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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put a 3 month old in a forward facing pushchair?

48 replies

Softlysoftly · 28/08/2012 23:41

Ok before you all jump on me it fully reclines but I'm a bit Confused about options as I've seen shock and horror on here about moving infants into pushchairs too soon!

Going on holiday next week and we are having car room issues with packing for DD1 (2), DD2 (13wks) and two adults plus fishing gear and a bike for DD1s birthday which is while we are away.

We have a bugaboo which we are currently using but is vair bulky and we have a city mini which we got for when DD1 was older. We can't fit in the bugaboo base and pram top and a Moses basket and a bike so my options are:

1 - take bugaboo base and carseat adapters but that means she spends all our "out" time in the carseat which is bad for the spine? Not seen the research?!

2 - take the base and pram top and she has to sleep in that leaving the Moses at home, but she hates the pram and has only just started sleeping more than45 minutes in her Moses basket, could make for a nightmare.

3 - take the baby jogger, fully recline it flat with blanket under her and head support nicked from a bouncy chair, it does say for newborns (as long as you don't actually jog not a concern Grin) but is forward facing and the straps will be loose.

4 - take bugaboo base and top and moses leave DD1s bike out, but feels very mean"Happy birthday heres a pic of your bike it stayed at home" :(

Help with my probably horribly over complicating it for myself dilemma (am blaming sleep deprivation).

OP posts:
mistlethrush · 28/08/2012 23:45

DS was in our MB laid flat from 3 wks.

Of course it damaged his talking and limited his vocabulary. For which we are very grateful as we can't wait until he's a teenager and gets a little less talkative. And his vocabulary was scarily extensive aged 3, despite forward facing.

If you've got plenty of padding, and she's flat, its not going to harm her, particularly for a holiday (and I would be much happier doing that than in a car seat all the time)

OhTheConfusion · 28/08/2012 23:46

I would take the pram top and let her sleep in it tbh. The baby jogger/make shift head rest etc all seems rather difficult and a bit flung together and I know it would drive me mad for the week.

If she has only just started spending more than 45min in moses basket I am sure she will adjust to the pram... and she won't be in moses basket much longer either.

OR... just leave the fishing gear Grin

FoxyRoxy · 29/08/2012 00:20

When I had my ds he was in a forward facing pushchair from birth. It laid flat (M&P Pliko) and he didn't have any developmental issues. He also never had a head hugger, does a 3mo really need a head hugger when laid flat?

I'd either take the carrycot instead of the moses or use the jogger. It's for a holiday, so short term and won't do him any harm especially as the pushchair says suitable from birth.

GnocchiNineDoors · 29/08/2012 00:21

Dd was lay flat in her stroller at 3mo.and all this 'developmental' talk is bollocks. I cannot shut the girl up. She is a great little chatter.

diddlediddledumpling · 29/08/2012 00:29

ds2 was in forward facing twin from birth and ds3 has been forward facing on and off (much easier for public transport). Doesn't make a blind bit of difference. At 3 months, all of mine would have slept for hours in the pram, didn't matter which way round Smile

owllover · 29/08/2012 00:31

I must be a terrible mother but DD has been in the city mini jogger since birth. Wasn't even aware of this being potentially bad Shock FWIW she is totally fine at 15wks.
HTH

IdPreferNot · 29/08/2012 00:39

YABU to buy into pushchair hysteria and worry about this. YANBU to put a 3-month-old in a forward facing pushchair.

StarlightMcKenzie · 29/08/2012 00:45

I think it is absolutely essential to get the trained forward facing ASAP, so that once they are more they don't see you rating chocolate bars on the run and pester you for some.

bogeyface · 29/08/2012 00:49

I first thought that the fishing gear was a present, but if it isnt then leave that at home, take the bugaboo and moses basket. If that isnt an option then take the pram and leave the moses basket at home but....... let her sleep on a sheet in the moses basket/cot/whatever you use at home, for 2 nights and use that same sheet and bedclothes in the pram so she feels more secure.

TraineeBabyCatcher · 29/08/2012 00:54

I would be take the bjcm. Having had both that and a bug can more than happily say being in the baby jogger is going to do no harm for 1 week.
However a week without baby sleeping may ruin the week, as may a very upset child who can't have their new bike.

Original poster
Softlysoftly · 29/08/2012 00:55

Thank you all, sadly DH would rather leave the baby at home than the fishing gear! And I'm secretly hoping to cast a line or two myself geek.

Think I'll go with the jogger, DD1 is gabby enough could do with a quieter one. Plus then I can sell the bugaboo to buy lots of chocolate (good suggestion starlight)

OP posts:
MoelFammau · 29/08/2012 02:58

DD was in a forward facing pushchair from birth - laid flat, obviously. And a sling. We liked the sling but she hated that she couldn't see out. She's so sociable it's ridiculous.

armedtotheteeth · 29/08/2012 03:09

Dd1 was in a forward facing fully reclining pushchair from birth - it's all we owned. Are you seriously worrying about a short holiday?! Yabu to worry - this is a complete non-issue! At that age my dd1 was often snuggled up in a sling with no eye contact either.

Enjoy your holiday and your baby Smile

DieDeutschLehrerin · 29/08/2012 04:28

My parents put me in a very basic, semi-reclining Maclaren as soon as they could prop me up as I wouldn't tolerate lying flat in the pram. I am a languages graduate - it does not affect your linguistic development. IMO it's another way to try and guilt parents into spending more money.

Ozziegirly · 29/08/2012 05:37

My DS was in a forward facing pram from about 3 months as he just hated the lie flat towards me attachment and much preferred seeing where he was going. Even in a trolley seat once he was a bit older, he would crane round to see what was going on around him.

He was speaking in sentences by 20 months so if it has damaged him for good, I can cope with that.

OhTheConfusion · 29/08/2012 06:48

Sorry just to confirm I agree that forward facing does not cause any developmental delays etc... I really just hate having to faff around!

Hopandaskip · 29/08/2012 06:49

Neither of mine lay flat as newborns.

#1 would scream. Had reflux and wanted to see the world. Sat in infant car seat in silver cross frame.

#2 wouldn't sit/lie in a pushchair, anything less than skin to skin contact in sling was screaming/puking worthy.

They are 16 and 11 and talk, walk etc. both bright and wayyy too talkative at times, especially when talking about minecraft.

pigletmania · 29/08/2012 07:20

If it reclines than that is fine, some buggies are made from birth plus, in that they recline so the baby is not sat upright

lottiegarbanzo · 29/08/2012 07:23

Huh? I chose the BJCM partly because it could be used (almost) flat from newborn without needing to buy a separate carrycot (was a teeny bit concerned about the 'almost' before using but it's fine).

Then tiny dd first travelled in it at two weeks. Not far, not often but we certainly took her for a few hour-long walks in the early weeks. The straps were fine and, with lots of blankets, so was she and consistently slept.

She was facing up, not forward, the only difference between this and a pram is the straps. How am I supposed to have damaged her exactly?

lottiegarbanzo · 29/08/2012 07:27

One thing I love about it is thh 'viewing panels' so she can look up and see me. Now, usually sitting more upright since 4 months or so, she still turns to look up occasionally, though is mostly quite interested in what's going on in front.

FamiliesShareGerms · 29/08/2012 07:28

For one week? Absolutely not a problem

NellyBluth · 29/08/2012 07:30

DD was forward facing from 3 month. She was bored facing me, she adores facing the world, talking to everyone, having the wind in her hair. With the recline and the head hugger its absolutely fine for a baby! Think this developmental delay with a complete guilt trip. Just stick your head around the front of the pushchair and interact with your baby every now an again if you are worried!

Bellyjaby · 29/08/2012 07:35

Take the baby jogger. DD was always in a front facing pushchair, originally using a cocoon then out in the pushchair part around 3 months when she got too long for the cocoon. I did buy a buggy liner though, so she was more comfy and it reduces the strap looseness. DD loved having more to look at.

Also, like some others I hadn't heard this hysteria over buggies. I know the stuff regarding moulded seats/car seats but nothing about lay flats. And like the others who posted here DD has no developmental delay. She's always been ahead on most things and talks non stop (though she's 19 months so god knows what she's saying half the time, but she has a very good vocabulary of understandable words and mini sentences).

AWomanCalledHorse · 29/08/2012 07:40

Woah, forward facing pushchairs are a MNproblem? Confused

Yanbu OP.

Original poster
Softlysoftly · 29/08/2012 07:49

Apparently by doing so we are being cruel and stressful to our DCs.

Well I think I can live with that for a week, THANKYOU for mnslapping me out of my fret!

OP posts: