Front facing buggy from birth?

[YellowSquirrel]

Joie litetrax £100 mother care photo

I have bought the above buggy in the sales. Mainly because it fits in my tiny car boot. Now I am regretting my choice because the baby faces forwards. It lies flat so is suitable from birth. I plan to be using a sling carrier for longer walks etc.
What are your opinions on front/rear facing prams?
I am so confused with baby choices!!?
Thank you.

[Mrswinkler]

Hey, if you are looking for a budget baby you should have bought on eBay. The price between me buying and selling mine was £25. Not bad.

[tomatodizzy]

I had a maclaren for the car, that I used more than the rear facing pram. I used to just turn the hood round so I could see the baby. That costs nothing!

[stargirl1701]

Sorry madwoman, I thought it was common knowledge.

www.theguardian.com/society/2008/nov/21/baby-development-buggies-sutton-trust

[madwomanbackintheattic]

Common knowledge that trends are cyclical? Or that you are lumping forward facing pushing mothers into a lumpen proletariat?
I love tracking fashions over the ages in child rearing and domesticity (the cookbooks etc are amazing to delve into). Fascinating stuff. It makes one much more confident not to follow the middle class herd, I find. proper confidence in one's own parenting abilities regardless of which way your child is facing to the direction of travel is a wonderful thing.

[JassyRadlett]

When I was doing paid childcare 20 years ago in another western country, before convertible prams and travel systems were around, it was entirely the norm for babies to be in a rear facing pram and then later (around 6 months) in a forward facing stroller.

Anyway, it's up to the OP. Personally I like being able to natter to my kids when they're wee. We do lots of long walks in the pram/pushchair and it's always nicer being able to see them. It's the main reason I prefer the pushchair to the sling - can't make eye contact in the sling. But that's me - others don't walk for miles with the baby in a pram/pushchair.0

'New' isn't always 'inferior', despite what some MNers appear to think.

[tuilamum]

Going to avoid the argument here
OP if you feel comfortable with your choice then go for it, most of the time my little one falls asleep within about 5 minutes so it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to me/her.
However, if you have changed your mind/are really unsure which you'd prefer and want to get a refund to buy a different one then this one is the same brand but from Argos, is forward and rear facing and is actually cheaper now its in the sales
www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/9011155.htm
(if you can't get refunded then don't worry forward facing won't do baby any harm)

[YellowSquirrel]

Lots of good info, thanks guys!