ezvanetree

Yes, I think that is the case in many places--certainly my sister does nothing but drive from kids from mall to mall in the winter! However, I have no malls, (there is a Walmart way out yonder, but I refuse to go in it, for political reasons not relevant here!). So my time will be spent pushing the baby around the town (and it's hilly, as Judy in Calgary said) for fresh air. The grocery store is a few blocks away. If I can't get the fancy big wheeled stroller through the snow, I'll just have to be house bound. (an excellent way to get post natal depression I am sure!)

ezvanetree

Point taken about the folded baby problem! I think the Dutch are worrying over nothing. I have heard that in my web search, re: the car seat problem. Some people have mentioned only using the car seat option for six months, then upgrading the seat which then doesn't fit the stroller. Sigh. When my sisters and I were tiny, we were just slung into the car and roamed around it like a pack of dogs (this was the 60's). However, there were a lot more dead kids in those days too of course!

willmore

As people have mentioned there are many alternatives to getting around in the snow, there is no need for you to be housebound!

Seriously think of getting a sled to help yourself get out in the winter. It will do both of you good to be out in the fresh air! I used a sled for both my kids (now 3 and 5) when they were younger, when we visited Ontario at xmas and it worked very well!

ezvanetree

Yes, a sled sounds like a good idea for those heavy snow days. So I'll need a big wheeled stoller with four wheels and a car seat bucket (I do like the idea that when you use these bucket stroller things, the baby faces you, so you can make faces at it while walking, but again, as Iiank said, maybe the baby will fall asleep the second it is straped in--sounds ideal) as well as a sled. I knew this forum would give me the answers I need!

As an aside, my mom used to harness the dog to a sled and walk it while it pulled us (one kid at a time--we didn't have a team of dogs). We were thrilled with this--I couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 and I remember it still. I grew up in Ontario with lots of snow. I moved back to Canada for snow (well, one of the main reasons).

dingbat

Mine is ten months. He has been forward facing for the last three months. He hated being rear facing and would scream like he was being murdered. I have a really good deep and supportive Fisher Price seat from the States for him. I used it for the last one until she was three. Turning them is a weight/head control ratio thing and can be done prior to a year. Only one of my five lasted until nearly a year in a rear facing position. :scared:

Alberta_Rose

Another option is a baby-carrying sling for tinies .... you can wear a really big coat and wrap it round you both!

As for moving sleeping babies..... in my experience, once they were asleep only THEY decided when they were going to wake up!

Judy in Calgary

I would be nervous of stepping on a patch of ice, slipping and falling with the baby. If I carried the baby in this way, I would wear cleats on my boots. I have a pair of cleats that go by the name of Get-A-Grip. You can slip them on and off the soles of your boots or shoes. They cost C$25 a pair. An earlier brand name was Yak Trax, but Get-A-Grip is an even better design.

suebed

First, don't spend a fortune on any stroller. You can often buy 2 or 3 cheaper ones for the same price and in my experience, the expensive ones don't last as long as the cheapies.

I lived in Toronto when my son was a baby. STrollers were nigh on impossible to use in most snow. As soon as I could I put him in a backpack and we survived a couple of snowy winters happily with that arrangement. My sister had a baby at Christmas in Montreal and she used a snuggli when she went out but tended to leave the baby at home with hubby while she went out by herself for essential air and escape.

Snow seems a long way away in the middle of a heatwave. Not long now though!

iaink

Snugglis are a great option too once they can hold their head up, although hard to protect from the elements that way...exposed flesh probably not a good idea. I think the backpack type ones can get some sort of weather protection maybe? Worth checking out when they are older.

No need to be a shut in, nearly every community has some sort of baby/tot/toddler drop in group around. Without family around (which I think with a newborn is maybe the hardest aspect of emmigrating), its a good idea to get out there and mingle with other new parents and build a support group.

We were given strong advice several times that baby should not be forward facing till at least one year / 20lbs, no matter how good their control seems to be, as there is no way they can keep that big head controlled in the event of a front on impact without the support of the seat behind them (if that makes sense) Consequences would be severe whiplash or far worse. Their heads are just too large for the strength of their necks at that age with the magnifying effect of impact G-forces.

The safety council site says "When your child weighs 10 kg and can pull to a stand independently use a forward-facing seat. Before this, the neck and back muscles and bone structure are not strong enough to withstand crash forces."

If it means they are a bit cramped and unhappy with their feet laying against the back seatback for a few months, then so be it. Once #1 outgrew the baby seat at about 10 months we invested in an Alpha-Omega 3 in one car seat (rear facing infant, front facing infant/ booster) that it looks like she will be in till shes 8, at which point the law in Ontario allows use of regular belts without the booster. But while it was rear facing her legs were still up against the back seat.

#2 hated not being able to see mummy while rear facing (and mum was not too keen either), so we got a big mirror that attaches to the rear seatback, and everyone is much happier now about rear facing.

By the way, this is the 3 wheel stroller system we have, or much like it anyway.

If we were starting again we would go for something like this, and at that price its a good deal too. That one has an ALuminium frame too, so wont rust and will be relatively light.

Rete

My daughter has the combo stroller. The car seat base remains in the car belted in securely as recommended by the manufacturer. The baby seat/carrier can then be moved from car seat base to the stroller with ease. She puts Wyatt into it in the house and carries him to the car that way or to the stroller. Also uses the seat on the plane when visiting grandparents and other sundry relatives ;-)

Also remember that there are laws that main streets must be cleared within a certain timeframe after a snowfall. You might not need the skis. But you do need a 35 lb stoller just for the stability and traction it will provide.

Biiiiink

I found the Quinny Freestyle 4 okay in the snow, but I'm talking semi-cleared suburban streets, not going for a walk in the forest or anything Nice big tyres, seemed to have a very smooth ride. Didn't try it from newborn, it was a replacement by the airline for a damaged one. It has a handbrake as well as the proper footbrake, useful for going down steep hills and a strap to attach it to your wrist so that if you lose your grip on the handlebar, it's not going to go off at speed.

It was massive though, but the wheels were all quick release push-button if it didn't fit into a particular car, although whether you'd want to be doing that in snow I'm not sure!

Are you really going to Trail, BC? I've just been over there to have a look round and there's a heck of a lot of steps in that town. You'd be fine to bump this one down but no chance of carrying it up!

I never did the carseat/carrier thing - although there is an attachment to let you clip your car seat to the Quinny, Sears sell it I'm sure. It always amazes me to see people walking round carrying those huge things in one arm. Mr B couldn't even carry our son out of the hospital in his seat without wrecking his back, there's no way I'd be doing that on a daily basis. Car seat stayed in the car with us, to heck with waking the baby

dingbat

My latest was already standing and was well over 20lbs. The latest ten month old is walking ...mine seem to ignore the usual milestones. You can get a neck support to ensure that their heads are cushioned from whiplash - I have used it with one or two of mine. I also got rear ended by a tourist with a baby in the back of my car - baby was also forward facing. The baby was fine, as he had neck and head support where it was needed. The seats have to be deep and have the ability to be tipped back so that the baby is not upright as an older child would be. I have never seen my car seat in Canada, but a local cop who lives next door but one, saw it and ordered one for his own chunky kid!

ezvanetree

Thanks for that iaink. The Eddie Bauer is a contender and what you say about avoiding steel is an excellent tip! And thanks for the tip about the mirror in the car for when they don't want to be backwards anymore. Must remember that one!

As people have said, snugglies and slings are tempting (I was thinking a sling would do fine) but I too would be nervous about slipping. We are in a hilly area and I am not used to walking on snow. By the time it can hold its head up it will be spring (more or less) so then I can get a snugglie thing, I would think.

Calgal

Hmmm curious that a cop would do that - because child car seats purchased outside Canada are not legal for use in Canada

(Unless it has a sticker on the seat stating that it meets CMVSS safety standards)

ezvanetree

I hadn't thought of that! Needing the weight to control the stroller over snow. Of course that will be the case. And the thought of the car seat bit being useful on planes hadn't occurred to me either. I probably will visit family in Ontario with this baby (although deep down I say "I just flew from the other side of the world, YOU can come see ME for a change" but that's another topic).