Do you think you'd be able to get by with just a sling for the first year?

[BettyBi0]

Baby is due end of April. I'm trying to avoid getting a double buggy as my toddler will only be 2.3 when baby arrives and she is still buggy dependent when we are out of the house. We live in London and I don't drive.

Am I mad to think I'll be fine with baby in a sling all the time and toddler in our babyzen yoyo? Am I going to get all hot and bothered come summer?

[BettyBi0]

Annoyingly the babyzen yoyo doesn't take a buggy board!

[Adeleslostbeehive]

I wouldn't. Your baby might not like slings, you may injure your back or shoulder with the delivery. I wouldn't necessary buy a pram now, just be prepared to do so when baby arrives

[Impatientwino]

As previous poster suggests I wouldn't buy one now but there is no way I could have carried my son for a year and I have a wrap sling, he was way too wriggly and hated the sling after 6 months ish. By 10 months he was trying to squirm out of it if I tried to use it! It just depends our your baby I suppose. He would always nap well in his pushchair.

You could always buy a second hand double pushchair if needed. Plus I love being able to hang bags/toys/lunch etc on the pushchair on days out!!!

[Cel982]

I carried my daughter for most of the first two years, we rarely used our buggy. I think you'll be fine with a good sling - I'd go with a stretchy for the first few months, and then a decent SSC (or a wrap if that's your thing).

[confusedandemployed]

I used sling and car seat almost exclusively for the fist year. We had a pushchair though - never had a pram. We did use it a few times. But in truth I'd have coped fine with just the sling / car seat.

[lemon101]

We had a similar plan and I think my son was two weeks old when I realized that was a crazy idea and bought a buggy (he's only 5 weeks old now - so this is still fresh!). You will struggle physically in the first couple of weeks to carry your baby for any amount of time. When it rains its easier to have the baby in a buggy. If you get some shopping in you will be weighed down if carrying bags and baby etc etc. Slings/carriers are awesome but I'm glad I have the buggy optionas well as the sling.

[TheBoysMamma]

I did with my second. I had a wrap and a SSC.

[thatsn0tmyname]

Get a double buggy. Having children on you/ clinging to you/ hanging off you is claustrophobic. The baby will need decent naps where they can stretch out and you can park them in the hallway and let them nap on.

[LottieDoubtie]

I was going to say no due to the 'but where would you put all the shopping/stuff' issue, but if all the stuff can be accommodated with the Toddler in the pushchair I guess it might work. I'd prob start an emergency buggy fund as well though, just in case you end up wanting one in a hurry.

[Runningupthathill82]

I think it'd definitely work, and would also be a much better option than a bulky double buggy.

[Highlandbird]

I did manage fine, I had a 2.1 year old when ds2 was born and ds2 has never really been in a buggy......but my situation is very different to yours, I live very rurally and it's too rough for a buggy here etc, didn't go to town / shops very often and had a car! Not sure how if have coped in a city, but whenever I did go to town had toddler in buggy and baby in sling, worked great and still had hands free when toddler was on the move!

[HopeandSoap]

With a good wrap or sling it will be fine. Things like babybjon will not be comfortable to wear for long periods. For a newborn to 4/5 months a stretchy wrap will be very comfortable. Then move on to a Mai tai or buckled carrier.

[randomsabreuse]

I would think so. The only complications I can think of is any smear tests if you need to take both kids. Am up to 5 months with fairly velcro baby and just switched to SSC from stretchy.

To be all weather capable something like a close cocoon plus a babywearing coat will cover most eventualities and you can always just have baby wearing less in summer. SSC type carriers come in summer fabrics too.

I hate manoeuvring a single buggy so can't imagine a double would be fun on London transport

[Salene]

My son will be 23 months when my baby is back to and I'm doing the same , not buying double buggy

I've a stretchy sling for first couple months then will use my connecta sling

It's easily manageable

We hardly ever use our buggy as it is now. Toddler will use buggy though and baby in sling

[Callthemodwife]

DS is 2 and DS2 is 8 weeks and resisting the double buggy here. At the moment I do a combination of DS2 in sling and DS1 in pushchair and DS2 in pram and DS1 on buggy board - have you thought of using one of those? Once DS2 is sitting I'll have the buggy board on the pushchair and sling in the basket and they can swap about as needed!

[GrubbyWindows]

I'm going to do this! With DS we didn't buy a pushchair until he was 9 months, hardly used it until 14 months. He will be just over 3 when his sibling arrives, and there is no way I'm getting involved in double buggies.

We used a stretchy wrap to start, then a thin Calin blue gauze wrap and a solarweave connecta for an Italian summer. We stuck with the Connecta until 18 months when he began refusing it ( although we had moved onto a toddler one by then),. He had twigged that sling = sleep...
Similar lifestyle to you, London, no car, lots of shlepping about the place.

[lucy101101]

I had two sling refusers (and we tried 7, yes 7 different ones with the first DC) so that wouldn't have worked. If you end up with a CS or have SPD you would need it. I would be prepared and get a double buggy. if you bought one from eBay you would probably get back what you paid for it if you sell it on in 6 months or a year.

[waxweasel]

Yep, we're also in London and walk most places. DD refused to go in a buggy/pram at all until she was 14 months so I used a sling exclusively until then. Stretchy until 4/5 months, then connecta and a manduca (I preferred connecta, DH preferred manduca). She would only sleep in the sling, even at home so the whole 'baby needs to stretch out to sleep' thing is nonsense. It was totally fine, just annoying if I needed to carry lots of shopping, but that wouldn't be a problem if you have the toddler's buggy with you.

She's now 2.5 and I'm pg with DD2 - I'm hoping this one will tolerate sleeping in a buggy/cot just so I dont spend the day pacing around, but nonetheless when out with both of them I'm planning to sling her and have DD1 inher buggy. Not getting a double buggy, seems way more faff!

[waxweasel]

And I had spd quite badly, both antenatally and postnatally. It was still fine. DH even had a back operation when DD was 6 months and was still back to slinging her a few weeks later!

[bluewisteria]

You might not need a double pram, maybe just a single pram from birth plus buggy board. A lot depends on your toddler, mine took naps and didn't walk far till 3 so I needed a double. I had an out n about 360 and lived in central London, it was awesome, fitted in buses and doorways, and the cheaper end of doubles, definitely recommend it!!

[Artandco]

I would. It's unlikely eldest will even be using pram for that long. Even if he uses sometimes toddler can walk through parks etc and will be playing most the summer so on long days out you can swap baby into pram when toddler is walking and just swap into sling when toddler gets tired

We have 15 month gap. Never had a double as couldn't have used in London on tubes/ buses/ up to our flat.

Start now increasing eldest walking so he isn't fully reliable on it.

Look at a boba 4g sling, can be used from newborn -3/4 years. So can also use with toddler on back if easier and baby is asleep in pram

[KittyVonCatsington]

My 8 month old DD is a pram and car seat dodger so I have to use our sling/baby carrier all the time. Perfectly possible but every baby is different!

[Bounced]

I did a combination of baby in sling and toddler in buggy and toddler on balance bike and baby in buggy (it was the Maclaren that's ok from three months). I also invested in a waterproof babywearing coat, to cater for rainy days.

I found sling for baby much better for playground trips etc as I couldn't leave her in the stationary buggy as she cried.

[lljkk]

Loved my double buggies. Okay, hated them too, but no way I could have coped without.

Bad post-partum backache, lots of stuff to carry, toddler who didn't cooperate, toddler who got very tired on long walks (we walk a lot getting errands done, errands with firm deadlines). Did not want to be stuck dawdling at preschooler pace on every errand. Could not get hang of any sling but ok with Baby Bjorn for hour or so.

[minipie]

If your eldest is a good walker and/or if you can use a buggyboard then I'd say ok - as you could plan for toddler to use buggy for first 4-6 months and then after that, baby to mostly use buggy and toddler to walk/board.

But it sounds like your eldest is not a great walker and you can't use a buggyboard.

In which case... sorry but I think you need a double. Not immediately but once the baby is bigger. Or get a single buggy which takes a board.