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Original poster

Double pram-what to do?! Newborn and 2 yr old

41 replies

Shleepymummy · 16/01/2023 17:58

I have a newborn due in May and my first child will be 2 years old in May. Thinking we are going to need a double pram. Quite an added cost and we have such a good current single pushchair! Any recommendations for double buggy? Did parents of 2 young children find it a must? Would a baby carrier for newborn work whilst pushing toddler in our current pushchair? Or no, a double buggy is the best way forward? Any thoughts/advice/recommendations greatly appreciated!

OP posts:

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PurBal · 16/01/2023 18:03

I have a baby due in June and DS will be 2 in July. I’m not getting a double buggy. Going to buy a buggy board and use a carrier for flexibility. I have a couple of relatives whose second pregnancies were twins with a similar age gap and had 3 under 2 (one was an 18 month age gap). Obviously they got a double pushchair for the babies but I don’t think there’s a need for the bigger one.

stormelf · 16/01/2023 18:04

I have a two year age gap between oldest and middle and then two years between middle and youngest. Double buggy was a must for us. I don't drive so do a lot of walking. I was lucky that for my oldest I bought a pushchair that converts into a tandem so we only had to buy an adaptor and second seat. We had the egg pushchair. I would definitely recommend it as a compact double pushchair. I know use a Phil and teds dot and absolutely love it, best pushchair I've had for the two of them. I got mine second hand

Soubriquet · 16/01/2023 18:05

I have a just under 2 year old gap between my two and honestly a double buggy was a life saver in those first few months.

I had an out and about and it was so easy to push, and went through standard doorways no problem

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Caterina99 · 16/01/2023 18:06

It just really depends on so many factors. Whether you do a lot of walking, whether your oldest is a runner, how big your car is etc?

I had a double and used it a lot, but there were days when we used a single and a carrier. Depended on what we were doing. I personally found the double was most useful when DC2 was a bit older (like 9-18m) and DC1 was still a liability in public so I needed to be able to strap them both in at times but DC2 was getting a bit big for the carrier for long periods.

Twizbe · 16/01/2023 18:07

Same age gap.

I love my uppa baby vista.

I got it second hand. It was great as a double, great as a single with buggy board, great as a single.

Honestly wish I'd got it first time round

Pompom2367 · 16/01/2023 18:08

We are due another baby and there will be 15 months between them we got the baby jogger it's lighter than my single one

trilbydoll · 16/01/2023 18:10

How do you envisage your maternity leave panning out and what is your eldest like?

My eldest was lazy and I walked into town a lot, I walked to baby classes, I walked wherever I could. I used the double 5 days out of 7 and without it my maternity leave would have been shit.

But if you drive everywhere or your eldest is a buggy refuser you'll be better off with a buggy board.

CandleCandleCandle · 16/01/2023 18:12

I have a 21 month age gap and got a double buggy. At the weekend my DH had one DC each in a single buggy when we went out. I drive quite a bit so often carried my baby in the car seat and held hands with the toddler when I went to toddler groups. I sold the double buggy after about 9 months for more than I paid for it.

SleepingStandingUp · 16/01/2023 18:17

Honestly it depends how much walking you do. We walk a mile each way to school, we catch the bus into town etc of the weekend so we use the buggy a LOT for our just turned 3 yos. If I was just looking at house to car to venue transfers, or a walk round the park, then I'd prob be more inclined towards keeping the existing one if it's got newborn inserts and do a mix of baby wear and letting the 2yo walk in reins / buggy board

Original poster

Shleepymummy · 16/01/2023 18:18

Thanks everyone- tough one to decide! Oldest is not particularly ‘well’ behaved, will run off etc. Doesn’t love the buggy and won’t sit in it for hours but will go in it for walk around the area, to the shops etc. I would have to drive to baby classes, supermarket, my Mums but did enjoy walking around my local area in first mat leave during the summer. Big enough area to walk 45 mins, stop at park etc. I can’t see my oldest standing on a buggy board. She’s going through the ‘terrible twos’ at 20 months- she’s just likes things her way. Not always easy but hey ho! Second hand market doesn’t seem to have a lot/any of double buggies. I’ll do some more searching.
out and about seems popular, the double buggy looks like two pushchairs and days from newborn onwards- just can’t imagine a newborn not in a carry cot situation on a pram.

OP posts:

comfortablylesslumpy · 16/01/2023 18:18

I had a 2 year agreement gap and had a fab pram - I decided against a double as didn't want anything too wide. This also a good few years ago so maybe less choice around than there is now. I couldn't afford a Phil and Ted but they were quite bulky and mine folded well.

I cant find the make I had, but it was rather like this. amzn.eu/d/9e7mYhZ

IWasFunBeforeMum · 16/01/2023 18:21

Definitely a must for quite a while.. despite what people say a 2 year old won't use a buggy board for any real length of time.

Caspianberg · 16/01/2023 18:21

I would.
With just one 2 year old, although he walks well, there’s days when I need him contained for speed or safety. Some days he 100% need some to nap, other days recently it’s super cold and he can be wrapped warm.

Something like the mountain buggy duet can have newborn carrycot that’s converts to parents facing seat as well as main seats if you prefer

chocolatebuttonlover · 16/01/2023 18:22

Following as in the exact same boat!

Mexicola · 16/01/2023 18:22

I loved having a double. I have 2 years and 2 weeks between my children.

Personally I didn’t like those ones on top of each other so I had a Bugaboo Donkey (I loved it as a single as well because of the side basket) and as a double as it was so flexible.

I needed a double as my elder one didn’t drop her day nap until she was around 4 (Sept child so she got away with it!) and it was a life saver.

When my youngest got to about 18 months with swapped to the mini jogger double ct I think it was called as that was more stroller like but when I researched it had the biggest seats (both my children are very tall)

Mexicola · 16/01/2023 18:23

I would say unless you a sling user (I wasn’t - just wasn’t my thing) then I wouldn’t do it yourself and just get one.

User4873628 · 16/01/2023 18:31

How much do you walk? I had a double but we walked a lot. Countless times I was glad to be able to strap the toddler in when he was throwing a tantrum and refusing to leave the park, or when I just wanted to get home quickly in the rain, or we were going shopping and I didn't want to be carrying a baby all day.

Ds would start out on his balance bike or scooter then get tired so everything would end up piled on the double pushchair. I couldnt have managed walking home with a baby strapped to me, a toddler asleep in the single pushchair, a scooter and a bag of shopping.

But maybe you don't walk much or your toddler is very compliant. Or doesnt nap in the day. Mine needed a long nap every afternoon until he was nearly 3, often they would both be asleep in the pushchair.

What are your daily activities likely to be? How much will you be walking?

BluesandClues · 16/01/2023 18:35

Phil and Teds was great for me when I had that kind of gap, it was a fabulous pram and ds1 was able to hop in and out to his pleasure

Fifthtimelucky · 16/01/2023 18:36

I bought a second hand tandem pushchair from someone I knew. To be honest I wished I hadn't. I only used it about 3 times.

It was heavy to push and quite unwieldy. And it was difficult to get in and out of the car. I found it easier either to put the baby in a sling and use a light buggy for the toddler or to have the proper pushchair for the baby and have the toddler walking alongside or using a buggy board.

If we went out for a walk, the toddler walked and the baby either went in the sling or, when she was a bit older, in a carrier on my back.

YearoftheDrama · 16/01/2023 18:37

I have the same age gap and didn’t have a double. BUT I was a dedicated sling user anyway and barely used the stupid annoying pram for my first child. I use public transport a lot and a sling was so much easier so I always used that. So I was fine using a carrier for the baby and the buggy for the eldest. Plus my eldest liked being carried too so I could also have her on my back and the baby in the pram. She also loved the buggy board and had given up naps by this point so never needed a buggy to nap in. I had an old style Bugaboo Bee with cocoon so it was really easy to swap between children.

YearoftheDrama · 16/01/2023 18:38

The main issue I found with toddler plus baby in a sling is it’s really hard to lift a toddler into a baby swing in that situation.

parietal · 16/01/2023 18:40

I did baby-in-sling for the first 4 months or so and then toddler on buggy board. No need for a double buggy.

lookslikeabombhitit · 16/01/2023 18:43

My two eldest were a similar gap. Kept the single pram to contain the eldest who used to bolt and used a sling for the youngest. Meant I had my hands free for both and didn't have the faff of another pram. When eldest was in nursery or elsewhere I used the pram for youngest. I had a connecta sling so I also had the flexibility of flinging toddler on my back in that and putting youngest in the pram.

I did loan a mountain buggy duet from another mum but quickly gave it back as I hated pushing it. For me the weight disparity between the two DC made it really awkward to push.

Topjoe19 · 16/01/2023 18:55

I had the same age gap & I so wished I'd had a double buggy! I managed with a buggy board with a seat on it but it wasn't great. My 2 yo was a good walker too but there were so many times I wished I'd had one. Have a look at second hand? Might cut the costs

CloudPop · 16/01/2023 19:05

BluesandClues · 16/01/2023 18:35

Phil and Teds was great for me when I had that kind of gap, it was a fabulous pram and ds1 was able to hop in and out to his pleasure

Seconded - do they still exist? If so they get my vote.

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