Baby #2 on his way:

I would try to get a travel system. They are so safe and convient. I also love the Graco brand. They make them safe and afforable.

I'm Awesome is TTC #2!:

id go with the travel system.

and just fyi…its really not a good idea to use any baby product that is 16+ years old.

Courage:

Is money a factor?

The Baby Trend Flex-Lock infant car seat is one of the highest safety rated car seats on the market. However it’s got an annoying buckle system and only goes to 22lbs. Many babies outgrow these car seats before their first year and you have to replace them because they should stay rear-facing as long as possible. If I remember, it has a level indicator, something you definitely want.

The Safety First car seats have had several recalls under their main brand, but it should be safe if it’s being currently sold. Again the negative is it only goes to 22lbs. Also if you feel one, it’s not very soft or cushioned.

If money is not an object, I would go with the Flex-Loc, or consider the Graco 35 (it goes to 35lbs and is about $35 more, but should last a baby easily through the first year.) If money IS an object, then I would go with the Graco My Ride. It goes from 5-40lbs rear facing and then to 65lbs forward facing. It’s $129 at Wal-mart, which is more than the Flex-Loc, but when you consider you’ll be using it until your child is 65lbs (close to 4-6 years) then it’s a good buy because unlike the ones you are looking at it will last more than a year.

As for the strollers, the Jeep Cherokee one is only approved from 6 months up. I would recommend trying to push the stroller around before buying one as I’ve had bad experiences with the smaller wheeled variety. In any case, because the stroller doesn’t lay flat I wouldn’t recommend it for a newborn, though it’d be alright for 6 months plus.

As for the travel system…. keep in mind that you should not plan on leaving your infant in a car seat to sleep, or put the car seat in the stroller. According to studies, the incline that a car seat is at interferes with baby’s breathing. This is negligible when compared to the risk of riding in a car, so they should be in their car seat in the car, but outside of the car they should be as flat on their back or being held by you as possible until 3-6 months. The recommendation is to keep them at that incline for no more than 2 hours in a day. SO… there’s really NO reason to get a travel system. Not unless you LOVE the seat and the stroller separately since that’s how they should be used. The car seat in that travel system only goes to 22lbs and is just the basic snugride again. The stroller is of the type I’ve had a lot of trouble with in the past, so I definitely would try it out first.

If you REALLY want a travel system, why not look at the Baby Trend one? It’s comparable in price if not cheaper. The instruction manual on the normal stroller says it has a full recline, meaning that a newborn can lay down flat in it and be comfortable. I love the jogging stroller though since it’s got rubber tires and is all-terrain (meaning you can push it through sand, tanbark, gravel, dirt, sidewalks with cracks in them, it handles them all.) It’s also pretty narrow so maneuvering is very easy and folds up pretty well in my opinion. It lays down far enough for a 2 month old to ride in the stroller, so that can be a bit of a problem.

Sorry this got so long.