Should I buy another pram? Someone help me!!

[princesspxx]

So I’m expecting my first baby next month (). Me and my partner went pram shopping a few months ago and I fell in love with a Cosatto unicorn stroller so after speaking to the woman at the shop for a while, I ended up buying it there and then for £200. It lies flat fully, suitable for newborn, has sunshade etc it seemed perfect at the time but now I’m having doubts because the only problem I have with it, which I didn’t even consider at the time, was that it’s only forward facing.

A few people have said to me it’s a bad decision, and that I will really regret not having her facing me. I’m in two minds whether to buy a cheap carrycot pram either secondhand or off eBay, as I’ve already got a car seat.

The pros of keeping this pushchair is that I really like it, I’ve bought it now, it lays flat, has lots of accessories, a cup holder , is pretty, is easy to fold and put in the boot of my small car and will hopefully last her a long time!

The con is that it won’t be able to face me.

I’ve been debating this in my mind for weeks now, whether to just buy a cheap carrycot pram to use for the first few months, to wait and see how I feel when she’s here and how much I’ll actually use the pushchair, as I am also considering a sling, or am have I really made a big mistake as some people have suggested?!

My daughter used to get really freaked out facing forward until she was about a year old. I also liked being able to see her and chat to her, so I'd probably swap it for one that did parent facing

I wouldn't have bought a pram that only faces forward. Firstly, I wanted to see DS's face and he wanted to see mine! Secondly, if he was crying, I wouldn't have been able to soothe him as easily. Lastly, little babies can't take too much sensory stimulation- if you're facing outwards it's a lot to cope with, and they have no way of filtering it.

I alwasy had DS facing me, so happy to be told I'm biased, but I wouldn't use a forward facing, lie-flat, pushchair for a tiny baby.

Maybe get a parent facing travel system 2nd hand to use for now and swap to this one when she's older.

Don't think you need the drink holder either, sorry, is it for you or for tippy cups?

@LupinsNotBluebells no I don’t need the drinks holder, hence the wink face I’m not too bothered about that!

But it looks like I will buy a secondhand/eBay forward facing pram, if anyone has any suggestions?

If it is one of the umbrella ones we have one and 18 month old ds only just fits in it! So dont bank on it lasting too long

Yeah it’s an umbrella fold, ah no way

You can get a unicorn design giggle 2 which has carrycot and is parent facing for £275. I would sell/return the umbrella one and get this

www.kiddies-kingdom.com/pushchairs-strollers-buggies/31191-cosatto-giggle-2-pram-and-pushchair-magic-unicorns-new.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIopiG9-Hk2gIV7rDtCh1FcAeVEAQYECABEgIA7PD_BwE#fo_c=164&fo_k=39a74628a000b40a588ee1de6e91105d&fo_s=gplauk

I would get a sling and use that for the early months, then start using the pushchair when your dc is a few months old and you don't mind them forward facing.

I would look at a pram you like and see if the older versions are available as they will inevitably be cheaper.

@Ivegotfamilyandidrinkcupsoftea thank you, I was actually looking at the giggle and thinking of selling this one and ordering that on a very account (as I’ve only seen it for about £500)! I’ll speak to my partner as we’re on a tight budget at the minute. X

I'd do the same, if you really like that make. The travel system also has one handle for pushing which is so much easier (means you can push the pram 1 handed whilst carrying screaming baby- I've had to do this many times!). Then you can get a lightweight, cheap stroller for the nursery runs when they're a bit older

I had a giggle2 which i sold on after a year of use. I got £200 for it. They sell on well.

If you're going to use it lots, I'd say get parent facing. Mine is only fwd facing, but I used to carry her everywhere in a sling, and push the pushchair empty if I needed somewhere to lie her flat where we were heading. So I could enjoy a cafe trip and still lie her flat, but just didn't push her in the pushchair til about 7 months (by which time she enjoyed looking around). Was a bit of an odd plan, but I rarely used the pushchair til 7 months and she was getting heavy to carry, so it worked for me :)

I'd probably get parent facing if I had my time again though. But it's not impossible with the one you have :)

If you are genuinely happy with what you have got, keep it and keep and eye out/ask around for a pram/carrycot style pushchair for the early months. I had one that i lent out to about 6 people i worked with over the years. I also borrowed one years later when i had dd3.
Please dont go and spend money when its going to be a financially tight time anyway.

Oh op I feel your pain. I had a forward only facing one for dd to begin wth and absolutely hated it. As a ftm I was totally clueless and just bought what I thought looked nice!
If you can then try and sell that one (especially since it's brand new you'll get a good sell on rate for it) and buy a different one.

If you are on a budget look out on Facebook selling pages or eBay etc for a second hand cosatto if that's what you really want.
Personally I'm not a massive fan of the cosatto pushchairs themselves because I find the basket space tiny, but they are very very pretty!

I'd go for the Giggle 2 in magic unicorns as suggested by Ivegotfamilyandidrinkcupsoftea

@AJPTaylor Yeah the only thing stopping me changing the pram is money really. I just don’t have lots to spend, I think at the most this month I could stretch to £150. That’s why I think I’m going to wait till she’s here and see how I feel then order another if needs be x

Op could you not return the one you have?

Do you have a Barnardos near by? The one near me sells prams for about £50 much cheaper than buying second hand off ebay or Facebook. I have a Venicci travel system I had my baby in the carrycot til she was about 6/7months and now she's almost 1 and that's me only just switching the seat unit to forward facing but I'm considering switching it back I don't like when I can't see her.

Be careful ordering a Cosatto pram, I had the Cosatto Tropico pram/pushchair in-one, and was lovely when DD was tiny but as soon as she got to 6 months-ish and needed to be in it as a pushchair the seat is tiny. She isn't a big baby but her bum wouldn't fit on the seat and she'd slide off. They aren't very big lengthways at all.

I used a forward facing pram. No regrets.

I had a forward facing pushchair I used from 4 months (baby outgrew the carry cot). I bought a bugabee cocoon for the lie flat bit of the pushchair and it worked well, my daughter loved being able to people watch and see everything going on. I'd stick with what you've got if you like it but maybe look at cocoons or decent head support cushions for using with it. The hood might have a clear or mesh section so you can see her better too.

I wouldn’t. DS had awful reflux and I needed him facing me to deal with ‘situations’ until he was almost 1. He’s 18 months now, and still faces me on days when he’s a bit clingy (unwell/ teething, etc). Even if he didn’t have reflux, I would’ve wanted him facing me asa newborn so that I could see he was ok.

I would swap for parent facing with a carrycot. It is so good for baby as you can chatter away, sing and genereally keep an eye on them. Carrycots are much nicer and cosier than the lie flat pushchairs, we have one suitable from newborn but i would never have put a newborn in it, we use that type when our boys were older.