Two babies close in age - mammoth pram or make one walk??

[sabbatica]

Hi All,

I'm 23 weeks pregannt with my second baby. My first will be 18 months old when the new baby is due and he started walking at 1 year.

Please can anyone give advice for their own experience about prams in this situation?

I live in a city and will be walking about a lot. I'm not sure if I should buy a huge beast of a pram (e.g. phil &teds one that stacks for 2 kids) or put the new baby in my existing pram and try to get my older son to walk that much.

Based on previous history, I'll probably end up with another c-section and I'm concerned that I won't be able to carry the newborn in a sling and push the elder in the pram when his legs get tired.

How do you manage????

I had a double pushchair as we do a lot of walking and did not want that to stop.
Also did not want to have a tired, grumpy toddler who may be cross with baby as the pram would be full!

I think 18months is quite young to be walking all the time.

double buggy. making them walk is a lot more work for you especially at 18 months i doubt they will be that reliable with walking, listening and staying safe, not wandering off etc.. having to make one walk limits how far you can go, even now i find that a pain with my 3 year old as i cant drive and there is a limit how far he can walk so while i would be happy walking miles with 2 in a double buggy, i cant make him do it without whining.. was easier in the days when i could just fit them all in a double buggy. i have phil & teds, think its the sport one that i have but they are all much the same afaik.. i would say that is the easiest double to fit onto buses although the back wheels are quite wide so sometimes you have to get on the back of some buses depending where the poll is - annoying!!! but the ones tandem one behind each other are much longer so take up more room and double side by side would have trouble fitting through some doors i think, which is why i went for p&t. on the plus side the wheels are quite good so makes it easy to bump up and down stairs- but if you get it buy a spare wheel for emergencies, have had so many punctures!!

im sure some people would say single and sling works fine but personally i never considered it, and i had the age gap twice. especially with your c section i would just try to make life easier and get a double especially as you walk a lot.

Double. I got a cheapy second hand one and used either sling and single or double depending. When you have experienced the 18 month old having a mammoth tantrum next to the main road while you have the baby in the sling and a bag of shopping you won't underestimate the usefulness of a double!

Mine has just died while I took ill DD2 (3.5) and DD3 (11 months) on the school run and whilst I barely ever used it I am most upset that I can't keep it in case of emergencies.

I'll have a 20 month age gap and we have a double buggy ready. DD is too little and too unpredictable to walk everywhere, and my back isn't great so I can't manage a newborn in a sling for very long.

Our double is quite light and compact though, we got a Baby Jogger City Mini and it's brilliant. I wouldn't go near a P&T.

Even if we end up selling the double in 6 months I reckon it'll have been worth it (we bought it second hand anyway).

I had a 16 month gap and mainly did single + sling. I bought a cheap double on ebay for occasional use - mainly used by grandparents.

But I found single + sling so much easier to negotiate around London, and so much easier all round. We walk and use public transport a lot.

I had a slightly bigger gap and didn't have a double buggy - I live in London.

Although I managed, there were definitely times when I wished that I had one. I sort of never got round to getting one and used a combination of Loola, Maclaren, Ergo and buggy board.

If you've got the space to store one, I definitely would. It will make a quick trip to the park or shops feel much more manageable than if you have to carry in a sling or coerce a toddler to walk.

18m between mine too (when DS2 is born) and I'm not buying a double.
If I'm going "out" for the day, I normally go with someone, so they can push one buggy and I'll push the other (atm I rarely push DS because whoever I am with wants to!)
I also have a sling if I happen to be going somewhere on my own.
Supermarkets have double trolleys, so no need there either.
Apart from that, for short journeys or whatever, DS can walk I had to when I was his age!!

Assuming no problems, a child will walk as far as they are used to walking

PS, park, shops and family are all about 5 mins walk away from my house, which does bias my decision somewhat

I had a 13 month age gap so double buggy was essential!

I had a Maclaren twin techno, fantastic, the only door it didn't fit through was my own front door though!

My son will be 2,5 when new baby arrives. I've been thinking about getting a tandem buggy/pushchair.

I don't like P&T as the baby would be cramped on the bottom somehow... or at least it looks like it.

I also never use public transport, live in a big house so size or weight really doesn't matter.

Double. Makes life simple.

i'm going to have a 29 month gap between mine and i'm hoping to get away without a double, my mum has bought me an iCandy Peach so if it really isn't going to work i can convert to a double, but DD is a good walker so hopefully it wont come to that.

What about one of those steps that clip on to the back of the buggy? I had one when i was little so i walked then got a rest when i was tired. They vary in price

www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_63_10751_-1_14604_101321_10001_14051?source=aw&cm_mmc=Blue%20Barracuda--Affiliates--Affiliate%20Network-_-Affiliate%20Window&awc=2553_1327577674_76f469f09620eb2d110aecee26a84ede

I agree with others - 18 months is just too little to have walking. My DS1 was 2.8 when his brother was born, but I still got a second hand P&T because the walk to nursery (about a mile) was way too far for him to do considering it would be followed up by a day of running about)
I experimented with a buggy board but he wouldnt stay on it at 2.8. He didnt want to stand. He might have settled for a litaf style one because they can sit down but I didnt try that.
I also tried a swiss strolli rider for a while. He really liked that. Its a bike style seat you attach to the side of your buggy. They have to be old enough to stay on of their own accord though, and I think 18 months would be pushing it.

I am going to have a 2 year age gap when my DC2 is born in May and been trying to work out what to do for the best. Don't really want to have to buy a double buggy but can see that it would be useful and mean that we don't have to walk at a snails pace all the time with DC1. Although if 2 of us we can push one buggy each and assuming all goes well with birth happy to try sling and buggy combo.

I should have said as well - if you can find the initial outlay, and dont wreck it in the meantime, P&T get very good returns. I bought mine 2nd hand on ebay with the full works (ie doubles kit, raincover, carrier) for 134, and sold it 2 years later for 100. Honestly having them both strapped down makes life easier!!

I had a tandem pushchair we nicknamed 'The Tank'. Got it free from a friend when I had DS3 as a newborn and DS2 was 22 months. I also had DS1 5 at the time, so had to do the school run.

When I got rid of the tandem, I tried to get DS2 to do the school run on foot (10 mins away), but realised that his little legs could not cope and that if we were running late, I either was dragging him along or carrying him and pushing the single pushchair.

So I got a buggy board and never looked back, although I had to wrestle DS2 off it when he turned 3.5 and was more than capable of walking

I've got a p&t vibe for mine 19 months apart. Yes, my son probably could walk or stand on a board, but I'm not sure I've got enough eyes/hands to watch the newborn, him, the pram, the shopping, my handbag, cars, bicycles, etc., etc.

I have been surprised at the anti P&T feelings a lot of people have - I love mine. When compared to a lot of single buggies (especially travel system types) the length and width are very similar and if anything is just a little longer. I find it cosy and protective for a baby and when they are older they fight over the rear seat. I also have never had a problem accessing shops etc unlike friends with a side by side buggy. Its also been brilliant offroad.

I have friends who have done the buggyboard and sling approach and I think the success of this depends on how compliant the older child is (will they stay on the buggyboard/with the buggy?) and how well you get on with the sling (can imagine it would be tricky after c-section or with back pain).

What about a Bugaboo donkey?

I have a 3 year age gap and a P&T. When the baby is crying and the 3yo is screaming, sometimes you just have to get out! DS (the 3 yo) can walk fair distances, but still likes his nap if we are out all day.

Tried a buggy board - awful, I had to walk very strangely, DS had to lean back away from the pushchair handle, not enough space between me and DS when pushing uphill. And my ankles were constantly bruised.

Mine were 15 months apart. Had a Phil & teds and loved it!

I will have a 2.9/10 gap and have a Donkey coming. I chose a pushchair that I can use as a single and a double, so that I can use it as a single after Dd is better at walking. If I wasn't having another baby I would still use a pushchair for DD so seems silly to evict her when she can't manage all the walking we normally do.

A couple of other factors is that I can't manage with a sling as I have had SPD and back problems this pregnancy and I doubt I will magically be better once I have delivered, although I hope so!
I don't drive and it is a long walk into town, and walking is one of our enjoyed activities being in the country. Also if I want to get anywhere quickly then it is good to bung DD in a pushchair.

Will you be having any more babies? I am undecided, but I know I don't have to worry about getting another pushchair with this option if I have a smaller age gap.

I recently say someone with an attachment on the side if her pram, it was like one of those train gator bike thingies, but was just a seat on a bar with a wheel at the bottm. It was really good!