Like many people of my generation, I didn’t grow up having sunscreen slathered on me every time I set foot outdoors. While I know the health benefits of wearing sunscreen today, that doesn’t mean I like applying it – to me or my infant daughter.

Many sunscreens feel greasy, tacky and oily after application. Put something on a squirmy infant or toddler that makes them slippery – and it’s a recipe for disaster! Other sunscreens are hard to apply evenly because the lotion isn’t smooth enough. And spray on sunscreen? They work great as long as you rub them in, but I’m always afraid of spraying it in my daughter’s eyes.

Then I discovered Earth Baby Sun n’ Fun Baby Sunscreen. Earth Baby’s sunscreen lotion goes on smooth, makes baby’s skin feel soft – not greasy – and provides SPF 30 sun protection for even the brightest days.

Earth Baby also works well as a moisturizer thanks to a special blend of:

• Cocoa butter

• Essential oils of chamomile, vanilla and honey

The Importance of Organics

When my daughter was first born, I went on an all-organic kick. But it didn’t last long and, last night, for instance, she sat munching on a French fry at Appleby’s. But I know it’s important to some moms to find all-organic products for their babies. For me, if I can find a superior product at a reasonable price and it is also organic, that’s a bonus. That is exactly the case with the Earth Baby line.

The Earth Baby line is not only certified 90% organic, it’s also phthalate- and paraben-free, pediatrician-recommended and made in the USA. Knowing the product is safe and also supports American industry means a lot to me.

Additionally, Earth Baby partnered with the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance to use a certifiable 100% tree-free, recyclable FiberStone paper. The packaging contains no bleach and is produced using less energy and no water. It doesn’t get much greener than that.

Oleosome Technology

It’s easy to tell, from all the company is doing for the environment and the U.S. economy, that Earth Baby cares about its customers. The company is also on the cutting edge of technology. It uses proprietary, award-winning oleosome technology (winner of a Frost & Sulliven Technology Innovation of the Year Award) to deliver nutrients directly into the baby’s skin.

Oleosome technology, appearing more and more in high-end beauty products, uses Fresh Cells to deliver nutrients directly to the skin. Picture tiny bubbles within the products, filled with extracts of fruits and vegetables, that burst upon application, releasing healthy nutrients like beta-carotene, and E and C vitamins onto the skin. It’s never to early to start a health and beauty regime for baby, and Earth Baby makes it easy. You’ll find fresh fruit and vegetable extracts deliver through Oleospheres in all their products, including:

• Baby lotion

• Wipes

• Hair detangler

• Baby shampoo

• Bath gel

• Diaper rash cream

Disclaimer

I know this review sounds a bit like a paid ad, but let me assure you, it is not. Earth Baby, as part of a campaign to get their new products into the hands of influential mom bloggers, sent me a sample. I can see why they took that chance – the product really is that good. Now I’m wishing they had offered to send a year’s supply! I’m looking forward to checking out the other products.

This was the must-have baby product when I was pregnant, and along with all the other moms of newborns that I knew at the time, I bought one, despite the nagging doubt that I was wasting $40 on a blob of plastic. The buzz on the Internet swayed me – rave reviews from other moms saying their 1-6 month old babies LOVED their Bumbos. Or more usually, LOVED!!!!!! with plenty of exclamation points.

I ordered my Bumbo from the internet, and it arrived, and it was indeed a blob of plastic, a sizable, sturdy lump of plastic, but still a lump of plastic. I started to feel that I’d been duped.

I plopped my son, who was at the age where sitting up is almost a possibility, into the seat. He looked startled. Then a big grin spread across his face. He flapped his arms, kicked his legs, and grinned. From that day, every time I needed to pee, answer the phone, or do anything that needed concentration or two hands, I set him in the Bumbo and he was perfectly content for several minutes, sitting up and watching the world go by. He used it for a couple of months, until sitting up was old hat and crawling was now the new black.

Then fast forward almost three years. My son is now capable of climbing on top of the five foot high radiators, then sitting and grinning and kicking his legs, and we also have Daycare Baby (age 1) and Boyfriend’s Daughter (age 6). We just moved house, and when I was packing, I pulled out the Bumbo from the back of the closet, and all three kids crowded round. “What is it? Is it a potty?” They asked. “It’s a baby seat”, I said. “I want to sit in it!” They all said. Actually Daycare Baby said “aa? aa? aaaaaaaa!!” but that seemed to be what she meant.

It’s a baby seat, guys. But they all had a go. Daycare Baby tried to get in backwards, which she thought was very funny. My son sat in it and peed, which they all thought was hilarious. The Bumbo had a wash. Then Boyfriend’s Daughter had a go. The Bumbo got stuck on her bottom, so she crawled around the house like that. It kept them all entertained for a good thirty minutes. Never mind that it’s a baby seat.

The Bumbo Baby Seat is a very useful lump of plastic, perfect for babies aged 1-6 months. And 1-6 years too.

The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. This year, with the credit crisis, the shops might be a little quieter. Or maybe not, as retailers slash prices even more than usual to attempt to get the customers in their stores and spending money.

Black Friday is also national “Buy Nothing Day“, a day organized by activism and anti-consumerism group Adbusters to raise awareness of over-consumption and to encourage shoppers to be more thoughtful about what they actually buy. Do they really need that? Is it replacing something that could be repaired? Would it be cheaper to buy it second-hand?

Are you planning to go shopping on Black Friday? Toys, and electronics are often the most heavily discounted. Expectant parents need a digital camera for baby photos – and how could even the harshest anti-consumerist argue with that?

Babies are the easiest people to buy for. Stores filled with racks and racks of the most adorable baby clothes, nursery decor, toys that promise to teach baby to count and spell and speak Spanish and learn her animals, most baby stores make it super-easy to start a baby registry, and most baby websites have a checklist of things you need to buy for your baby. And then there’s the pressure to be a yummy mummy and have the latest stroller, most fashionable baby carrier, and designer baby clothes, just like the celebrity moms.

I’m preparing to move house, and I’m looking through my son’s baby stuff. I’m marveling at how little I used some of the items we bought or received. Some of his clothes have tags still on, or are pristine and barely worn. There’s so many toys he didn’t care for.

My finances have been trashed this year – I became a single mom – so initiated by necessity, I’ve had to work out what I really, truly need to buy. So now I haven’t bought a toy for my son for months. Yes, you read that right. He’s been very happy playing with random non-toy objects and it’s so neat to watch him invent new uses for things, and it’s using my grey matter thinking up ways to reuse objects like empty food pots (train garage, frog castle, bath toy) and other things that hitherto would have gone in the trash. We were playing at being bats in a cave underneath the duvet this afternoon, then I rolled him up in it like a burrito which he thought was hilarious. Adding in getting all our books from the library, the total cost of toys = $0.

I’ve bought him winter clothes, including a couple of things from a local consignment store, and new mittens for me, and that’s about it. Looking through the barely-used baby clothes reminded me how fast they grow and to just buy what he needed, not lots of cute outfits because they were cute.

And I did get a new digital camera. Well, kinda new – it was $50 second-hand from Craigslist. Craigslist is also a great source of baby bargains. When my son was a baby I got an exersaucer for $5 and a brand new swing for $20, and a great big bagful of baby Gap clothes for $15. And in keeping with the ethics of Buy Nothing Day, buying second-hand is very green, it doesn’t use any of the planet’s resources, and it saves the items from the landfill.

Black Friday is a great day to get a discount on something you really need, and many internet stores are already discounting prices and have special offers in preparation for a Thanksgiving shopping marathon. I found my son’s new winter coat 40% off and free shipping at Amazon, much cheaper than at my local mall.

But after hearing about Buy Nothing Day, I’m also resolving to be more thoughtful about what I buy, and to consider what we actually need before I buy anything.

Are you going shopping on Black Friday? What are you looking for? Or are you going to be having a “Buy Nothing Day”?

I have a love-hate relationship with many of my favorite baby products. There are those magic wands which help our babies fall asleep (think: pacifiers), and we love them for that – until the baby can’t live without them. Or worse yet, it gets lost (think: favorite stuffed animals). Then we hate those things.

But it’s not just the children that bond with inanimate objects. It’s amazing how a ridiculous little thing made of plastic and gaudy fabric can bring an adult to tears. Inevitably, I find something I love, become attached to it – maybe even dependent on it – then it lets me down. Or it gets lost. Or it wins. And I hate that. Take, for example, my daughter’s swing. It is like a Vegas side show.

Keep in mind, I have nothing against holding her. I use a bouncy seat occasionally. And there is always the crib (which, when I think about it, is really not that useful). But that swing is my life saver. It goes head to toe. It goes side to side. It plays music (which I used to hate and now, well, I don’t love the music, but my daughter does, so I love having it). It has a mirror which any narcissistic four month old can enjoy. It has a mobile that bobs up and down while it twists around.

Sometimes, I seriously believe my daughter prefers the swing to being held. I love that, and I hate that.

I hate that it cost more than a week’s worth of groceries. I love that my sister bought it for me.

When it comes down to it, my baby loves the swing, I love the swing. But I hate the blasted motor that keeps breaking! We are waiting for mechanism #3 to arrive via UPS. Meanwhile, I pull the thing near to the dinner table and keep pushing it because as soon as the whoosh stops, my darling daughter wrinkles up her face and wails as if she were the most miserable, pitiful, anguished, betrayed creature ever given life. ‘WHY?’ she cries (well, that’s what it sounds like). And I join her.

Somehow, I managed to not have a swing for my little boy. But he cried all the time. I’m convinced he would have been happier in a swing. And, in fact, I really tried this time around to find a new swing that had a wind-up feature. (I told myself it was because the ratcheting is a calming white noise, but the truth is that I am too cheap to pay for a nice one, and batteries are so darn expensive. But that was before I knew my sister would buy a nice one for me.)

Now I really wish I’d checked Craigslist for an old wind-up type. Because right now the whiz-bang swing is just a porcelain doll. It looks nice in the corner of the living room but I can’t do anything with it.

So the moral of the story is – well, I’m not sure. I just needed to vent my frustrations. Maybe I’m nuts. But I’d guess I’m not the only one out there who has a similar love/hate relationship with baby stuff.

Baby product manufacturers, especially makers of formula, frequently offer product rebates. I know I have about three product rebate forms filed away in a folder labeled ‘baby coupons,’ to use when my due date approaches.

According to the writers of the book Baby Bargains, if you check the box marked ‘plan to breastfeed’ on any pregnancy surveys, you’ll get even more formula coupons, rebates and other special offers. In my fifth month of pregnancy, I’ve found this to be true.

Rebates encourage new parents, who may not have developed brand loyalty or preferences, yet, to try specific products. However, four out of 10 people who purchase a product with a rebate available fail to collect the money due to them.

Manufacturers count on this, in fact, and often make rebate submission requirements very stringent. New mothers, with lots on their minds, are especially susceptible to forgetting to mail in a rebate form, sending it in with incomplete information, or missing the deadline. With the high costs of raising an infant, those little rebate checks can add up to significant savings. Make sure you get the money you deserve by following these steps:

• Gather all the information and paperwork required to submit the rebate. This is likely to include the product’s serial number, your original receipt, a UPC cut out from the box, and the rebate form. Make a photocopy of all the paperwork, including the completed rebate form, for your records before mailing. Be aware of rebates that require you to purchase two different products in order to collect the rebate. These rebates can offer even greater savings, but you must purchase both products and submit both receipts and UPC codes to qualify.
• Fill out the form legibly, in blue or black ink if specified. Make sure you include all necessary information.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to mail the rebate. Do it immediately when you return home from the store, so you don’t forget. Additionally, if you make a mistake in your submission, such as forgetting to include the UPC or receipt, there may be time to correct the mistake if you didn’t wait until right before the deadline to submit the form.
• Watch the mail; rebates can take up to 12 weeks to arrive. The envelope is usually small and often looks like junk mail. It helps to write the expected arrival dates of any rebate checks on your calendar; if the check is more than two weeks late, you can contact the company to check the status.

Sometimes I feel vastly under-qualified to blog about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. After all, this is my first child and I’m learning as I go. I can only hope, as you read my posts, that you’ll be learning along with me, that my questions and concerns mirror those of other first-time expectant mothers.

As an avid reader, freelance writer, and former bookstore employee, one thing I do know is books! There are several titles I’ve added to my already-overstuffed bookshelves in the past few months that I now consider indispensable titles for an expectant mom.

Here they are, in no particular order. I hope they help you, too.

• What to Expect When You’re Expecting – This definitive pregnancy title by Heidi Murkoff is available in a newly-revised fourth edition for 2008. Amazon.com calls the book ‘America’s Pregnancy bibles’ and USA Today voted it one of the 25 most influential books of the past 25 years. It’s been read by 90 percent of all pregnancy women who read any pregnancy books, so if this isn’t your first child, chances are you have a copy. However, the updated edition reflects the latest research, changing attitudes and current lifestyle trends, so it may be time to update your dog-eared copy. If this is your first baby, you will read this book cover-to-cover and refer to it often.
• Baby Bargains – When I first got engaged, Bridal Bargains was one of a handful (okay, more like a box-full!) of wedding books I purchased. I later passed it on to a friend, and still consider it one of my best wedding investments. Therefore, it made sense to pick up Baby Bargains when we first began shopping for our little bean. In this informative, straightforward and fun-to-read volume, not only do authors Denise and Alan Fields offer a realistic assessment of the price of having a baby, they show you how to save hundreds or thousands of dollars. Most appealing is the money back guarantee, if you don’t save at least $250 on baby products by using the book, the authors will refund the cost of the book. I’m sure I’ll use this book a lot in the coming months and then pass it on, as well!
• What to Expect the First Year – As Week 40 approaches, an expectant mother’s worries begin to shift from what’s going on inside her body to how she will care for the new baby. What to Expect the First Year, by Heidi Murkoff, will answer many of your questions and concerns before you find them staring you in the face. The chapters on fatherhood are great, too! (Alternatively, Babies Online has great section on Baby’s First Year, a week by week breakdown of expectations and baby development, and it’s totally FREE)
• A Child is Born – I remember browsing through this book as I stocked the Pregnancy and Parenting section of Barnes & Noble, years before I dreamed of having a child of my own. The gorgeous photography by Lennart Nilsson is moving and informative. Like What to Expect, this 40-year-old classic volume was recently updated to reflect new advancements and updated research. More than 350 new photographs, including photos created using new 3D ultrasound technology, bring the miracle of childbirth to life.
• Best Baby Gear -This new book by Sandy and Marcie Jones came to me straight from Sterling Publishing. I opened it with the skepticism required of a book reviewer. I already have Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports: Best Baby Productswhat additional information could this book provide? After a night of perusing the 369-page resource, which is part of the Great Expectations series, I was pleasantly surprised by the in-depth information, easy-to-read format, and full color images of many popular baby products. The book also goes beyond the products to provide ‘quick tips’ for tasks such as bathing an infant or changing a diaper. This one will stay in my bag with me when I go shopping for everything from a breast pump to a stroller. (Note: You’ll have to wait ’till August to pick up this one… the book has not been released yet.)

There are many other books you may want to add to your collection, depending on your own level of knowledge and reading preferences. A baby name book might be a good purchase, but, honestly, I’d save my money and use the many online resources devoted to baby names and their meanings.

You may want a pregnancy journal. I picked one up through Freecycle. The previous owner never wrote on a single page. I’ve had it three weeks and in spite of lugging it to my OB for my most recent appointment, I haven’t used it, yet, either.

On the other hand, you may revel in chronicling every moment of your pregnancy and writing down every milestone, in which case a pretty pregnancy journal is a great keepsake. For me, a pocket calendar to keep track of doctor appointments and a notepad to jot down questions for my doctor works just fine.

How about you? What pregnancy and parenting titles do you consider “must-reads” and why? I’d love to see other expectant and new moms’ “top five” book lists, too, as well as your top five picks for babies. Because, you know, I see a little tiny corner of empty space on my bookshelf, and we can’t have that, can we?

Baby sleeping bags have been popular in Europe for many years. It’s only recently they have started to catch on here too and once you try them, you’ll wonder why we went so long without them.

Baby sleeping bags, or sleep sacks, if you are not familiar with them, are like a wearable blanket that baby’s arms and head stick out of, and baby is zippered in snug, safe and sound.

They regulate a baby’s body temperature better than blankets, they can’t be kicked off, and best of all, babies can’t wiggle their faces underneath them and get trapped, or worse.

Grobag is a European import. They come in chic euro designs, three different thicknesses for different seasons, and three different sizes – Small (0-6 months) Medium (6-18 months) and Large (18 months-3 years). Grobags are expensive, running around $50 a bag, but they are excellent quality, and the bigger sizes are good value when you consider your baby will be able to use it for a year or longer. My son wore a Medium size for over a year, and it still looks as good as new after all that washing and wearing. A bonus is that every Grobag comes with a free nursery thermometer.

Lullabag is a US company, making sweet pastel sleeping bags for boys and girls, decorated with sleeping animals, and for my money, the most stylish sleeping bags around. Their bags fasten with an ingenious double-way zipper which is very useful for accessing diapers in the middle of the night, without totally undressing the baby.

Kiddopotamus & Co Beddiebye fleece sleeping bags have a fantastic feature which is that they zip around the outside of the bag, instead of up the front, so you can put a sleeping baby in one without waking them up. Trust me – you’ll appreciate that! They make two sizes to fit babies up to six months.

Halo Sleepsacks come in lots of cute patterns, and either summer-weight cotton or winter-weight fleece. The newborn size has removable swaddle “wings” that make the best, snuggest, swaddle you’ll find for a wiggly newborn.

Baby blankets are a thing of the past. Your newborn is going to wake you up a lot but with a sleeping bag, waking you up because she’s tangled up in her blankets or kicked her blankets off, shouldn’t happen.

Sleeping bags – an essential for every baby registry!

Each time I came across one of these products recently in various parenting publications, I thought, ‘What a great idea!’ and book-marked each page. Here is a round-up of what I’ve found and am looking forward to trying with my newest little one on the way:

1. Orajel Toddler Training Toothpaste. This toothpaste is fluoride-free, so it’s safe to swallow. Of course, we want to teach our toddlers to care for their teeth correctly- brush, rinse and spit-but this is a great idea for when they’re trying to get the hang of it and might accidentally swallow. It’s made with Microdent, a special ingredient that cleans toddler’s teeth and gums without foaming. There’s a Thomas the Tank and Little Bear versions. It’s recommended for toddlers up to age four.
2. Desitin Clear diaper cream. I have distinct memories of changing my boys’ diapers and slathering on the traditional white Desitin cream. Somehow it ended up halfway down their chunky little things and all over me. While you’ll still want to wipe up any smudges, it will be a lot easier to wipe a clear formula off of your shirt than the white kind.
3. Hairbrush with built-in spritzer. I saw this on a site called summerinfant.com. My boys always seemed to always have cowlicks when I wanted to take them out or when it was time to go to preschool. This brush has a small compartment that you fill with water or detangler spray (great for longer, girls’ hair, too!), then lightly spritz those tangles and cowlicks away before brushing with the soft-bristle brush.
4. Mess-free GoPaint finger paints from Elmer’s. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this! Now your little artist can finger-paint without making a mess. The paint only works on special GoPaint paper, leaving no stains or smudges on kids’ hands, clothes, walls or carpets. You can get money-saving coupons from www.elmers.com/kids.

I’m sure I’ll be doing a lot more book-marking as I continue to read every baby and parenting magazine I stumble upon these days.

With all of the products on the market new moms have an overwhelming amount of choices to make. As if the baby itself and the lifestyle adjustment isn’t enough to stress us out, we are immersed up to our necks in products that claim that they are the best for your baby. Manufacturers of baby-brands are as competitive as they come and even offer you coupons to get discounts off of their brands if you happen to buy a competitors’ in the grocery store. Being myself the sole offspring from a set of two only child parents, my baby experience was and still is in vein of a deer in the headlights of a car. To only further complicate my lack of baby know-how, I was also caught unaware of my pregnancy until the night I delivered the baby. While it is my hope that most of you readers have a little bit more time to prepare for your little miracle than I did, this is where I started; online.

wo thumbs up for you! By becoming a member to babiesonline.com, you are already ahead of the game. Sign up for as many new parent online email newsletters and pregnancy topic sites as you can possibly manage. These websites are a priceless-treasure trove of information that relate to all aspects of the baby experience. Some of these sites even offer personalized emails that correspond with the week that you are currently pregnant with and what you should be expecting in the upcoming weeks. You can find information about nutrition, family planning, products, news, you name it, it’s out there.

Whether or not you have decided to breast feed your baby or supplement with formula, sign up for the formula family planning clubs to get information about the different kinds of formula that are available on the market and what the advantages of each brand is. These companies will also send you free samples, nutritional information for your baby, meal planning and troubleshooting for common feeding problems. After your baby is born, these companies will continue to email you updates in products as well as coupons and other special offers. If you are planning to participate in the government program W.I.C. (Womens Infants and Children), be advised that you will more than likely be given allowances for Similac formula and it is wise to start your baby on this brand to avoid later tummy grievances.

Another great place to start is mom-centered networking sites and groups. These websites are valuable for new moms that are looking to connect with other parents in their area, or just to discuss experiences and tips from other moms just like you! You can find these type of groups on most of the main networking sites, Myspace, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, as well as countless others targeted for your specific demographic or location. These websites are also a great way to vent your frustrations and calm your fears with the help of other moms that have experienced the same circumstances. You can also call your local social services society and connect with social clubs at your local recreation centers and community centers.

Yet another great source for information is the non-traditional source of printed materials, such as books, magazines, or pamphlets. Parenting focused magazines have reviews of current products, activity ideas and current event news that may impact you or your child. While these magazines are stuffed full of information, you may find that they have more of a broad focus than you are looking for. That’s where books come in.

If you have ever visited the family section of a book store you know exactly what I am talking about. There are books for every topic, issue, technique and stage from pregnancy all the way through adolescence. While it is important to remember to take these ideas and theories with a grain of salt, they are helpful in broadening your knowledge and preparing you mentally for the upcoming new family. When you are reading these books, just remember that there is no absolute right way to raise a child and your child will have his or her own needs and ideas that may not fit into the thoughts and experiences of the author! Nevertheless, the library is a great place to find all kinds of material and only further help to make your mommy experience a more well rounded one.

The last but certainly not least resource that you should look for information and support in is your family and friends. Again, take advice and ideas with a grain of salt and do not let your relatives frighten you! I don’t know what it is about having a baby that makes all the women in the surrounding zip code need to tell you their horror stories and mistakes they have made with their children, but be prepared to listen to more recitations and how-tos than an IKEA catalog. It is important to keep in mind that the women around you mean well by sharing their stories with you, but that your experience will be completely unique and will require it’s own personal stamp of troubleshooting and problem solving. Take a deep breath; relax. Women have been having babies for thousands of years, and lucky you to be having yours in the twenty-forth century where you have the most and the best technology and information there is available anywhere right at your fingertips. Believe in yourself and your instincts and try not to stress about every insignificant detail, and I guarantee you that you will be a great mom!

At first glance, it appears we are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing and buying a pushchair, stroller or buggy. Some are marketed by the pushchair manufacturers as a fashion accessory, and come with many colour options. Years ago there were pushchairs and prams – now there are pushchairs, sports pushchairs, combi pushchairs, shoppers, buggies, joggers, three wheeler buggies and more…

Oh, and let’s not forget those special pushchairs for different family situations – twin pushchairs, tandem pushchairs and even triple and quad pushchairs.

Now, you are probably starting to get confused with all the choices, but it is still much more complicated. There are pushchairs with large wheels, small wheels, air tyres, rubber tyres. You have to consider weight, width, handle height, shopping basket size.

One of the most important considerations when choosing a pushchair, not yet mentioned, is price. In addition, is a raincover included or is that extra? What about a parasol?

So, now that it all sounds so complicated, let’s try to put some order into this chaos and make it seem so much more straight-forward.

First, before you even begin to search for a new pushchair, you have to decide what your priorities are, what will the pushchair be used for?

That sounds obvious, but for example, will your pushchair mostly be on man-made surfaces, such as going to the shops for shopping – or will your main use be outdoors? A buggy is a light pushchair, small, narrow and lightweight. Definitely not suitable for rough ground but great for shops. So that might suit in this situation. A buggy is most suited to children older than 9 months who sit upright. They fold away quite small and so are easy to transport.

A very different type of pushchair is a jogger. This will suit an active, sporty parent, perfect for using off-road and easy to steer.

So, sit down and make your list of requirements. Consider when and how you will use your pushchair. Consider how important weight is to you. Depending on how tall you are, some pushchairs can be difficult to push because their handle height is high. Some pushchairs have adjustable handle height. Will you have a requirement to carry your pushchair up and down stairs – remember you will have to carry your baby at the same time!

Do you use public transport? – this makes size important as a large pushchair may cause difficulties, particularly on busy services.

We must also consider the baby – the pushchair should be comfortable, a reclining seat could be very important.

In my research I have discovered that many parents make a mistake in choosing their first pushchair and make their choice for many of the wrong reasons. I decided to rationalize many of the factors that should be considered when choosing a pushchair and developed a website where parents can offer their feedback to help others make these choices. The website is My Pushchair.

About The Author
Mark Hartshorne is a father with two young children and created a website to review pushchairs and strollers to offer parents a fair comparison on price, size, design and more. The website is My Pushchair.