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Baby, Dad and I have just returned from Hamilton Island. I have to say it is a great destination for families with a baby. There is a range of accommodation, from Palm Bungalows to luxurious hotel rooms.

We stayed 7 nights in a Palm Bungalow. Prior to our arrival I organised a portacot and highchair for the bungalow (at no additional cost). When we arrived, the portacot and highchair were already set up in our bungalow. As the Palm Bungalows are free standing, there are no common walls which was wonderfully private. There was a hammock in the front of each bungalow, which was an ideal spot for Dad to unwind and read a book, while I played with Baby on the vast lawns in front of the bungalows.

A full buffet breakfast was included when we booked the bungalow and we had a choice of three venues. The first venue was our favourite – Sails Restaurant. The second venue was the Reefview Hotel and the third venue was ‘Breakfast with the Koalas’. Of course Baby enjoyed having breakfast with the koalas, although the koalas were very sleepy while we enjoyed our brekkie.

Most days we did go to Sails Restaurant for breakfast. Baby would be seated in a highchair next to Dad, while I selected some fruits, breads and yoghurt for her to eat. Then Dad would organise some delicious omelettes for us made by the Breakfast Chef. It was all a very smooth operation and was a great start to our day.

After breakfast there were lots of activities for us as a young family with a little one. We took baby for swims at some of the resort’s many swimming pools. Baby built (and demolished) sandcastles at Catseye Beach. There is a Kids Club on the Island and a Clownfish Club (for babies from 6 weeks). We flew kites made by staff at the Kids Club on the beach. Baby was absolutely delighted watching Dad fly a kite  - laughing and clapping!

We went for lots of walks with Baby in her pram. Our favourite walk was down to the marina which has galleries, cafes and boutiques. At the end of the marina is the recently built Hamilton Island Yacht Club and it is a fantastic vantage point to take in the views of the nearby islands. We all went on a golf buggy tour of neighbouring Dent Island and the views were spectacular too.

It was a wonderful family holiday and I would recommend Hamilton Island as a terrific destination to travel with a baby. To find out more visit the official Hamilton Island website.

It’s the first Easter we’ve celebrated at Babyreview.com.au – so I thought it would be fun to dress up the babies in some bunny ears!

So Baby and her ‘bunny eared’ friends would like to wish you a Happy Easter!

Every Saturday morning, Dad carries Baby to her swimming lessons at the local pool. Last Saturday Dad decided to make the walk more comfortable by carrying Baby in the BabyBjorn Active.

Designed to carry a heavier baby for longer periods of time, the BabyBjorn Active has an innovative lumbar support and wide padded shoulder straps to better distribute Baby’s weight. That said, the BabyBjorn Active can be used for carrying a newborn with a minimum weight of 3.5kg/8lbs and can be used for carrying a larger baby up to a maximum weight of 12kg/26lbs. The carrier has been ergonomically designed to provide excellent support for Baby’s head and neck too.

Similar to the BabyBjorn Original Carrier, the BabyBjorn Active comes in two pieces, an outer shell and a harness. The main difference from the Original is a lumbar support on the Active harness, which both Dad and I found more comfortable for longer walks with Baby. (As an aside, it was easier to put on because the lumbar support made it immediately apparent which way up the harness should go).

To put on the BabyBjorn Active, slip your arms through the harness straps with the lumbar support against your back. Adjust the position of the sliding buckle at the bottom of the outer shell according to Baby’s height. Then fasten the outer shell onto the harness. There are cute cartoons on the inside lining of the shell – to guide you through all the steps for putting on the BabyBjorn Active.

While it is recommended for newborns to face inwards, when Baby is a little older the head support can be folded down allowing Baby to face forward and look around.

Baby thoroughly enjoyed herself facing forward and observing her surroundings while on her walk with Dad to the swimming pool. I’m sure Baby senses the feeling of closeness with Dad while in the BabyBjorn. Another advantage for Baby is the experience of motion and movement that she gets while in the carrier with Dad walking.

I think it is no coincidence that later the same day, when she woke from her afternoon nap, Baby took her first five consecutives steps on her own. After all, she was observing Dad’s walking technique and the benefits of movement earlier that day!

The BabyBjorn Active is available in Black/Silver, Black/Red or Black. To find out more about the BabyBjorn Active Carrier visit the BabyBjorn website.

One of the many recommendations you’ll get for baby’s big welcome to the world day is to play music during labour.

Now, I know everyone says that classical music is wonderful in that it relaxes you and elevates the senses, and I’m sure that’s true for many. I love classical music – I love listening to it, seeing it performed, and having it play while I enjoy a delicious dinner and glass of wine. But I think given the task at hand, ethereal compositions from history’s greatest may be lost on me. Death metal might be more the ticket – but potentially not a welcome aural addition to the ambience at Hornsby Hospital or other Mums going through labour at the time.

So I’ve started to put together the playlist for the big day and thought I’d share, and wondered if others would like to do the same. My labour soundtrack comes with this disclaimer: I never claimed to be fashionable in my music tastes. I like what I like.

• Untitled – Interpol
• Street Fighting Man – The Rolling Stones
• Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
• Learning to Fly – Tom Petty
• Lock It – Falling Joys
• Goodbye – The Sundays
• Jungle – Emma-Louise
• Charlotte’s on Fire – Cocosuma
• 8 Ball – Underworld
• Intro – The xx
• Heart Skipped a Beat – The xx
• Here’s Where the Story Ends – The Sundays
• Marlene on the Wall – Suzanne Vega
• Stewart’s Coat – Ricky Lee Jones
• Nothing New – The Waifs
• London Still – The Waifs
• Chariot – Page France
• Keepsake – State Radio
• Sleep – Azure Ray
• In the Waiting Line – Zero 7
• For the Widows in Paradise – Sufjan Stevens
• Holland – Sufjan Stevens
• Forever – Ben Harper
• Silver Lining – David Gray
• Rinse Me Down – Bombay Bicycle Club
• Fairytale Lullaby – Bombay Bicycle Club
• Word by Word – Bombay Bicycle Club
• Cotton – The Mountain Goats
• Just Like Honey – The Jesus and Mary Chain
• Suzanne – Leonard Cohen
• Labour of Love – Frente!
• Plans – Birds of Tokyo
• Caring is Creepy – The Shins
• My Fear #2 – Cloud Control
• New Slang – The Shins
• Meditation Song #2 – Cloud Control
• Weird Fishes – Radiohead
• High and Dry – Radiohead
• Gagging Order – Radiohead
• House of Cards – Radiohead
• Heartbeats – Jose Gonzales
• I giorni – Ludovici Einaudi
• Reverie – Ludovici Einaudi
• Reckoner – Radiohead
• Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
• Planet Telex – Radiohead
• Careless – Paul Kelly
• Air a Danser – Penguin Café Orchestra
• Tiny Dancer – Elton John

I’m missing a few here that really could lighten the mood methinks, like Fleetwood Mac. Or the Beastie Boys actually might be more appropriate. Any suggestions welcome.

PS: I am well aware that it is hilariously naïve to even think for one minute that I’ll remember to pop on the CD in the birthing suite when the time comes, but hey, you’ve got to go in with your hopes held high.

When Baby was outgrowing her Safe-n-Sound capsule and approaching 8kg, it was time to consider the next step in car safety. After some research I found the National Road Safety Law in Australia for child restraint and booster seat require the following:

Children less than six months to be secured in an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear-facing child restraint, such as an infant capsule;

Children from six months to less than four years must be secured in an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear-facing child restraint or a forward-facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness;

Children aged from four years to less than seven years must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, forward-facing child restraint with in-built harness or an approved booster seat which is properly positioned and fastened; and

From seven years of age children can travel in a car secured in either: a booster seat; a booster seat and child harness; a seat belt and child harness; or the car’s seat belt.

I have found this link on the Britax website to provide a good summary of the Road Safety Guides for Child Restraints and Boosters for each Australian State.

I found there were two main options for us for car travel with Baby weighing more than 8kg. The first option was to purchase a convertible car seat (capable of rear-facing and forward-facing) for Baby while in a weight range of 8-18kg and then buy a booster seat with in-built harness. The second option was to purchase a forward-facing convertible booster seat for Baby while in a weight range of 8-26kg.

The longevity of the second option and the comfort of Baby travelling in a seat which remains her own, made the choice easy for us – Option 2. Now, I needed to find the right Convertible Booster Seat.

A good friend of mine with twins recommended the Safe-n-Sound Maxi-Rider AHR Convertible Booster Seat. The AHR stands for ‘Active Head Restraint’ for ultimate head protection. Her twins went straight from their capsules to their Safe-n-Sound Maxi-Riders. She explained the Maxi-Rider experience, “It’s like sitting in Gold Class in the cinema, with an adjustable headrest, fitted armrests, soft padded fabric and even has two cup holders – one on each side. The babies are more comfortable than I am.”

I was convinced, safety and comfort were the overwhelming priorities for my baby and with it’s ‘Gold Class’ reputation – the Safe-n-Sound Maxi Rider AHR sounded perfect for Baby. So I visited the Baby Kingdom store in Bankstown to look at the product. Laura the Sales Assistant at Baby Kingdom pointed out all the safety and comfort features I had researched earlier. I must say the staff at Baby Kingdom have great product knowledge and are very helpful. So I left Baby Kingdom satisfied with my purchase of the Safe-n-Sound Maxi-Rider AHR.

I opened the box of the Maxi-Rider and the first step was to determine how to adjust the shoulder rest and AHR Headrest (up and down). This is easiest done by putting the the seat on the floor at home. The second step was to fit Baby in the Maxi-Rider according to her height. So I placed Baby in the seat, which was on the floor against a wall and found that as the seat comes in the smallest setting, it was a perfect fit for Baby, no further adjustment was needed for the headrest for Baby. The third step was to decide whether to keep the seat upright or recline it with the recliner foot at the back. We decided to keep the seat upright. The fourth step was to fit the Maxi-Rider in the car with the seat belt and anchorage point. I thread the seat belt easily through the back of the Maxi-Rider and anchored the seat to the anchorage point in my car. The fifth step was to place Baby in the Max-Rider and adjust the shoulder straps, pressing the button to lengthen and pulling on the strap. It was all really easy.

To make it even easier, a DVD comes with the Maxi-Rider which shows you how to fit the Maxi-Rider step by step. This was far more interactive than an instruction manual – which is there if you need it.

In addition to the ‘Active Head Restraint’ here are some of the other safety features of the Maxi-Rider; deep side wings with EPS liner for greater side impact protection, fully adjustable six point harness, tether strap anchors for better security and stability, push button harness adjustment strap and quick release harness button.

While the features make it good from a safety and comfort perspective – it looks good too! The Maxi-Rider is space efficient, I measured the depth of the Maxi-Rider as 41cm and it finishes before the edge of my car’s backseat. Creating lots of space for the driver and front passenger to move their seats back to enjoy plenty of leg room. The Maxi-Rider comes in three colours: Midnight Grey, Oxford and Pure Black – I chose Pure Black.

Visit the Britax website to find out more information on the Maxi-Rider AHR Convertible Booster Seat and to purchase the Maxi-Rider online from Baby Kingdom click on this link to the Baby Kingdom website.

This little haven for baby could have previously been a study or office, or it’s a specific bedroom you have in mind, or you’re working with a temporary and space constrained arrangement. I’m in the latter situation, so every inch and potential source of storage counts.

There are essentials to a nursery that have to be your first priority when you’re not working with palatial luxuries. These are some of them:

• Somewhere for baby to sleep: from newborn to about four months, then four months to toilet training age, then onwards…
• Somewhere for baby to be fed
• Somewhere for baby to have a bath
• Somewhere for baby to be changed
• Somewhere for storage

Then there’s making it all look nice, and decorating is definitely the fun bit.

I got my baby kit induction at Baby Kingdom, where they have prototype nurseries set up so you can see how all this stuff fits together. So this blog is a focus on somewhere for baby to sleep.

Sleepy time

I’m slightly amused by the need for a cot, given that all you hear is that babies never sleep. But you do need one sooner or later. Baby’s sleeping arrangement is an important investment. You might want to think beyond ‘just a cot’, especially given that you can plan for up to about three years ahead – and convert the furniture for other uses beyond that – and save yourself a bundle.

You can go for high quality wood and an obvious top-of-the-range quality or for a more budget conscious solution. They really do all look great.

Many cots upscale to become toddler beds. There are chests of draws that can accommodate a change table top, then later a hutch with bookshelves – great for adaptable storage so you can just top it up as you go and as your needs and space constraints change.

For my money, I love the Tasman Eco and King Parrot products – but then I’m working with a nursery space that needs to accommodate well proportioned options. Also, if being environmentally conscious is high on your priority list, I have to say the Tasman Eco range is great.

Tasman Eco has not only thought about adaptability in your home, but that grandparents will also be a big part of Baby’s life too. So their cots are designed to transform from chaise lounge to cot and back again. I’m leaning towards the Siena in white. Which would look lovely at my Mum’s place. For my place – when we finally get one – I quite like the Tuscany.

In the King Parrot range I like the Yarra and the Daintree cots. It’s great that this stuff is made using Queensland timber, too, so less on the old carbon footprint, a homegrown choice and it’s a good middle of the range solution that is still of a really gorgeous quality.

Both Tasman Eco and King Parrot have excellent warranties too and you can have a cot-and-mattress bundle deal on some of them at Baby Kingdom.

Mattresses

You can go for inner spring, foam or latex mattresses. I like the Tasman Eco latex boori mattress, which is very reasonably priced.

In the beginning

As a starter for the first four months, I love the Tasman Eco Amore bassinette and King Parrot Cub bassinette. I am also thinking about a Moses basket from Mothercare.

Having a bassinet or Moses basket is a very personal choice. It’s absolutely fine to put your baby straight in a cot, in fact I’ve heard many people recommend that it’s easier in the long run because there are no transitional issues later. I’m just one of those people that would quite like Junior to feel snuggly for the first few months and to be able to move them around the house with me throughout the day. But it is not essential that you have a specific newborn sleeping option – a cot is fine.

I’ve recently shifted back to Australia from the UK in preparation for my first child. Figured family and friends could come in handy. So in addition to expecting Baby Number One in the frighteningly near future, I’m also reacquainting myself with a country that looks the same but feels different (or it could be me), and all the jargon, tricks, products and advice about ‘shopping for baby’.

What makes it even more fun are the exasperated eye rolls you get if you don’t know about something and the assumption that – because you’re a woman – you should. I’d be forgiven for finding a cave to hide in for the next year. Like many new Mums, I haven’t got a clue. It’s all new and daunting.

I quite like my creature comforts, so I’ve opted out of the cave solution and instead went in search of help. I found it at Baby Kingdom at Bankstown in Sydney where I learned more in one hour with their sales team than I thought I would ever know.

For a start, I have to say this store is designed with sanity in mind. Actually, that’s a fib. It’s designed with insanity in mind: particularly the confused, sleep deprived and nervous insanity of new parents who don’t have the headspace to cope with a poorly disorganised store. Here you will find a neatly organised, one-floor space that tenderly guides you to what you need for feeding, getting your baby on the move, dressing and protecting your baby from the elements, and sorting your nursery space.

Babies have to eat

We started in the feeding and care section – right near the entrance. Here we found the breast pumps, the dummies, the bottles, the formula, the sterilisers and the countless other items I’m preparing myself to term as ‘necessities’ in the coming months. You can sleepwalk in, grab, pay, go.

I’m toying with the notion of a breast pump, but don’t know if I’ll need one yet so holding out – but the advice on electric versus manual was straightforward, human and honest. Basically, I’m not going to be in the mood for manual labour and some nifty person far better at maths than I has taken the time to sort an electric option. I say that’s a winner in my book. So I took notes. At the moment the Avent Electric is looking like an option, but we’ll see. I’ll keep you posted in late April.

Getting baby around: Prams, buggies, strollers etc…

Then there was The Buggy. Or Pram. Or Stroller. Or Integrated Travel System. Or Hydrogen Fuelled Infant Rocket. Honestly, my head was spinning on the Big Buggy Dilemma. In any case, I was eased into this with an explanation on a few key factors that I found helpful as criteria for this monster purchasing decision.

There are a few options on baby carriers and slings as well. I’m eyeing up the Baby Bjorn Active myself.

A place for baby to sleep

Then it’s time for the nursery – a whole other story. But it should be said that there isn’t just the cot to consider: linen, mattress protectors, night lights – it’s all there.

Babywear and grooming

You also have accessories, baby grows, grooming and skincare to consider. So there are the lotions, bathing, clothes and of course, nappies and associated products for taking care of a key preoccupation in early life.

Oh my, and then there are the toys. Which is a whole other adventure.

For the minute, I’m enjoying the fact that I actually understand all this a little better and had it explained to me by friendly, helpful and thorough people. They didn’t stare at me aghast that I don’t have the magic microchip that allegedly equips every female with immediate encyclopedic knowledge about baby kit. They have an online checklist too.

If I wasn’t eight months up the duff, I would have invited my newfound best friends out for a glass of wine in thanks.

What to Expect The First Year, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

I must admit that as I am writing this I have a soundly sleeping baby and have a hot cup of tea next to me! But not so long ago this seemed like a far off dream, as I lived to baby’s beck and call. I was constantly in a daze and needless to say, constantly drinking cold tea. It was in these first months, in particular, that I referred to What to Expect, The First Year on a daily if not hourly basis, and I felt reassured to know that it was always at close hand with sound advice and reassurance!

I found What to Expect, The First Year to be a comprehensive all in one parenting book (has the size and weight to match) with practical and realistic information, helpful references and in general was presented in a clear and easily digestible manner. It also has a thorough Contents and Index which made it very user friendly, which I found to be an important factor in those first months of being an anxious new mother and the fatigue that comes with the territory. Furthermore, I thought it was good that sometimes topical issues such as breastfeeding or bottle, getting baby to sleep through the night and going back to work etc. were discussed neutrally, presenting all sides of the topic.

What to Expect, The First Year has a comprehensive month by month guide and also has special sections on topics such as making the transition to parenthood and changing lifestyles, breastfeeding, becoming a father, from only child to older child, starting solids, stimulating baby, first aid, recipes and much more. It also has a section in each chapter of questions and answers which are wide ranging, sometimes being just the thing you need to know and other times great for some interesting/tasty reading.

It is now up to it’s 4^th Edition and is one in a series of What to Expect books, covering preconception to the toddler years. There is also a What to Expect, Kids range all of which can be found at http://www.whattoexpect.com which also has lots of other good information and fun things to peruse.

I’m a reader. If I don’t know about something, I look it up and source about 100 different pieces of information so I get a bit of the picture, or I do a course, and then I swim in a sea of bewildered information overload.

I read a bunch about childbirth in the middling months of this pregnancy caper and one month out from the big unveiling, I had forgotten everything. So Hubby and I signed up for an antenatal class at our hospital of choice, and I’m happy to say it was Hornsby in Sydney’s northern suburbs – because it was really good.

I liked the fact that the class gave me a sneak preview of just how clumsy and clueless I am with this whole parenting thing before I actually have a living, breathing infant in my hands. My expectations have been effectively managed on that score, which is a good thing: I’ll be pleasantly surprised if I get it right this way. It also helps to translate the nicely written step-by-steps books give you and put them into action…you know, before you actually go into action.

Our teacher was pretty human and open on the whole labour thing, and she was encouraging and funny. A good approach. It sounds to me like a sense of humour is needed.

Antenatal etiquette

Our group was told upfront not to bring the gory nightmare stories to table, and I think that’s fair enough. You don’t want anyone screaming and running from the class.

Mind you, there are some pretty messy questions you want to ask and I had no way of knowing what the scale was from ‘horrific’ to ‘informative and anatomically correct’. Kind of hard to guess. So you preface everything with: ‘not to alarm anyone’. Which, of course, immediately it does because you’ve set the tone. I’d welcome any suggestions on how best people can phrase their scary questions.

My question was related to what happens if you tear from A to B. I did the ‘preface thing’ and was advised not horrify people, so I didn’t ask. Reserved it for my OBY.

I have no idea what anyone else was thinking and if it was as gory, or even more so.

I also pretty much jumped in boots and all and wanted to know just how early I can ask for the drugs. There is a big focus on active labour – and with good reason. I’m in awe of those that go in with stoic dedication to unassisted birth. Respect. But allow me to speak plainly: I’m a chicken with pain. I wanted to know when and how I could make it stop if I just wasn’t coping. And you know what? I think that’s ok. And you get that information, so that’s a good thing.

I have heard tales of poor antenatal class etiquette. These include:

• Any stories of rare and possibly mythical phenomenon – including eyes popping out. And I don’t think this is limited to the antenatal class – this goes for general chit-chat with an expecting parent. You do not need to tell someone who is a month away from this process such frightening stories. I’m pretty sure if it happens to them, the pre-emptive yarn will be of no great help anyway.
• Telling incredibly sad stories of loss or near death experiences. It is tragic and terribly upsetting that this should happen to anyone, but it is also important to approach this experience in the hope that it won’t happen to you. Pollyanna though it may be: think good thoughts.
• Telling tales that give people a sense of mistrust in the hospital, birthing centre, medical practitioners or midwives they will need to trust to some extent. We’ve all heard these stories. I would say the reality is that most of these specialists are great, and some suck at their jobs – just like any other profession in the world. Giving people the benefit of the doubt and going in with an attitude of mutual decency – I am told – is your best bet. Of course, if someone is really rude and nasty to you when you’re at your most vulnerable – and without good reason – I say you, your significant other or birth partner have every right to set them straight. Fair’s fair.

Some good pointers

Among other things I quite liked that one’s hospital bag should include some sugary sweeties to give you an energy boost. I ate all my musk sticks from Kmart within a week of buying them, so I need to restock. I was reassured when I read Kaz Cooke’s ‘Up the Duff’ that she did pretty much the same thing.

Other tips included:

• Water is your friend. Drink it. Shower in it. Bath in it. Use it for sitz baths afterwards when your bits and pieces are tender.
• Tennis balls are great for lower back massage. Who knew?
• It’s not the best idea to try to drive yourself to the hospital. Also, have a few back-up plans for transport if your birth partner can’t get you there. Apparently cab companies aren’t too chuffed at the idea of shuttling ladies in labour to the hospital. Though, I can imagine the cliché cabbie debate on Alan Jones, the footy, immigration and election results would take an interesting turn when the contractions came in thick and fast.
• You can tear disposable nappies. I did. It’s ok and it doesn’t make you a substandard human being. Get another one.
• There’s a bit of a trick to holding a little body at bath time. I dropped my practice Cabbage Patch Kid and also had too much pressure around its neck. It’s comforting to know that real life babies apparently have this cool thing called ‘dive reflex’. So you’ll freak out way more than they will if they do take a plunge. Fortunately for me, Hubby was a natural at the bath grip, so there’s one chore he now owns.
• You can dampen and freeze nappies to use as ice packs for when your milk comes in and your boobs hurt. A good cheeky trick.
• Your baby will look weird when it first comes out and for a couple of days thereafter. The films are telling us porky pies. They get cuter with time.

There was a bunch of other information on all sorts: breastfeeding, Caesarean birth, support if you suffer with post-natal depression and how to spot it, time management, what support to look for from family and friends, and the all-important baby sleeping, eating and pooing patterns.

Our hospital has a staggered programme over a number of weeks, or you can do the express course over two weekends (which we did). They also have a lactation consultant – which I may yet make use of. You can also do private courses, or a course that suits your particularly health or spiritual philosophy. They’re all out there.

In short, I recommend doing a class. As much as anything you can tell anyone with a horror story (which seems to have no benefit aside from scaring the living daylights out of you) to keep it to themselves because your teacher told you so.

NewbornMum looking to solve the 'big buggy dilemma' at Baby Kingdom

Now here’s a topic that people have evangelical opinions on: the big buggy purchase.

For the record, feel free to interchange ‘buggy’ with: pram, stroller, travel system, babymobile…and the list goes on. In general, I’m referring to something with wheels and a small body-containing compartment that people push their very young children around in.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not scorning the close-to-religious attachment parents have to their buggy of choice: particularly if it’s a good choice. These contraptions can be the deciding factor that will have you rating your experience of stepping out with Baby along a spectrum of ‘blood curdling nightmare’ through to ‘piece of cake’.

I found shopping for one to be one of the most difficult purchasing decisions I have ever made in my life. I’m not kidding. It outstretched my wedding gown, car and various rental property choices for pure stress value. Sounds insane, I know, but I’m not alone.

Firstly, everyone has an opinion – and they’re all valid because they come from experience. Secondly, there’s just so much choice and so many variables involved.

Buggy considerations

There is a lovely lady at Baby Kingdom in Castle Hill, Sydney, who put it to Hubby and me like this:

• What’s your budget?
• What’s your lifestyle? Indoorsy, outdoorsy, jogging, shopping, urban, rural, car drivers or using public transport?
• How much can you handle lifting? Including if you fall pregnant while you’re still in ‘pram mode’ with your first (or second, or third)?
• What car do you drive and how big is the boot?
• What sort of space do you have for storing it at home?
• How many kids do you plan on having?

Then she got to work with us. And she was terrific.

Buggy rationale

We like to go for walks, sometimes in parks and certainly along the beach or at least along roads that run alongside the ocean. So we need weather protection for Baby – in the cold and in the heat, as well as good suspension on the wheels and tyres for various terrain. We also need storage compartments to carry around the 8,000 varieties of paraphernalia you need to get you from A to B.

Three-wheeler options also seemed to be easier to maneuver, so we decided on that configuration.

We’re not millionaires, so something middle-of-the-range, and a really good deal at that, was really what we were looking for. We don’t drive a massive car. We got ourselves a Subaru Forester, which is pretty generous on size, but then, we also don’t have much space at home for storage when the buggy isn’t in active service.

We also would use this contraption for shopping, and ideally (in my dreamland utopia of parenthood) provide our darling little bundle with the comfort of somewhere to sleep. They do sleep occasionally, right?

I’m not the strongest woman in the world. In fact I have no upper body strength to speak of. Now, I’m told that will change, but in the immediate future my wimpy self needs a pram she can actually haul into the car.

We are planning on possibly having more than one little bundle of joy, but rather than get ahead of ourselves, a dear friend advised me that she often pops the newer of her children in a sling whilst older sibling either sits in the pram or, more recently, walks alongside. Sounded reasonable to me. So I stopped looking at tandem arrangements – not that I don’t think they’re quite a nifty solution.

Buggy of choice

I don’t know why, but there was just something about the Valco Matrix Dart style that appealed on sight. But I also had very reliable and sensible friends chanting the mantra of Mountain Buggy, Quinny and Bugaboo. So investigation was required.

Phil & Ted’s Explorer seemed like quite a good option. Neat little bassinet attachment and, of course, it has the adaptability of a toddler seat or inline options made this a good choice to accommodate the as yet unmade Baby Number 2. I loved the easy access shopping cart and that it folded down so magically. I just wanted a bit more in the way of canopy cover and an easier mechanism on the brakes.

We wandered over to Mothercare at Castle Hill, where they had a great package on their My Choice three-wheeler. The package pretty much gave you everything – rain cover, bassinet: the whole deal. It was very modular, so you just removed or replaced the components as you needed them and it has to be said, the design is lovely. Again, I’d like a little more in the way of a canopy (personal preference). But this was definitely a contender.

Big in the way of a canopy is the Baby Jogger City Elite. Their three-wheeler was terrific. Good storage space for shopping. Oh – and the one click fold is a dream. Really. Not to mention that the brake is on the handle and out of reach of little fingers – so easy for you, and safe for Baby. Just fab. The seat folded down for a newborn, which is great, but I wanted a bassinet (again, just a personal preference from a novice – scoff if you will), and that was in addition to the package at the time. I would recommend this stroller if you’re not married to the idea of a bassinet. Really good buy.

Back to Baby Kingdom, where I ogled the Quinny, Bugaboo, Emmaljunga and Stokke ranges. They are all utterly gorgeous, but I have to confess I didn’t really try them out to their full potential because they were out of our price range. What did occur to me – particularly with the Emmaljunga range – is that if I lived somewhere with a really cold climate they would definitely be the buggy of choice. They all just had beautiful design features, high-quality fabric, and I loved that the Quinny handle allowed you to have the baby facing you or looking outwards.

Baby Kingdom also had a great deal on the Mountain Buggy Swift at the time, which was going for $AUD599 with the bassinet thrown in. The Mountain Buggies look great and their colour spectrum is really funky and vibrant. I loved the fact that it weighed 9.5kg and can take up to 35kg in weight, and the fold-down procedure was really easy. Great brakes too. Our only hesitation here was that it folds down flat and compact – which is terrific – but the length took up the entire boot floor of our car. I loved it though, and we really very nearly bought this. It was our number 2 choice.

The Valco range includes the very neat and compact Ion and Ion Plus. The Ion Plus would have been our choice as it includes the bassinet. If we were only looking to be just indoors or sticking to paved surfaces, this was just the ticket. So incredibly lightweight (8.6kg) and folded down to next to nothing: great for those of us who are sans muscles. Hubby just wanted a bigger handle, and the wheels may not have coped with our walks. So went a bit bigger… and encountered the Valco Matrix Dart Plus.

Loved it. The hood expands, pretty much entirely sheltering your little one in a safe little cocoon and it can take up to 22kg in weight. The brake is really easy to use. Great storage pocket at parent height, and a generously sized shopping compartment underneath baby. It does weigh 11.5kg, but I guess I’m just going to have to harden up. It folds down in two steps so that it’s sort of compact in a boxy way, which suited our car boot as it left room for shopping and other bags alongside it. The bassinet is currently included in a deal at Baby Kingdom – a nice price at $AUD499.

I allowed Hubby to select the colour choice, given I’ve chosen everything else. He went with taupe. See, I would have gone with the grey…but you’ve got to let the boy have some say. Or do you?