Is a double buggy always necessary?

[abigboydidit]

Currently expecting DC2 and DS will be 20 months old when the new baby arrives (if he or she doesn't make an early appearance). With DS I used a mixture of a sling, the carseat in brackets on a babyjogger buggy frame and then the actual buggy from about 3 months. He's always been a bit reluctant to sit in a buggy and started walking at 9 months so tends to want to toddle.

So! Am I kidding myself by thinking I don't need a double buggy? I thought for shorter distances DS could walk or I could get a buggy board and for longer walks I could put DC2 in the sling and DS in the buggy if that doesn't cause him to have a complete meltdown. I've only told a handful of close friends about the pregnancy so far and they all say I'll never cope without one despite all of them having at least a 3 year gap between their kids.

I bought a double but have never actually used it - DD is nearly 7 months and theres a 2.3 year age gap between her and DS. I use a mixture of sling, lightweight buggy and 'big' pram depending on what I'm doing / where I'm going. (I do have the Stokke pram which since the baby was about 10 weeks old can accommodate either because of the big seat that also lies flat. Its been very handy.) I did also buy a buggy board but DS absolutely hates it! probably because its not great on the Stokke.

I would say get a 'proper' sling rather than a Baby Bjorn type. The baby will spend a lot of time in it and the BBs are not good for their hips / back. There's loads more information on this on sites like Natural Mamas or The Babywearer. I started with stretchy wraps and moved to either a woven wrap or a soft structured carrier similar to an Ergo when she was about 4 months old.

My first 2 were 23 months apart. I have never owned a double buggy.

I put the toddler in the buggy and baby in a papoose, or the baby in a buggy with toddler on a buggy board (or walking, if not too far).

Dd was 20 months when ds came along and I never had a double buggy. But to be honest, I never had to walk very far very fast.
Dd was a good walker and I always allowed plenty of time for frequent stops.

It depends on your lifestyle, though. You might be grateful for one faced with a long walk in the rain!

It sounds like DS is an ideal candidate for a buggy board, so he can walk and hop on when he's tired. I didn't have a double (tho' my age gap is bigger than yours, 28m) and DS1 loved his "skateboard"; it had the unexpected bonus of meaning that DD2 always had eye contact with her big brother, which kept her happy in the pram. A board is a bit awkward to push compared to the pram without, but certainly no worse than the sling plus buggy combo which I occasionally used.

I have the same age gap and tried to manage without but eventually caved about 4 months in. Wish I'd done it earlier. The beauty of being able to stuff wailing children in a pushchair and quickly LEAVE should not be underestimated.

If you use a car for most trips out I'm sure you'd be fine though.

I would try it for a bit and see how it goes but don't (like I did) make it a pride thing!

I couldn't manage with a buggy board

I'm tall and found it really difficult to push, plus DD 23 months at the time, kept jumping on and off the bloody thing

I bought a second hand double and got about 6 months use out of it before dd walked everwhere

Thanks everyone. It was a Moby wrap I used and would hope to use again. We live in a very rural location so it tends to be car journeys to get anywhere and then longer walking is part of "days out" so DH should be there too. I guess am just getting anxious because of the general eye rolling I am getting from my "been there/done that" mates (even though none of them have experienced a small gap!).

If you get a double buggy it will be for YOUR sake and not the kids'. You can stuff them in there yelling or napping and go for a walk or if you get sick of having somebody ON you all the time you can put them in there. It's just about making your life easier with 2 and a small gap. So if you don't want one, don't bother and don't worry about it ( you can always change your mind).

Get a double buggy.

I cannot tell you how much I loved my P&T. I would suggest getting one on ebay,or a mclarren. DH has always been a bit grumpy about me buying my P%T as I bought it new (But sold if for 50% less 5 years later) but I can tell you it was an absolute God send. That pushchair saved my sanity (actually, it didn't, but that's another story)

I've had similar age gaps (17 months, then 19 months) and personally could not have done without my double buggy, but your circs are a bit different as you say you drive a lot and your dc1 is a good walker and was an early walker, so may be you will be okay?

I don't drive and both times my older one was either recently walking or only barely walking when the next one born so would have been a disaster without the double

But even if they are a good walker, makes life easy just to put them in and off you go! without having to go slowly for a daudling toddler.. its just about making life easier really

The problem with slings is rain. 20 months is too young for buggy board I think you are quite mad ...... That said you can always get one later if you change your mind anyway!

In anticipation of our 2nd arrival and 20% off sale at Mothercare we have just bought a Safety First duo deal tandem. Anticipate we'll maybe get 6 months out of it and we paid a fortune for current single which will still be used so didn't want to spend loads. DD1 will be 2.4 when new one arrives.

My main requirement was that I didn't want the baby shoved in the equivelant ofa shopping basket, Dd1 has a decent not restricted outlook and a tandem so we can get through shop doors. Although will mostly be for the nursery run, it does open and fold well and fits in my boot, albeit a big boot.

Here's the best bit, Mothercare pricematched it, than gave me 20% off so we paid £103.68.

I have 20 months between ds and dd and never had a double buggy. dd went in sling for first few months. We now have a buggy board and ds walks/ rides quite happily.

I have almost 3 yrs between mine, I've done without a double buggy but it would have come in handy sometimes. Such as - when it's raining, when they both fall asleep in the car and you're going into town etc., when picking my DD up from preschool and she's knackered and dawdling, even a short walk can seem to take forever. A double buggy would have been a real luxury!

I knew a lady who had 4 under 3.5 yrs (no twins either, since you asked).
She never had a double buggy or even a buggy board.
Husband who worked long hours & not around much.

BUT, she drove absolutely everywhere. Had to train the kids to stick to her like limpets & used reins on occasion.

Thanks everyone. I feel totally undecided still! DS spends so little time in a buggy that it seems pointless (nursery is a car journey, in a supermarket it's the trolley, I hate "proper" shopping so never do it.. All other days out are to beach/playpark/swimming/toddlers groups etc which we drive to) but then again.. Aaaargh!

The main reason i decided to get one (18m gap) was so i could feed DS2 without having to worry about containing DS1
But I walk a lot too, i dont drive.

Like beyond I use my buggy a lot when feeding ds2. Ds1 is just 3 and is good at walking but the stubborn behaviour really kicked in at 2.5. Before ds2 was born 3 months ago I had plenty of time to negotiate with him but if the baby is hungry or needs changing etc we can get somewhere quickly!

It totally is a personal preference and it depends whether your eldest has started with tantrums etc and how he behaves once the baby is here.