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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you had 2 babies 21 ish months apart..

171 replies

Jamesolo1 · 05/12/2021 17:21

Hi all, just looking to see what others did when they have a 21/22 month gap between babies regarding double pushchairs
We can't avoid getting a double buggy can we really?
I was thinking the older one could go on a buggy board but that's not practical for longer trips out
Or have the new baby in a sling for a while but that's only really doable first 6 months (I'm v short and will more than likely find it hard to carry baby in a sling post six months)
So what would you do/did you do please? What double pushchairs are best? I really would like as slim as possible really (not side by side
TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
Jamesolo1 · 05/12/2021 17:22

Please ignore the obvious grammar mistakes

OP posts:
loveablequalities · 05/12/2021 17:25

Mine were 22 months apart and I didn't have a double buggy. I just used a sling. I carried til they were two (I'm 5 foot) in a big didymos wrap. I lived very rurally so I was not really wandering around the shops or doing lots of pavement walks.

GMH74 · 05/12/2021 17:26

Just be careful to get a sturdy one. I got a hernia when my second child was small and I don't think the double buggy helped. It was a side by side one because those dimensions fitted in my car. I wonder whether a buggy with one child behind the other and better steering would have worked better. I found I was constantly having to adjust for the weight difference from one side of the buggy to the other. There are nineteen and a half months between mine by the way.

TooMinty · 05/12/2021 17:27

I had a 23 month age gap. I did toddler in pushchair and baby in sling at first. Then I used a more structured carrier for the baby. Then a buggy board for the toddler and baby in the push chair. But my older one gave up naps early, if yours needs naps then a double buggy might be best. There are narrow ones where the baby goes underneath if you find side by side too wide. And can find them secondhand too.

ImFree2doasiwant · 05/12/2021 17:30

19 months apart. I had a small stroller (parent facing, lie flat) with buggy board so could use the stroller for either child with buggy board or sling.

My best investment was a second hand Phil and Ted's for once the baby was a bit older. (6 months).

I am a single parent and couldn't manage without it for days out etc. The underneath part was great for bags, picnics etc when dc1 wasn't using it. I kept it til they were 3 and 5.

ChangeChingyChange · 05/12/2021 17:31

Uppababy vista is bloody brilliant

Kennykenkencat · 05/12/2021 17:31

I bought a double buggy but Dd refused to go in it and wanted to walk everywhere.
I put a buggy board on the back of a single buggy and had her in extended reins.
Ds walked at 9 months and refused to be wheeled around so he went on reins as well. I took the buggy out with me more for having somewhere to stash everything and if either did get tired.
I sold the double buggy after only 2 outings.

Sn0tnose · 05/12/2021 17:31

My mum did this. She had my sister one year and very premature twins thirteen months later. It was very much much a case of push the twin and pull the single if I was at school!

I’m not an expert but if a sling is out, I can’t see how you’ll do it without a double buggy.

Terfydactyl · 05/12/2021 17:32

18 months between mine. I did get a side by side double buggy. It was used 3 times. Used a sling for the baby until about a year old, then the older one could walk further. Didnt actually go very far as was knackered most of the time. Also had no car so was relatively fit to do walking.

User7312019 · 05/12/2021 17:33

22 months apart and I have the out n about double and it’s a life saver! It steers better than my old single stroller did. Highly recommend. Use a carrier a lot for the baby in the house so wanted something separate to use when out and about walking with them both.

Thereareliterallynonamesleft · 05/12/2021 17:38

18 months gap - I got the Gracie double buggy, it’s got one in front and one behind, rather than one underneath, or side by side. It’s got good storage space too. I kept my single buggy though, and used that with the sling/baby in buggy and toddler walking depending on where I was going and what I was doing.

Thereareliterallynonamesleft · 05/12/2021 17:38

Graco!

Original poster
Jamesolo1 · 05/12/2021 17:40

Thank you for your swift replies. Lots to think about.
We do have a car, I'm quite outdoorsy but we do live within the M25 so not rural.

OP posts:
Rubyupbeat · 05/12/2021 17:41

My cousin had an eight month gap! 2nd being born at 6 month gestation, should have been irish twins. All I know was the 2nd very healthy, but teeny prem baby was in a wrap type carrier for around a year or more.

Ohhhhmothermayi · 05/12/2021 17:41

Mine are 21 months apart, youngest currently eight weeks. Even though she’s tiny, managing the toddler while she’s in the sling isn’t ideal so I’m really glad I got a double buggy.

I ended up buying a second hand bugaboo donkey and I absolutely love it, would highly recommend. I got mine on Facebook marketplace for £450 and it was genuinely worth every penny.

Sexnotgender · 05/12/2021 17:41

26 month gap, mountain buggy duet.

Ozanj · 05/12/2021 17:43

Uppababy vista is good for this. Light and wieldly and unlike other puschairs the toddler underneath isn’t squashed lol

Somuchgoo · 05/12/2021 17:49

I had this age gap, and am the same height as you. I bought a double but literally never used it.

I either used a single buggy and sling, or tandem slinged them. I still carry them on my back now at 2.5 and 4.5 (though not together unless for v short distances!)

Use a double if you want of course, but you can sling for several years, not just 6m.

popapoppadum · 05/12/2021 17:54

18 months apart here. We tried without but honestly I really struggled. Found the sling too difficult if I needed to help toddler at park etc and toddler hated the buggy board as she was too small/sometimes tired for it. We got a secondhand mountain buggy and it's been well worth it. Even now the older is walking more, it's invaluable as a luggage holder as well!

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 05/12/2021 17:58

I bought a Phil and Ted's. I don't drive though and once the older one started nursery it was a long walk and he was shattered after a full day

Nellsbells173 · 05/12/2021 17:59

21 month gap here. I used a Phil and teds and found that easy to manoeuvre as it’s a lot slimmer than a standard double. I also used a soft structured buckle baby carrier.
Spent an afternoon with my friend the other day who has a side by side double (not sure on the brand) but found it very heavy and too big to move around shops / cafes easily.

popapoppadum · 05/12/2021 17:59

Just to add, although the mountain buggy is side by side, it's not much wider than most singles and I've had absolutely no issues with getting in doors/in tiny shops etc. And toddler loves being next to her brother and being able to hold his hand which is very sweet.

Frazzled2207 · 05/12/2021 18:01

21 months apart here.

We had a buggy board which helped for shorter trips but for longer family days our we had two buggies for a while. Dh and I pushed one each.

Frazzled2207 · 05/12/2021 18:01

Oh but when dc2 was very small I had him in the sling and just had the older child in the buggy. But I don’t think that phase lasted very long.

MrsFin · 05/12/2021 18:03

18 months between my two.
It was one in a sling and one in a pushchair or one in a back back and one in the pram.

Much easier than negotiating a double buggy IMO.