Babies due in November 2016 #4

[FuzzyOwl]

New thread for us to chat and if anyone else also wants to join the secret Facebook group just send me a private message with the email address that you use to login and I will send you a link.

We're buying a new pram. We've looked the Uppababy Cruz, iCandys and Oyster 2. Not sure what we'll go for. After last time I have a long list of requirements!!

Spotty can I ask what your requirements are and why? As someone whose done this before and has way more of a clue about say to say life with a baby than me!

In my head I'm thinking that it'll be winter so needs to be warm and dog walks will be off road as always but more difficult due to mud/terrain etc. I'd like to think I'd take a sling/carrier but from what I understand not all babies like them so need to be prepared?

But equally, if baby does like the sling I will just want a buggy for shopping in town really in which case is want something much smaller? My head is spinning!

I looked at what was easiest to fit in my car and what folded easy as a number one priority! I also really dislike huge/wide prams (sorry to anyone who needs/uses them!) I found the Urbo was much narrower than any other I could find as it is described as a city pram, which was ultimately what swung it for us. It also looks really nice :) It depends on what's important to you and what you do - shop, walk, off road etc

My list is:
BIG basket
Easy to remove carrycot that can be used for longer sleeping in case we stay over somewhere.
Extending, not tilting, handle.
Big hood on pushchair
Folds easily
Takes a buggyboard.
Not too wide so it fits through doors.

IMO a carrier is also a must- look at a stretchy. My carrier meant I could do stuff last time!!

I was hoping not to have a pram/pushchair at all. Am I being really naive?!

Thanks Spotty and Jade really useful to see what's important to others to help me put a list of needs/musts together.

I thought about doing that Goldfinch but i think I'll need one - seems like it depends on your circumstances tho and what you are likely to do day to day. I think the sling will be my go-to but I'd like the flexibility of having a buggy.

I find buggy shopping so overwhelming! There's so much choice. I want a side-by-side double which can also convert into a single - so the Bugaboo Donkey is pretty much our only option.. But we're going to buy it second hand as I'm hoping we'll only need it for a year or so and then can go over to a lightweight pushchair and buggy board.

goldfinch you definitely don't have to get one before the baby comes even if you do end up needing one. The shops are always there and it doesn't take that long to deliver a pram. I needed one because neither I or DS particularly liked baby-wearing/slings, so you might end up with a baby who isn't as in to slings as you would like! But I wish we hadn't got a travel system with car seat as I used it with the car seat about 4 times.. But I did love having a bassinet, also to use as a place to nap if we were visiting friends etc. (And lazily because the bag under the pram saved me having to carry the shopping home..)

I'm looking at the Joolz Geo at the moment... but it's so confusing and there are so many options!

Think we're going to have a look at some tomorrow, might try collapsing/setting up a few to test how easy that is as I think that's my most important factor.

goldfinch, there's no reason at all not to plan to try and not use a pushchair, however I think most people do end up using one for one reason or another. Off the top of my head:

• the baby might not take to slings and carriers at all (most like it, but DD was not a huge fan so it does happen)
• even with a well fitting sling it can be quit tiring carrying a baby for several hours, and if the baby falls asleep you can't then put them down if you're out for coffee or lunch or visiting friends etc
• it's harder to carry things like shopping if you don't use a car, while the massive bonus of prams and pushchairs is that you often have big baskets for shopping (again that's often due to personality, but I used to get down the shops most days as it gave us something to do if we felt cooped up or there were no baby groups on that day)
• if you use a car a lot, if the baby is asleep in the car seat you would have to wake them up to put them in the carrier, whereas with a car seat attachment you can just pop it in the pushchair and hope they don't wake

I do agree that some of the travel systems are a waste of time; we had one and quickly changed to a 3m+ umbrella stroller - a Maclaren Techno XLR which has been our best investment and will be used for this baby too.

I would budget for a pushchair or pram. You can so easily buy one if you need one, but I think not having the emergency money put aside for one might not the best idea. Plus from people I know, even those who loved using slings with a baby eventually bought a pushchair when their DC got older.

We were going to just put the carrycot attachment on our XLR but I think now we're luckily going to swap our Quinny Buzz with a friend's iCandy, as they need the pushchair and we need a bassinet, so that should suit us both for a few months. Am on a mission to make this the cheapest baby ever!

Goldfinch- I didn't use our pram initially as my dd wouldn't go in it! But I really don't know how I'd cope without a pram long term. You'll definitely need it once they're bigger so I'd personally get one sooner. You end up carrying lots with you when you have a baby- nappy changing, toys, all sorts! I used a sling lots but after a few months needed a pram too. We have an icandy and a mclaren (folds up lots smaller).

It also depends on what you think your days will be like. I know I want to have the option of baby sleeping while we are out and about after a few months, and a good solid seat structure is so important for their spine when they're little. That's why I'm slightly evangelical about the bugaboos. The urbo is really good for that too actually, so are Joolz. I really dislike maclarens for this reason. Another thing to think about is how upright the seat sits. So many of them are slightly reclined even when fully upright, and little one ends up straining themselves forward to be able to see what's going on around them. I like pram seats that are fixed frame and recline as one for this reason.

One thing that is really important to me is that the seat can be parent facing. I don't like having a little one under 12m facing away from me, particularly while they're eating. If you head out somewhere in the afternoon and have a snack on the way, I get panicky about little one choking and me not being able to see them.

What is everyone doin about nappy bags? I found a gorgeous SkipHop in TK Maxx last week for £30 so grabbed it, but it comes with buggy straps, so was thinking I might buy a smaller handbag to keep purse/travel card/keys/phone in, and just baby stuff in the nappy bag. That way when we get to the stage of going to groups etc, I can leave nappy bag on the buggy and just take my handbag in. My handbags are quite big so don't want to cart around two big bags. I also think I might be over thinking this

I'm a bit of a designer handbag fan so have become obsessed with the Jem and Bea range... the one I really want is £250 !!

I'm being ridiculous and I know it!

I'm going to get a sling as well as a pram because I love the idea of slings (free arms!) but also like the idea of going for walks pushing the pram.

My friend is amazingly talented and he's making me a changing bag with a matching changing mat! I got to pick the fabric and I choose a really cute one with cats on I almost cried when he told me his plans, it's such a lovely thing to do and means so much.

Although copper the Jem and Bea bags are gorgeous!

Cooper, those Jem & Bea bags are gorgeous! Love the Beatrice bag. DH is being amazing with letting me buy pretty much what I want, but I think he would draw the line at a £200 nappy bag!

We bought a baby ergo the other day (the marine design one that is in John Lewis) and I'm going to buy an Oscha wrap in a few weeks after the 20 week scan

I despair of ever buying anything for this little one.

DH and I cannot agree on one single thing

He even wants to paint the ceiling in the nursery green FFS!

Sorry, hit post too soon! I'll be flying every 2 months or so with my little one to spend time in my home city, plus DH and I will be there for Christmas when baby will be about 6 weeks, so a wrap is going to be the easiest option. My Mum still has buggy/car seat/cot etc at hers from when my nephews were little so we'll pop little one in the wrap/carrier and go. Much easier navigating an airport with hands free!

I didn't have a changing bag last time.. We just used canvas bags and had a couple of nappies and a change of clothes in and a bottle of milk. Think I might get a tiny one this time around but it probably won't be purposely designed one, I just didn't need one.

I too didn't find a changing bag helpful. I knew someone who had a tiny pack type thing that went in a normal bag. I think I'll do that this time

Changing bags are an interesting one... a few of my friends say they couldn't function without theirs, others say they never found the need for one!

Another option I'm considering is an organiser insert for a normal bag... I have a Longchamp Le Pilage bag and apparently Longchamp sell proper inserts to convert it into a changing bag. So gonna look into that!

So are you planning on flying with a 6-week-old, smells? I'm glad to know that, as I'm trying to decide whether to join my family in Germany for Christmas. But have seen quite a lot to put me off. Do people have experience of flying with a very young baby?

Some form of 'change bag' is always useful, so that you can keep it stocked (best tip is to refill it when you come home and remember what you've used, rather than running around in the morning trying to sort it). It's generally easier if you keep it a bit separate from your handbag, or have a smaller 'handbag' that fits inside the change bag, so there's no faffing when DH/GPs take the baby out or you go out without the baby.

Purpose made change bags have their uses in that they are wipe clean, have lots of pockets and bottle holders and all that malarkey, but you can absolutely use any kind of bag at all.

I had a pacapod bag last time. Really great, lots of segments inside including two removable pods for nappies and snacks. Means if you want to go lightweight you can just take a pod.

We flew (2 flights, 1 transfer) to the uk for summer when DS was 7wks old. Went so well, easiest flight we've done (and we done a lot!). He slept the whole flight. I fed him during take off and landing (formula fed) and everything went well. The only think that was stressful was that he threw up everywhere about 10min before the taxi arrived to take us to the airport and we had to change him very quickly. I think the only think I'd be worried about was getting the passport in time if it's a busy season.

Oh and we'll be doing it at Christmas as last year we had Xmas here and it's my turn to have Christmas with my parents and nothing will get in the way, even flying with one 6wk old and one 18mth old.

Thanks Ameliius, that's all good to know. I think even if it's 2 weeks overdue we should be OK for a passport if we do the post office check & send as that guarantees 2 week turnaround.

Have just been checking out pacapod bags - lovely! Nice videos, too