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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

sianihedgehog · 06/01/2016 09:53

ShamefulPlaceMarker
I'm very small (under 5' tall) and my DS is very big. He's long and bulky enough at 4.5 months that it's difficult to reach all the essential bits to go to the toilet with him in a sling. One of my friends is tall and has a small baby, and looking at the two of us standing side by side with our babies it's pretty obvious why I find wearing my baby a lot more cumbersome!
I really thought I'd just put the baby in a sling all the time, but it hasn't worked out that way. He isn't a cuddly baby and doesn't want to be held all the time, and the pram has proven a godsend.
OP, keep an open mind and do your research on prams now. You don't need to drop a grand on one, or even buy one in advance, but the types and features are completely overwhelming so it's definitely worth learning about them in advance so that if you do end up needing one you can just buy one straight away.

ShamefulPlaceMarker · 06/01/2016 16:41

raisin I wasn't blithly recommending it but it is a possibility. Why can't people learn to do it? Obviously with help! I did.

ShamefulPlaceMarker · 06/01/2016 16:44

I was just saying sian that there are many many types of slings out there to suit all shapes and sizes, so not to give up too quickly if finding it uncomfortable.
Personally with the toilet thing I find it a complete pita with a pushchair as I have to leave the cubicle door open so I can see baby.

sianihedgehog · 06/01/2016 21:01

ShamefulPlaceMarker I've got a mental map of all the places with baby change rooms or toilets that I can fit into with the pushchair for that reason. :) I live in an urban area so there are plenty of choices.

I've got two different buckle slings, a mei tai and two stretchy wraps, plus I've had a go with a few woven wraps, it's not like I've not tried. It just really doesn't work as well as the pram for me, much to my surprise.

raisin3cookies · 06/01/2016 21:20

Apologies, shameful - I know of someone who lost her newborn during a back carry so I am very leery when it's mentioned as an option. Baby's breathing was slightly restricted and mum didn't notice in time. :(

alaurasaur · 06/01/2016 21:50

Haven't used our pram yet, just the car seat and baby carrier.

alaurasaur · 06/01/2016 21:56

Back carries aren't recommended for newborns, as raisin3cookies' sad example shows us.. you need to be able to see baby's face to keep an eye on breathing.

ShamefulPlaceMarker · 06/01/2016 22:15

Awful raisin :(..... Unfortunately it happens alot with front carrying too.

Newborn back carries are safe if done properly, baby needs to be high enough so you can see it's face when you turn your head and you can feel them breath on your neck.

As I have said in pp, it's important (as also with front carries) to learn to do them properly.

Ham69 · 06/01/2016 22:18

I haven't read whole thread but wanted to say YANBU. Depends on baby of course but my dc2 didn't use bedside cot, moses basket, pushchair, I could go on! Would have been fairly cheap if I'd have known beforehand how "high maintenance" (possible silent reflux poor thing) she was! Just needed nappies, a sling and a boob, not from want of trying everything else. The umbrella stroller when she was older came in handy.

ShamefulPlaceMarker · 06/01/2016 22:22

Fwiw I wouldn't advise people to back carry from newborn, but I have found it invaluable from 4months onwards

fruitpastille · 06/01/2016 23:00

I liked the idea of slings but not the reality. They are handy for shorter trips or country walks where you can't use a buggy and for the early days to wear at home when they won't settle. But generally day to day I use a buggy a lot. I walk quite a bit and like to be able to put things in the basket rather than carry them. Eg today, I walked my older kids to school (pe kits in basket), bought a few bits - fruit, milk which went under the buggy as I walked around the shop. Nipped in to toilet (I just leave the buggy outside the cubicle as even in the extremely unlikely event of kidnapping they wouldn't get very far!), got hot drink which I could put in my cup holder and sip without fear of spilling on dds head. Walked home by which time she was asleep so left her in buggy and had 2 hours to myself! I would have been knackered carrying her plus it would have been hard to put her down without waking. I got my 3 wheeler Nipper for 40 quid on Gumtree. I did have a travel system which was handy when using the first size car seat but that was lent from a friend. The nipper is v good but you need a big boot. I keep mine in the shed and have a small maclaren in the car. Baby city mini jogger would be my other choice. For slings I had a kari me wrap early on and use an ergo now for country walks etc.

LucieLucie · 06/01/2016 23:08

Yanbu as you have the right to choose op but I personally hate slings.

They make the baby all scrunched up, too warm, too much body heat/clothing, not much fresh air.

I also think it's important for baby to see what's going on around him, not just seeing mummy's face/body all the time.

Also a risk of positional asphyxia.

I would much prefer a lay flat pram and would sacrifice the space to do so.

fruitpastille · 06/01/2016 23:27

Oh, also what about other people taking baby out and about? Your dp may prefer a buggy and grandparents are likely to prefer it. My PIL and dh regularly took my dc1 out for a long walk to give me a break.

JasperDamerel · 06/01/2016 23:46

I think a lot does depend on the baby. I read accounts of pushchair trips from people who didn't like slings, and I think that the big difference is that if you have the sort of baby who wants to feed all the time or wants to be held all the time, you end up using the pram to hold your bags while you push it with one hand while holding your baby in the other, or spend a lot of time finding places to sit and feed the baby. Pushchairs are quite handy for shopping. I did quite often use mine to hold stuff while I carried the baby in a sling.

Moomintroll85 · 07/01/2016 00:16

I loved the idea of a sling but after an EMCS and a big bugger of a baby who was nearly 10lb (and I am small) I couldn't cope with using one, it made my back hurt all the time and DS writhed around constantly and liked to dig his feet into my CS scar .

Buggies and slings both have their uses and pros/cons, it depends on yours and your baby's needs.

DS is 17 months now and I use a foldable Mclaren as its light and smallish but would try a sling again if I had another (smaller!) baby and an easier recovery. Will be keeping hold of the buggy too though

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