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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not buy a pram for baby?

190 replies

starsshineinthecountry · 04/01/2016 22:04

I know it seems to be on the list of essentials but I have a lovely sling and a wrap and don't really see me pushing a pram much. I have hardly any space, like walking in areas where pushing a pram would be difficult and want to keep costs down.

Is it worth buying one or can I get away without using one?

OP posts:
Catsize · 05/01/2016 07:36

I can probably only answer you second question.

In the early days, with DS, we had a baby car set that I used to haul -miraculously-- onto a shopping trolley. Also, trolleys have baby seat things too. A sling would have been massively easier than the car seat effort, and I used a stretchy wrap one with DD. However, when shopping with a pram/pushchair, I have used that as a trolley. Just means you can't load as much.

The idea of getting a decent 'lie flat' pushchair is a good one. We have had various. Mountain buggy is our favourite, and the double city jogger has been great too. Travel system barely used.

And as for a cot - bought the best we could buy. Used for three hours.

53rdAndBird · 05/01/2016 07:37

Silly question 3 - everything I've read indicates that your strength seems to grow with the baby, so while if someone plonked a nine month old on my back NOW I'd stagger, having carried her from birth I won't, so much?

Basically yes, although it depends what kind of sling you've got. I still carry my 21-month-old loads in an Ergo and can walk miles with her in back carry. She outgrew the stretchy wrap we had at about 3 months, though, and I couldn't have coped past about 4 months or so with a carrier where all the weight hangs off your shoulders (rather than hips). I have had back problems on and off over the years so we splashed out on the Ergo because it had tons of reviews about how well it distributed the baby's weight, and it has worked really well for us.

knittingbee · 05/01/2016 07:42

I had two CS and used an Ergo with no problems. Didn't drive so carried shopping. Sooooo much easier (especially on the bus) than when I tried taking my buggy out! In any case, if you find you need a pram after all when baby arrives, you can browse your local FB selling sites while you're sitting feeding and pick something up cheaply (and with the benefit of knowing what you want in a buggy). TBH I don't see the benefit in buying everything before baby is born, all they need at first is nappies, baby grows, milk, somewhere to sleep - figure everything else out as you go ;)

merrymouse · 05/01/2016 07:43

I think it's fine to wait and see. Prams can be ordered and delivered very quickly.

If you want somebody else to look after your baby e.g. grandparents, even for just half an hour, pushing a baby around in a pram is very easy thing to delegate, but you don't need to buy one now just for that purpose.

As others have said I would do some research so that if you decide you do need one you have an idea of price and what would fit into your life.

theycallmemellojello · 05/01/2016 07:47

Just see how you feel - if you find you need a pram, buy one, if you don't, don't Confused

purplemeggie · 05/01/2016 07:51

I had a c-section with DS and still used a sling from day 1 without any discomfort. I had a stretchy wrap one (similar to the Moby) to start with and there are so many points of support, it doesn't impact on your tummy much at all. Later on, I had a ring sling and DS used to sit up cross-legged in it. And still later, we had a beautiful mei tai, which we used until he was about 3. We did have a pram as well, but he and I preferred the sling for most things.

We've just found out we're expecting twins (after 6 years of ttc #2, hooray!) and since the pram up the loft isn't going to be much use, we've decided to wait and see. Apparently you can carry twins in slings too!

katienana · 05/01/2016 07:54

My ds was over 10lb and continued to put weight on at that rate. I couldn't have carried him in a sling (SPD, anaemic and infected wound post birth). Plus after feeding and cuddling it was nice to have my body to myself sometimes! If we were out shopping and he fell asleep in could sit down for a cuppa and have a little break.
Prams are very useful for transporting stuff as well, we would load ours up like a cart for a day at the seaside much easier than multiple trips to and from the car!

MLGs · 05/01/2016 07:55

I really liked carrying DS in a sling and didn't use pram much. So I think it's totally do-able and you can give it a try.

After 5 months I found him too heavy but I didn't have the best sling our there and also I have back problems. But at that age you need a pushchair rather than pram (the starting age for pushchairs depends on the one you. The really light ones are usually 6 months +, but the reclining ones can be from birth. Some people might call that a buggy rather than pushchair I'm not sure.).

DD really liked her pram to sleep in rather than cot (flat bed one) so I does depend on baby.

MLGs · 05/01/2016 07:59

I do think some people prefer not to have baby physically strapped to them all all times and I think that is fine and understandable.

Also if summer it could make you both feel hot plus you can get a shade for pram more easily than you can shade them in sling.

Plateofcrumbs · 05/01/2016 08:04

I still use sling for shopping and DS is now a 13kg lump! If I am popping to high street I find it easier than manoeuvring a buggy round shops, and I take a granny trolley to supermarket - I am however only 10mins walk from shops, if it were miles it'd be a different story.

If you both take to the sling, when they are tiny it is easy enough to go out for the day with nothing but a sling and a bag. However now he is bigger the weight is more of an issue (though I can still carry for hours - yes, if you have a good carrier you get used to the weight as they grow). But the main reason for taking the buggy for a day out now is so he has somewhere to nap. He does still sleep in the carrier on occasion but it is trickier.

KirstyJC · 05/01/2016 08:10

I used a pram about 4 times for ds2 once I discovered slings and only twice for DS3 - both times when I needed emergency dental work (hard to do with a baby tied to your tummy!).

It is totally possible not to have a pram and if you do find you need one then you can just get one at the time. They aren't exactly hard to get hold of!

My Dsis uses a ring sling as she had a CS and she finds it really easy and comfy, as you wear them up high so it's above her scar. It is also quite easy to take off with sleeping baby inside it if you want to put them down flat to sleep too. She used a stretchy wrap with her last baby but that is tied around the tummy so she didn't want to try it yet.

witsender · 05/01/2016 08:13

Yanbu. Our kids never really went in a pushchair until they were toddlers and went out with grand parents on odd occasion. We used woven wraps with them from birth until well past 3.

Murphyslaw21 · 05/01/2016 08:15

I bought a second hand one. £100 silver cross used only a few times when little as slings were used. But now 7 months she likes to look around and sits in pushchair bit.

BuggerLumpsAnnoyed · 05/01/2016 08:19

I can't do links, but we just got the zeta zoom stroller from Amazon. It's on offer from like £129.99 to like 70quid. Its pretty good quality, especially for the money and folds down pretty small and lies flat. Used it round the street to test it and its nice, easy to push. Been using the sling when out but I'm glad I've got this as a back up!

Original poster
starsshineinthecountry · 05/01/2016 08:20

So the consensus is - it's fine not to buy one but have an idea of what would suit so if you feel it would make life easier after giving birth one is yours with a few clicks? :)

OP posts:
nephrofox · 05/01/2016 08:26

DD and i both loved the sling, but seriously sometimes you just want to put the baby DOWN!! For your own personal space abd sanity, well i did anyway

What are you going to do when in a cafe and trying to drink a coffee? Not ideal to do it over baby head. Lunch out? Etc etc

Original poster
starsshineinthecountry · 05/01/2016 08:27

Mine has a hood so as to not get cake crumbs over sleeping baby Grin

Seriously, I had semi-hoped the car seat would suffice when out and about.

OP posts:
Iggi999 · 05/01/2016 08:41

When you get in from your outing with a blissfully sleeping baby, it's great to be able to leave them lying in the carrycot of the pram while you indulge yourself with a trip to the loo etc. Yes you could take them out of the sling and into Moses basket (or whoever day time naps are to happen) but they will wake up !

skankingpiglet · 05/01/2016 08:41

I had a Moby wrap and a travel system when DD was born. I used the sling a few times before she grew out of it (4mo ish) and when I did it was great, but she was a summer baby and it was often too hot to use and she just wouldn't tolerate it. She's a 'cold' person it turns out, still sleeps on top of her duvet now in winter? Weirdo The travel system was shit cumbersome and lasted a couple of months before it was transferred to the loft of broken dreams and replaced with a second hand Mountain Buggy. This was the right call and I wish I had got one from the start. It's suitable from birth and cost £100 from eBay with another £50 for a new liner and sleeping bag, bargain! I now have a ring sling too, which I love. Personally a mix of sing and buggy is best. When just nipping into town/walking to a playgroup the sling is fantastic, but as other posters have said carrying a change bag, sling with toddler, and multiple shopping bags is not fun. The sling was also invaluable last summer when on holiday in Cornwall where every major tourist attraction is at the top of a steep rocky climb. Even the Mountain Buggy wouldn't have managed them.
I'm due #2 in June, so will use my buggy again as there is still lads of life left in it (even more of a bargain! Grin) and the Moby if it's not another scorcher. The only extras I've got is the scooter/buggy board attachment for DD, and I may treat myself to some new tyres.
So YANBU to only get a sling, but buggies really do have their uses. I wouldn't bother with a pram.

skankingpiglet · 05/01/2016 08:45

stars yes definitely have an idea at the least, but as a PP said if you leave it to buy until you have to and you want the second hand saving you won't get such a bargain. If you buy second hand in advance, hunting down the best bargain, even if you don't really use it you can sell it on for what you paid for it....

HeteronormativeHaybales · 05/01/2016 08:48

2 of my 3 children have been/are exclusively sling-ed. I started putting dc2 in a stroller when he was a bit over a year but carried on with the front carrier until he was about 18 months (another recommendation for the Manduca here). As I had an older dc too with a 2.4y age gap the sling was very practical as dc1 could still go in the stroller at first. We used public transport a lot so that was great. And I love the closeness and not having to worry about getting into somewhere/having to leave the pram etc.

TheWordOfBagheera · 05/01/2016 08:50

No CS here - I had very uneventful births with no stiches but was left with a painful and weak pelvic floor that couldn't cope with the added weight of carrying a baby in a sling for more than about 15mins. I healed at about the same rate as the babies put on weight so the situation never really improved!

You'll probably be totally fine, but maybe have a pushchair picked out that you can get very quickly once your baby is here if you need it or change your mind.

witsender · 05/01/2016 08:51

Coffee shops etc I put them on my back. You could always get the base of a travel system to click car seat onto for if they are asleep.

witsender · 05/01/2016 08:52

I used the wraps as blankets to put on the floor for instances when I needed to put them down when out and about, corners of restaurants etc. I had pretty expensive wraps, but didn't baby them.

Fratelli · 05/01/2016 08:55

You might have a massive baby!