Anonymous wrote:I'm an expectant FTM researching strollers and carseats. From what I have read, while many people keep baby in car seat (compatible with stroller) for errands you are not really supposed to. I tend to err on the far side of caution, so I'm inclined to follow this recommendation and baby wear. With this in mind, is it really necessary that the car seat and stroller be compatible? As it is only one of us usually does groceries or other errands, so I can't see why the baby would suddenly be going on a lot of short errands.
Part two which is sort of related but more about general sleep safety - once baby outgrows bassinet attachment for stroller, where the heck do they sleep if you visit friends for a couple hours/go somewhere for a length of time that will require a nap?
-overwhelmed mom to be
The first part is really only applicable for when they are in the infant seat - you don't necessarily need a fancy stroller compatible with the bucket seat; you can get a basic Snap 'n Go that is compatible with most bucket seats:
https://babytrend.com/collections/snap-n-go
These are also super easy to find second hand and are nice to have in the car if you want to keep the baby in the infant seat (eg if he falls asleep and you don't want to wake him to baby wear).
Part two- pack n play. Popular brands now are the Lotus Guava and the Baby Bjorn. Graco is the OG maker of the pack n play but their brand is a little heavier- fine if your friend is ok having one at their house but not as great for travel.