Anyone not bothered with a carry cot?

[Moonchild23]

I aim to mostly use a wrap when the baby’s really young and as we drive, I can’t see much point in a carry cot? The baby will not be in the car seat on the pram for anywhere near two hours at any point - literally for nipping out the car somewhere.
The prams I like also recline completely back so are suitable from birth - although I don’t love the thought of the baby being laid down in the stroller style when they’re tiny.
I don’t want to waste money on a whole travel system if it’s not needed. Anyone else not got much use from the carry cot?

[InMyBloodstainedSundaysBest]

My little girl had outgrown her carrycot lengthwise by about 5 months, and honestly by 4 months she hated being laid flat because of reflux so I don't think I'd bother again.

Having said that, DD is tall, but skinny with it so she really didn't seem overly secure in the actual stroller bit so just have a good look at whatever you're buying and see how snug baby will be before they're able to sit up by themselves.

[Knowidea]

We bought a second hand one off eBay because we are the same. I would carry the car seat around whilst he was tiny tiny and use a carrier for walks. I have probably used the pram we got x2 for shopping. X2 when we went out for dinner. And a couple of times to walk when I didn't have our car round to the local shop.
We bought a super cheap one that had been looked after well because we weren't sure if we would get much use out of it, but also cheap enough that if we did and it broke we wouldn't be too worried about getting another cheap one.

[Wallsbangers]

I wouldn't have been without ours. I used a wrap a lot for short trips out but used the carry cot all time as it was more useful for shopping, long walks, having somewhere to put baby while you eat/drink coffee/go to the loo while you're out. It was a PITA to keep getting in and out of the car boot though.

He was a big baby but wouldn't have put him in the stroller bit till he was much bigger (he was 4 months when he outgrew carry cot) as they seem way more vulnerable. New car seat advice is they are only suitable for 30 minutes before they need a break from the seat when they are newborn.

[cupoftea84]

We never had one. We had a stroller that lies flat. I wasn't sure about this at first but bought a foot muff type zippy bag thing and it's worked very well. I know loads of people think carry cots or bassinets are a waste of money.

[WeepingWillowWeepingWino]

I didn't have one but I wish I had, it was a bugger, especially as it was winter, to get DD strapped and unstrapped from her reclining buggy.

You might not get on with a wrap or sling, your baby might be a whopper and you might have a C section.

Why not look into getting one secondhand? Or buying one with a good resale value?

[Changingagain]

We used a buggy that lies flat with DS. We're going to use the same one again this time, I really don't see the point of buying another thing that does the same job.

[randomsabreuse]

I live in a town that is horrible for pushchairs or prams. 1st baby I had my SILs pram and used it for my smear test. Got an umbrella fold buggy for grandparents to use, otherwise use a sling or carrier.

2nd I don't have a pram or anything to clip the car seat on. Would have been good for DD3s preschool jabs and my smear but managed fine with car seat carried in my hand.

So I wouldn't actually both with any sort of travel system because it doesn't suit my life because flat tarmac walks and shopping centres are not my thing...

[Moonchild23]

Thanks all for your replies. Good to see others on the same page that they don’t always come in use!

[DappledThings]

Used it all the time for naps at home and for overnights when staying at parents early on.

But I never did the car seat on frame thing. Never had an occasion to.

[Njh1986]

My baby hated the carrycot and would scream blue murder in it (reflux baby, hates being flat)! We have a Maxi Cosi Zelia, which has a lie flat seat that can turn into a carrycot, so no need to buy/store an extra part.

We use the car seat on the frame for short outings (we live rurally so most trips involve a car journey anyway) and the seat in semi lie flat plus a ‘baby cocoon’ for longer walks. The seat has very high sides even when not in carrycot mode so is snuggly and lovely for her.

[RainbowMum11]

We used the pram bit of the travel system when either out & about for a while (over 30 mins including driving, or when shopping or a trip out) and at home (didn't use a Moses basket so used it for naps and in the evening before switching to crib when we went to bed) & for overnight stays (was suitable for such use) so we actually got a lot use out of ours.
You can't use it instead of a car seat though?!
And how much you use one will totally depend on what you do.

[RainbowMum11]

Mine was a 2nd c-section & did also use wraps & slings, the pram was excellent when we had a proper walk to town, had shopping to carry & I wanted her to have a good nap as she was flat - plus it was a hot summer so uncomfortable for us both to be strapped together too much!

[JimJamJarmusch]

We didn't use ours much as DD lived in the wrap. But some kids don't take to it, and it can occasionally be handy. Presumably though, if you're getting a regular pushchair that the car seat will clip onto, it'll be easy to get a carry cit if you find you need one. I'd probably scope out where I could get one from easily if I found I was struggling without, then just see how we managed. We did use it on and off, but not a lot!

[Dinosforall]

Going against the grain, we didn't bother for #1 but bought a carrycot for #2 as strapping and unwrapping a tiny baby was such a faff. It also didn't look that comfortable for him. I much preferred having one.

[Florescentadolescent]

Had one with my first and never used it. So haven't bothered with second. She's in baby bjorn or car seat all the time.

[Calixtine]

I don’t actually know what one is and I’ve had 3 kids!

[PostmanPatIsIncompetent]

It's so hard to predict - was invaluable for my first (wouldn't go in a sling, didn't like being strapped in to anything including the pushchair, but would kick about in the carrycot even for long walks). Useless for my second (a velcro sling baby, wouldn't lie flat anywhere until 6 months cause of reflux). Third has used it a bit but is happy in either so tends to be in sling more so I have hands free for the older two.

So I would probably wait to see what the baby's like, how you are, and how you find getting around, and then get one once he or she is here if you need it.

[TheKitchenWitch]

Had one for ds1 (it came automatically as part of the whole pram) and barely used it, complete waste.
So didn't bother with ds2, just had car seat and a really good carrier.

[Bohemond]

We didn’t buy the cot bit of the oyster we had. DS didn’t have a Moses basket either - we used a sleepyhead in and out of a larger cot.

[LorelaiRoryEmily]

We’d have been lost without ours. Great for trips to town, sleeping in when we weren’t home, sleeping in when we were home especially during the daytime. We had one with a 12 hour sleep mattress. Some of them are only safe for 2-4 hours apparently. I think the lie flat strollers just look uncomfortable for the baby. Sil has one and I just couldn’t use it if it were me.

[VoyageInTheDark]

Never had one, the stroller attachment lay flat so we used that. DD is really long so would've outgrown it really quickly

[Oct18mummy]

We used our carry cot about 5 times, it converted into the buggy so wasn’t a waste of money. I preferred to use the car seat on the pram

[GreasyFryUp]

We just had a Maclaren stroller. Lots of blankets and the zip up liner.

[PlayingForKittens]

3 children, never had a carry cot or felt like I needed one. Sling, pushchair, fine.

[PippilottaLongstocking]

I didn’t use a buggy of any sort til DS was 1 (we were given one when he was around 6 months which I tried to use but he hated it) and just used a sling so personally I’d say don’t bother with it