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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Phil and Teds Double

105 replies

tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 10/06/2010 22:08

Does anyone know any baby that has lasted till 6 months laying flat under their older brother/sister??

My 3 month old just doesn't fit in the lay flat anymore without his feet getting bashed by big brother on top.

This is what Phil and Teds think:

?Our buggies and doubles kits were both designed in conjunction with the body dimensions/weight averages specified in a well-known book 'The Measure of Man & Woman' - Revised Edition 2002. This book specifies (among other things) average weights and body part lengths of all ages from newborn, and was used in providing the measurements for the layflat 2 children mode"

AIBU??

OP posts:
littlebylittle · 11/06/2010 09:10

sling and single pushchair for us, even though I hated sling with dd, loved it for ds.

hazeyjane · 11/06/2010 09:16

The worst thing about them is the fact that other people seem to have a real problem with them - and often let you know it (ahem- Dexifehatz and Porcamiseria!). Once when dd2 was a few months old, and I was sat feeding her on a bench, whilst dd1 sat in the P+T having a snack, a woman sat down next to me and told me how cruel I was for putting dd2 in the baby bit, I was feeling pretty shatttered and crap at the time, so just burst into tears!

Our P+Ts has been fantastic, dds (now 3+4), loved it, dd2 lay flat until 5 months old (stopped using the cocoon at 3/4 months ish - put a soft matress in base of baby bit), seemed quite happy in the back seat (would sleep happily, look up at me and could see most of the world going by! Would sometimes put her on top and dd2 underneath, and when they were a little older they would fight over who sat underneath.

I still use it as a single for dd2 on the school run, and will probably use it when dc3 arrives in 4 weeks time. Slings are great, but sometimes just not practical - I couldn't use one when my back was really bad and found it easier to use buggy in the rain.

If the wheels seem like they are a bit stiff, or the steering feels like it is going, then you need to replace the ballbearings in the wheel (a couple of quid from Out n About). The tyres are also a bit crap (we walk over very rough ground), so I replaced all of them with big tough tyres with liners in.

Sorry about the essay, but our P+Ts was the best £250 that we have ever spent.

BarbaMamma · 11/06/2010 09:17

I used my P&T E3 for my twins from when they were 4 months old and it was fine, even though it was the old version without a reclining back seat. I thought the buggy was well ahead of the competition and used it religiously until they were 3.

littlebylittle · 11/06/2010 09:21

btw I am only stating what we chose - borrowed p and t once and really liked it. Just didn't have ready cash to spend and ended up loving the option we ended up with iyswim.

sethstarkaddersmum · 11/06/2010 09:28

My baby was in it till 6 months but we are all short in our family.

ClenchedBottom · 11/06/2010 09:34

Looked at one of these, but we seem to produce large offspring and DS would have fitted in the lower seat for an incredibly short period of time, and even then swapping him into the top would have meant v tall just-turned-2-year-old DD would have been very squashed down there. Was glad we didn't get one. Have twice seen people accidentally kick the baby in the lower seat whilst dashing across roads.....

MrsJamin · 11/06/2010 10:03

Re the baby kicking the toddler, I have just shunted DS2 up the back a bit more and the straps are very loose - otherwise DS1 hates DS2's legs tickling him.

Another thing I dislike with this way round is how flimsy the doubles kit part is on top - it bends forwards when DS1 leans forward and also you can't really use the top rain covery bit as he's too tall (and he's quite an average 2.5 YO boy). I can't use the doubles raincover until it's in the other position so poor DS1 just has to sit in his raincoat if it's raining or we just can't go out.

2babyblues · 11/06/2010 10:23

I had one and it was a complete lifesaver especially as I didn't have a car when my second was a baby. My kids loved it and I think some of the comments on here are quite offensive. I moved my baby at about 5 months and he generally went in the top, with toddler in the bottom so he could get in and out when he wanted. I think now the smaller seat reclines a bit which would probably be better.

warthog · 11/06/2010 10:27

i used p&t until dd2 was 4 months.

then went to bugaboo with board which was bloody awful. hurt my back and was forever tripping on it. it also used to fall off because i could never get it to fit properly.

got rid of the board asap and now dd1 can stand on the wheel brace on the back of the bugaboo and clings on. good for me as she doesn't ask very often - uncomfortable - but is an option for when she gets tired.

next baby i'll prob haul out the p&t again.

porcamiseria · 11/06/2010 10:46

i did apologise!!! I am not sure why but they just RILE me, and someone I love dearly had one... Its the smug middle class connotation

who'd have thought that something like that wopuld annoy me, parenthood eh

bruffin · 11/06/2010 10:52

They bring out the same in me, porcamiseria, i can't bear seeing the babies in the bottom.

Phil and Teds always do badly for H&S in Which as well.

hazeyjane · 11/06/2010 10:59

Fair enough not to like them, but to not like the people who use them ('smug middle class...' WTF!) seems a little unfair.

jemart · 11/06/2010 11:01

I guess it depends what you want out of a buggy. For my part I have a P&Ts E3 and I love it. Has had several punctures and replacement inner tubes but that is my only niggle and considering it has done for all 3 of my DC has been excellent value for money. In response to OP - My babies were laid down in the back until about 5 months of age, ditched the cocoon at 3 months.

matumble · 11/06/2010 11:24

I couldnt get much further from smug middle class but my p&t has been a life saver.

I have 3 dd's and the eldest is only just 5. I had one for 1&2, sold on and then fell pg with dd3, couldnt really afford another so made do with a couple of other options till i found a very cheap one on ebay and it really is brilliant.

I dont understand the idea that they are bad for storage i use ours to shop for a family of 5 without any difficulty and pack for me and the girls to go away into it with a bit of creativity.

As for the OP no i dont think mine stayed in the baby bit till 6 months but she was perfectly capable of supporting herself when i moved her into the double seat. generally now the baby goes in the front with toddler in the back, its never tipped and is even easier to steer this way round.

silverfrog · 11/06/2010 11:29

I'm not sure I understand what the smug middle class connotations are supposed to be...

It's a buggy.

A double.

It does abrilliant job, with some obvious limitations.

There is no other single buggy that is better - all of them have their pros and cons.

Ifanyone would care to point mein the direction of a buggy that will easily accomodate my nearly 6 year old ASD dd, as well as her younger sister, take a good few days worth of shopping, and fit easily around the shops.

Surely most sane people choose their buggy on what suits their needs, rather than what connotations the buggy suggests?!

ChunkyChick · 11/06/2010 11:56

My ds was too big for the cocoon at 2 months, but then he was 11 pounds 8 oz at birth I suppose... He's still only 4 months and doesn't hold his head up well enough to go in the upright seat yet so I'm just not using my Vibe at the mo. I reckon we'll probably ditch it in a year's time when dd is almost 4. I couldn't find a single double buggy that was really suitable, especially as I tend to have massive, tall children. In my opinion they're ALL shite.

sethstarkaddersmum · 11/06/2010 12:45

much as I love my P&T and deplore generalising, re the middle class connotations it does make me laugh when I see a whole load of them lined up outside a National Trust tearoom. We saw 6 once!

Firawla · 11/06/2010 12:50

mine was in the double seat by 3 months he is extremely tall, he is fine in it. he actually prefers the back seat, and usually gets grumpy when i put him in front to let ds1 walk

porcamiseria · 11/06/2010 12:53

ha ha seth, you prove my point!

I am sorry if I have attended any P&T users its just that in West London that are a gazillion smug wankers twats with em, blame them!

Buddleja · 11/06/2010 13:06

Well people are certainly passionate about not liking the P&T.

Clever car fumes only getting to the one in the back.

I have always wondered with the haters who claim that the child in the back seat can't 'see' don't they allow their children to turn their heads at any time and do you feel the same about putting your children in the back seat of the car (front veiwing being restricted here are well)

As for the smug middle class malarky surely then you'd mostly likely have a big enough house which has room in the entrace to get any buggy in and not have to think 'oh crap I now need a double but only have the room to get a single in my hallway. (other option being the mad looking 20ft long ones)

CoffeeMum · 11/06/2010 13:24

Arrghh! I literally had no choice but to buy the P&T. I wouldn't be able to get a conventional double through the door to our flat [yes, flat - not very middle class, that!] Also, as we can't afford a car, i can't carry baby in a sling on long journeys on foot [again, not very middle class!]. Finally, baby is over 20lb at five months, and quite honestly, i'd break my back if I put her in a sling!
So yes, maybe they are also used in West London by 'smug wanker twats' - but honest, some of us just think they're the best of a bad bunch and couldn't actually manage with anything else.
Oh, and PS - i have only taken it on the bus TWICE in five months, when i had no choice because I know how much buggies piss off bus users, let alone P&T buggies!
And breathe

littleducks · 11/06/2010 13:36

I put the baby in the back early recklined with a sheepskin liner, a head hugger and as it was summer the hood off his infant carrier so there was no sun

I used to take the buggy out all day (didnt drive then) so he would nap in the newborn bit and have his awake time in the back seat if dd was tired or in the main seat if she walked

Tbh when i examined it the seat was the same angle reclined as my maclaren single buggy was

NormalityBites · 11/06/2010 13:53

Well I kind of agree with porcamiseria, but not on the middle class thing - I just really don't like them and they make me shudder to see. I once told my elderly grandmother that there was a baby in the under-section and she told me not to be so ridiculous, noone would put a baby in there, it was a shopping basket. No matter how many times I told her she insisted noone would be that daft What I really don't understand is people who choose a double buggy and then moan about it - don't use one if you don't like them so much. I can't understand why they are so prevalent when they are such a pain and unneccessary for the vast, vast majority of users.

thegrandsophy · 11/06/2010 13:57

Yan really bu. They do outgrow the cocoon before 6 months but it is still a brilliant buggy. It probably isn't recommended by the manufacturers but We covered the awkward months by putting dc2 (6.5months) in a maxicosi carseat on top and put dc1 (2.5yrs) in the seat behind so that they can hop in and out. Baby can face you and toddler walks more. Cue outrage at leaving baby in carseat for more than 15 mins....

Firawla · 11/06/2010 14:03

wow i never knew they were meant to be middle class, do only 'middle class' people have babies close together then?? they are just convenient for anyone, i wsould have thought middle class people have cars, houses and can have space for side by sides, whereas round here i see alot of p&t we are in north/central london people are not smug about their p&t (wtf?) but we dont have room for massive double side by side. i dont even have a hall it stays in my flats living room!