Running with a newborn - input needed (Read 1896 times)

Okay, This could or could not fall under the "gear" forum but i'm putting it in here because I have an additional question. Question #1: I've narrowed down my desired running stroller to either the BOB Ironman or a Baby Jogger Performance. Both have great reviews. The Baby Jogger seems to get slightly better reviews as a running stroller due to its 20" wheels, but the downside is that its less compact for travelling. The BOB also has great reviews but is praised for its compactness... it only has 16" wheels. Anyone here who has, or has used a running stroller, did you ever get your choices down to either of these two? And why did you pick the stroller you did? Compactness of the stroller isn't a major factor for me b/c I'm not planning (at the moment at least) on having to transport it around. Question #2: How early can I start running with the little gaffer - If I have the car seat adapter? Without the car seat adapter? ... even if it is possible to run is it ADVISABLE to run (at least until a certain age) in your experience? Thanks for the input everyone! I've browsed around many other internet review stuff, but lots of the people who are using joggers probably aren't running at the same caliber as the people on this site. I'm looking to use this stroller daily, mostly on paved pathways. Expecting to spend a lot of time with it!

I can't answer your first question concerning which jogging stroller, I got mine from a friend for free. It was a lightly used In-Step Ultra Runner, a 16" wheel model which is sufficient for me and can easily fit into my trunk for transporting to diffrent running locales. Prior to receiving the free stroller I was leaning toward the Baby Jogger for the 20" wheels, but I now I don't think that would be necessary for me. As far as age I waited until my daughter was over 5 months old and able to fully support her head on her own. I had heard 5 to 6 months from others and my wife was against ne taking her out prior to that. I would assume you could take your little one now as long as you have them in the infant car seat and it attaches securely to your stroller. The only problem I could see with this set-up is the center of gravity being a little high in the jogger. Either way it is a great way to spend some time with your kid, my daughter really seems to enjoy running in the park and seeing all of the other people. Just be aware your little one may not sleep while in the stroller, my daughter gets to stimulated by being out and about even though I try to take her around nap time.

With car seat adapter...as soon as you want. Just take it easy on the bumps and remember that you can't put sunscreen on a very small baby. W/O an adapter is about 5 months...so the baby won't bunch up in the seat, not able to breathe. I had a baby jogger and loved it.

Okay, This could or could not fall under the "gear" forum but i'm putting it in here because I have an additional question. Question #1: I've narrowed down my desired running stroller to either the BOB Ironman or a Baby Jogger Performance. Both have great reviews. The Baby Jogger seems to get slightly better reviews as a running stroller due to its 20" wheels, but the downside is that its less compact for travelling. The BOB also has great reviews but is praised for its compactness... it only has 16" wheels.

I had a baby jogger with the 20 inch wheels and honestly wish I'd just had the 16 inch wheels. Have you tried them out in real life or just looked at them on line? The 20 inch wheels really were a pain -- the stroller is pretty unwieldy for anything but running. Of course, if you do just run out your front door and will never take it anywhere, I guess it doesn't matter. I was living in an appartment in Baltimore, so that colored my experience. I had my daughter in it before she could support her head. She didn't get bounced around that much -- the seat sort of conforms to the baby, and they are semi-reclining, so her head didn't wobble about. I don't think I'd have taken her on bumpy trails, but on smooth paths and sidewalks, she seemed fine.

Our pediatrician advised that we wait until dd was 6 months old before taking her out in the jogging stroller. His caution had to do with the fact that the baby's brain isn't quite large enough to fit snugly in the skull, thus increasing the chance of brain damage if the head is rattled too much because the brain could bounce around (thus the reason shaking a baby can be so dangerous). I'd imagine about the only time this would occur while running is if the stroller rolled over for some reason. For me it was hard to sort through what advice was of genuine concern and what was just being overcautious, but I decided to just play it safe and wait until 6 months. Of course, it also helped that dd was born in winter and couldn't have gone outside as a newborn anyway. It couldn't hurt to ask your pediatrician the next time you see him/her to see what they think.

I have the Baby Jogger Performance Series. It's held up really well. I run off road with my child(2 year old) sometimes and it's been great. I really don't think you can go wrong with either one. They are both very high quality. The Baby Jogger IS about $60 more than the Bob Ironman! I bought mine here: http://www.runningexpo.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=80 With a car seat adapter you can start running immediately... they are just cruising along in their normal car seat. If not, your child needs to be old enough to be able to hold their head up well. If they can't do that, don't take them out on the jogger. You can try reclining them as much as possible so they don't have to rely on head strength so much!