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I'm on the hunt for an inexpensive stroller to accommodate a newborn without having to buy a travel system and I'm having a really really hard time finding a stroller in any price range that will accept a newborn. The general advice I get from the not so helpful sales staff at most baby gear super stores is that infants need to be flat in the stroller.

This is my fourth child, and my old stroller finally died. I don't want to invest a whole lot of money in any more baby gear because I'm done after this baby. I already have an infant car seat, and I loathe those stupid baby carriers (the ones with the handles that you carry, not the ones you wear) that only exist to dislocate shoulders and ruin backs. So, I don't want a stroller that requires either one of those in order for it to be used by a newborn (under 3 mo).

I have found a few models in both jogger and traditional styles that recline pretty far, but not quite flat. And then I got to thinking about it, and newborns aren't flat in the car seat or those carriers, or in the little bouncy seats (that most of my kids spend the first 8 weeks sleeping in due to problems with reflux). By pretty far I mean, an incline of less than 15 degrees.

So would almost flat be acceptable, perhaps with head stabilization? Or should I just get an inexpensive carrier to leave in a travel system stroller and hope it stays clean enough to sell on Craigslist once my baby grows out of it (usually by 10 weeks)?

You'd think by #4 Id have this figured out, but, I guess no matter how many kids you have, you never know everything!

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  • I don't know yet, she's still in utero. I'm hoping the odds are finally going to be in my favor, since all 3 of my kids so far have had miserable starts due to reflux. I keep telling myself (or, deluding myself) that since I'm finally having a girl, I'll finally get an "easy" baby, lol. Not sort of counting on it tho ;-)
    – Jax
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 19:07
  • You can use an infant seat clicked on top of the stroller for the early weeks. It's really convenient because you can go to/from the car without removing your baby from the infant seat. After that age, any carriage would do. It doesn't have to be 100% flat. Generally, only bassinet carriages are going to be really flat and those are costly.
    – Rachel S
    Commented Jun 29, 2016 at 15:14
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    @RachelS I appreciate your input however I'm trying to avoid having to purchase an extra piece of baby gear that I don't need or want. I don't personally find them convenient-I actually find them to be quite heavy with baby in it (I usually have 8+ lb babies), plus not very comfortably lifted or carried now that my back has been ruined by 4 pregnancies. I just want to know if the stroller needs to be totally flat or if an incline of less than 15 degrees will do. I'd only "settle" for a travel system if I have to.
    – Jax
    Commented Jul 2, 2016 at 3:26
  • I just mentioned it because an infant seat is great when babies are really young as they tend to fall asleep during every car ride and instead of waking them up when removing from a car-only car seat, you can just easily transfer the sleeping baby in an infant seat. Plus, babies are very comfortable in a scrunched up position, more than in a lying down one.
    – Rachel S
    Commented Jul 4, 2016 at 13:59

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This is a somewhat difficult situation since you would prefer not to purchase a travel system or a baby carrier (that you wear). It is best that a child lie flat in the stroller; however, if this child is indeed born with reflux as you mention the other children have been, you're not going to want to lay him/her back fully.

Strollers that adjust to a completely flat position are often quite expensive. That being said, somethings you could try would be yes, lying the child back as far as possible and then ensuring s/he has head support with a blanket or some such.

If you don't have a huge issue with buying some one else's things, go to a resale shop or garage sale and start looking around - the strollers will be cheaper than new and depending on the style and number of children it transported, may be nearly unused.

"Wearing" your baby looks like it is really your best option overall, the child will be close to you, you can support the head beautifully and reflux will not be nearly as big of an issue because s/he will be upright. However, I know this option likely isn't practical in some situations!

Here are two links you may find helpful, Mayo Clinic stroller safety tips and What to Expect - forum question.

Hope this is helpful to you.

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