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?

We managed with just a buggee board and sling (coat extenders like Zipusin are great for winter). But our gap was 2 years. I was relieved not to have a huge double pram to put in car and it was a fast release board to attach quickly (bugaboo).

Make sure pram is lie flat and means you don’t need to switch seats when baby needs a lie down.

all depends on how active your older child is…mine was on the go, but occasionally just needed pram to crash in. Loved sitting on the board.

You could get a double that functions as an off-roader (out&about) or as a bike carrier (Thule do one) so you get a double that does more. Alternatively buy one second hand for a few months and sell on!

There’s 22 months between my 2 youngest and I never had a double. However I was a huge fan of carriers (I’m due in December and have 3 slings already) we live in a village and do a lot of walking. When younger DD was in the pram the older one would walk or use a buggy board.

I think you will absolutely need a double, even if it's just a double stroller ie for when your baby is about 3 months onwards. For the first few months it will be winter anyway so you might get away with the car seat attached to the pram and a buggy board for older dc on short trips to the shops etc. We have a double stroller and my near 4 yo still goes into it.

There are 19 months between my two and I was in exactly the same situation. We decided to get a fairly inexpensive double on the premise that we probably wouldn’t really use it but it would be good to have on the occasions that we do, and my god am I glad we have it now! I use it every single day to take my newborn and toddler to the park. People may tell you you’ll be fine with a baby carrier but if you’re anything like me you won’t want to lug a chubby baby around on your chest while you’re out and about with your toddler 😂 now my newborn sleeps in the pram and I take my toddler out and play with him when we get to the park and it’s great for being able to nip to the shops in or just go for a little walk. When my toddler is a less clumsy walker I’ll get a ride-on for him to use while I push my little one in a single, but I honestly can’t tell you how glad I am that we decided to get the double in the end!

My LG is 2 next month and I'm due in October. I was convinced I needed a double but I'm holding off until baby arrives to see. My LG doesn't go in the pram very much as it is. She hates it, and she doesn't sleep in it ever so I wouldn't need a double for that. I'm potentially just going to get a buggy board instead and I also have a sling. If I do need to get one I will but for now I'm not in case it is just a waste of money.

Get the double.

There were 2y 3m between my two and I managed with my existing single pram/ buggy and carriers and don't regret it, but DS1 was not an enthusiastic walker and I would have got use from a double.

At 20m, your oldest is unlikely to have great stamina or speed for functional walking, and the ability to continue strapping them into a pram is likely to be very useful.

There's a good second hand market in them.

I had 18/12 between my first two and used a double buggy every day until DC2 was over a year. I lived in a town with terrible traffic problems so did nearly all my chores on foot eg shopping, bottle bank, socialising, groups etc. I did use the sling and the back pack carrier a lot if it was just going to the park or to see a friend but there is convenience to having something that you can dangle bags off etc. you are extremely likely to get a decent one second hand as people often don’t need them for long.

As you can afford it it, I also think you should get the double. It will make your life so much easier. We had a bigger age gap and could have managed without, but on the occasions when we needed it, it was essential. If we'd had a 20-month age gap... well, DS2 is 20 months now and a good walker with plenty of stamina but we still need him to go in his buggy quite a lot. As a baby, he hated going in a sling until he was old enough to face outwards, and DP didn't find it comfortable to use for long periods post-section anyway. The Out n About mentioned upthread, or the Mountain Buggy Duet are both excellent for walking in rural areas as they have big air-filled tyres, but they're compact enough to push round shops, especially the MB which is no wider than some single buggies as the wheels are inset within the frame. They hold their value quite well so you can get a second-hand one and probably sell it for nearly the same as you paid for it.

23 month gap and didn’t need one no. It depends on your circumstances I think.

And if he is, he's also completely unaware that a 2.5 - 3 year old is angrier, heavier, more wriggly and able to both hit peak acceleration within 3 steps and have their legs completely cease to work with their mass approximating the average black hole at the centre of a galaxy if they've decided they don't want to walk where you want them to.

It's like the difference between walking an obstreperous 9 month old labrador compared to a 9 month old cocker spaniel; both could decide they've had enough, but picking up the labrador is a whole different matter when you've also got the equivalent of a paper bag full of expensive wine glasses (ie, the newborn in a sling) in your hands at the same time.

I would when my kids were 17 months they always wanted to be carried every where after walking a short distance.

Mine were 20 months apart and I really couldn't have managed without a double.

Yes, this pram is awesome. 19 month age gap for me as well and I still use it even though my eldest is nearly 4 for bigger days out. I can’t see us giving it up for a while yet. It’s been invaluable.

My DS loved walking at 15 months then at some point before 2 he went on a walking strike for ages. Wed pretty much put the pushchair away but I got it back out again to save my back/stress levels when he just wanted to be carried all the time. So for that reason, I’d say yes. But I think if you’re likely to do any big busy days out or long walks you’d definitely want it for those days.

Tbh it's Gona depend on the child as to wether they love walking or just endure it. Luckily our youngest twins 3 and 4 haven't been in buggies for well over a year they just love walking in fairness probably walk better than me as a recent day out to a castle proved it haha but ye all kids are different

I use a sling ( the neko tiny as I have small babies too) I had a double before for older kids and they were an absolute pain in the neck, the slings working well so far my lo's are 13 weeks ( weighs 9lb5) and 2yo

Congratulations on your baby op! Any update did you have in and get double stroller or how is carrier etc going? :)