There are so many ways to travel with your newborn, it's crazy town! Strollers and baby carriers of all shapes, sizes and styles. Researching it all can almost get as in-depth as researching cloth diapers. Almost. ;-)
With our first son, we went the traditional route: a collapsible stroller. I tried a structured carrier a few times early on but it never quite stuck; kind of like our first attempts at cloth diapering. I just wasn't as committed as I'd have liked. So, over the years we've used the same kind-of-clunky single stroller. It has served us well, but has seen its day.
Now, with a second on the way and a still-doesn't-quite-listen 3-year-old, I've looked into all the options. I still have a wrap and a structured carrier, so especially having an older kiddo to chase around, I'm actually quite motivated and excited to give these a solid try this time.
However, knowing that we're in need of a new stroller, I also decided to research the option of a double stroller. I was going to ask everyone here in this community what their thoughts are with regards to these (particularly, the non-side-by-side style, which seems way too wide), but since we haven't really "allowed" anyone to buy anything new for this little one, we took some family members up on their offer to get a new stroller (and other relatives who offered to get a new coordinating car seat - talk about generous!).
We went with a 13-position sit-and-stand model which will hopefully help with those times that we need to contain both munchkins - I mean you, farmers' market trips - and motivate me to get out for walks with the littles more often when the weather warms up again! One can dream, right?
I like to think there are pluses to both methods of baby-wrangling, or else I wouldn't have gone with them both. My biggest positives for babywearing are the bonding and the hands-free awesomeness. The stroller eases my mind that our older son isn't running off while my husband or I are tending to the baby and will hopefully help with bigger trips - I still remember being stroller-less at an amusement park on a super hot day last summer kicking myself at how exhausted the little guy looked. (He's literally a very tall, big-for-his-age boy, so he's never been much into being held and snuggled. Insert bummed mama face here.)
I'd love to hear what you guys think, though.
What's your favorite method? A stroller? Jogging stroller? Umbrella? Double? What about babywearing?
What's your favorite way to get out-and-about with your little one? I know every mama's experience is super personal, so there's no judging either way here - as always!