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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find it a bit odd when people go through several prams in the space of a few months?

272 replies

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 02/12/2008 09:42

I sometimes read posts on here from 'pram addicts' who despite having only one or two childrem have had several different prams and pushchairs.

I just read a pushchair review on another site that said: 'So far since my 9 month old son's birth I've had a Micralite fastfold, 2 quinny zapps, a fisher price safe voyager, a loola and this quest sport.'

Does that sound like overkill to anyone else?

Sorry if I offend anyone and I'm sure I'll be told if that's the case but I just don't get why you would need to keep changing prams?

OP posts:
lizandlulu · 02/12/2008 10:18

in mu opinion yabu. my dd is 3 and i have had 15 pushchairs. i used to like trying different ones. i didnt buy them all brand new, most of them were second hand and i was just swapping the one i had for a different one.

if i realised i didnt like it, then i would get a different one.

why keep something that makes life difficult when you can get a better one without spending a fortune.

i find my dd hard enough work without having a crap pushchair to stress me out.

now 3 years later i have got 2 maclarens, one for me and one for mum, but dd doesnt always need it nowadays.

i think i have learnt my lesson though, for me maclarens are best and i will be sticking to them when i have another baby.

(but i may get several versions of maclaren)

mrsgboring · 02/12/2008 10:18

Because all pushchairs are shite, but some people don't accept this.

Original poster
chequersandroastedchestnuts · 02/12/2008 10:19

15

Why would you need several versions of maclarens lizandlu?

OP posts:
breadandroses · 02/12/2008 10:19

Mrs boring try ebay Emmaljunga

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 02/12/2008 10:19

well I think slings are shite - ok for early months (for some babies) , but shite afterwards

(and no I haven't had lots of prams/pushchairs)

WotsThatSkippy · 02/12/2008 10:19

How does anyone have enough time in the day - or care enough - to get through 100 slings or 15 prams, though? Seriously. It's nutty.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 02/12/2008 10:20

for starters you can't hand a weeks worth of groceries from a sling

onthewarpath · 02/12/2008 10:26

I love people who like changing their pushchair often because I walk an awful lot and puschairs are not always very resiliant, so when friends pass their pretty new ones down to me (because the colour is not fashionable anymore) I am very happy.
I found slings great, especially when you have two small children, one in sling one in pram.

Madsometimes · 02/12/2008 10:31

I had 4 prams for 2 children used over a 6 year period.
Pram 1 was a big Mama's & Papas which I gave away when dd1 was 8 months. It did the job for a newborn but was hard on the bus. I did not have a car when dd1 was tiny.
Pram 2 was a McLaren which was light and very practical.
Pram 3 was another McLaren which I bought when pram 2 died from overuse for dd1.
Pram 4 was a smaller umbrella fold pram Mamas & Papas which I bought for dd2 when I realised that a McLaren may be great for a toddler but does not cut it for a newborn baby! After about a year dd2 went into pram 3 and I ditched pram 4.

Oh no I tell a lie there was pram 5 which I never used even once - a VERY bad pregnancy buy! A double buggy which would not fit into the back of my Nissan Micra and was too big to go on the bus! I donated it to charity. dd1 just had to walk when dd2 came along, or occassionally I used a sling and put dd1 into pram 3.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 02/12/2008 10:34

It's because they don't do their research properly.
They don't measure their car boot with a tape measure to see if it will fit in.

Madsometimes · 02/12/2008 10:38

Very true Kathy, some people get through pregnancy with their brain unscathed, others like me go la la.

WotsThatSkippy · 02/12/2008 10:40

yeh but that doesn't excuse the nutty compulsive pram purhcasing

I bought a really stupid £500 travel system when pregnant with my first DC and it was out of the window within 3 months for a McClaren. i think load sof new parents get scammed on buggies.

That's not pram hun-age.

blueshoes · 02/12/2008 10:40

lol, tipsyfairy.

I do think that unless there is some pramholicism going on, it is usually because people get sold on certain buggies because of the emotional aspects but don't consider the practicalities. In other words, as kathy says, it is because they did not do their research properly.

I have a smooth 3-wheeler for walks around my park and a light foldable one for the nursery run. Have used both to death.

mrsgboring · 02/12/2008 10:42

No but you can carry it on your back. And you can carry an 18 month old, enough clothes and euipment for parents and child for a week in Scotland AND a tent style travel cot on bus, train, the London underground and onto the Fort William Sleeper without breaking stride, or ever getting child out of the sling (until he wanted to)

jingleMAMADIVAsbells · 02/12/2008 10:43

Oh and meant to say I don't drive and when you don't drive you need a decent pram that is comfortable as you will be pushing it for a long time and DC will have to sit in it for ages so it does take a while.

mrsgboring · 02/12/2008 10:44

breadandroses, I can only see a pram that turns into a forward facing buggy. Both don't look that unusual. Am I missing something?

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 02/12/2008 10:46

carry what on my back - the groceries?

I went to Great Yarmouth in the summmer, enough clothes for 3 children and an adult, 1 pushchair, large picnic bag (as we were being cheap skates and took food to eat on the journey rather than buying), 3 children (plus friend who had pushchair, suitcase and a couple of smaller bags and her DS) on the train - 4/5 changes - no problem >>>>>

And seeing as though going away for a week is a much less likely occurance than doing my weekly shopping I'll stick to the pushchair thanks .

Actually I hated slings - don't know why I wasted my money buying one when DS3 came along especially as I'd given away the one I'd had before (and hardly used).

mrsgboring · 02/12/2008 10:46

FAQ, indulge me, what sling were you using?

Madsometimes · 02/12/2008 10:47

I bet there are VERY few people here who have managed with one pram for one child and even fewer who have done one pram for 2 or more. Even my Mum had an old fashioned pram for babies and a cheap McLaren for toddlers and that was 40 years ago! (Although the pram was not new). The big pram had a toddler seat that sat on top of the carry cot.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 02/12/2008 10:48

oh I don't know - DS1 I had about 4, I bought the Bjorn, I bought the Tomy (I think it was?) and was given 2 fuky type things from my SIL - who assured me that they were "fabulous".........couldn't stand them - and also found it increidbly difficult getting around doing stuff wit a DC strapped to my back/front (and DS1 - and 3 HATED being in them anyhow)

WotsThatSkippy · 02/12/2008 10:49

Just an aside:

Slings have their place. I use a Moby wrap sling for DD when dropping DS to nursery (leaves my hands free to control an unruly 3 yr old who is still dangerous around roads). I also use it in the house to get housework done while DD has a nice cuddle and kip. But cannot contemplate not having a buggy with big basket and handles to hang stuff off for shopping trips. A must.

jingleMAMADIVAsbells · 02/12/2008 10:50

mrsgboring Emmaljungas are LOVELY!!!

I had a Cerox and loved it flip over handle so DS could face us, lovely and lightweight to push wouldnt have swapped it for the world was gutted when DS grew out of it.

See I just never got the sling thing with DS he would have hated it anyway, plus after a ECS you cant really use them for a fair while. So I wouldnt have had any chance anyway.

bran · 02/12/2008 10:51

I went through quite a few with DS. I had a big Urban Detour that was fabulous but a pain to fold and heavy to lift into the car so I needed a lightweight on as well. I never found the ideal one despite going through loads. We're about to adopt another child so I'll be starting again. Hopefully I'll manage to get the right one first time this time.

jingleMAMADIVAsbells · 02/12/2008 10:52

Bran I dont think there is an ideal pushchair or sling though is there, they should make them standard issue government ones Then there would be no hassle

mrsgboring · 02/12/2008 10:55

Most people don't get on with Bjorn style slings for that long (plenty exceptions though). I can't stand to have my hands full I thought that meant a buggy would be great because I could just sling everything on that but a) there is very little bag space on either of my two buggies b) mine always tipped over if I put anything much on the handles and (the clincher) DS couldn't stand to be in it at all, so it was a big encumbrance for us. Of course I could have shopped around for a better buggy, but I've got two and they're expensive and take up too much space.

Sometimes now I would like to use a buggy for the odd shopping trip (but I travel far more often than I shop as everything delivered) but then DS wouldn't get any walking done and he refuses to do any other kind of exercise so I stand firm. [tired emoticon]

I have used one of my buggies about 3 times in the past two years.