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Original poster

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

262 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 02/03/2022 01:39

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....

OP posts:
Tilltheend99 · 02/03/2022 05:27

We had the cot up as wasn’t really practical to keep it anywhere else and didn’t fancy putting together flat pack furniture with a newborn after a planned csec during a pandemic. But we didn’t tell anyone her name till she was born or post on social media and only told most friends after second scan.

This was partly out of superstition and partly due to a friend who had a tragedy then had their baby name ‘nicked’ by a relative.

Endofdaysarehere · 02/03/2022 05:52

Our pram was bought and paid for and kept at the shop until the baby was born. The cot was in the house but not made up until mother and baby were declared healthy enough to leave the hospital. My dh then had to make it in a hurry and made a right balls-up of it Grin.

UsernameInTheTown · 02/03/2022 05:53

What is "gas off"?

WhatNoRaisins · 02/03/2022 06:18

It never occurred to me to do this as it wouldn't have been practical. I just wanted to go home to everything ready and neither of our families were in a position to just drop all their commitments and drive several hours to bring us baby furniture.

Mamiddaubach · 02/03/2022 06:25

I've heard about this superstition, but it only really applied to the first child, especially in the era Call the Midwife is set in. By the second and third etc the pram would be in the house and used by a baby / toddler until the next baby arrives.

Lorw · 02/03/2022 06:25

I kept pram at mother in laws until baby was born and had come home, not a chance I’d of had it in my house before then, but I’m quite superstitious Grin

MrsTimRiggins · 02/03/2022 06:28

It’s certainly not only your family who did that, but it is superstitious nonsense for the most part these days.
I’m a practical person, it made sense to but things when they were reasonably priced and then keep them where they would be needed rather than fucking about either collecting things from family members or having them drop them off. I didn’t think for a second that having a pram in my home would bring bad luck.

Floydthebarber · 02/03/2022 06:32

Yes, my dm did this with dd1. For some reason it was just the pram, not the clothes etc I bought. It really annoyed me. If something went wrong with the pregnancy or birth is was not going to be the result of me having a pram in the house, what nonsense.

GreenWillowAndCatkins · 02/03/2022 06:32

We kept the pram at my Gm-in-law's until DS1 was born. Superstitious, yes, but my DM had a disastrous obstetric history and I was terrified my pregnancy would go the same way.

@TheSandgroper I'm so very sorry 💐.

LowlyTheWorm · 02/03/2022 06:33

@Hellolittlestar

It’s just a superstition, but to be honest I’m not keen on baby showers and fully decorated baby nurseries.
Why? Do you think someone suffering the loss of their baby will somehow forget about it if there isn’t a decorated nursery or baby shower photos? Do YOU think they are tempting fate? Or perhaps you might be as devastated as would be expected but know your baby was longed for and excited about…
romdowa · 02/03/2022 06:34

It was just superstition. I bought bits and pieces all throughout my pregnancy from about 20 weeks and had it stored in the attic. The week of my section I took it all down and built it. I was at risk of early labour so it all had to be ready at a moments notice. I couldn't imagine sending my dp off to buy everything we needed while I was in hospital. He'd come back with all sorts 🤣

Bumtum126 · 02/03/2022 06:34

Something I hadn't heard anything about until now, seems lots of superstitions around births and babies I guess through a lack of knowledge from back when.

ivykaty44 · 02/03/2022 06:35

My dd1 has just had a baby and pram was kept at MILs until after baby was born.

Trinacham · 02/03/2022 06:36

We weren't planning on having the pram in the home before baby but the in-laws brought it over in the end (they gifted it to us). It is just a silly superstition.

GenderCriticalTrumpets · 02/03/2022 06:38

My Mum and Gran were the same. Tempting fate. I didn't have anything in the house before first baby was born.

TalbotAMan · 02/03/2022 06:40

Our first was born in 2004. We didn't buy the pram, car seat etc until she was born and everything was ok.

Joystir59 · 02/03/2022 06:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Roselilly36 · 02/03/2022 06:44

Yes very much a thing, so much superstition surrounding this. MIL was very adamant about such things, would not allow peacock feathers in the house, very unlucky, have a pram or cot before baby arrived.

TheSandgroper · 02/03/2022 06:45

@UsernameInTheTown
www.bpihomeowner.org/blog/things-you-should-know-gassing-indoor-air-pollutant

Pyewhacket · 02/03/2022 06:45

No, never had any of that nonsense. I grew up on my grandparents farm and my gran held onto many folklore superstitions. Used to make my grandad chuckle.

ShadowPuppets · 02/03/2022 06:47

My mum offered to keep the pram at hers until DD was born. As it was, we bought the pram much sooner than planned - she was born in August 2020 and in March 2020 (at about 18 weeks pregnant) I’d heard some worrying stuff about backlogs in the pram factories in China due to lockdowns and made DH come out and pick one with me on his lunch hour literally the week before lockdown started. I’m glad I did as tbh if we hadn’t I’d have never actually tried a pram before buying it! And then we kept it at ours as we were worried baby would arrive and we’d be locked down and not allowed to go get things from my parents’ etc.

So basically yes I was nervous about tempting fate but I was more nervous about being stuck in a pandemic with a baby and no stuff Grin I think I also over prepared for DD as a way of coping with the uncertainty of that early first wave of the pandemic.

I’m usually pretty superstitious though, I absolutely hate it when people do collections/gifts at work for people leaving on ML before the baby is safely here.

TheSandgroper · 02/03/2022 06:48

Oh, I wasn’t clear enough. It wasn’t me. I mean Family Member/Relative.

Hugasauras · 02/03/2022 06:48

Not something we ever considered. We bought stuff when it went on sale and it was stored in the nursery or loft, and put together a couple of weeks before my due date.

I don't believe in tempting fate as it has a nasty undercurrent of blame in it.

XelaM · 02/03/2022 06:51

We don't buy ANYTHING for the baby before it is born. It's considered to be very bad luck in our culture. Traditionally, on the day the baby is born the relatives go out and buy everything the baby needs. When my daughter was born I didn't even have nappies for her at the hospital. Everything was bought on the day she was born

ThatsNotMyGolem · 02/03/2022 06:51

Crazy behaviour. We've surely moved on from such superstition.

My pram came as part of a set that included the car seat, which we needed, to bring DD home.

No way would I let ridiculous old wives' tales cause such a huge inconvenience.