To not buy a pram for baby?

[starsshineinthecountry]

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?

Hi OP, thanks so much for starting this thread! It's exactly the same conundrum we're currently having. I think we reached the same conclusion, second hand back up is the way to go. But I'm finding it tricky because we already trawled the shops before we had the sling revelation and there's none of our preferred travel system around. So will definitely look into some of the options suggested here! Good luck.

It's the transition from car seat to sling that's the sticking point. Much easier to keep sleeping baby in car seat and click into a buggy frame than wake them up.

Babies should not be left sleeping in car seats so that's a non-issue.

Babies can stay in car seats for 2 hours star

I can't really see how having a baby on your back is any better for coffee / lunch? Surely that means you can't recline in your chair. As far as I'm concerned the moments of peace and being waited on were highlights of my days, id have felt that was very much compromised by still having to hold the baby. Also, they can sit and chill in the buggy with toys etc it's not all about sleeping

Personally I loved having a pram but I didn't have a car when my babies were younger so walked miles and used to put shopping in the bottom. I always worried my baby was too hot in a sling so didn't use it that much.

If you drive and are only walking around a bit a sling is probably ok though. Buggies are very handy for toddlers as they are too heavy to carry in a sling for long and they can't walk for that long or that fast.

I would start with a sling and see how it goes. You can always buy a buggy later.

With a baby in your front, you can sit and recline in a chair. Did this many a time in cafes and restaurants, baby sleeping.

It's hard to know till you try. I absolutely hated slings, pushchairs were far better for us, so much easier round the shops in town when you have somewhere to put stuff instead of having to carry it all. I used to overheat massively with a sling on too, even though mine were winter babies. I'd research prams/pushchairs, then if you do decide you need one you've got an idea what to get. We didn't think we had space for one in the house, but we did.

You can do whatever you want but as I walked a lot rather than drove my pram was indispensible.

You could buy a second hand one and change the covers

Mothercare has their Nanu strollers for only £35 at the moment so if cost is an issue and you don't think you will use it much it might be ideal?

I don't have a car and walked miles and miles most days, and I preferred a sling - I could feed the baby without having to find a space to sit down (she fed all the bloody time). Pushchairs are handy with toddlers/more than one child, though, but with DC1, I mistly used the sling.

I had EMCS for both kids, and no car for the first year of DS's life (lived in a city, so public transport/walking) - still didn't bother with a pram/buggy until he was 1 and we had to go through an airport. TBH we didn't use it much - only if we were going to be out all day and would need somewhere for him to nap. He was an early and eager walker though, so probably wouldn't work if you had an 18month non walker to carry!

DS2 the same (and same, knackered, ancient, umbrella fold buggy)

But then I really find buggies annoying, I'd prefer to wear rucksack and baby/kid in mei-tai than have buggy and bags.

My nanu lasted three children! (It is just dying now being used for my sisters ds) i used it from birth for ds2, he literally didnt go in the silvercross we had bought for ds1

I had (and still have in my garage if anyone needs one) a folding Maclaren buggy which was suitable from birth. Folded easily and didn't take up loads of room in shops. It is forward-facing however, which isn't the fashion now.

You can carry a small baby in a sling but what do you do when they are say a year old, can't walk yet but are heavy? I stopped using a sling when my son was 5 months old and he wasn't a big baby/

It's a first baby, yes, so of course it's a quiet and compliant one! because it hasn't been born yet

The big 'problem' is that we live in a flat, on the 2nd floor. There is no lift and so the pram on stairs might be hard and space is an issue.

If I did have a pram it would have to live in the boot of the car so I thought - do I need one or is it one of those things everyone thinks they need, but don't?

We lived in a second floor flat when my 2 were babies. I never had a pram but did have a 'from birth' McLaren pushchair which was ace. I liked the idea of slings but found the reality left a lot to be desired. Could never keep them warm or dry enough. And yes, hanging the shopping on the pushchair was very useful.

We're two months in with PFB and are finally starting to see family questions of 'we could BUY you a pram if you like?' fade away.

We told everyone we wouldn't buy a pram or buggy until we needed one, and so far we haven't needed one - even though I had an emergency c-section, after which the advice is 'don't lift anything heavier than your baby'... So I occasionally wore the baby while DH carried the bag, or sometimes he took both, for the first few weeks. In fact one friend advised me against pushing a pram after a section, for the same reason doctors will tell you not to hoover - it's actually definite abdominal work.

So, if having a pram or stroller on hand sets your mind at ease, do it - but we haven't bothered yet.

I'm not in a flat but live in a town full of steps. Have travel system from SIL and in earliest days when DD was too small for baby bjorn used car seat in hand to visit midwives. Got out to sling library 4 weeks on and hired a caboo and then bought a caboo and a stretchy wrap as back up for the inevitable poosplosions and vomit fountains. Slings dry quicker than car seats!

Pram used for smear test - could have used car seat and in garden while sorting shed. Pushchair used once to prove we could.

With the sling I've done days out at horse trials, been out 12 hours plus and various hill walks.

For paraphernalia I have a rucksack which goes over the sling straps and manage fine. Can easily to quick top up at Aldi with different rucksack.

I can not see me going for long walks with a pushchair as I don't really enjoy walking in pushchair friendly places! Stiles, hillsides etc are much more my thing. My stamina has built up as she's grown but 25th percentile means she's quite small.

Have never drunk hot drinks - but have managed to eat with child on knee or in sling depending on if she's asleep or awake! Won't be long before high chair will solve the eating out issue anyway!

I didn't expect to be quite so reliant on the sling and still plan to pick up a cheap umbrella fold pushchair soon when travel system has to go back but the actual pram would not have suited my nosy child!

I remember deciding not to take a pram on a flight to see family when DD was just 9 weeks old. Sounded like a good idea at the time until I got to the airport and couldn't sit down to eat. The seats were fixed to the ground and I couldn't get in with DD strapped in front of me. Then, of course, I had to go to the loo. The only way to manage it was to put my lovely baby on the floor of the loo so that I could use the loo. Not my finest hour. I took the pram/buggy with me everywhere after that.

My fondest memories of maternity leave are all those walks with DD in her pram and then stopping off for coffee and cake on the way home.

you don't have to buy an expensive pram or a very large one. You can pick up decent ones for cheap second hand. May be an idea to have a look at what's around?

It does depend a lot on your baby. All the people saying that it was invaluable for having a place to put the baby during a meal out / coffee / sit down had babies who would sleep or be happy in the pram. Neither of mine were, so it was a choice of holding or slinging, not a choice of pram or sling. And pushing the pram with them screaming to be held. Much easier with a baby like that to just sling all the time.

If you don't get a pram / buggy, I would highly recommend a babywearing coat. I used mine every day for about two years (very late walker!) and having a way of keeping them dry is really necessary if you don't have the option of a buggy with a rain cover. I also had the Many Months merino wool elephant hood as that covered them up beautifully - with that on their heads and out body heat under the babywearing coat we were always lovely and warm. And it meant I could go inside and take the coat off without having to remove the sling and the (hopefully) sleeping baby.

Try it and see how it goes?

I loved the idea of a sling but I just can't carry ds in one - I had terrible spd and the extra weight has me in considerable pain in minutes. We also live somewhere with very cold winters and lots of ice - I was worried about falling while carrying him.

So for me the pram is a godsend- I can walk for hours with it, which is helping me regain strength after pregnancy. I would find it very difficult to be out all day carrying him, nappy bag plus shopping.

But your mileage may vary... Play it by ear after the baby arrives?

We bought a pretty expensive pram/travel system for DS1. I used it about 5 times before realising that it was incompatible with using public transport in London, and that I can't steer a pram to save my life. I switched to slings, sold the pram and never regretted it.

When DS2 was born I did pick up a cheap second-hand stroller for DS1, but he only went in it a couple of times.

DS3 is due in April and I can't imagine the stroller is going to see the light of day again.

As long as you have no major back issues, and invest in a good quality sling, rather than one of the ones that has the full weight of the baby hanging from your shoulders, you should be fine. I use woven wraps, and we have an ergo for DP. I very occasionally used a stretchy wrap in the early days, and I tried a ring sling but didn't really get along with it.

Starshine- look the the baby zen yoyo. Folds tiny!. Can use from newborn parent facing or can just buy the 6 month + package later on if you only use after then

We also live in a flat. Used sling most the time. Mainly found pram handy for when we had two a year apart as eldest could go in pram if needed and baby in sling. Also on holidays abroad as could use pram as a bed late in evening if out and it was hot ( although never take a pram to Venice, no point with all the stair bridges)