Hello mom's! I hope all is staying healthy and sane in this challenging time.
I am having a singleton via cesarean section (c/s) at the end of June (had myomectomy 10+ years ago). We would like to have another child however, with a c/s, a wait of 1 - 1.5 years is needed for uterus to heal. ☹ Next try will be IVF transfer at 40 with no guarantee. We are looking for a single stroller for now.
My original plan has changed due to Covid19. Long story short, I am 28 weeks and with nonessential stores closed in Toronto, I have only been able to look at strollers via online reviews and youtube videos. Haven't been able to test drive. It’s seriously overwhelming with the available number of products and was hoping to get advice from moms here.
A couple of friends recommended Uppababy and a close friend swears by Bugaboo while another purchased the City Jogger but complained about the basket. They all live in New York City, urban living. A friend here in Toronto has a hand me down Britax B-Ready which she loves because of the big basket. But the stroller looks big, bulky, review was difficulty in maneuverability and has been discontinued (although available on Amazon). I also looked at Thule Sleek but there are a lot of mixed reviews with it however it offers Limited Lifetime warranty program but do we really need that type of warranty?
My maternity leave will either be 12 or 18 months (leaning towards the latter) and returning to work is undecided at the moment. I know a lot of parents buy another umbrella stroller to be placed at daycare.
With c/s, I was advised to remain inactive for about 2 months for the wound and uterus to heal. I don’t know what my physical restrictions will be but I am really hoping to go out for walks with my baby as summer in Toronto is beautiful. I don’t really want to miss summer but who knows where Covid19 will bring us by then.
My husband and I are not active joggers or hardcore country hikers but, we do love to go on trails (mostly either paved, with barks or some tree roots), fruit picking and etc. Hoping that we can continue to lead this lifestyle with baby onboard and for baby to experience the outside word. We are not a big shopping mall couple however my friends say that our interests will change once the kid arrives especially during winter times when outdoor activities are not accessible. I will end up going to the mall so they said a LARGE basket is a must. We have one vehicle, Honda Civic Sedan, but looking to trade in for a hatchback. We will be driving unless we are going to take a stroll around the neighborhood.
I was looking at so many brands that I am getting confused and stressed to be honest.
Bugaboo Fox2, Nuna Mixx Next 2020 (not available until summer), Uppababy Cruz v2 (preorder now), and Bumbleride Era. They all seem to have their pros and cons and it’s so difficult to pinpoint on one.
For instance, Fox2 and CruzV2 are both light with the aluminum frame (CruzV2 true weight is 25.5 pounds!) Downside for both is they have foam filled tires (they say air-filled tires is better for trails and all-terrain.)
Bumbleride Era has air filled tires but they say the seat isn’t as upright and the basket is very small along with a 10 pounds limit (equivalent to a gallon of milk).
The Nuna MixxNext has all season seating where we can remove the seat liner so that it converts to a mesh seating for the summer which I’m loving at the moment. Nuna also compacts well with their new mechanism and I love how the seat can fold in (seat is not exposed to the outside as compared to Cruz V2). Wheels, however, are rubber foam in the back and plastic in the front. Reviews have said, this makes it not suitable for handling trails, roots or bark chips. So should we use a baby carrier when we go on trails but would that defeat the purpose of such an expensive stroller?
Fox2 and Mixx Next2020 has the seat higher making it easier to lifting child even though we are not that tall. Photos of used Fox2 doesn’t show well-padded seating. Supposedly though Fox2 is known for kid's comfort.
Cruzv2 has the biggest basket weight capacity at 30 pounds and Fox2 has 22 pounds. Maxi Cosi Adora has a super good size basket but it’s not suitable for all terrain as it can’t handle bumps very well. Almost every website I’m reading says that big baskets are super important. His other friend said small basket strollers are almost useless. When I asked if there is really that much stuff to carry around? She said I'd be suprised. Once you add jackets, diaper bags, snacks and other misc things, it will add up very quickly.
Fox2 comes with a bassinet, hence it’s pricier. However, with my baby due in June and c/s, do you think I will still be able to use the bassinet? Will it be worth it for even a few months? Technically we don’t get hit with harsh weather until end of December or January. January to March will most likely be indoors and was thinking maybe we can use the bassinet for walking in the mall as they say walking long hours, more than 2hours, with baby in infant car seat is not recommended.
Again, these are all online research only. Probably even reading the above is giving you a headache!!!
Sorry for the long winded post… Hoping that the more information I provide can help with giving feedback.