To wish I’d bought an expensive pram?

[pramenvy20]

Before I had my baby I looked at the price of prams and thought how silly it was to spend that amount, and I bought a second hand one.

I regret it now so much. I saw a woman yesterday just park, get the frame from the boot and attach her car seat to it without disturbing her baby. No fuss or faff!

Mine is fine so I’ll probably vote that I am BU because I am ... but I wish I’d bought a really lovely pram!

@Blackdog19

I thought it was much better for your baby to sleep in a pram than stay in a car seat though.

I didn’t realise quite how dangerous it could be to keep your baby in their car seat until after mine had passed that stage. Blissfully ignorant I suppose. Would certainly think twice now.

I promise I am not rocking in a dark room sobbing about it

But if I could do the pregnancy again I would do that part differently, as a treat to myself I suppose!

OP, like you I couldn't justify the cost of an expensive pram. DB and SIL have an Uppababy Vista. So I'm interested to hear your view. We're going for a £250 option. Which I know we'll get use out of until LO is bigger. They're not in a carseat all that long and it can't be used for every trip anyway.

Sorry OP I see you have posted updates since I started my message! Xx

I know this completely misses the point of the thread but they don't have to cost £1200....we got a cossatto travel system for about £600 and its really great.

Well we bought a bugaboo and two children later would say it was 100% worth it. But that’s because we depended on it a lot and it was well equipped for our needs.

It’s probably worth figuring out what you want from a pram. How much will you use it, where will you use it, will the baby have naps in it, etc, etc?

Would an expensive pram actually enhance your life or do you want it ‘just because’?

If it makes you feel any better my LO always woke up as soon as I lifted the car seat onto the pram.

Probably both keating!

weeping I know, DD’s eyes open when the engine goes off a lot of the time! I parked somewhere the other day and I was struck by the contrast of me struggling with baby, keys, purse and so on (then she started crying!) and the elegant woman next to me!

I’m the opposite. Spent £300ish on a Cosatto travel system (at the Toys R Us closing down sale!) and thought I was getting an absolute bargain but in hindsight would’ve gone second hand or just used a sling for the first six months. It’s a lovely pram and still in warranty (DD is 3.5!) but I’d never recommend anyone buy a new pram.

It's about 5 years since mine were in prams and honestly you won't remember one thing about the pram soon.
I would say treat yourself to something nice. That's my one thing.. I didn't mind myself enough.

We got an expensive pram for DC1. We got an all stage car seat so not one you can put on a frame.

It was a huge thing but was very useful when DC was a toddler. Could fit 2 hold all's in the basket.

Even so, like every other parent I know we still ended up with a ton of pushchairs by the time he was 2. None were quite perfect

I'm pleased we spent a decent amount on ours - it's now being used for DC2 and looks in good condition still. I never used the car seat adapters with DC1 but it's been a godsend with DC2 to just be able to clip the car seat on to the base of we need to pop out quickly for something.

I understand OP. When we had our first we weren't in a good position, financially, to buy an expensive pushchair. We paid £250 for the whole system. It was a good pushchair but I didn't enjoy it very much; it was awkward to steer and use. By the time I had DC3 we could afford something expensive e.g. bugaboo. I was so excited to buy it except when I tested it out i hated it. I ended up with a £500 travel system. My 3rd child is 2 now and I still love it. Much more than my sil likes her 1K one.

The problem is, you buy whichever one you buy and THEN find all the things you wish yours did / didn't do.

If it's stiff it's going to be a bugger once she's bigger so is it worth looking around for a better pram?

We bought a relatively expensive pram (which I did love), but there was still always an elegant woman next to me

It isn’t stiff to actually push, sorry - it’s the frame. It’s hard to pull it up and then collapse again. It’s doable but awkward.

In regard to babies being in car seats too long, they make them ‘lay flat’ now so you can use them as a bassinet /carry cot on the travel system base and the time limit no longer applies. That’s what I got with my 4 month old to save disturbing him when he’s fallen asleep in the car.

@Dahlietta

We bought a relatively expensive pram (which I did love), but there was still always an elegant woman next to me

Grr you mean the pram wouldn’t have turned me into an elegant woman!? Sob.

Buy one now? I’ve been through loads. Needs changed / new children / old crap ones.

I’m on SMP now - it would take the rest of my maternity leave to save up for one!

Honestly?

I hate seeing babies in car seats taken out of cars and clipped on to prams.

It may be easier for you, but babies are only meant to be in car sears for short periods. It’s bad for their spine and their breathing, especially while sleeping.

If you add the car journey, then the wander round wherever, the inevitable stop for coffee, then the car trip back home, that is way too long for a baby to be in a car seat.

My car seat didn’t clip onto the pram. I ditched the car as much as possible and walked instead. If I did use the car waking the baby up to take them out was a small price to pay knowing it was better for them not to stay in it.

I bought a fairly expensive one but I hate it. Has just lasted 2 boys but neither have spent a lot of time in it really and its wrecked. I bought it to suit the circumstances of my life at the time (lightest to be carried up and down 2 flights of stairs) and then it did suit when we lived an expat life short term for shoving on plane but I find myself every day looking up uppababy prams on fb marketplace and trying to justify them. The one I have just doesn't have great wheels or suspension and very bumpy on weatherbeaten scottish pavements.

My most expensive pram was my worst. The cheaper joie one with the car seat and adapters etc was good and my mother are journey one was great. The more expensive ones aren’t always better.

Everyone I know who spent £1000+ only end up getting a few months use out of it before trying to sell it for not much less than they paid, but finding that they can’t get rid of them unless they drastically drop the price.

I bought a second hand bugaboo cameleon for £100 - everything washed and looked like new. You can get a joie juva car seat for £40. Having a nice pram doesn’t have to be expensive. I sold the bugaboo on for £150 and bought an all terrain buggy once baby was a bit bigger.