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Pregnancy

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Original poster

New born, 3rd floor flat, no lift - pram advice please!

41 replies

ElsieTanner14 · 08/01/2015 16:25

We're expecting our first baby in a couple of months and could do with advice re pram.

We live in a 3rd floor flat with no lift. I'm thinking that for the early months when baby needs to be flat it'd be best to get a pram with a detachable carry cot so I can carry a hopefully sleeping baby up to the flat without waking.

What do you think?

I've been dismissing the 'recliner' type prams on the basis that I'd have to take the baby out and leave the pram in the lobby as there's no way I can carry a pram upstairs.

(Also fervently hoping s/he likes a sling....)

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Lagoonablue · 08/01/2015 16:26

Sling!

Lagoonablue · 08/01/2015 16:28

You are. It supposed to carry them in the carry cot unless they are strapped in. Lots of these prams don't have straps.

Get a lightweight buggy that folds flat. Or carry baby upstairs, put in cot and come down for buggy. Maclaren fold flat and do t weigh much.

Lagoonablue · 08/01/2015 16:28

You aren't is what I meant to say.

Gudgyx · 08/01/2015 16:30

Do you have a car?

I got the silver cross 3d monodot. The chassis lives in the car, I'll hopefully carry the baby upstairs in the car seat most of the time, then transfer to moses basket or whatever when I get her upstairs!

Not actually due for another 8 weeks though so we'll see how that works out in practice!

Gudgyx · 08/01/2015 16:31

Meant to say, the car sear goes onto the chassis as well.

CorporateRockWhore · 08/01/2015 16:32

My sister is in your position and has a Bugaboo, I think? It's pretty light.

Ihateparties · 08/01/2015 16:33

The babyzen yoyo 0+ is awesome for city living.

Number3cometome · 08/01/2015 16:35

I lived on the 6th floor when I had DS, the lift regularly was not working.

Get the lightest buggy possible, forget the 4x4 mega buggies!

Sling definitely, or baby carrier.

If you try and bump a big pushchair up and down the legs eventually go, I learned that with my Mama's & Papas and Jeep buggies.

MigGril · 08/01/2015 16:36

I'd second the sling, they get very heavy in the car seat's very quickly. And what if you end up having a C-section?

I have a bad back and could never understand people carrying babies around in car seats they kill your arms and back. A good supportive sling also gives you hands free for bags.

quesadillas · 08/01/2015 16:39

I was in a first floor flat and used a combo of sling and Baby Jogger City Mini. When bubba was tiny I used a sling pretty much all the time, and later would take the sling to carry him up and down the stairs, transferring to and from pushchair at the bottom. BJCM is very light and folds with one hand.

ANewMe2015 · 08/01/2015 16:39

Certainly a sling - we lived in an upstairs flat and used a sling. It was ace. Get a decent one (go to a sling meet while youre pregnant) and not a babybjorn or outward facing one.

Can you store anything downstairs/ in a car - if so keep a basic folding buggy that can recline down there.

Definitely DONT carry baby upstiars in a carry cot - can you imagine what would happen if the handle slipped?!

Try some slingmeets/ anywhere that loans slings in advance so you can get some good ideas/meet others that use slings at it really will be the easiest answer in yoursituation. You'll probably need to get out of the "sometimes use a sling" mentality and into a non-pushchair using mentaility.

imip · 08/01/2015 16:40

I live in London, most people I know in your position have a maclarens they fold into the car (if they have one). Sleeping baby is a faff. Many stay out until nap is over. Others use a sling. I was lucky that I had a lift and when it was out I could leave the buggy downstairs til the lift was back in service.

A sling would be your best friend... Though I always had a headache with taking a sleeping baby out of a sling too!

Number3cometome · 08/01/2015 16:42

I had a c-section - baby carrier / sling thing was amazing

Trooperslane · 08/01/2015 16:42

Mamas and papas sola for us - no carry cot, stroller bit fine from birth.

Have been eyeing up the mini city ones though.

Dd now says 'bump bump BUMP' at 16 months

chillichoclove · 08/01/2015 16:44

Sling and baby jogger city mini with carrycot. Fourth floor no lift. It worked brilliantly. Highly recommend. Bought ours second hand on gumtree too and it was in great condition (lucky I know!) so wasn't too expensive either. Now. What to do for number two?!

Original poster

ElsieTanner14 · 08/01/2015 16:51

I hadn't thought of baby dropping potential of carry cot + stairs - yikes!

We don't have a car and are in inner London so will be getting around on foot.

I can leave the folded pram downstairs, I was just wondering if I'd missed a way to move baby upstairs without waking him up (by having to remove from pram).

Sounds like a sling is the best way forward.

OP posts:

capecath · 08/01/2015 16:55

We were on the fourth floor with out a lift for a while and I found it a real pain (sorry)... If sleeping, we carried him up in the car seat when he was little. DS1 just would not go back to sleep if I tried to lift him out when sleeping (some babies will go back to sleep) so I just had to deal with the weight! I sometimes used a sling. If at all possible, try to find a spot to store your buggy downstairs.

HolyTerror · 08/01/2015 16:57

We were in this position (well, on a lower floor but up stairs) in our London flat when our son was born. I think you need to think about the whole picture, though - do you have a car? Will you mostly be using public transport? Is there somewhere you can leave the pushchair downstairs?

We didn't drive (so no use for a 'travel system', and used the bus and tube a lot, and we also had to carry the pushchair up to the flat as it blocked the entrance. There were only two lightweight pushchairs on the market then (may be more now) that reclined flat and were thus suitable for use from birth, the Maclaren City something and the Bugaboo Bee. We bought the Bee, which worked out ok, and also used a sling (Close Caboo) where possible. As he got older, we also bought a cheap Argos buggy which was ultralight for the tube.

Friends in a similar position but with larger downstairs hallways left prams/pushchairs at the bottom.

Sorelip · 08/01/2015 17:03

I'm on the first floor with no lift and have just got the mountain buggy nano. It weighs 5.9kg, is suitable for newborns and folds up ridiculously small. I carry it one-handed up the stairs no problem.

ghostspirit · 08/01/2015 17:07

when i had my baby on floor and no lift i had a suitable from birth umbrella light weight pushchair. i used to just carry her up in that.

if thats not possible then i would get what ever pram/pushchair you want/like. leave pram donw the stairs put baby in cot then run down for the pram

milkjetmum · 08/01/2015 17:19

We were 2nd floor flat no lift and got a silvercross pop. Buggy that declines to flat, and has a shoulder strap for carrying up and down stairs.

If you are strong you can carry it the way I have seen people in Europe navigate underground stairs (single person picks it up, hard to describe I'll try and find a picture).

Otherwise, baby in safe playpen in flat, take pram and bags downstairs and unfold, go back up for baby. Same in reverse coming home. Faffy but good on days with lots of bags/waterproofs

Artandco · 08/01/2015 17:24

Baby zen yoyo 0+. Folds small enough you can carry like a bag up the stairs, yet parents faces in a Newborn cocoon.

ANewMe2015 · 08/01/2015 17:40

A sling will mean you don't need to worry about waking baby/taking him/her out of the buggy as you go upstiars...

We lived in london too and it was a godsned on the tubes, buses et. I you use it a lot from the beginning you really do get used to it and i was quite sad when she topped using it regularlt around 2.

ghostspirit · 08/01/2015 17:48

a sling is not for everyone though i find them very difficult. i like the look of them and the closeness. but i dont find they are very comfortable and really hurt. but then i have seen loads of woman with them so i guess some people love them...

now to contradict everything i just said i did have an ace sling that did not hurt at all it was called bejorn i think. my baby was almost 9 pounds at birth so i only used it a couple of times.

Want2bSupermum · 08/01/2015 17:49

I'm with sorelip. I really want the nano as it is so easy to fold up. Take the bus, getting it into a taxi and going up to the social security office on the 8th floor when the lifts are out are no longer a problem!

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