Good Deal Alert: Amazon has up to 60% off select baby products for the month of February, 2016! The promo items can be found here.
Happy Monday, everyone! This Mail Monday question came in via Facebook from reader L. and had me a bit stumped…
– question has been edited for brevity and clarity.
A: Having no personal experience with baby products, I didn’t have any ideas for L. aside from emailing to ask another blogger who is a petite mom pro with four kids at 4’11”. But then L. shared a blog with me she found on that very subject: Petite and the Motherhood. It looks like the writer, Bernadette, hasn’t blogged since last year, but maybe if she gets a gentle nudge via an influx of petite moms commenting for her to come back, she’ll feel inclined to return to blogging and sharing her experiences with us all? ;)As an under 5ft person, when I had trouble figuring out what to wear and how to find it I turned to you, Wendy’s Lookbook and Extra Petite. Now I’m a mom and am looking for products for the extra short mom. I was looking for a blogger who does what you do for clothes, for baby gear like cribs, strollers, and carriers. I can’t reach my baby in a crib and most carriers are made for people over 5ft. Maybe one of your followers knows of someone doing that kind of writing and product reviewing.
Any petite moms have advice for L.?
Baby Products For Petite Moms
Recommendations For Petite Moms, By Petite MomsUPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has been leaving product recommendations in the comments! Please keep them coming! I’ll be adding them to the running list of petite mom baby product recommendations below. The recommending moms names are linked so you can read her full comment ;)
Baby Strollers
Peg Perego (make sure the one you like is the 9 lbs model!) – recommended by Little Momma
Chicco Cortina Travel System – recommended by Kristin
Joovy Caboose Ultralight (for two kids!) – recommended by Kristin
Orbit G2 Baby Stroller – recommended by Graceful Shopper (review on her blog)
Graco Click Connect Modes Stroller – recommended by Leah
Baby Carriers
Beco Gemini – recommended by Caitlyn
Beco Butterfly – recommended by Kristin
Baby K’tan – recommended by Graceful Shopper
ERGObaby – recommended by Diana & Arielle
Moby Wrap – recommended by Tiia & Leah
Pognae Baby Carrier – recommended by Leah
Backpack: Clevr Cross Country Carrier – recommended by Arielle
Backpack: Clevr Deluxe Cross Country Carrier – recommended by Rachel
Baby Car Seats
Britax Roundabout – recommended by Little Momma
Diono RadianRXT Convertible – recommended by Arielle
Baby Cribs
Ikea (Shortest is the Gulliver at 32 5/8″ high) – recommended by Little Momma
Kendall Low-Profile Fixed Gate Crib – recommended by Kristin & Diana
Babyletto Hudson Crib – recommended by Ashley
Bright Starts Play Yard – recommended by Leah
Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play – recommended by Leah
Lotus Travel Crib and Play Yard – recommended by Leah
Petite Maternity Clothes
Miscellaneous
Baby Buddy Secure-a-toy – recommended by Arielle
I don’t have a blog, but I happen to be 4’11” / < 85 lbs and mom to a three-year old. The carrier I absolutely loved was the Beco Gemini. It fit me great and I used it all the way until my daughter was 18 months and too long to be carried in the front. She was also really lightweight (at 0 percentile for weight for the longest time), and I could carry her in the Gemini without an insert. I don't have a particular recommendation for a baby stroller – I actually rarely used the stroller because I preferred the Gemini so I could be hands-free. Good luck!
Hi there! I’ve been a reader of Alterations Needed and Extra Petite for a long time. I’m on the brink of petitedom at 5’4″, but I’ve been meaning to post reviews on baby gear for awhile now – my stroller, sling, etc. So stay tuned and check out my blog, thanks!
I am a 4’11” mom to two kids. While I have been out of the baby stage for a while, I did some things right and some way wrong.
I bought my cribs at Ikea. They were low to the ground and even when the mattress was up high it wasn’t too tall. I loved them and if I ever had another baby, I would buy that crib for a third time.
I bought a Peg Perago stroller that was 9 pounds. It was awesome. I loved being able to lift it in and out easily. Most strollers weight 20 lbs which is tough for us small girls. Another mom I knew had a Peg Perago one that had handles that went up and down because she had a really tall husband. I don’t even know if they make these items anymore or not.
I HATED the infant carrier car seats. They are super heavy and very awkward for this short momma to carry around. I ended up pulling my kids out of them super early (like after a few months) and wish I had known that you don’t need one at all. Just buy a Britax Roundabout and be done with it.
Good Luck!
Hi,
I stumbled onto your recommendation for the peg perego stroller. I’m also 4’11 and doing some research before I buy. Do you happen to know which model it is so I’ll know exactly which one to get?
And, when you mean the car seat was a pain, was it the one that attaches to the peg perego stroller you recommended? I’m getting a bit nervous thinking about having to lug a car seat in and out of the car when baby gets here.
Any leads will help tremendously. Hope to hear from you as I am replying to you 3 years later. Thanks so much!
I am a 4’11” mom of two and I have the Kendall Low-Profile Fixed Gate Crib from Pottery Barn Baby. It’s specifically designed for petite moms and is therefore lower to the ground. My favorite carrier (and I tried a bunch) is the Beco butterfly but I’m sure the Beco Gemini as recommended by another reader above is fine too. I believe all Beco carriers are designed to fit all body types. The butterfly is so comfortable! As for strollers, I have the Chico Cortina travel system. It’s not overly heavy and the handle adjusts and goes pretty low. If you have two kids and are looking for a double stroller, the Joovy Ultralight sit and stand stroller is a good option. It’s not perfect but it’s the only one I can lift! Good luck to you:)
I’m a FTM, under 5 feet tall. My baby boy is due in July, so I’m still on the search for many things. I did specifically look for a crib that would be easy to get baby in and out of and settled on the Babyletto Hudson crib purchased off Amazon. In addition to the modern design I liked the low profile. The top of the rail hits about an inch below my (pregnant :)) belly button. I’m about 4’10”. Thanks for adding this question to your site. I’ll be checking out the other recommended products!
I just added a review of the Orbit Baby Stroller on my blog. It’s great as the handlebar height is adjustable. Other petite-friendly baby gear – the Baby K’tan sling is the only one I use, as everything else is way too big or made for taller people. As for cribs, we actually side car-ed our crib to our bed so the height wasn’t an issue for when they were infants. Once they start pulling up, bending down to pick them up is no longer an issue!
I’m 5’0 and have kept my petite stature in mind with everything I have bought for my baby – now a year old.
– I bought the Beco Gemini initially but actually found the Ergo better, especially as my baby grew. SO much more comfortable.
– I also have the Kendall Low Profile Crib from Pottery Barn. Love it! A petite friend turned me on to it.
– I looked at the stroller weight limits on every stroller I considered. (You can see this on Amazon or other sites.) Mine is 15 pounds and I actually wish it were lighter. Add a baby that’s now 20 pounds and a diaper bag and various other things and I feel like a pack mule every time I go out.
– I had a really hard time finding petite maternity clothes! Although the line was pricey I really liked having a few pieces from Olian Maternity. I bought maybe 5 outfits and just rotated them at work. Paige also makes maternity jeans and I wore the heck out of my pair. Still struggling with finding post-maternity clothes…
– Agree with whoever suggested using a convertible instead of the infant seat. That thing is too darn heavy.
Good luck to the letter writer!
I am 5ft exactly, and a mom of 3. The crib I had was a gift from my folks. Instead of a whole side that moved downward it had a hinge about 8 in down that allowed for that to fold down… I was able to leave that down until my babies started to roll and move in their sleep, which is about 4 to 5 months old. For my boys, we actually moved them to a pack and play for sleep times which ended up being a good thing because they are already lower and make picking them up much, much easier! I didn’t run into issues stroller wise, but for baby carrying, I suggest getting a moby wrap (or making one, which is what I did) because those are completely adjustable for mom and baby. And I suggest using the baby carrier when shopping instead of a car seat on the shopping cart, if you can, because the car seat can block your view.
4’11” here, 9 pound 3 ounce baby.. awkward much? With that in mind, ditch the carrier, it’s impossible, people stopped me to ask me if they could carry my baby for me on a regular basis – that’s awkward as it is, even if they have good intentions (which I didn’t count on) – the best thing we’ve ever done is buy our Diono carseat, it’s a convertible and has side impact protection and you can use it from day one. We bought 4! They’re a little pricey (buy it at kohls online with your coupons, you can stack your pick-a-day and a percent off coupon you get off your catalog). We bought the Radian RXT model for all of them, we have one at each grandparents house and one in each of our cars. I should have put the crib sidecar at the bed from day one too, I had to put my arms over the rail and sort of ‘roll’ her out of my arms into the crib (gently) but after 5 months that started waking her up and I couldn’t use the crib at all. The crib is sidecar now, no issues. One of my favorite products is my backpack baby carrier, it’s an ergo, and she’s 2 now and still loves it when mommy carries her in the backpack. It has straps that go across your chest and right above or below your belly, depending on where you want it, for support for your back. It also has room for an entire diaper-bag-worth of stuff. I use a “baby buddy secure-a-toy” to secure some baby toys to the straps for when she was smaller so she’d have toys and if she dropped them, they wouldn’t land on the ground or get lost. Never used a changing table, they were too high, we put some towels aside and folded them on the carpet as a changing pad – fewer worries, that’s for sure.
Baby Gear for Very Petite
I’m 4’ll and weight 95 pounds. My 4-month-old is 16 pounds.
Cribs/Places to Sleep
The Bright Starts Play Yard is lower than other brands and holds up to 30 pounds. It has a low changing table and bassinet attachment that holds 15 pounds. The Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play is a good for younger babies who will not sleep flat. It is what I am using now. Other short moms that I have talked to either co-sleep or use a toddler bed when their babies reach 6-months old. I’m not comfortable with either of the options. Instead, I’m going to buy the Lotus Travel Crib and Play Yard when my baby can no longer safely sleep in his Rock ‘n Play or bassinet. It has no weight limit and has a side zipper. I think lifting my baby from the ground will be better for my back long term compared to lifting over a rail like a traditional crib.
Carriers/Strollers
Graco Click Connect Modes stroller is a good height for me, but it’s not the sort of thing I want to take in and out of the car because it’s heavy. The carriage is one of few that lays flat for a newborn. The Click Connect car seat is huge and I cannot carry the baby in it, even when he was 7 pounds. I’ve never used it with the stroller since my baby hates his car seat. I will be glad when he is developed enough to use an umbrella stroller.
The Moby wrap is the most comfortable carrier. Drawbacks to the Moby are that it takes practice to use correctly, and it gets warm in that thing. Beach Front Babies makes a similar carrier out of mesh, but it is trickier to use and less comfortable. The Bjorn Air is good for a small baby, but mine outgrew it in 2 weeks. Also, the Bjorn does not use the recommended leg position. The Pognae baby carrier is the best soft structured baby carrier that I’ve tried. It is like the Ergo, but shorter in the body. It is also vented with mesh like the Ergo Ventus, but will work earlier on a shorter baby without using the newborn insert. Being able to grocery shop without holding the baby’s head in one hand in a wrap or without lugging around the car seat is worth the $100 I spent on it. I’ve ordered a gauze wrap to try because I’m still looking for something as comfortable as the Moby but cooler.
Hi!
I realize that this is an older post, but I would really appreciate an answer back if it’s not too much trouble… We are searching for a toddler backpack carrier(for hiking), so I’m really hoping to get one with a metal frame. Does anyone under 5″ have a recommendation for a comfortable framed carrier? I’m 4″11, so options that may work for people who are a full 5″ still don’t work for me sometimes…
We had a babybjorn framed carrier that worked for me, used it as recently as last fall (maybe october or so) when she was 2, at about 30 pounds. I’m 4’11”
Thanks so much! Unfortunately, BabyBjörn doesn’t currently have any framed carrier/backpack models. :( if I come across one, I’ll definitely scoop it up though!
This is very similar to mine
http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Country-Carrier-Stand-Child/dp/B00LH7MVM0/ref=sr_1_18?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436378716&sr=1-18#productDetails
That’s the same brand I was looking at! They actually have a new model, and that’s the one I think I’ll be getting if we buy a new one. Thanks so much!
my pleasure :)
Sorry, I put the URL in the wrong place…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LH7MEMM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1810WT8VKAQFC&coliid=I17A6UI59K3HN9
So I was wondering how people found my site after not writing on it for a year. I bet it was you! :) Thank you for the recommendations, Kelly. I hope to start blogging more often, soon.
Hi Bernadette! Of course! Hope you and the family are doing well. =)
This post and thread were so helpful. I am 5″0 and have been looking at stroller heights, weights and other info because I know that most things aren’t made for parents my size. Thanks for all the recommendations.
Hello! I’m a mom of two toddlers. 4’10” and 90-100lbs. I love the Boba (baby carrier). I have a 3G, I believe the latest is the 4G which I have not tried. I can easily take it on/off, adjust it, and put baby in and out without help (whether on front or back, though back needs practice beforehand). My husband and I can both use it and he is 5’10”.
Also, I use the Joovy 360 jogging stroller and Double BOB Revolution jogging stroller and find no trouble using them. Even though it’d be better if the handlebar could adjust slightly lower, I still manage without having to (drastically) alter stride/form. With any jogging stroller you are slightly altering form/stride no matter what. Only downside is they are a little hard to get in and out of my (SUV) but that’s the nature of these strollers as they are no light. The Joovy folds wonderfully but the double BOB does not lock when it folds so is harder to get in and out of the vehicle.
I’m 4’8″ and expecting my first around new years. I’m soooo confused as to what to get for infant seat, stroller, carrier, crib, everything!!! There’s so much out there and I don’t know what’s good these days for petite moms. Any and advice is greatly appreciated!!!
I’m 4’11” and expecting my first in October. After testing a million car seats at baby stores, we settled on the Maxi Cosi Mico Max 30 because it was by FAR the lightest and least awkward for me.
For our stroller, I would have loved to go with the Bugaboo because it was the lightest and shortest in height (so I could actually see the front when the shade was pulled over), but it was way too expensive and since we are thinking about having another at some point we decided to go with the Baby Jogger City Select with stadium seating. It is a little heavier but only by a pound or two. We also considered the UppaBaby Vista but I found picking it up once it folded a little awkward so that’s why we went with the City Select.They also have an adapter that fits Maxi Cosi that’s really easy to just snap in.
For a carrier, we went with the ErgoBaby 360 and also got a Boba wrap. I’m honestly not sure how the ErgoBaby will work for me in practice, so that’s why we made sure to have a wrap too just in case. Since you’re 4’8′ you may find the ErgoBaby to be little too big but try it out in-store and see.
For a crib, I was concerned about not being able to reach down but everyone said that’s not really an issue until they are older and standing, and at that point you could just get a small step stool. So because of that, we just went with a crib that was in the style we liked.
As for diaper bags, honestly I’m still in the market for one that I like both the style and size of, but I figure if all else fails I’ll just buy a roomy purse that fits my frame and then throw in a travel changing pad and wipes carrier.
For maternity clothes I’ve just been buying regular stuff a size bigger for tops and dresses, but for bottoms ASOS and H&M maternity clothes are super cute and sometimes even have maternity petite! They are also a reasonable price!
Hope this helps! :)
Thanks for all types of quality recommendation regarding baby products and this list is really helpful for every mother as well as It will also helpful for me.
I’m 5’0″ 100 lbs. My husband is 6’3″, so we needed products that could fit a wide range of heights! We both love our tula carrier, it was recommended by the baby wearing group I went to by a lady slightly shorter and much thinner than me! And we use the city mini gt, the handle bar adjusts . Searching for a double stroller now and that search is much more difficult!