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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Ditch the pram idea for the first few months and make do with a sling??

74 replies

Violette · 28/02/2007 15:51

...in a bit of a quandry. Having first baby end of June.
I'm tight on cash, and will be getting a hand me down push chair which I know I can use from 6 mths +
So, can I get away with just buying a car seat and a sling for the first few months? Has anyone else survived without a pram or travel system for the first few months? I also do a lot of dog walking, so need a practical option...I just can't bare the thought of shelling out on a lie flat pram/pushchair when it's only necessary for several months
Help!

OP posts:

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isaidno · 28/02/2007 15:55

You can probably manage, although i found my baby too heavy in sling from about 4 mths. I had a baby bjorn, but there are prob better slings out there.

Also i found pushchair really handy to hang shopping off!

It depends on how often / how far you walk and what for.

lockets · 28/02/2007 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SachaF · 28/02/2007 16:01

I have both a sling and a pram (well it's the car seat but lies almost flat).

The sling is great but it would wreck my back to use all the time. If you are going to be dog walking everyday think about how you would feel with perhaps up to 10 kilos (10 bags of sugar) strapped to the front of your body for the entire walk.

Remember, for up to 6 (or is it 4?) months after the birth you could still have the hormone relaxin in your body making your joints susceptible, and for my first weeks I got other people to push the pram whilst I rebuilt my walking ability - and I was fit enough to go for a 5 mile run / walk at 6 weeks - many aren't!!

IMO a pram is much easier on your body.

twelveyeargap · 28/02/2007 16:04

Ask around in your local charity shops. If you're nice to them, they might "hold" any good prams that come in. My mum works in an Oxfam shop an they regularly sell whole travel systems for about £20. She got one to keep at her house for my baby and it just needed to be washed. Was otherwise perfect.

I had about 10 days when my first DD was born. I carried her round and honestly, it was exhausting. (Mile to the shops etc.) A neighbour loaned me one of her old prams until I could get mine.

twelveyeargap · 28/02/2007 16:05

I mean 10 days where I didn't have a pram when DD was born...

MrsBadger · 28/02/2007 16:08

It does sound doable if you have a sling that suits you, but do bear in mind that you may [touch wood you don't] end up with a c-section...

Is there someone whose pram you can borrow for six months?
Or agree buying one second hand is a good plan - start hunting at car boots/ NCT sales / free ads in paper / cards in newsagent now and you may get a bargain.
And of course you can sell it afterwards...

nogoes · 28/02/2007 16:11

I don't think I could have managed without a pram. I would do my shopping on a daily basis so would need the pram to carry the bags and when ds was asleep I would have my fix of caffeine in Costa whilst he was asleep in his pram.

Miaou · 28/02/2007 16:16

I tried this when ds was born (my third but I'd got rid of all my baby stuff years ago). I just couldn't cope, my back was too sore!

However the push chair I bought was only £100 from a catalogue, is still going strong and ds still uses it a lot (and it will do for the next one too!).

Will you get a maternity grant Violette? Can you use some of that to purchase a buggy?

BoolieTC · 28/02/2007 16:16

Ds would only sleep in his pram so used it instead of the cot. Couldn't have survived without it tbh, had a sling and struggled with it.
Trouble is if its your first you don't know yet what is going to suit you or baby.

What about freecycle?
Find out where your local one is and ask if anyone has one.

Lilymaid · 28/02/2007 16:20

It is a long time ago, but I remember how hot it got with DS permanently next to my body - especially in summer. Definitely go down the secondhand track. There are plenty out there. Thinking back I would have loved one of those old fashioned proper prams to put DS in so he could be wheeled around and with an enormous tray for shopping etc.

TeeCee · 28/02/2007 16:21

Hmm Slings ok but I wouldn';t have instead of a pram tbh.

I put DD1 in a sloing and went into town. 1 hour later my back was killing me and I had nowhere to put her down.

I decided I wanted to try on a lovely top in FC, not possible really, i tried and it was such a struggle to get her on and off me and I was seating int he end with the exertion of it all.

Wanted to stop for a drink, nowhere to put her and couldn't quite get my lips to the cup and was scared I'd spill cappachino over her head.

Wanted a wee, hmmmm interesting struggle with a bag, and my coat and trying not to let DD1's feet dangle into the loo.

I'd take a pram over a sling any day.
Not only does it save your back you have soemwhere to hang all your bags etc.

Bozza · 28/02/2007 16:23

TBH I found weeing with child in sling no problem and it means you can just go in an ordinary cubicle rather than finding somewhere where you can take the pram in too.

misdee · 28/02/2007 16:23

if you are going to go for a sl;ing, then i preferred wrap slings (big realms of fabric that you tie round yourself and carry baby that way) and ringslings.

also check on webay for cheap prams. old colours go v cheap.

katelyle · 28/02/2007 16:28

I didn't use a pram at all for about the first 4 months. But I did find I had to have a couple of different slings or bits of me got sore. Which meant I probably didn't save much money. But it was so much easier - no problems with steps, baby content most of the time. Very sad when they grew out of the slings!

hunkerdave · 28/02/2007 16:29

Depends on the sling. You and your baby will find a ring, wrap or pouch sling comfier than a baby carrier like you can buy in Mothercare.

Depends on your situation too - if, as TC says, you want to go for coffee, etc, it's a bit hard to do with a baby in a sling. Having said that, I went to a lunchtime MN meet-up in town when DS2 was roughly 8mo and I took him in the sling - he slept on my shoulder while I ate and chatted

belgo · 28/02/2007 16:33

I know someone who has never had a pram or pushchair, always uses a sling, and her baby was heavier then average.

If you can, borrow a sling before you buy because not all slings suit all people.

It can get hot in the summer.

I did manage without a pram for about three months, but I really prefer to have the choice of sling or pram. I also have a few differnet slings - some are more appropiate then others depending on the purpose, baby's development and the weather.

KathyMCMLXXII · 28/02/2007 16:33

If you use a sling a lot you build up the muscles - it's mostly when you only use them occasionally that there are problems. Though do bear in mind that there can be other problems that stop you using a sling, such as painful nipples from breastfeeding.

I suppose it depends how far you want to walk with the dog. Pretty much the only thing we use our buggy for is when I want to walk to the town 2 miles away to go shopping - coming back with the sling and the heavy shopping would be too much.

In general I would rather be without the pushchair than without the sling, but it is handy having both.

belgo · 28/02/2007 16:36

I also prefer a sling to a pram.

Practice is vital when using a sling, and you have to make sure you are using it properly otherwise you can cause yourself awful back problems. For example the material of a wrap sling has to be splayed out on your back for best weight distribution.

misdee · 28/02/2007 16:37

when dd3 was 4months old we went away for a weekend. dh was in a wheel chair so i couldnt use the buggy. so dd3 was in a moby wrap sling when i was pushing dh in the wheelchair.

Ali5 · 28/02/2007 16:38

We had both and I couldn't have managed without the pram. I ended up having a c-section so no way could have managed the sling and was confined to the house so my only escape was to pace the streets with ds in pram. Also we really struggled to get ds to sleep sometimes and pram usually did the trick.

FirstAtForty · 28/02/2007 16:39

Does depend on your lifestyle of course, but I'd say it would be difficult to manage with just a sling for 6 months unless you are very fit and usually have someone with you to help carry things. Bear in mind it's not just the baby you are carrying when you go out, it's all the baby's stuff, your own handbag, any shopping etc.

Prams are brilliant for helping to cart this load about (not just the baby) - in fact I get quite fed up now when I go shopping without my LO and don't have the pram to hang my shopping off!

The only place you really don't need a pram is the supermarket (assuming you drive there).

I got my LO's first pram on Ebay for £20 - it was a lie-down one so fine from birth. The parts needed washing but it was otherwise very sturdy. Good luck!

MuminBrum · 28/02/2007 16:42

Depends to some extent what your birth is like and the state it leaves your undercarriage in! I had DS in a sling for the first few days and honestly thought the whole lot was going to drop out of my fanjo and hit the pavement under the strain of carrying 4 extra kilos. Couldn't wait to get him into a pushchair.
Also, if weather is warm, it may be pretty uncomfortable carrying your LO around in a sling for long periods of time - newborns are like patio heaters!

snowleopard · 28/02/2007 16:42

It can be done but there are times when a pram is very handy - carrying shopping is the main one, as well as holding you up as you hobble along the street if you've had a CS like I did.

We were given our pram second-hand by a friend - I bet if you ask around or even put up a sign in a shop window someone would be willing to dig their old one out for you, or lend you one for a while.

hatwoman · 28/02/2007 16:42

a second hand pram will be cheaper than a new sling

littlelapin · 28/02/2007 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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