not buying a pram?

[minimalistmum]

I just don't think it's necessarily going to be that useful...Anyone else out there considering NOT spending a fortune on something that's just going to clutter up the hallway?

I think you might be setting your self a really hard road. buy a pram don't by a pram but setting yourself a moral goal about it will make it hard if you find you need one. Try not to judge yourself or others on what they buy.

Oh in terms of prams carrying stuff most of the baby wearing mums I know regularly take a shopping trolley with them for long days out!

Your baby stuff is a bit crazy by the way. newborns eat way more then 3 hourly :) DS would also need a nappy change more then three hourly.

If I did it again, I wouldn't buy a pushchair of any variety before birth. I do small refluxy prem babies - sling all the way. But it was very handy from 6m- 2yrs for regulating sleeping, nursery runs with work kit in tow, etc. I had a backpack carrier I used a lot too. I loved having her close.
But mainly after those 3-4 months you'll know which sort your baby and your life post baby needs, and you'll have the time to make the right decision whilst you are still able to do what you need to with just a sling.
I agree be careful with making plans and moral judgements - God does like a laugh and you quickly find yourself often enough doing the opposite!

Slightly off topic, but I've just had a read of your blog and I'd be very careful if I were you, because you do seem as if you're on a bit of a hiding to PND... Babies don't always follow plans, and planning elimination communication, only a handful of outfits, no pushchair and forcing a whole "ethos" onto yourself before the baby's born could end up with you coming back to earth with a resounding thud when, you know, you've actually got a real-life baby as opposed to a set of judgements on the way everyone else does it ideas...

Eating every 3 hours? You're not breastfeeding then which is surprising going by what I've read in your blog.

I agree with a PP.. keep being flexible in mind.. things sometimes don't go to plan with a baby.

I needed 12 baby grows a day after my second was born for the first chunk of time.. He was full of gunk, I don't know where it all came from.

I assume she means "feeding for three hours at a time" ::glares at three ebf sons::

Some bf babies feed every three hhours!

Having read the blog, I feel "tiny flat in Brazil" is information that might have been useful to us in assessing OP's reasonableness or otherwise.

Yes, some do. Most don't, and insisting on a three-hour schedule (a) is at odds with OP's other ideas of what parenting should look like (on-demand, child-led, natural) and (b) is unlikely to result in successful bfing.

and I might add (c) not helping in working out how many clothes a child needs

It's up to you. But prams/buggies do not have to cost the earth, we've picked up most of our baby stuff second hand and have paid about a quarter of the prices in shops (and can resell to recoup some of the money when not needed anymore). You can always see how you go and buy one if needed.

I never thought of the baby vomiting into your cleavage - that might be the make-or-break-it factor for me (I'm ok with poo but do NOT like vomit)!

Baby vomit is not like real vomit. You will soon be fine with it.

We borrowed prams for all three of ours. I think I only ever took ds2 out in his twice but it was handy for lying him down to sleep out of reach of ds1. I was 42 by the time I had ds3 and have arthritis in my neck so couldn't sling him. I found the pram great for carrying all the older boys stuff.

Qazac even 2nd hand prams I've seen are over £200.

It's not v good value for something you only use a handful of times.

Maybe there's a demand for pram hire?

Yes 3 hours at a time sounds about right

There's no way I could have managed without a pram. I used a sling and it was great, but it wouldn't have been any use when I had dental and medical appointments (where I had to be examined), for example.

I didn't have a problem with that satin, there was always someone quite happy to cuddle the baby for a minute! Not sure I could have managed a haircut mind.. (not that I would risk that with baby in pushchair either actually!!)

In terms of cost-effectiveness, it also depends whether you'd use the car more, doesn't it?

While we now know this doesn't quite fit with the OP's situation, if you live in a normal UK town then your local supermarket might be a 10-20 minute walk away. When you're at home on maternity leave it is easy to find yourself going to the shop every day, especially if you want to find a reason to get out and about every day (and don't live somewhere nice and rural with lovely walks to go on). A 10-20 minute walk, to me, is nicer than going in the car to the shop and yes, as some people have said, the baby might easily fall asleep in the pram. And then you have the pram to carry the shopping back, which is undoubtedly harder with a baby in a sling.

All of which waffle is to say that if you end up using the car a lot more then it might not always be cost effective. You're possibly making a massive saving anyway not paying for your journey to work, whether it's petrol or the train, but if you end up using the car every day I imagine that would be more expensive than a cheap pushchair in the long-term?

Also, I can't help thinking everyone has a different idea what a "pram" is. I know quite a few people who have managed without a lay-flat pram for the first few months as the baby is so tiny and did enjoy the sling more. But over a few months old, when they could go in a "pushchair", I think it would start to get harder. Ergo, no pram - fine, no pushchair - but more problematic...

I've had numerous doctor, hospital and dental appointments where there wasn't anyone available to help in the room. And my appointments weren't short either. I didn't see a doctor for years previous to having a baby but then had health issues relating to breastfeeding so spent quite a bit of time at the hospital during the first few months. Add to that having to see an orthodontist regularly. My DH helped when he could but there's a limit to how much time he can take off work.

I Bought a second hand pushchair for £60. Was a nice one with parent facing lie flat seat and all. Hardly a fortune. Asda are currently selling a buggy for £18.

sorry - I didn't mean to imply you "should" have managed satin, just that I did a few appointments with baby in sling. Like the OP I didn't really plan for a pushchair or buy one before birth, but bought one after about a month, no regrets. I didn't use it much for the first 6 months but post one year I don't think I could have managed without.

It doesn't matter whether you or anyone has one bit of baby kit or another.

Bits of stuff are not childbearing philosophies. You can have stuff and still do with it what suits you.

A pram is not essential. A pushchair is not essential. A sling is not essential. A car seat is not essential. A cot is not essential. Despite what has been said on this thread again and again you do not need any of these pieces of kit. You might choose to have some or all to meet particular needs at particular times. Or not.

Most of the time people aren't 'managing without' something. They just don't get to the point of wanting it for many lifestyle related or personal reasons. I have never got to the point of wanting or needing a pram or pushchair. If I did get to that point I would buy one, I know where the shops are and can get there or buy online - I could break my leg tomorrow and then I would need one, or if I babysat more than two babies or toddlers at once. The point is though -parenting is not a collection of stuff or a list of boxes to tick. You get what you need and it is ok to need something (and also ok not to, though that is not the consensus on this thread)

I agree with the PP saying you might be setting yourself for PND - there is a pretty good chance, just with the way things are, not anything to do with you as a person, that you won't be able to do everything as you outlined in your blog - it would be very sad if you regarded that as a failure or put undue pressure on yourself to live as per your blog. If you've travelled around MN at all you'll know how devastated women can be if, for example, they don't manage to breastfeed for as long as they wanted - and that's just one thing on your list.

I am a huge fan of slings but also really loved my buggy - there are times you will want to put the baby down while you are out! I often was out with both sling and buggy and would change around depending on what ds was up to

I used a sling a lot but really can't imagine not having a buggy - I had a bugaboo so it was parent facing from birth but also lasts till they are a toddler -

What if you are out having lunch with a friend with baby and the baby is tired ? My son would not sleep or stay settled in the sling if I sat down ! I had to be on my feet -

Nothing more peaceful than your baby sleeping in the buggy while you get some time to yourself - I promise you won't want to be holding your baby all the time

I went travelling in Europe with ds when he was 3/4 months old - at night he would sleep in the buggy while we sat in lovely squares or ate in restaurants - we enjoyed proper evenings out which I couldn't have done with just a sling as he would not have stayed sleeping long enough - and it's not comfortable eating with a 4 month old baby on your chest

I co slept/ bf Etc but really don't get why you are setting yourself up to follow rigidly some pre determined parenting path - just do what you need to at the time

Wow, what a response!
Based on the small number of commenters without strollers I'm concluding that I'm not being unreasonable...if perhaps slightly quirky. We'll see how it goes!

Also, to the two lovely commenters who have suggested I'm setting myself up for PND, if I do end up suffering from what I consider to be a serious mental disease, thanks to you at least I'll know it was all my fault because I didn't buy a stroller. Congratulations on providing the two least supportive responses I've ever read!