will i need a double buggy for newborn & 2yo?

[dinkyboysmum]

i really like the Phil & Teds Vibe, but its quite pricey and am not sure whether we'd get money's worth? ds1 will be 2yo when dc2 arrives (also not planning on any more!). how long would a 2yo need a buggy for? i read the buggy boards are more hassle than use??

any thoughts?

I have three children aged four, three and a newborn. We received a P&T sport as a gift and it's fantastic, well worth it especially as I walk a lot.

If you keep it in good condition I imagine it would have a good re sale value.

I tried a buggy board when dd2 was small, but dd1 hated it, and I found it uncomfortable to push.

i've got a newborn and 2 1/2 year old - based on my experience i think you will defo need a pushchair. we just got a phil and teds which is good [very pricey indeed!]

nice idea about the resale....perhaps i could buy one second hand in the first place? will check out ebay prices...

I had a two year gap and found the P&T to be the best solution for the first 3-6months. I didnt get much use out of it after 9 mnths and sold it about a year after I bought it. You will definitly need a double.

I have a 2yr old and a 7 week old (DD was born the day after DS's 2nd bday!) I didn't think that I would need a double but I am finding it hard. DS is just not strong enough to walk for a good distance and is sooo slow! It's really hard trying to force him to walk when he is tired and even harder to try and push a buggy holding him lol.

I am trying to decide whether or not to get a double buggy(not a phil and teds as they are far too expensive) or whether to try a sling for DD and letting DS use his buggy again.

Had similar dilemma (2 and a quarter and newborn). Decided not to get double buggy then the baby arrived and realised I really really needed one!

We got a Phil and Teds style buggy but not Phil and Teds - its a plain black basic one. Got it from ebay, brand new, cost £100,£8 delivery. The company that provided it called ebuggy. Used it twice so far and its fine - basic but fine.

Both trips were ones that I could not have done without a double buggy so would recommend getting one. That said I havent tried collapsing it yet but so far so good.

I've been going through the same dilemma - DS1 will be 22mths when DC2 arrives in Feb. After much debate and research of other mum's comments (mainly on MN) I convinced DH that we would need a double and a P&T was the way to go. Managed to get one second hand at my local NCT sale a couple of weeks ago which included all the extras you might need and then once we don't need it anymore we'll sell it on again.

we looked at buggy boards too, but DS still fall asleep in the buggy quite a bit - he couldn;t do that on a buggy board!!

Yes you absolutely do need a double buggy, the whinging of a 22 month old that wants to sit down rather than be on the buggyboard should not be under estimated.
Buy one soon rather than later IMO.

Ds was 2 yrs old when dd was born and I thought we would try and get buy with a combo of pram with buggy board/ or ds on reigns or ds in stroller and baby in sling. TBH found both of those options a hassle and ended up getting a 2nd hand double tandem buggy which has been a lifesaver. Ds is a good walker but is hard to control (nightmare around shops etc) and as the baby got bigger I found the sling tiring. Ds just played up if i put reigns on him and he didn't 'get' standing on the buggy board. I think, if in doubt get a double buggy, you can always sell it on when you are finished with it.

haha I had this exact dilemma until last week- ds1 is 2 and ds2 is 4 weeks old. We've rarely used our stroller for about the last 5/6 months so i thought i could wing it with reins and baby in stroller/buggyboard.

hmm. DS1 has other ideas. when out and about he lies down in protest when he doesn't want to go home/leave park/cross roads- you name it! Post CS i cant lift him and he knows it (little toad!) after several incidents like this I bought 2nd hand p&ts and its been a lifesaver for hossing DS1 into when tantrumming or being awkward-which is quite often tbh.

I bought a double for ds who was nearly 2 when dd came along. We did use it for a few months but havent for a long time now - ds is 2.6

I definitely needed a double as I had twins second time round, but although DS1 (who was 22 months when DTs were born) was a good walker and walked quite a bit before they born, he didn't like the fact that he was going to have to walk when the babies got to go in the pushchair. I would definitely want an option for a seat for your DS1 if I were you. Phil n Teds is a good option as at least you are not stuck with a double once your DS1 outgrows it.

My DS1 still goes in the buggy all the time if we need to get somewhere at a certain time (he wont walk very fast if he doesn't want to!) Also bear in mind that if you have a single and no seat option for him and he flat out refuses to walk, you are a bit stuck unable to carry him far as it is not much fun trying to push a buggy while carrying a grumpy toddler!

i have a 2 year old and a 5 week old. we use a sling as dd often wants to walk plus we couldn't really afford a 3rd pram!

I used a double until DD was just over 3. I found that she was tired after she came out of Nursery so went back to using the buggy again.

I used a double until DD was just over 3. I found that she was tired after she came out of Nursery so went back to using the buggy again.

I'm very glad we got our double. My DCs are 2 yrs apart exactly. I used it for much longer than I thought - invaluable when the older onew were tired or run down or I wanted to move at more than snail pace . I found it much easier than a sling or buggy board / pushchair combination.

DD is just 2 and DS is 16 weeks, we've got the P&T Vibe and it is a godsend!

DD walks well and will walk for quite a long time, but as others have said, if she's feeling uncooperative or we need to be somewhere in a hurry the double is amazing. I can see us using it regularly as a double for at least the next 12 months.

The Vibe was pricey but we hope to sell it when we've done with it. I use it a lot as a single too when DD is at the childminders and I think it's brill. It is easy to push - I can control it 1 handed while holding DD's hand when she wants to walk, it folds/unfolds easily, you can pack LOADS of shopping/stuff into the rear seat when your toddler's happy to walk - we went for a couple of days out over the summer and got everything we needed for the whole day crammed into it, the 2nd seat is really easy to get on/off. The negatives for me are that it is quite heavy to lift in and out of the car, the basket bit is tiny (the double raincover basically fills it), I've never figured out how to attach the pannier bags properly, and it is quite wide - plenty narrow enough to fit through all doorways, sometimes a bit of a pain in narrow aisles in shops.

Even if your ds is a good walker, it will be a godsend on those occasions when it is pouring with rain, your ds decides he doesn't feel like walking, and the baby is screaming for a feed.

it depends if you walk very much. my friend walks about 8 miles a day so used her double until the eldest started reception.

I managed without - I used a sling for the nipper and put the toddler in the mcclaren. It was easier to get around, the baby loved it and teh toddler did more walking. But it depends on your circumstances entirely.

I chucked DD1 out of the buggy when she turned two; her sister was born four months later. We didn't get on with the buggy board so she and I walked.

I found DS1 walked pretty well from about 20 months as I tried to encourage it as I was worried about him not walking when twins were born, but as soon as DTs were born (DS was 22 months) he wanted to be in the buggy all the time because they were and he felt left out.

Can I add another question on this thread?

What about a 3.4 year old and new born
DD Will be 3 in Jan and Baby due, end March.
DD walks everywhere, and very rarly goes in a buggy unless shopping or holiday (both of which are very rare occurances)

I just thought a sling for baby, and dd could walk, or use her bike.

We dont walk very far apart from with the dogs, but I would take her bike then or dp is there to carry her on shoulders

So do we need one or not?

Thanks

lilymolly I'd say you'd be ok without a double to be honest.

DS1 was 2.4 when DS2 was born. I have used the double a lot and now it has dwindled down to only using it now and then. Most of the time DS1 is fine to walk (and he was a bad walker!). He is 3.2 now, so in a couple of months I'd guess I'll be using the single pram pretty much all the time.

DD is a fab walker, and hates going in the buggy, so I think yes, I am going to forfeit the double buggy.

I can always borrow one when or if we ever go away on holiday, or go shopping for the day