Will I need a double pram?

[Pinkstuffs]

Have a 15 month old and I’m due a second in December, so will have a newborn and 20 month old. 15 month old can walk confidently but not reliably and not far. We live rurally and with my first I used the pram every day, either walking or taking in the car to the shops etc.

Will I need a double? DH says to wait and see how we get on when baby is born, but I like to be organised. His reasoning is that baby could go in a sling, we do have a big travel system and stroller already so it would be ok when both of us are out, and it’s more money to buy another pram.

Im worried about relying on a sling as DC1 never really liked it especially when we weren’t moving, if we went to a coffee shop etc I would need to put him in the pram. I also think I will need the pram to contain DC1!

What have other people done? Is it essential?

Mine are 22months apart. I used the one stroller and a baby carrier or the adapting bassinet/car seat with the buggy and a buggy board. When youngest was 16m we stopped the buggy and walked or public transport to and from nursery etc.

I don’t think you’ll need a double. My age gaps are a bit bigger at 25m and 22m, and baby is currently 4m. I’ve never had an issue with a sling and/or buggy board combo.

I don’t drive so we walk everywhere, and the children have fortunately taken to walking quite easily. For me, the idea of taking a double pram on a bus or narrow pavements is enough to put me off the idea - but this might be less of an issue if you live rurally!

I had a similar age gap and managed without a double. We swapped around sometimes, so when the toddler needed the buggy the baby went in a sling, other times the toddler went on the buggy board - it worked.

Yes yes yes to the double. We could have “managed” without one (22 month age gap, walk absolutely everywhere), but who wants to “manage”? (I know, some folks can’t afford a flash buggy and don’t have a choice, but it sounds like finances are alright for you.) It was the only way we could’ve got to nursery during a particularly fussy two year old phase - honestly a fantastic purchase.

Babies are now 3.5 and 18 months and it still gets used most days. Bugaboo donkey, and we love it.

Reading some replies, some of you are made of sterner stuff than me/my little ones! Couldn’t do without my emotional support double buggy.

Firstly, I have a 15 month old and currently due end of December/beginning of Jan how funny!

secondly, what pram do you currently have? I have an egg and an icandy and they both can be converted into a double (tandem style) does yours convert? I do think you’ll need one

We have a mamas and papas Ocarro that I love, I can get it down any country lane or track but it doesn’t convert to a double sadly. Used it every day since my DC1 was born. We also have a bugaboo butterfly but that doesn’t convert either!

Mine were 15 months apart. Youngest was 6 weeks early and 5lb when born. We never needed a double pram or buggy. I used to use a sling for youngest while eldest still needed the buggy. We used to walk a lot and when appropriate encouraged eldest to walk. He quickly got used to walking lots so walked everywhere when little one needed the pram/ pushchair.

21 months apart. I had baby in sling and older child walked with wrist link mostly.occasionally the older one would be in buggy. No double buggy mainly due to travelling on public transport and back then prams had to be folded.

3 years 2 months between mine and there was about 6 months that I could have used one for, which is long enough when wrangling a baby and toddler in the winner months. I should really have got a second hand one.

What planet is DH on??? You're going to have a one year old and a newborn. They have no sense of self-preservation at that age and might not be able to walk very far or in a consistent direction.

I would have absolutely needed a double. I never went out without a pram when my children were that age unless I had them in a sling. Which you probably won't want to do if you've just given birth!

It depends on how often you or OH are likely to be out and about with them on your own. If it’s likely to be lot then yes, based those ages you will almost definitely need a double.

For the sake of perspective - a 20mo is not that much different from a 15mo who can walk - they are just angrier and heavier and even more wriggly.

Maybe DH is picturing a 2.5-3yo in terms of communication and physical development.

23month age gap and had one for roughly around 9months. Bought second hand and sold it for a similar price I bought it for!

It depends how much you walk I suppose, but I was not going to be able to manage toddler pace everywhere, so it was a godsend for us!

one of my biggest regrets when buying baby equipment is not buying a travel system that could convert to a double! I tell all my friends who are pregnant to buy one that converts!

The double was a lifesaver with my two who are 20 months apart. My youngest was born early and took small for a sling/carrier for ages. Then she hated it. It is hard having two under two (but so very worth it as they grow up) and being able to get out for a proper brisk walk without having to encourage a toddler was essential for my mental health. The only time they both napped at the same time was after being pushed in th double buggy. It's 10 years but I still remember the blissful feeling of a few minutes peace. We had a lightweight buggy and buggy board too, which we used for short trips when they were a little older

I have a 20 month gap!
out n about nipper double. You can get a carry cot for the first 6 months .

I had the bugaboo donkey - awful! Huge .

Hands down - the double nipper !

Werr still using it aged 2 and almost 4!!!

I would look for a second hand city mini double. I picked mine up for about £100 on marketplace. They are really easy to push and fold and go up to 22kg in each seat. My
small 8 year old has only just outgrown it. They go quite flat but I think you can also get inserts for newborns too. I used a buggy board for my older one when my youngest was a newborn but got the double as youngest got older as it was easier for longer days out.

Absolutely. I have a 3 year gap and regret not getting a double for the first 6 months

Is space an issue? You could get rid of the Butterfly and get two Yoyos which can be connected… or get the ride-on board for the Butterfly?

We had a bigger age gap (three years) and never needed a double. You may not need a double for long…

Mine was 20 months and i had twins. We got a buggy board and she was fine, sometimes sat on the hood and ‘hugged’ me.

Do what’s easier for you.

Get a double 100%.

Both will be in nappies and if you’re out alone it would be difficult changing a nappy whilst wearing a sling.

Also, I would begin teaching your dc now ‘expectations’ you will need them to know/ do when baby is here. For example if you let them out of pushchair to walk a bit every time you go out shopping, they will of course expect to keep doing this. If they are allowed to wonder round in a cafe/ Costa etc now with you following, they will not understand why they cannot do the same when you have their baby sibling to feed.

Yes they are only a baby themselves atm but they are learning. You can gently and child friendly begin to teach them now.

I've said all that, I sincerely hope you don’t mind. I see so many mums struggle with their toddler when they have the baby to deal with (which of course is a very demanding double role) but doing this now will help so much further down the line!

Depends on your kid. Some love to be in a buggy and pushed around so then get a double. Some don’t and love being a big kid and are fine on a buggy board.

Sling or carrier with a buggy isn’t the answer I don’t think.

22 month age gap here (12 years ago) absolutely get a double! If only to keep everybody under control, nothing worse than trying to manage a pram and a toddler running about!

The gap between our first two was slightly larger (DC1 was 23 months when DC2 was born). I didn’t get a double pram, mostly because ours didn’t convert to a double (it was a handmedown from my SIL, barely used by her so it was practically new when we got it and I didn’t want to replace it). But I did get the skateboard attachment for it, so DC1 could ride around on that. He usually preferred to walk before DC2 was born, so I figured that would continue - I was wrong though haha. DC1 wanted to be in the pram because DC2 was and would often refuse to walk, but he’d happily stand or even sit on the skateboard.

When DC2 was a bit bigger and I switched to the seat attachment rather than the bassinet, I’d sometimes wear DC2 and put DC1 in the pram. I’d also put the carrier in the basket and switch out DC if needed on longer outings (like the zoo). This arrangement worked for a bit, but then DC1 started to get too tall and heavy for me to manoeuvre with him on the skateboard. He would still refuse to walk at times and (even at almost 4) would complain his legs were tired on longer outings, so I bought a second hand double stroller. We only used it on longer outings; I still used the pram day to day and managed to get DC1 to walk. That lasted a year or so, but by 5 DC1 was happy to walk all the time.

I wish I’d invested in the double stroller earlier instead of struggling with the pram/skateboard combo for as long as I did. I should’ve done it 6 months sooner looking back on it. The stroller has served us well though, we took it with us on a family holiday interstate when DC2 was 3, DN1 was 2 and DN2 was 18 months. All 3 rotated in and out of the stroller quite happily, so it was the only pram/stroller we brought between 3 families and the big baskets were great for bags, drink bottles, etc. It’s now gone to my sister, who’s since had a second child and she found her double pram too bulky.

Even with a 24 month gap and DC1 being a good walker, we got a fair amount of use out of our second hand double stroller. If nothing else, DC1 was still napping and usually did so on the move. DC2 was a big baby and I couldn’t do a sling for that long.