The stroller needs accessories. Unfortunately, it is not 100% ready to go as soon as you have it in front of you. Here we are not talking about a subwoofer or alloy wheels, but about accessories and equipment that can handle the elements, make the journey more comfortable and exciting for your baby, more practical for you, and ensure safety on board.
There is bad weather …
… but also bad clothing. In the Nordic countries, where the weather is very changeable and varied, proper clothing is essential – also when you are using a stroller. On a summer outing, you can quickly be surprised by a rain shower, only to have bright sunshine and mosquitoes everywhere 5 minutes later. A rain cover handles the rain, a mosquito net handles the insects, and a sunshade handles the sun. You will rarely need all three on one trip, but on the other hand, it can be good to be prepared. However, the rain cover must not be left on the stroller when it is blazing sunshine, as the stroller will then turn into an oven, and where should the covers be when they are not in use? In a practical bag designed for the stroller, of course!
Practical setup
There are many things that make the stroller more practical.
For example, a diaper bagthat can be attached to the stroller, so you have to carry less and don’t have to hold onto the aforementioned rain cover, mosquito net, and other items. Several bags even come with a cup holder for either the bottle or mom's/dad's coffee, so your hands are free.
A waterproof mat for small accidents makes cleaning easier for you, and you can also buy a rocking machine that acts as a third hand when your baby needs to be rocked to sleep. It’s easy to make it less hard for yourself.
It is also easy to make it less hard for your child. A soft mattress for the stroller, a baby nest, a baby blanket or a nursing pillow in the stroller makes the walk more comfortable for the little one and makes it easier to fall asleep in the fresh air.
Sleep land without pillows
Most people also use the stroller as the baby’s outdoor sleeping space. If you do this, you should remember that the child can only sleep outside when it has regained its birth weight, when the temperature is above -10 °C, and when the child weighs more than 3000g. Newborns cannot tolerate the damp air in their lungs, as they use too much energy to warm the air up.
When sleeping and lying a lot in the stroller, it should of course also be comfortable. A good mattress, a blanket, or a cover can make all the difference. You can also use a seat cushion, but the cushion is recommended for the stroller only when your baby starts to sit up by themselves, as they can otherwise easily end up sliding down under the cushion.
You can also choose to have a stroller cushionthat is good for support when the baby gets a little bigger and wants to follow what is happening in the world outside the stroller.
The comfort of the big brother or sister is also important, even if they can walk some of the way themselves. Therefore, you can get a sibling seat that can be attached to the stroller for those longer walks where little legs can get tired of walking on their own.
Safe surroundings
The stroller must be a safe place to stay. And when they start to move, sit up, and crawl, the edge of the stroller can be one of the obstacles to overcome. Here, you can use a stroller harness, which keeps the little one within the safe confines of the stroller.
When the temperatures in the spring months start to be high enough for your baby to sleep outside, it is still clearly safest if you also have a baby monitor in the stroller with the child. The baby monitor works like a walkie-talkie that is sound-activated and lights up on your end, so you can both see and hear when there is activity in the stroller. Baby monitors can also be found with temperature sensors, so you can see if it is too cold or too hot in the stroller during the summer.
Something needs to happen!
But it shouldn't just be practical and boring all the time. Younger children often sleep while in the stroller, but if they are awake, it's good to have some entertainment. Younger children can find plenty of entertainment in mom's or dad's face or in the surroundings that roll by, while older children will greatly enjoy a stroller blanket or activity arch on the stroller.
When the child is big enough to move the blanket around by themselves, taking it on and off as they please, you can usually also let the teddy bear or comfort blanket join the trip for entertainment.
