Buggy advice for DC3's arrival with DD1's issues, please!

[lou031205]

Try again with a title

DD1 (3) has developmental delays. She is physically about 1 year
delayed, and social interaction has an 18 month delay at the moment.

I am due DC3 in April, and DD1 will be 3.4, DD2 will be 20
months. DD2 is just starting to take 1st steps this week.

When we are out of the house, I have to restrain DD1 at all times
with a wrist strap, because she has no sense of danger, will bolt into
the road, run off, etc. She also has an immature gait, so frequently
falls over on even the smoothest pavements, etc. I have to carry her
across the main road because I can't rely on her walking consistently
across the road, and I have the buggy to push for DD2.

She also has what I presume are some sensory issues, because she gets
upset if the textures on the ground are different, i.e. Frost on
grass, leaves on the ground. She perceives mud as 'poo' so will
refuse to cross a section of path that has a layer of dry mud on it,
and I have to lift her over it. She also tends to do things when
excited such as roly-polys on the grass if she sees some, or she will
just lie on the floor for no apparent reason during parts of the walk
home from pre-school, etc. If she sees little stones or flowers, for
example, she is compelled to stop and touch them.

I currently have a phil & teds E3 with doubles seat, so if DD1 gets
too challenging or melts-down, I can put her in the buggy, which she
hates, because she loves to walk, but at least we can get home safely.
My concern is that when DC3 is born I will need both seats of the
buggy, so will have nowhere to put DD1.

I have considered using a sling for the new baby, but that isn't a
long-term solution, and also I worry a bit that if she is flailing
about the baby could get hurt. Does anyone have suggestions on a good
solution? I am thinking that I probably need to get a triple buggy?
I couldn't have a triple side by side because the path I use to
preschool is quite narrow, but could do double side by side, or
tandem. I can't see a buggy board working because the child needs to
co-operate, which in a melt-down defeats the object a bit, lol (buggy
boards don't work with Phil and teds anyway).

[madmouse]

would something like this work clipped to your p&t?

You would have to make sure it fits, have a p&t sport myself and the frame is quite different from say a Maclaren

[feelingbitfestive]

My word, you have your hands full and that sounds like a big problem! Only thing I could find was this Any good? Best of luck x

[whitenoise]

i was going to suggest the buggypod too

[madmouse]

my word fbb, that things is vast. And it weighs 24kg, against 9kg for a standard phil and teds. It looks amazing though

[lou031205]

That does look good, fbb. About £300 cheaper than the ABC everest before shipping from New Zealand.

madmouse, I have read about the buggypod, but people on here and in general on the net say that it breaks easily and collapses. So probably not a goer.

Thank you - any other suggestions welcome.

[sarah573]

You could try asking on the childminding forum? My sister has just purchased a triple for the gaggle she looks after. Im guessing they are all experts on big buggies over there.

[TwoCuteFestiveFairys]

Hi Lou,

I know you say a buggy board would'nt work, but i had great success with mine, DD1 has ASD and lots of sensory issues ect ect, when she was little i would still used a wrist strap, but i found i still had her contained enough to keep her safe IYSWIM, so it might be worth a try and would probably be a cheaper option.

[MatNanPlusTINSEL]

That triple looks fab, tho i am guessing that DD2 would need to be put into the jockey seat given the weight allowance of 15kgs?

Tho it does look like you might be able to have it as a standard looking twin with jockey seat tucked underneath until needed.

The question is i guess, if DD1 is kicking off, would you be able to hold her, unclip and lift / help DD2 out of the seat and then lift in and fasten in DD1 and would DD2 stand still thru this happening?

Other than that i guess using a ring / pouch / unstructured sling for either DD2 or DD3 if you need the seat for DD1.

[lou031205]

It is a thought, TwocutefestiveFaiys, but my current buggy can't use a buggy board, so I would have to buy another double anyway to use one.

DD1 is quite a scrap for her age. She is only 12.9 kgs, and the 15kg limit is billed as an average 4 year old, so I reckon it would last DD1 until at least 4.5/5.

Of course, presuming DD2 is NT (which I believe her to be) then she will be well walking sensibly by then in any case, freeing up one of the main seats for DD1 in a melt down. The advantage of the buggy fbb linked to is that the third seat folds down and can be removed altogether when no longer needed.

[MatNanPlusAbroad]

Indeed Lou

[monstermansmum]

Hi, I have a Joovy Caboose here. I have the double but they do a triple! It looks a little bit like a train but is lightweight, takes a Graco carseat for the new baby, comes complete with harnesses for both seats (which recline) and also the step/seat. Its really handy for a walker who needs a rest-they can sit, or stand in any direction. Sorry if I have cross posted, I havent looked at the links. We ordered from an ebay shop called BALKOWITSCH, including shipping (2 weeks) it still cost less than most prams from the UK-about £250 ish 1yr ago. I have in emergencies stood ds1 (size of an 11yr old) on the back but I dont think its meant to take that kind of weight too often!! The 'Big Caboose' costs around $400 which is about £200. Well worth it!

[lou031205]

Thanks for that, MMM. I did see that, but the trouble is that when DD isn't co-operative, she wouldn't stand on the plate.

[Shoshe]

Dont. no if it is any help, but as a CM i use a seat2go for my 20 month old, ( I have a 9 month and 1 month as well. ) could your middle child sit on that and your older child in the buggy? I use it with a marco sky. I put reigns on th seat to go so that I know the 20 month is safe .

[lou031205]

Thank you Shoshe - all these suggestions would be so useful if I didn't have a Phil & Teds, which seems to thwart most add-on devices. To use them, I'd have to buy another double buggy!

[monstermansmum]

Hi Lou. The caboose has a seat AND a step. The seat has a harness and as Shose, I also used reins. They can sit all the time if you need them to and just put their feet on the step-like an integrated seat to go.

[r3dh3d]

Tbh I'd be thinking of ways to delay the decision if possible. It looks like you will be needing to buy a new buggy and there are new ones coming out all the time so there may be better and more flexible designs in development.

A sling would be my interim solution - not one of those "chicken in a string bag" things from Mothercare but a proper hippy one such as you can only get from t'interweb. If you google slingmeet they have a very helpful forum and may have someone locally who can lend you a sling to try out when baby arrives. I can carry DD1 (nearly 5, 17kgs) on my back in a large size mei tai and I'm feeble and unfit - so if you get the right sort of sling you could carry a baby (safely on your back out of DD1's way) until DD2 is old enough for the buggy board, at which point you may be talking to Wheelchair Services about SN buggies anyway so get some help with the cost. We first put DD2 on our buggy board at about 18m; though tbh she didn't use it sensibly till about 2 1/2.

[lou031205]

Thank you all, certainly food for thought. We certainly wouldn't be buying until at least the beginning of March anyway. I think that I am panicking slightly because DD1 is an unknown quantity. When I look at DD2, I think "in 4 months time she will be be toddling around and at x stage". With DD1, I don't know if things will be better, worse, or the same.

[lou031205]

That is interesting, stringerbell. What set-up is it?