"The pram doesnt go in the house before the baby does"

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Just watching some call the midwife on catch up. A father who has had a few says "I can see the pram from here [in the hall of their home], that makes me happy!"

But it wouldnt have been in the house would it? My grandma and my mother were both absolutely horrified when I bought my pram and took it home. It was horribly bad luck. I was led to believe that this was standard, it really upset my grandma in particular.

Of course what it really was was that back then there was a much bigger risk of the baby not coming home, so you made sure the baby was alive before buying the pram.

This wasnt just my family was it? I just dont remember anyone else who had kids after me, I was pretty much the first in my group, getting this from their mothers so it has made me wonder....

It’s not a superstition as such. It’s the fact that if you return home with no baby and a house full of baby products, well…

It is a superstition though, judging by people's posts. People see it as 'bad luck' or 'tempting fate', which implies not that they are simply taking practical steps to try to avoid the potential terrible situation you describe, but that part of them thinks that bringing the pram in will cause something bad to happen.That's definitely superstition.

It’s not a superstition as such. It’s the fact that if you return home with no baby and a house full of baby products, well…

Do you really think you would be less bothered about your baby dying if you didn't have any baby things? 'Oh just as well I didn't buy anything'.

It’s the fact that if you return home with no baby and a house full of baby products, well…

I can't imagine anything making me feel worse than I already would, if my baby didn't make it home.

@OwlinaTree

It’s not a superstition as such. It’s the fact that if you return home with no baby and a house full of baby products, well…

Do you really think you would be less bothered about your baby dying if you didn't have any baby things? 'Oh just as well I didn't buy anything'.

Don’t be silly.

@OwlinaTree

It’s not a superstition as such. It’s the fact that if you return home with no baby and a house full of baby products, well…

Do you really think you would be less bothered about your baby dying if you didn't have any baby things? 'Oh just as well I didn't buy anything'.

I did genuinely think "Thank God I didn't buy anything new".

It made a difference to me, in a relieved sort of way amid the horror, that I didn't have to dismantle and put away a lot of baby things when my babies died.

It's been hard enough trying to decide what to do with the baby stuff from DC1, do we keep or give away, when both DC2 and DC3 have died.

I appreciate its not going to be the same for everyone.

I'm not sure what you are saying here.

I lost a baby at three days old. I know what I'm talking about.

Don’t be silly

Sorry that was in response to this.

It's a superstition and you either care about them or you don't. I bought what I needed but didn't set it up. I don't like to set up a nursery before baby gets here and usually do it at 6 months because they are in our room till then and I prefer to have the nappy changing stuff close by. I wouldn't want to be getting up in the middle of the night to go to another room to change a nappy. I also remember a cousin who'd set up a nursery for their firstborn and he sadly died at a week old. He never got to use the room and his mum wanted it all removed and packed away before she got home as she couldn't bare the thought of seeing it. For that reason too I wait till my baby arrives safely.

There isn't a right or wrong way to go about it.

I'm not particularly superstitious but my mum is and she said this - she bought the pram and I didn't have a problem with it.

Everything else was ready and there well before DS1 was born though.

I remember MIL going on about this when I was pg. only thing was she lived 150 miles away from us and I didn’t want all the baby stuff to be that far away when I bought baby home for the first time. I’m sure she would have loved to visit that soon, but I was not wanting visitors bringing loads of stuff on day 1! All the baby stuff was unpacked, organised And Either assembled or put Away before I went to the hospital.

I would class a car seat as the Modern equivalent of the pram -surely you have that at Home/in the car ready. Is that seen as bad luck too?

When I was pregnant my Irish boss explained that in Ireland they didn’t buy anything for a mother and baby until the baby was born, just in case.

So I had the baby, and… nothing!

My grandma said the same about prams, she lost her first born son at 3 days old.
She also believed waiting until near the end to pick up a few essentials and waiting to get all that was needed once baby is here, healthy and home.
Before I knew her views, I always had the fear of never bringing my babies home so I hardly bought anything anyway. I bought my first baby blanket at 7months with my first and just picked up some essentials. Dh and I then went shopping while he was on paternity leave. Ds was about 6 weeks before we chose a pram we liked.

I barely bought anything for dd either as she came after a miscarriage so I completely ignored the fact she was in my belly for months, I just didn’t believe she’d make it.

I drove my best friend crazy who one day turned up with a packed hospital bag and some early weeks essentials when I was about 39 weeks pregnant. That was really lovely of her as I just couldn’t do it.

I don’t think there’s any right way to prepare for a baby but for me personally I just wait til the end to get anything.