Expecting 2nd Child - what is the experience with double/tandem buggies?

[AMMsMum]

There are probably many threads on this topic but i haven't found them yet. I have a 2 year old and by the time 2nd baby is due she will be 2.5yrs old. She is already wanting to walk places rather than sit in a buggy and be pushed for any length of time (eg, popping into town). If she walks already is the expense of a double buggy worth it (even buying second hand)? What have others found? are they sseful for a couple of months then outgrown?

I am thinking that when baby 2 born i will stick with single buggy and have no 2 in baby bjorn or something to begin with then after a few months (when no 1 nearer 3) will make no 1 walk (or get buggy board) and have no 2 in buggy rather than buy a double buggy. But would like some advice from people who have been there before me.

I think that's a sensible idea. My DS was 18mo when DD was born, so I shelled out £600 on a tandem. By 22mo he refused to go
In the buggy at all, favouring his scooter or the buggy board. Have now sold the tandem, and didn't make too great a loss, but still irritating. Your plan to use a sling sounds v wise!

I was in your position a few months ago. Ds2 is now 3 months old. Ds1 was 2.5 when he arrived. We bought a double and have only used it a cou

Sorry, clicked send too soon
Couple of times. Ds2 doesn't like buggy, so have been using sling and single buggy. Car for longer journeys.
I am hoping once ds2 is 4 or 5 months he'll like buggy better. But at the moment it's looking like a wasted purchase.
Only thing I would say though, if baby is due in winter, the baby Bjorn isn't that good when raining/snowing/windy etc and you might prefer buggy then- if you don't have the option of a car.

Hi, I wouldn't count on your DD walking all the time. She will want to be carried and that will be a killer as she gets bigger. Not sure what the right option is but I wouldn't assume a 2.5yo will walk.

I wouldn't get a double or a tandem with that age gap. There's 28 months between my two and I managed with pram/pushchair and a sling and a buggy board.

DS never asked to get in the pushchair if he was on the buggy board, buggy boards are "cool".

Sure, your DD won't always want to walk but the buggy board provides enough opportunity for rest.

I always carried my sling about too for emergencies (DS fell ill once and needed the pushchair, I decanted DD to sling and he got in the pushchair).

There are 22 months between my 2 DSs. DS1 is a big boy so we chose not to buy the 'Pip convertor' pack to change our iCandy buggy into a double (I read a review that said the seats were small and thought he probably wouldn't fit in it for long!).
We bought a 'Revelo Kid Sit' (like a buggy board with a little (removable) seat). He loves it!

I have also found that it works when I have DS1 in the buggy and DS2 in the sling-especially in shops where I don't want DS1 to run off and start helping himself to things!

There are 16 months between mine so we did splash out and bought a Phil and Teds which i have to say was brilliant and i loved it - however, we got about 18 months use of it as by the time my eldest was 3 and the youngest was 18 months neither of them wanted to go in it! and we probably only managed to use it so long as my eldest was lazy :-)
So personally with the age gap you will have i either wouldn;t bother or see if you can pick up a very cheap double buggy from EBay or somewhere for £10 or something otherwise i think you will be wasting your money.

DS will be 2.9 when DC2 arrives and loves to walk but very rarely completes the whole journey without wanting in the buggy (we don't have a car so walk pretty much everywhere). Anyway, I didn't want a double as the second seat would be empty most of the time but wanted him to have the option of sitting down if needed (he has hypermobility) so we have just bought a Joovy Caboose Ultralight. Its about the size of a large single buggy but with a little bench seat and buggy board built in at the back. Only thing is the front seat doesn't lie flat so you need to use a car seat with it for the newborn stage but it comes with a universal car seat adapter so no special car seat needed.

If you do consider it I would buy from Amazon.com and get it shipped from America as opposed to Mothercare (the only UK stockist). Its about £80 cheaper including shipping/customs and the car seat adapter's included, with Mothercare you have to buy it seperately.

I thought about just using my current single with buggy board while carrying a sling for emergencies but we have a really heavy cumbersome single that would be really awkward to push with a toddler on the back so this was the best option for us

HTH

They sell those Joovy Cabooses really cheap on ebay....

Yep they do, but if buying on Ebay I'd make sure its the Ultralight (2010 edition if poss). The normal Joovy Caboose is heavier, doesn't recline as much and has a smaller basket - depends what you're after I suppose

Hmmm Im quite tempted by it. Do you know if the Maxi Cosi car seat is compatible?

Try the Joovy website, they do have a list of compatible car seats but as its American don't know if the Maxi Cosi will be on there even if it does fit, maybe even a quick google search in case someone else has posted the same. From looking at ours though I would say pretty much any standard infant carrier would fit, it's tightly held in with straps once you sit the carseat in.

Just in case this is an issue though (and you'll prob read this in reviews), you have to set the front seat to the middle recline position to put the car seat in which takes away from the sitting room at the back. My DS can still sit but leans forward very slightly (he doesn't say he's uncomfortable though), still plenty of room to stand though.

HTH

I had a 20/21 month gap, and TBH I wish I hadn't bought a double, I did use it a few times but didn't get anywhere near my moneys worth. BY 2.5 I would say mostly fine to use a buggy board but - only if they will cooperate! and not good for a long day out where the eldest might need to nap, eg a day out at the zoo etc.

In hindsight, I would get a cheap 2nd hand one or try on freecycle.

You need to consider what you want to do when it's freezing cold, raining, she is ill, tantrumming, you're tired or running late. Toddler speed walking isn't too bad some of the time, but IME there are many days it's easier to get both of them in the buggy and go at your speed.

I had 22mo age gap and we used the P&T until DS was 4.6 and DD was 2.8. We walk a lot and I don't walk slowly!

FWIW I sold my P&T on e-bay for £130 in the end, it was a bit battered but still had loads of miles in it yet. I should have bought a second hand one in the first place and saved a few quid.

I too bought a P&T and couldn't have gotten out of the house without it for about 4/5 months but I don't drive & had a c-section and large baby so slings & buggy boards weren't an option. If you do end up getting a P&T make sure you look after it as they get v good resale value on ebay etc. Think we sold ours for about £75 less than we paid for it!

Im only just pregnant and DS will be 23 months then, and he is not even walking yet and tiny! Think I will revisit it in Jan and see how the land lies.

Lots of good advice and opinions so far, thanks all. Think a lot of you have backed up my thoughts that it may not be worth the expense. I was looking at secondhand P&T's on ebay and can see they hold their price well but not sure i want to fork out even that much for something we won't get our use out of. Might try and pick up something very cheap as an emergency option as i was wondering how my plan would work with a C-section (which i ended up having with DD1) but our single buggy is very light and was bought new so plenty of wear in it, I like to walk alot but can always get a bus home if needed or use the car.

21 month age gap and we got a side by side cosatto for about £160 new. Its an umbrella fold so not too bulky. We don't use it a lot but when we do, we've really needed it. DS is not reliable / obedient enough to be trusted to walk or stay on the buggy board properly all the time and I hate trying to drag him along, stopping him from running in the road while trying to shop, walk etc. I often used a single and a sling when DD was tiny or sling and held his hand but even then, if he wanted picking up it was difficult. The cosatto is technically not suitable for a newborn but DD slept in it for a week when we went on holiday when she was 10 weeks old, just add a head hugger. Its a compromise in all directions, but not too £££.

Agree with trixie, I have a 2.6 yr old and a 10 mth old and when my 10 mth old was born I bought a cheap side by side double buggy new costing £135 off Kiddicare. I've definitely found it essential as I don't have access to a car all the time and walk fairly long distances. I couldn't trust my 2.6 yr old to consistently walk the distances I needed him to and so the double buggy has proved a good buy. There's no need to spend hundreds on a Phil and Teds. Also, I actually like the fact that both children are sat side by side. There's a few friends with two kids who have the Phil and Teds and find that the baby doesn't like being tucked away underneath the toddler. Hope this helps!