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The piece of baby gear that was the most used after Rosy was born was definitely her carseat and stroller. We moved states when she was 3 months old. Right after she was born, we traveled back and forth about 5 hours a few times to look at houses. We also took a trip to the beach when she was 2 months old. Needless to say, the girl got to be a pro at car trips.
Being in the car is something that is just part of it. Whether it’s going to the grocery store, church, to visit family or on a vacation, your baby spends a lot of time in their carseat.
We elected to register for a travel system, and we were gifted the Chicco Trio Travel System at our baby shower. (thanks, Mom and Dad!) I am SO thankful that we chose to do the infant seat and coordinating stroller.
Technically, you can put a newborn into a convertible carseat. However, I consider not only the infant seat but the entire travel system a necessity for a newborn if you want to leave the house at all!
What is a travel system?
A travel system is a set that is usually purchased together and includes not only the infant sear, but also the base for your car as well as a stroller that the infant carseat can click in to.
In other words, it is a setup that makes your life 1000x easier when trying to go anywhere with a newborn baby!
This is the Chicco travel system that we got (and have used the heck out of!)
There are a TON of travel systems out there ranging from super affordable to WELL over $1,000. What is important is you find one that works for your budget and your family!
Here are my top 5 reasons why having a travel system is worth it!
- Rosy was not (and still isn’t) a baby that stays asleep when they’re disturbed at all. In fact, a lot of the time, she still woke up when we would be transitioning from the car to the house or to the stroller. However, she would have NEVER stayed asleep had we been unstrapping her and lifting her into and out of a traditional carseat. So, if your baby stays asleep no matter what, this reason isn’t for you. Anything I can do to not disturb my newborn is worth it in my book.
- The second reason for me would definitely be weather. Rosy was born at the end of May. In Mississippi. Basically, her first few months of life were spend in the triple digits when it comes to outside temperature. With a travel system, we could strap her in inside where it was cool, and make the time she spent in the hot sun as minimal as possible. The same reasoning applies here for cold winter temperatures!
- We had a base to the carseat in every vehicle and it made using different cars seamless! Bases are much cheaper than another carseat, so it was easy to have one in each car as well as in grandparents vehicles. Since we had multiple bases, moving to a different car was not a big deal and didn’t require moving a huge, heavy and more difficult to install seat.
- Newborns obviously do not sit in high chairs. If you go into a restaurant, you either need a seat for your baby or you will be holding them the entire time. The travel system infant seat is a comfortable (and germ free!) place for your baby to sit or sleep while you’re somewhere other than home.
- After I gave birth, I wanted to start walking right away! You can’t put a newborn baby in a traditional or jogging stroller because they can’t support their head. Being able to keep Rosy in her carseat and easily snap it into the stroller provided her a safe and comfortable place to snooze. All while I got in some light exercise! Being able to look at her sweet and sleeping face made it extra fun, too :)!
So, there they are! The top 5 reasons I think you should definitely get a travel system for your newborn. I hope this list was helpful!