These things you should buy NEW
Danny W said:
I'm looking for a car seat for an 8 month old. I'm in the Sosua area. I could also use a large crib or playpen, as this little angel is about to crawl out of her present digs. Anyone selling? - D
Danny,
I would highly recommend that you buy these baby items NEW. Why? In terms of cribs, because old cribs can be death traps (spindles that might be too far apart, cutouts in the headboard, and other hazards that could entrap your baby. Another hazard of hand-me down cribs - missing parts and directions. It only takes a missing screw or bolt to make an otherwise safe crib into a death trap. Keep in mind that today's safety regulations are SO specific (like the allowable width for spindles) that you just can't judge a crib's safety with a cursory examination. Same goes for playpens.
If you can find Italian cribs in the D.R., I would nab one right away. They are some the safer ones on the market. Some good brands are Pali and Bonavita. We have a Bonavita Ellyse for our son and have been very pleased with it. American cribs that are excellent are Simmons, Legacy/Childcraft and Stork Craft. Canadian cribs are very, very well made also. You might find American brands in the D.R. more easily than Italian ones.
In terms of car seats, let me reiterate - BUY NEW, BUY NEW. Keep in mind that car seats adhere to very strict federal regulations and they go by weight and height limits. At 8 months, your baby might be ready for a convertible car seat, NOT an infant one. Basically, infant seats can be used with babies up to 20 lbs. The Graco Snugride has been consistently rated one of the best on the market, by the way. Convertible seats can be used for both infants AND older babies up to 40 lbs. Keep in mind that infants should ALWAYS ride rear facing in the middle of the the back seat and older babies ride facing forward. The "rule" for forward facing is that the baby should be a year and at least 20 lbs. However, you should go by the weight and height of your baby and not by your baby's age.
Here are some useful links that I hope will help you:
National Highway TRaffic and Safety Administration
www.nhtsa.dot.gov
www.safekids.org
Car Seat Data is an excellent website also:
www.carseatdata.org
Good luck!