Phil and Teds Double

[tryingtobemarrypoppins2]

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??

I love love love my p&T. DS was in the baby bit until 6 months with no problems. Cocoon only lasted 4 months though..

DD is 3 and ds is 1 and you will find dd in the back 9 times out of 10 as she prefers it there!!!!

I am not a snob but needed a double where they were not side by side as I wouldn't be able to get it out the door let alone on the bus WHICH may annoy some but is the only way I can get about (I didn't realise that having two children ment that I either had to buy and run two cars all the time or stay in....

Geeze

I must tell dp that I am a snob as we have a p&T he will just piss his pants...

I moved ds2 into the reclined seat below at about 4 and a half months. I used a head hugger from my car seat to support him which has worked really well. I love my P&T as its so versatile. Ds2 is very happy in the second chair and nods off in it all the time. Ds1 also sleeps in it and he never slept in my other buggy (a Techno XT)

I also use a sling and I am happy with that too as an alternative when I need one.

They are not mutually exclusive

NormalityBites, what on earth do you suggest people use when they have a newborn and a toddler to transport? I tried carrying DS2 in a sling and pushing DS1 in a Maclaren at the same time and gave myself such bad backache that it cost me £200 in osteopathy to cure it.

Double buggies are not a pain for the vast majority of users, but they do have their drawbacks - all of them do, even my sainted P&T which I wouldn't be without, even if DS2 did last a scant four months in the cocoon (OP - YANBU! I don't know what P&T were thinking), and the brake is so stiff that I can't operate it when I'm wearing sandals.

But there is a reason why you see so many P&Ts about, despite the fact that they aren't perfect. DS2 was warm and cosy in his cocoon throughout the cold months of winter. I don't drive, so it gave me the freedom to take my children everywhere I wanted to, even on buses, which I couldn't have done with a side-by-side double. And the sunshade was brilliant at keeping the sun off the children in summer, even if it did look like a burka. And if you take only one child to the shops in it, the rear seat does make a great shopping basket (and I don't see anything wrong with putting DS2 in that seat - he's exposed to no more car fumes than DS1, and he gets to go everywhere we do, which is more important than giving him a brilliant view).

Finally, I really don't understand why anybody would feel a virulent loathing for people who have a particular kind of pram. Do you go around expressing vile sentiments about every stranger you see based on their choice of car/food/clothes? My choice of P&T says nothing more about me than I have two small children that I need to wheel around, and that my house doesn't have double front doors or a wide hallway. Nothing else.

(love your name thegrandsophy)

Mine has been a godsend for my dd3 and dd4. The village we live in only has narrow pavements so a side by side wasn't an option and most of the tandems are like pushing a bus!

Fab thread, as I've been having same problems and trying to find solution!

DS2 is 13 weeks and outgrown his cocoon. BUT, how on earth do you get the baby in the lie flat underneath bit from just the opening at the end? I find I can't hold him and put him in very easily, especially as he still doesn't have good head control.

Also, the straps seem designed for a much longer baby and the straps that should go from behind his shoulder are about 15cm above his head!! Any tips? I'm probably missing something very obvious (bought second hand, so don't have instructions).

Thanks

Or, do you put the upper seat on after you've put baby in? Surely that's a bit of a pain?

I don't judge the people, I just don't like the buggy As I said each to their own, if you feel you need a double pushchair, get one. But I personally don't understand that need.

the cocoon for the vibe is bigger than the sport - i don't even want a double buggy and mine will spend most of its life in the car and only come out for shopping in town and days out. PandT is not too big when folded and i think the best of a bad lot imo.

Erm, when they are big enough to come out of the cocoon they can normally turn their head, which means they can see sideways as well - which means the view is a bit more exciting than a blank canvas.

it is my toddler and not my baby that CHOOSES to sit in the back seat.... She must be getting high on all the exhaust fumes !!

We got ours off a friend, very preloved. DS1 still goes underneath for the trip to nursery at 4.5 ! and if he does walk it's got loads of room for a trip to the beach.

sheeplikessleep I don't think your meant to use the straps when baby is laying flat with toddler on top??? Just put a blanket to form a mattress. I found though that his feet were getting kicked by toddler on top or even when I lowered the toddler seat (vide you can do this) baby hadn't any room left.

He seems ok in the seat. Will try the top one but a bit worried I can't recline it much without stoping toddler from jumping in and out.

who'd have thought this topic would have brought out such strong feelings!
I didn't realise there was a 'bitch' seat .
mrsjamin the brake is stiff but I've never had to get down on my hands and knees and use two hands to do it although I am a bit careful when wearing flipflops.
As for the reference to 'smug middle class twats in West London' it's amazing what riles some people. Never been to West London so

I put one of those car seat toys on the back of my main seat when DD is in the rear doubles seat et voila! - no more of a blank canvas/boring view than a rear facing car seat!

thanks tryingtobemarypoppins2 - i'll leave the straps for the meantime then. thanks for posting. i find it funny that people get so het up about buggies!

DD was out of baby bit at 5 months but was ok because she had good enough head control. I moved her because she was shuffling herself towards getting out rather than because she was too squashed, but she couldn't have stayed in much longer size wise.

My two now swop in and out front and back, they both want the front though.

I think being in the back of a phil and teds is probably more interesting than being carted around in a car. They can look up and see Mummy as well as look out the sides. DD has also discovered she can stand up and ride looking out the top and poke her brother at the same time.

They weren't invented when I had my DCs, but it appears to me, that they have a very limited shelf- life. it does (don't jump on me) look a bit mean to have a baby who is awake more often than not stuck in the bottom

I had a double McLaren which I grew to hate with a passion - and all my dreams of baby and toddler sleeping at the same time never came true .... Then it was on to a buggy board and McLaren when DS2 was 6 months or so.

"...West London that are a gazillion smug wankers twats with em, blame them!"

No thanks I won't blame people who live in W.London, who you have judged as twats because of their choice of buggy, or because they are that most heinous of crimes middle class.

The narrow pavements thing was a problem for us too, the village we lived in had really narrow pavements, no way a side by side would fit.

NormalityBites, I know you say you don't understand why people have the need for a double pushchair, but I really struggled with dd2 in a sling, dd1 was 14 months when I had dd2, and not walking, I don't drive, but I walk miles. The P+Ts worked so well for us, and no-one ever seemed unhappy in it (well unless they were having a massive tantrum!) in the 4 years that we have been using it.

I'm amazed that people can be so judgey, that even the type of pushchair you use causes people to look down their noses at you.

I'm not being judgey, I don't like the pushchair, not the person. I have said this. I don't much care. What I don't understand is the choice to use one then how many people complain about using it. I cannot imagine anything more impractical - I regularly take out 4 under 4s, don't drive and I cannot imagine having to lug a buggy around as well. Especially a double!

I have been fascinated reading all the strong feelings on this thread. In fact, have just stopped DP from working to discuss whether he can recall a time when I judged someone for the buggy they had - can't recall one!

Our P & T is our 5th buggy - if I had known I was going to have the girls so close together, I would have had one from the start and just settled on that!

Now, as DD1 tends to walk most of the time, or scoot, I still put the second seat on so I can carry all the shopping, picnic or extras for wherever we are.

I just love my P & T - and love my slings too when they meet my needs. I carried DD1 huge amounts of time, but really don't think I could have done the same with DD2 (especially as she was huge compared to DD1) whilst chasing a toddler round as well.

And, serious question NormalityBites, how do you take 4 under 4s out without a double buggy? Are they all walkers? One in a buggy and 3 walkers? 1 in a buggy, 1 in a sling and 2 walkers? My P&T is really great when I have DNe (3) and DNi (6) along with my 2DC.

My Phil & Teds was the best investment we ever made..
Sorry to repeat, but mine both want to sit in the back.. thats the fun of it. And the older one cane walk when i want to load i up with shopping /beach stuff.
In answer to OP, i never quie got the idea of my toddler sitting up top, and then the baby in cacoon underneath - because i had a long baby, and there wasn't much support in the bottom of the chair, so he kind of sat ON the baby??
We recently took it on holiday abroad, and it was perfect to transport them/ amd all the stuff around the airport / poolside etc!
The only annoying little thing was the zips, they came off, but when i rang Customer services they said they would send me out a whole new seat as it was a known fault, but then just sent some sringer 'paper clip type' zips out, but they do the job now!
I used to find it hard putting the younger one underneath/ and getting out, when she wasn't so sturdy... but love the idea of not having side by side, so they can't annoy each other/ hitting - although they still kick each other sometimes.
My 2 BF's are pregnant and i have recommended to them. I like the bar that you put on top, so you can put the maxi cosi car seat on top aswel.. well worth it, so you have a travel system too, not having to wake the baby up... bonus!
I could go on and on...!

I used a sling all the time with DS1, but it just didn't work for me when had DD, because i would be faffing about putting baby into the sling and my hyper DS would just want to be getting out the car and getting on with it.. and then when we stop somewhere, or stay somewhere for lunch, where do you put the floppy baby? i just couldn't live with out my P&T's.. I also had a pramette with buggy board, but i think it was dangerous, as my son would just leg it off everywhere?! and i would end up leaving the baby stranded, whilst i ran after him! I think its much safer to have them both strapped in!

Am on phone so will be brief. My youngest lasted in the flat on back bit til 7 mths. Had to take her out of cocoon at 4 months and then just made a 'nest' out of blankets. Did have to put her in before I sat the toddler on top though or it was too difficult to get the baby in. Had a feel about underneath though and her legs were not squashed. Think she is slightly shorter than average though.

As an aside, to those criticising the p&t, it has been a godsend to me with 3 close in age. My youngest 2 use it and the eldest can walk alongside. I live in a city and there are lots of busy/narrow pavements in the areas where I walk. Would have been so difficult to negotiate the streets with a wider buggy whilst still allowing the older child to walk next to me. Baby has always seemed happy with the view frombelow and is easy to look down at her and chat. I love slings but it's not always the best option on long walks and days out.