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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:
NormalityBites · 11/06/2010 23:16

Dysgu - there is a 3.5 year old, 2 year old twins and a nearly nine month old baby. They are not all mine but family who I look after once or twice a week. Obviously three of them can walk, I sling the baby and have a spare sling in my bag for if one of the bigger ones wants up as well, which sometimes happens for a sleep or if they are being awkward - it's nearly always the 3.5 year old as well I've ever had any kind of buggy, single or double, and get out and about happily

sillybillymummy · 11/06/2010 23:24

Wow that is very impressive!
So how do you carry shopping and change bag etc? because you must have to hold their hands?
When i go swimming, i just don't know how i would carry the swim bags / the baby and keep hold of my son who bolts around the car park like a nutter!

thecoffeelady · 11/06/2010 23:51

We have a p&t vibe, or at least we will have when dc2 comes along in about 8 weeks. dd was 2 last month and we opted for the vibe because dd still naps in the day if we are out she naps in her buggy.

There is nothing else on the market that can be a single or a double, we looked at the icandy peach blossom but when we tested it the toddler seat was tiny and the 'chromed' frame put me off. I was adamant that I didn't want a double buggy as they all seemed a bit flimsy

I think it is hysterical that I am a smug middle class twat for my choice of buggy, yet according to another thread I am lower class/ working class because my Mum chose to be called Nanny when dd was born

I bloody love Mumsnet, it's full of nutters!

Buddleja · 12/06/2010 08:23

NormalityBites if you are a sling user who has never used a buggy would it be fair to say you wouldn't really like the idea of a baby in a buggy in general (basing this on a friend whose a sling user without a buggy)

I've never felt that the child in the second seat is in anyway loosing out or got nothing to look at (due to the fact both my children can turn their heads) and the fact they used to fight over who would go in it

To me it's akin to the back seat of a car where the only thing restricted is the view in front

As for the car fumes - they aren't just at that level and the dog shit - unless you are actually dragging them along the ground I think they are safe from it!

hazeyjane · 12/06/2010 08:41

Wow that is a handful NormalityBites!

Like Sillybillymummy, I think I would struggle for me when it comes to shopping (we tend to do an online order once a fortnight, but I still have to get bits and pieces from town) and carrying schoolbags etc.

Our walk into town is quite a long one, half of it is down the A4, and I just can't imagine doing it with 2 lo's on the loose let alone 4, especially in a hurry!

porcamiseria · 12/06/2010 09:04

err i am the only person who has been mean about them, and I said it was irrational. just so that the PT users dont think they are hated!

i will try and curb my prejudices

goes off to smile at the next PT user she sees.......................

NormalityBites · 12/06/2010 10:25

I have no problem with kids being in pushchairs Buddleja, I just find them very impractical, bulky and problematic to use. When I see others complaining they find the same, I wonder why they continue to use them. I wouldn't like to put a young baby (under 12 months) of mine into one, but I have no issues if others do as long as they are happy and not struggling - but I do like to let people know they don't have to struggle.

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 12/06/2010 21:11

PHOTOS OF THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR US ON MY PROFILE PAGE

What do you think?? This can't be right can it???

OP posts:
LittleSilver · 12/06/2010 21:19

6 at a National trust property? Pah! We went to CP last December and really struggled to pick out our red P and T from the sea of identical ones that were, er, everywhere.

I've had the comments about the poor baby in the back too. I don't necessarily disagree, but side by side buggies are the most hideously impractical things I've ever set eyes upon.

Firawla · 12/06/2010 21:33

mary poppins move him further down inside the thing, like put his feet more further to the end? or else just put him into the double seat.. how old is ur baby? i cant remember whether you are the op or not

quite amazed by the person having 4 under 4 with no buggy at all! that is pretty impressive. but i think most people who complain about their buggies probably find it easier 2 have them even though they have their faults, like i never got comfy with slings so i just dont use them as i feel the baby is not sat right and not confident in them? then my toddler will run off, and just easier to keep both in a p&t than do that

chegggersplayspop · 12/06/2010 21:56

I would move him further down, he looks too pushed down to the end - his head shouldn't be pushing against the end of the cocoon like that. Do you have the end of the seat 'flipped up'. There should be the back of the cocoon as well as the back of the buggy supporting his head.

Failing that, move him to the reclined double seat using a sheepskin/headhugger for support.

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 12/06/2010 21:56

Yes I'm the OP!
He is too long to not get his legs hurt by our toddler on top and too young to sit up in the seat at 4 months......a real pain!

OP posts:
chegggersplayspop · 12/06/2010 21:58

He should't get his legs hurt by the toddler on top, there should be room for them. He may not be able to waggle them in the air like he is doing in the photo, but they shouldn't get squashed.

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 12/06/2010 21:58

The cocoon is far to short now, the reason why his head is pushing against the fabric end is because the seat is almost slanting backwards!!?

OP posts:
chegggersplayspop · 12/06/2010 22:01

Take the cocoon out then and just have him lying on the seat fully reclined without the cocoon in it. I'm surprised he has outgrown it entirely though, surely it would be better to shuffle him down so his feet are pushing against it and beding it like that rather than his head?

chegggersplayspop · 12/06/2010 22:01

bending it, not beding it

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 12/06/2010 22:18

chegggersplayspop I am beginning to think its faulty! The problem is the seat is angled downwards....the blood is rushing to his head. The photo isn't showing it well but when he pushes his legs in the air and would only have to push against the chair above and he would backwards roll out!! It wasn;t so bad with the cocoon as he couldn't move. With out the cocoon though, if the toddler eat is on high, my toddler can literally tred on our baby. In the lower position he can't.

OP posts:
Firawla · 12/06/2010 22:26

Even with a headhugger will he not be okay in the underneath seat? when i put my ds in it when he was young it was winter so with a big snowsuit he was like padded out nicely so fit there okay, bit more difficult in summer i suppose..
But if not able to do that i would think better to have his legs slightly squashed than have his head like that, although neither is ideal..
Or you can put ds2 in a sling for a month or two til he is okay for the seat or get your ds1 to walk for a month or two (defeats the purpose of having a double i know, but one of my friends did that)

hazeyjane · 12/06/2010 22:32

tryingtobemarypoppins - have you zipped up the sides?

I found that the baby bit looked like it was on a downward slope on our e3 (although not as much as in your photo), but if I zipped up the sides, then dd2 was lying at a perfect angle. Also it became much easier to put her in (dh used to say that it was like loading a torpedo!)

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 12/06/2010 22:35

I'll give that a try hazeyjane. We have a long day out tomorrow so I might put DS2 in the front and when not using the seat underneath for my toddler, fully recline the main seat so DS2 can be flat for some of the day....what do you think?

OP posts:
rokersmum · 12/06/2010 22:43

I did the zips up to stop the blood rushing to my DS2's head ... he is 4 months and too big for the cocoon. He is really long and I have to watch his feet don't get squashed by his older brother.

Vaseline on the front wheel REALLY helped the dodgy steering.

Agree with all those that say the P&Ts is the best of a bad bunch ... lots of money for someone that comes up with a better multiple buggy design.

sillybillymummy · 13/06/2010 19:48

How did it go tryingtobemarrypoppins2?
My DC2 grew out of the cacoon at 6 weeks, she is very tall! So i just put her in (either of) the other seats, but unzipped, and padded out with her snowsuit of whatever (if we were out for whole day), it was fine, they are well strapped in with the 3 point harness.. but jus for short trips, when we were in and out of the car a number of times, i just put her car seat on top (using the bar) and put my 19 month DC1 underneath - which they also say not to do, but it was fine!

lovechoc · 13/06/2010 19:51

I've never seen the attraction to these types of buggies tbh. I won't be using one because I'll have a 3.3y age gap between my two but even if the gap was smaller I'd get a tandem or a side-by-side stroller. Sometimes the traditional styles are the best.

MuffinToptheMule · 13/06/2010 20:18

I have seen these buggies quite a lot and at first I thought the underneath bit was for shopping but people just put there children in there.
I think they are quite a good idea especially considering the constraints of small houses and narrow pavements. At first I was a little bit judgy but I guess that is because they look quite strange.

The only thing I don't like about them is the point the OP has made about the baby not fitting properly. A few weeks ago I saw a baby's head hanging out of the back of one. It looked very uncomfortable and quite dangerous. The woman looked as if she might kick the baby in the head with every step.

Original poster
tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 13/06/2010 20:36

Well so much better today. I had a full day out and so had a really good play around with seat combinations etc. Compared to friends with the sport, I think the Vibe is a bit of a pain. The toddler seat is smaller and I found it a pain to recline then put up right again when older son used it. BUT I have solved the lay flat problem by moving him right down and TBH our baby spent most of the day in the main seat anyway.

Feeling the vibe.....a bit!!
Thanks all

OP posts: