I have carried my son for hours on end in slings and have never been in pain.

If you want more info, drop in on the Carriers forum. There's much more out there than just the Bjorn!

~ deb
DS 12/03
And a niece or nephew arriving in early August!

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[Gracie]

Thank you all so much for your input. It's helpful to hear others' experiences & makes me think of things I haven't yet encountered with my baby, such as him possibly wanting to run around & touch everything :), a stroller being better for a sleepy baby, and the (lack of) cleanliness of carts. Also, using a carrier, which has worked for us so far.

Another question....I like the option of having more of a full featured stroller that can also serve as a lightweight, so I'm thinking of a P3. Do you think that's light enough for quick in & out errands or would something like the Quest really be better? Is the P3 narrow enough for tight areas?

Thanks again,
Grace

[mommato2boys]

I personally think the P3 is fine for errands, simple close and simple open is the main thing. For me, I used a stroller since DS#1 was such a heavy baby, he was like a lead ball to carry throughout a whole store. And, when we went to the doctor's office, it is easier to put in him a stroller (nice, clean and safe) rather than letting him touch all the seats and doors which are infected with all the cold germs (okay, now I am telling on myself!). But I freak out about germs.....I don't want my sons playing with the toys at the doctors offices....they are germ ridden!!! I don't want him running all over the office. And don't even get me started on carts!!!! I use a cart cover, but some carts (pet smart comes to mind) are down right nasty!!!! I would NEVER put DS in those carts, I have seen dog poop in the pet smart carts!!!! No thanks, I will use my stroller.
But I don't even use the infant seats in shopping carts so maybe I am just over freaky about germs!!!

[indigo]

I love my Zippy! We had it when DD was born and it would still be our only stroller if DH had not bought a car with a small trunk. Now we have a Quest as well, and I like the size of it for stores with narrow aisles, but I really still prefer the Zippy. It doesn't tip when you hang bags from the handles, the basket is a decent size and is accessible even when baby falls asleep, and overall it seems more padded and plush. Oh, and the fold really is one-handed! As is the recline. The Quest is advertised as having a one-hand fold, but I find it a little more awkward.


indigo
DD 7/03
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six months and counting!

[Phoebe]

I use my P3 for just about everything. It's plenty narrow and has a basket. If a stroller doesn't have a basket (like our umbrella Chicco caddy), what's the point of even using a stroller?! Also, my favorite feature of the P3 is the toddler footboard on the back.

Mary
DD 4/01
DS 6/03