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Original poster

Can we avoid a double buggy?

58 replies

Skiaddicted · 10/09/2019 16:20

Dc1 will be 18m when dc arrives if all goes well so I'm starting to think about what we may need. Dc1 lived in a carrier for the first 6 months of his life, he hated a pram and i found a pram a hassle so it worked well for us, however i know with 2 things may be different. I know i may want to give dc1 attention while dc2 sleeps or something out and about but a lot of me is thinking I'd like to avoid the cost of a double.

Has anyone managed it? I'm likely to buy second hand if we do get one so if we are going to get a double I'd need to decide before baby arrives so i have time to get one of the two i am considering.

OP posts:

Jesse70 · 10/09/2019 20:24

The buggy boards with seats are good

Ronnie27 · 10/09/2019 20:32

Just under two years between mine and I wouldn’t have survived without a double but we did a lot of walking as we live in a city, if you drive more and have good parking etc you might get away without one. The benefits of the pram are that you can put dc down so easily if you need to suddenly chase the other one or something. I always found a sling a bit of a faff while out and about but admittedly I had the two dc close together thing going on.

EverythingNow · 10/09/2019 20:32

17m between my 2nd and 3rd and we had a baby jogger city mini. Dd2 walked at 10.5m but not always in the direction or speed needed.

It was brilliant for taking 2 babies out for an after lunch walk, then they would nap and I would get some peace for a cuppa!

It wasn't expensive and very narrow for shops, storage etc.

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Userzzzzz · 10/09/2019 21:29

You’ve got no guarantees the baby will love the sling. I’ve had one that adores it and one that hated being confined with every bone in her body. Fortunately, I had them the right way round. I’ve found the sling more practical with two rather than a buggy for lots of situations. But, now at 6 months, I’m starting to prefer the buggy for my youngest. Applied to your situation, you’d have a just turned 2 year old and I don’t think they can be trusted at that age to walk nicely. Mine was a terrible bolter and I would have gone demented without a buggy. After about 21/2 she could be trusted to be sensible.

A lot depends on how long you’re going to be out with both of them and what you’re doing. You won’t always want the baby in a sling if you’re going to be eating or if you’re out for a full day.

30not13 · 10/09/2019 22:04

If you drive its definitely doable with no double if not.. 😣

RavenLG · 11/09/2019 00:08

If you're already used to baby wearing why not see how it goes then if needs be buy one from facebook / ebay etc. 2nd hand? No point spending money especially on a new one if you find single buggy fine :)

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 11/09/2019 06:25

@Userzzzzz i perfected eating dinner with dc1 asleep in the carrier

Thank you to everyone who has commented. Ive decided we will get one second hand and if it doesnt get used sell it on hopefully for a similar price to what we paid

OP posts:

Fatted · 11/09/2019 06:33

I had a two year age gap and even though I only used it for a few months, our double buggy was worth its weight in gold when I needed it. We got one second hand for about £150 and sold it on again for about £50, so didn't cost us too much.

I had a c-section, so wasn't able to drive. Being able to strap them both in while I walked to the shops was perfect. I wasn't a fan of baby wearing. I'm short, my kids are huge and physically it would have been a nightmare wrestling my toddler into the pram while carrying my baby in a sling.

Once I was driving again, DS1 was a more confident walker and DS2 decided he didn't like being laid flat, I just started using the single again.

circleorsquare · 11/09/2019 06:35

Glad you've decided to get one. We had one with a 2yrs4 months gap. We weren't going to but 2 days before my husband was going back to work the weather was awful and I burst into tears at the thought of walking the dog with a carrier or a toddler! Best thing we did, loved the double buggy and sold it for a good price too. It was great walking and both babies sleeping!

DwangelaForever · 11/09/2019 07:30

Daughter was 2 when my son was born, we bought a joie aire double for when I needed 2 year old to be in pram, for example if I wanted to power walk round the park, trips to town or the shopping centre etc. She will be 3 in october and son 1 in a few weeks and I've just migrated him to a single, it's honestly been a lifesaver having the double!

Nonmerci · 11/09/2019 09:27

15 month gap between my eldest two then a 14 month gap between DC2&3! Never had a double buggy, I always used a single and a carrier. Worked well for me. Sometimes I tandem wore my toddler on my back and newborn on front .

InDubiousBattle · 11/09/2019 09:37

You've made the right decision op, we absolutely wouldn't have managed without ours with a 19 month age gap. We paid £80 for a second hand Phil and Teds and used it almost every day- that buggy did hundreds of miles! I also had a cheap fold away buggy for short trips (with dd in a sling)and it was handy but for longer days out etc the double was much better. It's much harder to change a 2 year olds nappy with a 6 month old in a sling!

yellowallpaper · 11/09/2019 11:03

Toddlers need a buggy til about 3 as they soon get tired walking. You might get away With one of those little seats you attach to the back of your buggy though. Memories of carrying a lumpy 3 year old still clear.

ChanklyBore · 11/09/2019 11:10

2 year gap with my youngest two and I didn’t have a buggy from them at all, single or double. I thought I’d get a pushchair if we needed one but turned out we didn’t in the end, a bit like you with the first.

SudowoodoVoodoo · 11/09/2019 11:10

2y3m gap with mine. Sling and a single worked well for me as I could carry either as they needed it. By the time baby got a bit big to nap in the carrier, toddler was less likely to nap when out.

We needed something as DS1 wasn't ready to walk full-time by a long way (great walker/ runner now). If he was much younger then a double would have been worthwhile.

sodrained · 11/09/2019 11:29

That is the same age gap I had with mine my DD liked walking at that point, however she was tired really quickly so we got a buggy board to go on to the pram which she loved. It's so heavy to push though so I don't know if it's something you'd consider I really hated it.

stucknoue · 11/09/2019 11:35

You need a double buggy! You can avoid a newborn one (aka expensive) but a double umbrella buggy is invaluable, ours reclined but not flat so said from 3 months and was about £30, however a good number of years ago so triple it!

dustarr73 · 11/09/2019 11:42

I would maybe suggest a buggyboard and reins for teh 18 month old.And if dc wants the buggy,put baby in the sling.

Mamabear144 · 11/09/2019 14:04

There is a buggy board that's a seat and attached on so you could have that and a reins incase of jumping off but I know I've seen a few people with them and the child sits on it and always looks happy, I hope this helps

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 11/09/2019 16:18

Ive decided we will get one and then just see how we get on......i now just need to narrow down my 2 ideas of which to get to 1.....luckily i have a very long til til EDD so i have time to save and decide

OP posts:

theproudgeek · 11/09/2019 16:30

We had the same gap and didn't get a double, I had baby in the pram and toddler on my back. It worked well and I was very recognisable around town.
But, it did mean I couldn't easily hand them over to grandparents as they weren't able to manage the backpack carrier.

gigglingHyena · 11/09/2019 17:16

On thing I found really helpful was to have a single which I could use for either child with no need to switch the seat/carrycot other than reclining it for the baby.

While I could push the buggy with baby in the sling, once we got to the park/toddler group/wherever I found I could often lay the now sleeping baby down for a bit of a break.

As DD was walking more it was also useful in reverse, start with baby in the buggy and older child walking but when she was tired on the way home I could put DS in the sling and push her home.

That said, I did get a lot of use out of the double too as we did walk a lot.

30not13 · 11/09/2019 21:05

Which two are you between?

Wasywasydoodah · 11/09/2019 21:36

I have a 2 year gap and, though i hated the double buggy, I really needed it for about 6 months. Ds2 slept a lot in the buggy (much better than when he was in the sling) and ds1 had some v challenging behaviour that meant i needed to strap him in to get anywhere and it would have been unsafe to be carrying ds2 while i sorted him out. It was awful, actually. Would have been worse without the double buggy. But probably things will be better for you!!!!

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 12/09/2019 07:03

@30not13 the mountain buggy duet and the bugaboo donkey. I like the parent facing for the little one once theyre out of the carrycot as dc1 lasted 3 months before he refused the carrycot

@gigglingHyena luckily the one we have already dc has used from birth and lies flat (out and about nipper). Only reason I'm not considering a double of that is i want the parent facing for the smallest

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