Taking newborn out in pram advice please!

[Sarfros93]

I took my newborn (2 weeks) out in the pram for the first time the other day but he’s quite small at 6lb 7oz so it felt as though he was just being shaken all over the place when we went over the slightest bumps. He cried for the majority of the walk and it was really stressful for us both! Is there anything I can do to make him feel more comfortable? Our HV advised against padding the pram out with blankets etc as it can create too much heat.

Im hoping to take him out in it again over the weekend whilst I’m high street shopping and due to cold weather I was also wondering what the best way to dress him would be?
I have a pramsuit but not sure if this is suitable when in and out of shops… I know I would need to remove a layer when indoors to prevent him overheating but it might be impractical when in and out.

Baby carriers are good, you could wrap blankets round and remove when in the shops. My experience is that they don’t like being in the pram for long our shopping- lights are right overhead and very bright, plus they just want to be held.

They will be fine in the pram, wont get shaken or anything.

But a sling is usually 100x easier. Some that claim to be for newborns can’t be used until 8lbs or something, but there are plenty that work for tinies.

They love being bumped about honestly don’t worry about that. Baby should wear one more layer than what you feel comfort in. So I’d say, vest, sleep suit and hat, and a blanket you can remove if needed in shops.

Get a stretchy sling like close caboo

And deffo needs more than a vest, sleepsuit and blanket in this weather

Babies love movement - he's been shaking about inside you for 9 months, so don't worry about that. Mine hated the pram though (which is very common), so she spent the first 5 months of her life in the sling instead. If you find he doesn't settle in the pram after a few attempts, then I would try a sling. You can either go structured or stretchy/cloth - I preferred cloth/stretchy when DD was little, and it might be easier given he's still so tiny

And I remember those stressful few attempts to leave the house when they're so small. It's easier said than done, but try not to worry - you're doing great getting out of the house, so just take it slowly and take each trip out at a time

I used a pram insert for my baby. Supported the head and made baby not shake about as much in buggy x

Have you ever noticed how many people push empty prams with the baby in a sling? This is why.

What sort of pram is it? We used a travel system and used a carrycot. My eldest had terrible colic so often cried but also loved the movement of the pram.
They both hated the seat in the pram (for newborns) til they were a bit older/bigger

I use a blanket for my 4 week old, folded up underneath her - it's bloody freezing outside she's not going to overheat. She is then dressed in several layers with a thick blanket over her which I can unzip the bassinet over and remove if I go inside. The blanket helps cushion and gives a sense of closeness. Some people use a sheepskin. I also use a carrier a lot and always have one under the pram.

My baby hated the sling. Would settle wonderfully in the pram... but only after about 10 minutes going over cobbles to make it really nice and bumpy. Then would sleep for ages (as long as I kept moving!)

This may seem strange. But does your pram have a mattress that comes out?? We bought DD’s pram then it took a few weeks for me to notice after she’d been sick, there wasn’t a separate mattress. But one ‘built in’ that was like paper. No padding. I bought one off Amazon and it made a massive difference.

For my youngest I had one of these newborn pods. I absolutely loved it. My eldest was 21 months when youngest was born in April. So much time spent putting costs on. Outside for 5 mins. Back inside again . Then out again 10 mins later. This was a game changer. Little one would have vest, sleepsuit & hat on. Maybe socks too.

But I could get her in and out easy. A lot less fuss than getting her arms and legs in a coat.

Added benefit, if I went in a shop. I could untuck her. Then zip her back in when we left. She was lovely and warm. Honestly one of the most used items in those first could of months.

Oops. This is what it looked like.

She was born during covid, so we spent a lot of time outside.

Defs agree with baby carrier.

I have the baby bjorn mini which I used religiously since birth.

DD is 3 months now and only just started taking to the pram.

I put her in a waterproof pram suit to protect her against the rain if she's in the carrier. I've also bought a universal rain cover for the baby carrier which protects her against wind/rain and adds an extra layer of warmth.

This is very useful, thank you!

I have the same problem getting a 20 month old and 3 month old out the house. It takes ages!

My baby didn’t mind the pram. That said, I always kept the baby carrier underneath the pram in case he got fed up. I struggled with the carrier as I had a emcs, and I found it difficult from the weight (he was nearly 9lb born and kept going). Could you alternate between to the two so you can at least put the shopping in the pram if you need to?

I second the baby bjorn mini for the first few months btw. However after he was 6 months things got a bit tight. I’ve kept it but will probably buy the bigger version next time.

It took me a few goes with the stretchy sling to be confident on getting my baby in it but it was a total game changer once I got the hang of it. I barely used my pram for the first 5 months. If you can find a sling library near you they are very helpful for experimenting with different types of sling and for learning how to use them. I never had one but I've heard that a ring sling can be good for smaller babies.

Good luck! I felt my pram was too big and not very cosy for my newborn, but the sling was warm and made me feel much more nimble and able to get out and about with a baby.

Both of mine loved the pram and were winter babies. We did vest, cotton sleep suit, hat, then thick furry snow suit type thing plus a blanket you could take on and off if inside.