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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....)

OP posts:

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ThinkIveBeenHacked · 08/01/2015 17:53

In the early days I found with both of mine that they only really nap in 45 min chunks so if I was out and they were asleep id just keep walking til they woke. Its onpy really 6months plus they do a good couple of hours nap which would be a bugger to wake them from.

Can you leave the pram unfolded in the lobby? Just leave the carrycot on it.

anothernumberone · 08/01/2015 17:55

Sling makes the most sense here for me too.

minipie · 08/01/2015 18:03

In your shoes I would be get this

This is the Baby Jogger Vue. it's a lightweight/small folding buggy that comes with a soft carrycot, with handles for easy carrying. Baby Joggers are a great quality make, and the seat can face both ways too - perfect for you I think!

The Babyzen yoyo also fits the bill but the cocoon/soft carrycot doesn't have handles, and it doesn't parent face once the cocoon is outgrown I think. Also more expensive.

You can then lift sleeping baby out in the soft carrycot, and carry upstairs. Buggy will fold small for storage in the hall. it's also light enough to carry up the stairs easily if you need to (and light enough that you won't need to switch to a lightweight stroller later).

A good sling is definitely worth having, but sometimes you will want the convenience of a pram/buggy. I don't think a sling is an alternative to a buggy tbh.

yummymango · 08/01/2015 19:06

A sling is ok for lots of occasions, but if you want to do a lot of shopping you would have to carry that as well if you have no pram. I wasn't able to carry too much weight as my hips were buggered for a while. I lived in a thrid floor flat with no lift when I had my daughter. I had a bugaboo cameleon, I would take the carrycot upstairs and fold the bottom bit down and leave it in the communal area permanently. The best bit was I didn't have to wake her, when we got home, which was amazing for those times I was walking her to get her to nap. It worked fine for a while but when she got heavier it was difficult to carry upstairs. We moved into a house before she was one and I have never missed those stairs! I would use a combination of a sling and a pram with a carrycot. And if you are going to get a sling, try some out first if you can as there are so many different ones and they don't suit everyone, you have to find one thats good for you. There may be a sling library near you.

Original poster

ElsieTanner14 · 09/01/2015 12:11

Thanks all, will definitely check out the suggested prams.

Yummymango - did your carry cot have straps or did you not worry about this (the need hadn't occurred to me before yesterday)?

OP posts:

Enb76 · 09/01/2015 12:17

Sling.

I lived 4th floor, never bought a pram until a really lightweight McLaren when smallie was about 14 months

What I'd suggest instead is a shopping trolly so you don't have to carry bags.

DilysDerwent · 09/01/2015 12:24

I live on the 2nd floor with no lift and really recommend the Graco Evo Mini. It was the lightest from birth pushchair I could find (6kg) and has been great for buses and tubes as well. I keep the sling under the seat and put DS in the sling and fold the pushchair to carry it up the stairs. But I use just the sling far more often as there is no worrying about escalators etc. I have the Baby Bjorn One and still find it fine now DS is nearly 10kg.

nottheOP · 09/01/2015 12:30

The couple I know in your situation clipped the car seat in to the pushchair chassis and would move him like that but you're only supposed to be in the car seat for an hour.

This might work though... its a lie flat car seat that clips onto Jane prams

www.preciouslittleone.com/product-information/97/26025/jane-transporter-2-carrycotcar-seat-(shadow)/?gclid=COy80uX0hsMCFWoCwwodk14AhA

The muum is a lightweight pushchair

www.kiddisave.co.uk/jane-muum-matrix-package-stone.html?gclid=CKu5yP70hsMCFaXnwgod8wIA1A

Artandco · 09/01/2015 12:42

I really wouldn't want to be carrying baby up and down in a carrycot even with a handle as will get heavy very quickly. Transferring into a sling for the stairs will be the safest and easiest way.

So if you had the babyzen yoyo 0+, you would get home, pop baby in sling, and fold pram. Then the pram has a shoulder strap so just carry it up like a bag. Hands free as baby in sling

Tranquilitybaby · 09/01/2015 12:47

A nice stretchy sling definitely, so much easier for you.

eastcoastmum2014 · 09/01/2015 13:25

We live on the 4th floor with no lift. We have a travel system with a detachable carry cot and I'm about to order and baby carrier as well! Im 38 weeks now so Im hoping climbing all those stairs will get things going :p

Lauramum23 · 09/01/2015 13:49

maclaren quest go from birth ive had one for each of my 3 children they last for ages up to at least 3-4 years old, I don't suppose they are as comfy as a carrycot pram but you can cosy them up with a nice cosytoe I like buggysnuggles, and although they are expensive I think they are well worth the investment and rather than dragging the buggy upstairs while baby is small and doesn't weigh a tonne you can carry the whole thing upstairs, fold with one hand too, light and not to bulky when in your home, ya cant go wrong!!

mausmaus · 09/01/2015 13:51

we left pushchair in car and carried baby first in carrycot then later in a carrier upstairs.

ladydolly · 09/01/2015 14:02

I'm 3rd floor no lift and have mamas and papas sola (original gifted by generous sister) I also had a cs so couldn't drive or carry anything heavier than the baby. At 7 weeks now and still using the carrycot but I take her out to carry her up and downstairs and never has she woken up by being taken out, especially in here snowsuit!! I've also got a wrap style carrier and if I carry her in that too, handy for shopping and means I can carry more bags!

My advice is kinds of off topic but my cs was emergency and I hadn't planned for that at all. It means I can't carry much upstairs and couldn't go out for a week because stairs are the absolute worst for cs recovery, do keep it in mind... Just in case.

zoobaby · 09/01/2015 17:14

We used a travel system which had carrycot component. Carried baby upstairs and deposited inside and then returned downstairs for the wheel section. To begin with I didn't carry it using the handle - lay the handle down flat and carried it with hand at each end or carried it on the side of hip with both hands supporting it. Never thought about dropping it, or the handle flying off (oops). I just thought the baby would be less "jogged about" if carried that way. After a few weeks we just used the handle. It was so much easier once baby could sit as carrying became a much easier option.

ANewMe2015 · 09/01/2015 18:17

I think there's quite a few warnings (often on the carrycot/travel system) not to carry children in them as they can topple out if you lose grip of a handle, or worse. It's justreally for moving the ccarrycot about.

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