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Multiple births

When do you start showing with twins? What is life with twins like? Join the conversation on our Multiple Births forum.

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Original poster

Pram advice- twins & young toddler

34 replies

TALLULAHBELLE · 06/09/2008 23:24

Sure this has been done to death but in need of advice prams. My twins are due in Jan by which time my DD will be all of 18 months old. Apart from everything else that is worrying me about this I just can't imagine how will ever get out the house. DD will be too little for buggy board, would a tandem for her & one baby with other in a sling be best? Or double buggy with some sort of toddler attachment? How easy to push baby, toddler & carry another, never mind nappy bag, wee bit of shopping etc. I don't drive but can't imagine ever using public transport again. Actually can't imagine ever leaving the house again TBH. Oh and any other general advice welcome too!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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cargirl · 06/09/2008 23:26

The ABC side by side twin with toddler seat on top looks good? Or there is an inglesina triple that converts to a double, my child minder has one that she bought 2nd hand and had been imported from the USA.

Keep a look out on ebay.

gigglewitch · 06/09/2008 23:31

are the three-lo prams any use to you, or are they tooooo expensive? If you don't drive, they might be worth considering? As have no twin exerience, just 3 small people reasonably close together to warrant using double prams for ever
woo look at this - no use at first but ooooh, for when your littles are 3mo?

gigglewitch · 06/09/2008 23:34

oh, another thing i was going to mention then pressed 'post' in my excitement
there is a bike-style toddler seat which i saw a child using last week which looks fab, and a thing called a "buggypod" available from Blooming Marvellous amongst others - a small toddler-seat that attaches to your [double if you want] buggy, and then folds away when toddler is walking.
Worth looking into?

cargirl · 06/09/2008 23:38

There is also The Tug which is a fab looking seat to attach to a double mountain buggy or similar - suitable from 12 months

[www.thetug.co.uk/the_tug.html]]

cargirl · 06/09/2008 23:40

inglesina domino

[cgi.ebay.co.uk/Triple-pram-Inglesina-domino_W0QQitemZ280263910709QQihZ018QQcategoryZ66700 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]

which you can have as a double eventually

cargirl · 06/09/2008 23:40

sorry bad links!

wearymummy · 06/09/2008 23:42

Hi,
I had an 18mo old and a newborn (just the one though) I opted for a tandem, and regret it sooo badly. The older child has to go in the front, and with all the weight in the front it makes it damn impossile to steer and escpecially getting up the kerbs. This is somethig you don't realise when merrily pushing ad empty pushchair around the shop!!! I can't see with a tandem and a baby sling that this would be very practicle for you. Having said that I don't have the right answer for you. I just wish you all the best!

MarsLady · 06/09/2008 23:44

come say hi to us on the multiples thread I'll direct them your way as well. My DTs were my last babies (4 and 5) so I can't help with the triple buggy thing but I'm sure one of the others can

gigglewitch · 06/09/2008 23:47

buggypod
and tricycle-thing

frumpygrumpy · 07/09/2008 00:10

I did double buggy for toddler and one twin and other twin in a sling. I did look a bit like a pack horse but it was really fine. Helps regain the figure

luckylady74 · 07/09/2008 08:38

I did the same as frumpy grumpy and you can then do a 'seat-2-go' or similar when the toddler is older.
Tbh when twins were newborn I had them snuggled together in a single pram (my old mamas and papas with the the carrycot on the chassis) and put a cushion at the end for ds1 to sit on. It was lovely because I didn't feel like the sisdeshow I was with a double and a sling!
I had no car and it was January too. It was fine - my world just got a little smaller - playgroup/friends within walking distance!

HarrogateMum · 07/09/2008 08:46

I had twins first, and DD two years later. I had a double buggy and would put the DTs in there and DD in a sling. It was hard work, but on the occasions when I got out of the house (!) it was fine! We also put a buggy board on the back of the double buggy, but it got no use as the DTs fought over who was going on it!

tkband3 · 07/09/2008 17:28

DD1 was 20 mths when DTs were born and was a late walker so I knew she wasn't going to walk everywhere. I bought a Nipper, which I absolutely loved and for the first few months, put DD1 in the buggy with the bigger twin and had the smaller twin in a sling. When DT1 got too big for the sling, I would put the hood out flat and DD1 would sit on the top when she got too tired to walk (which was often - she was small and tired easily).

I have since had a tandem, but found the side-by-side much easier to push - as wearymummy says, they can be hard to manoeuvre (sp?), particularly up and down kerbs and they tip more easily if you've got shopping tied on the handle.

Definitely go for one with a bar for pushing rather than 2 handles, IYSWIM. Much easier to steer one-handed when you have to carry DD1 .

luckylady74 · 07/09/2008 19:20

I did that too - balanced ds1 on the handles/hood of my WE2 double buggy with strict instructions not to let go!

Egg · 07/09/2008 19:54

Am not supposed to be on MN now [shhhhh] but wanted to reply incase I forget tomorrow.

I had twins this Jan and DS1 was 22 months so a bit older but similar scenario. I have a Powertwin (tandem) and it is fab. If I go out any further than to the swings with all three I carry DD (who is still weeny at 8 months) in a sling and DS1 goes in the buggy. I find it very easy to manouvre and also have a double Mclaren (side by side) which I find very hard to manouvre but that might be because I am so used to Powertwin.

Admit though that when the babies are small it is annoying that you have to put toddler in front not back as it does make it harder to push, esp with sling on. Is fine once they are in back as so much easier, but DS1 does still often go in front and it doesn't seem so bad now, maybe I am used to it.

I can get Powertwin up and down steps (do it every day) although I tried to do about 20 steps the other day on my own and did lose strength about 5 from top and had to wail for help . Keeps the arm muscles firm .

Good luck!

Egg · 07/09/2008 19:56

Oh and I got a buggypod. In theory it is great. DS1 loves it. But it makes the pushchair sooooooooo heavy on one side that it is almost impossible to steer. Cannot imagine you could use buggypod on side by side double either as would make it ridiculously wide unless you were just going round the park and not trying to stay on pavements.

My buggypod lives under the bed in the loft.

Egg · 07/09/2008 19:58

Sorry, my final post. Try to stash everything you need in the basket underneath your pushchair rather than trying to hang a nappy bag as it just makes it more annoying to push esp if you have a baby in a sling.

I do have a car but have only ever gone out with all three on my own twice as walking is easier. Would not attempt public transport now!

I know all the local Tesco delivery staff v well now though! Home shopping is a godsend.

accessorizequeen · 07/09/2008 20:15

Hi Tallulah, there's also an Antenatal group for those expecting twins come and see us as well - a few expecting in Jan like you and all pondering buggy issues...I have a 21 month old, I'm 36 weeks with the dt's and have decided to largely go for the toddler in buggy + twin in sling (so have loads of slings!). My ds walked late, and still can't go very far, can't see him on a buggy board. I have bought 2 buggies, a Mountain buggy double & a Baby Jogger City Mini Double for the car. I think the out and about nipper is fantastic I loved it, but wouldn't fit through our front door. The ABC with toddler seat seems great too, hard to come across although I think the TAMBA (Twins Organisation) notice boards have featured a few. I think if you're carrying one baby, then you need something v.v.easy to push and tandems just don't seem easy at all (aside from the powertwin) compard to the side by side 3 wheelers.

accessorizequeen · 07/09/2008 20:16

Oh, don't say that Egg, I was just planning to buy a nice new changing bag as a treat for myself! I've had ones that fasten properly to the handles, they wouldn't get in the way as much would they?

piximon · 07/09/2008 20:51

My dts were just over 15mths when ds3 was born. I have a jane powertwin for dts and carry baby in sling, which is also the combination I would have opted for in your situation. Witht eh right sling you'll be able to keep going for quite a while and much cheaper/easier than a buggy for 3. I can't get along with side by sides and got rid of my Maclaren one. I also have ds1 (5.7) and dd1 (4 next sunday) walking either side so we just took up too much space trying to walk anywhere.

Original poster

TALLULAHBELLE · 07/09/2008 22:10

Thanks for replies folks. Lots of ideas to consider. So is the Jane Powertwin much easier than other tandems? How so? Have been warned off P&T as too heavy to push & not suitable for 2 babies, just the toddler & one bub. Would the powertwin take 2 little babies on occasion when I don't have DD with me?

OP posts:

accessorizequeen · 07/09/2008 22:19

Egg can comment more, but powertwin ono suitable from birth for both if you use car seats (the back seat goes flat, the front seat suitable from 6 months). You have to buy the Jane car seats too, matrix or rebel I think?

nappyaddict · 07/09/2008 22:22

i would get a double (side by side or p&t) for one baby and her and a sling for the other baby.

accessorizequeen · 07/09/2008 22:32

P&T (along with most other tandems, really) only has the full recline on the seat underneath so only good for dt's from 6 months - quite a good option then, I would have thought, I don't think they're particularly heavy compared to other doubles.

nappyaddict · 07/09/2008 22:34

powertwin will only take 2 newborns with a car seat and i'm sure you know that's not really advisable. if you want something with 2 from birth seats it's going to have to be a side by side.

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