2 year old and newborn - pram dilemma - advice please!

[mindthegap79]

I may be jumping the gun as I'm very early on in my pregnancy. However I'm excited and just starting to plan ahead a bit... When dc2 is born, dd will be just turning 2. She's currently 15.5 months and is quickly a pretty confident walker. She likes to walk alongside the buggy a lot of the time and obviously we encourage this, although she's not very speedy and her little legs get tired - so we still need the buggy much of the time.

We currently have a MacLaren Techno XT, and also the Silver Cross Wayfarer travel system which we bought for when she was newborn. Both are compatible with buggy boards and the BuggyPod.

My question is, will a just turned 2 year old want to/need to go in a buggy? Should we plan to sell the Silver Cross and buy something like the Baby Jogger double? Or will dd be ok on a buggy board by then?

Sorry, I know I should really wait a while, but I am very excited and would be interested to hear of others' experiences. Thanks!

Newer model icandy apple to pear.

It's a single that converts to a double with one hand.

It's amazing!

I've a 22 month age gap.

I had same age gap and got double buggy which was brilliant! Imo much easier than sling plus buggy, and dd1 wasn't ready for a buggy board til she was 3.

Depends on your child so I'd wait til nearer the time. Dd1 was a great walker but not at all trustworthy so no way could she walk next to buggy!

If you have one in a buggy, one in a sling then you still have the buggy for bags obviously!

Everyone always says this, but it really helps to go to a sling library. If you liked the Baby Bjorn for around the house then something like an Ergo will be similar but miles more comfortable.

Almost everyone I know with a Caboo really liked it though and found it easy to use so a few quick tweaks may be all that was needed with that one.

I want to echo what FlopRocks said re the stroll air duo! I had a 15 month gap and used the duo with DS from 1 week old, it was perfect - lies flat, huge separate hoods, newborn insert. Also, parent facing option is a big plus for me, DD was parent facing in her single and I didn't want to have to FF her just because a younger sibling had come along, she was still really a baby herself.

I have to say even though DD is now 2.7 and DS is 1.4, we still use the duo a lot, I am nowhere near ready to part with it. I had to do two big days out last week on my own and DD still definitley needs access to a proper pushchair seat. In fact, she fell asleep for nearly 2 hours at one point. Yes, she'll walk alongside, but for days out there's no way the buggy board would be enough, she needs to have the option of flopping in a seat! We do have a buggy board too, which I also love for popping to the shops and quick trips about town. If DH is with me, then we might have a single and a backpack, or two backpacks, but they are both very heavy for carrying now I find.

I also have to agree re the newborn in the sling being a barrier. I was all set to have DS in the sling all the time as DD only slept in the sling when she was tiny. DS slept anywhere, so being able to put him in the buggy and be with DD un encumbered was really good for DD, I think.

I had a Graco Tandem Duo and it was a member of the family - I cried when we finally parted with it
I used to walk miles with it, and could even fit three in there if we were going a really long way, and the "luggage rack" underneath was massive - we could have a family day out for seven and get everything we needed under there easily.
It folded and unfolded very easily, had a surprisingly small turning circle, was lightweight and very manoeuvrable (sp???) and proved very robust over the years too.

Hi mind

Congrats on your pregnancy. I've 15 months between my two. Used a sling for the first three months and kept my single buggy. Then gave in and bought the Phil and Ted's sport second hand online. I'm really happy with it. I wanted to keep no 2 in the sling as much as possible but needed a buggy more than i realized, esp for playing with no 1 at the park, neck ache and just convenience. I don't drive so use the buggy loads. Dh is much taller than me and also likes it. No 1 is in the bottom part, I thought he'd hate being that low but he really enjoys it.

Best of luck whatever you decide

Check out the Oyster Max. We called it 'the blessed pushchair' with a 2 year age gap.

We only really needed it for about 5/6 months but for that time it was invaluable. I went so much further and took the two DCs on lovely days out because I knew DD could go in the second seat when she got tired.

It converts really easily to a single. If we weren't going far I would clip the second seat on and now it is just a nice single all the time.

DCs faced each other too which was lovely.

We have a 26 month gap.

I have my main pram and a sit down buggy board. And a buggy and sling. So depending on where we go I use whatever combo I need.

It's mainly DC1 walking, DC2 in the pram and buggy board under pram in case DC1 gets tired.

There are 17 months between mine. Newborn (6w) DS hates lying flat in the pram so I sling him and DD goes in the pushchair as she did before DS.

The double pram is as yet unused.

I saw someone with a 'joovy' buggy.
It had a seat and buggy board set up behind a proper buggy seat. This looked great for a older sibling who would tire on a buggy board, but didn't need an adjustable buggy seat for napping in, that could happily sit upright.
You can even have 2 proper buggy seats, one slightly higher than the other.
Obviously I was quite impressed because even tho I only have one kid (so far) I googled the make after seeing a woman pushing one.

I'm currently pregnant and will have a gap of 21 months when new baby arrives.

I've tested the Out n' About Nipper and was happy with how it moved but disliked the fact that it only faced forwards.

I was doing some research on the Mountain Buggy Duet online and liked the idea that it claims to be one of the thinnest double buggies on the market (at 63cms/24.5 inches).

Unfortunately there are no stockists near me - does anyone here have any experience!?

Yy to the Phil and teds, it will be essential at times to be able to contain both of the children, and you can always pop the back seat off (or use it for shopping) if only the baby is using it!

If you're in London op send me a pm closer to the time if you haven't found one. Mine will be 3 and 5 by feb so should be selling mine on by then! I use it a maximum of 1 day per week really now so suspect it will be phased out for us by then!

It depends on the child but it's likely you would need a double buggy

. My ds was 2.2 when dd was born and I was also in this dilemma. I was adamant I didn't want a double buggy so borrowed a buggy board to try out during the end of my pregnancy, one trip out with dh and ds and I realised I needed a double buggy!

Ds is a pretty good walker but I am very glad I got the buggy. I ve found it's not just about walking, sometimes I am in a hurry and need to get somewhere quickly or ds is having a tantrum and refusing to come to me or is running off and I can just wrestle him into the pram and know he's safe. It's especially useful in shops and supermarkets and car parks to have them both together and safe, rather than my toddler running all over the place and pulling things off shelves.

That's my experience but you may find your dd is less lively than my ds. However , it also gives me the option to allow him to walk and hold the buggy if he wants to but get into it when he wants to as well. I got the bugaboo donkey second hand as it can be a single and a double pram so to me meets all eventualities.

Caffeine, the mountain buggy duo is really popular over here. It's the same company as Phil and Ted's. I love my single mountain buggy but the side by side one is too wide for trams so I went with Phil and Ted's. Friends who have cars really like the side by side mountain buggy. Hope that helps

I had a 22 month gap between mine and got a Phil and teds, which has done the job well. We considered just keeping old buggy and using buggy board but as pp have said the kerbs bothered me and the fact that 2 year olds get tired easily. The other thing to consider is 'crowd control' when you just need to have a safe place to put a stroppy/runaway 2 year old when you're trying to do ten other things at once!

DS1 was almost exactly 2 when DS2 arrived. I used the ordinary pram with a combination of buggy board and sling. I never once thought "I wish I had a double buggy".

I had the mountain duet for my DC and I loved it. It was my favourite to push until I dropped to a single GT city mini, was lovely being able to nip in shops and easy to push one handed when needed. It is however a bastard to lift into the car boot. i also liked it because in winter I could load the kids up in the house and then push them out the front door which I don't think I could have done with any other side-by-side

I have 17m age gap between eldest but ds only walked week before his sister born. Our Phil and Red was essential, but that's cos I don't drive. I did use single and sling a fair bit but double useful just for the sheer amount of carp one seems to need.

I went through nearly 90 buggies all in and my fave double was the baby jogger but that's really for if you expect to have both in buggies for a time yet.

The top of the folding bar above the brakes on a techno is fab to use as emergency buggy board, although only works if seat not flat

Thank you Petallic and Bluesky.

I liked the idea of a side by side that wasn't too wide but was concerned about whether or not it would fit on a bus. I'd probably be using it both via car and bus so might need to do some measuring on a bus!!

I've got the same gap and got a Joovy Caboose, which has been brilliant! You can get a second buggy seat that clips onto the back that I had for a while as DS1 still napped in the pushchair, now he's older I've taken it off and the back is a bench seat / buggy board depending on if he wants to stand or sit. And they're back to back so it's pretty small, we manage fine with in on buses and trains.