Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Pushchair people help me!

14 replies

Ducky23 · 02/04/2015 12:24

I have the mothercare xtreme pushchair for ds. The car seat clips into the pushchair for babies.

Ds is 16 weeks and the car seat but seems cramped, I was just looking to find out whether it was safe to put him in the pushchair strapped in tightly without the car seat bit (didn't find an answer)

But I found a different website of people going mad saying you should never have a baby in car seat in the pram as it can damage hips and spine

Might be a stupid question but I'm panicking now!

Is that true? And does anyone know if I can put ds in the normal seat bit if he is strapped in tightly? He holds his head up well.

Tia x

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

JiltedJohnsJulie · 02/04/2015 17:18

Does the pushchair's instructions say from how old they can use the main bit? As long as he's lying flat and strapped in, it should be fine.

If you're worried, could you try a sling for a while?

Original poster

Ducky23 · 02/04/2015 18:20

Thanks jilted, it's bad but I don't know where the instructions are the pushchair was brought a while ago for my daughter but she was stillborn :-(

It does go pretty flat, flatter than his bouncy chair and he's strapped in well so hopefully it should be fine

He's just so squished in the car seat! Will be buying new car seats tomorrow I think!

OP posts:

PotatoLetters · 02/04/2015 19:27

I think you're not supposed to leave them in the car seat for more than a couple of hours. I much prefer putting them in the push chair because they look less squashed.

Sorry for your loss btw.

BikeRunSki · 02/04/2015 19:35

Car seat is fine for a couple of hours. If he is looking cramped, there is probaby a wedge of foam in the back somewhere to hold newborns in tight, which comes out to make more space as the baby gets bigger. The head hugger bit can come off too.

Original poster

Ducky23 · 02/04/2015 19:36

Thanks potato.

He looked more comfortable in there I was just worried he might slump a bit but should be ok if he's strapped in tight

OP posts:

Original poster

Ducky23 · 02/04/2015 19:37

X post! Thanks bike will have a look!

OP posts:

HappyAsASandboy · 02/04/2015 20:13

If the pushchair lies flat (or very near to flat) then the pushchair will be better than the car seat.

The issue with car seats for more than is that their bodies are bent. This resurrects their breathing to some . I think the last thing I read recommended no more than 30 mins for a newborn in a car seat, which would mean a stopping for a car-seat-break on the nursery run for the older kids ....

For a baby under 6 months, my preference would be carrycot, flat pushchair, near flat pushchair, car seat, sitting up pushchair. In that order. To be honest, I pay no attention to the instructions as they're just trying to cover their backsides legally, so I use my own judgement, knowing that flat (and parent facing) is best for babies.

HappyAsASandboy · 02/04/2015 20:14

Sorry, car seats do not resurrect breathing, they restrict it. Obviously.

HappyAsASandboy · 02/04/2015 20:19

I've just looked at the pushchair online.

Personally, I'd use the pushchair, laid flat, rather than the car seat. I would use the car seat to pop in to school on a pick up/buy bread/go into the GP surgery, but I'd use the pushchair laid flat to go shopping in town/walk the dog/go out for lunch.

RandomMess · 02/04/2015 20:23

What Happy says

Car seat is fine for short trips/periods of time where the car journey & pushchair part are relatively short in total.

It's fine for their legs to be bent in the car seat - the main aim is to protect their spine and internal organs in an accident, they survive broken legs.

Original poster

Ducky23 · 02/04/2015 21:41

Thanks everyone.

Will be using the pushchair from now on then and will get him a better car seat tomorrow. He just looks so diddy in it! It's not parent facing though :-/

OP posts:

98percentchocolate · 02/04/2015 21:47

The car seat can only be used a maximum of two hours at a time as otherwise it impedes the development of the child's spine. Do you still have the carry cot insert? If not, contact Mothercare - you may be able to purchase one from them on their spares or repairs service in store. If you can dig out the original receipt this will really help.
If not, recline the pushchair seat and strap him in tightly, even that will be better than the car seat in terms of breathing and development. It is so hard to know what to do though, isn't it?
Enjoy him being that diddy - he won't be a dot for long!

midnight1983 · 05/04/2015 21:38

Don't worry about parent facing - my son was in a suitable from birth stroller type and he faced away from me the whole time. He was fine and only kicked up a fuss around 3/4 months very occasionally; usually when he woke from a nap. I just took the sling and put him in that if he did made a fuss and he grew out of the fussy stage by 5 months. Good luck with the pushchair. Also, Sorry to hear about your loss.

Original poster

Ducky23 · 05/04/2015 22:05

Thanks everyone

That's good to hear midnight, I think he might be stroppy waking up facing out but hopefully he will get used to it, he looks much more comfortable in it than the car seat!

OP posts:

Flip