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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Totally Lost about Prams!

18 replies

Dalgleish · 29/10/2021 19:14

Baby arrives in two months, and I cannot get my head around all the essential stuff to buy, especially the pram. Parents have said they will gift us 800 quid, but I am just so overwhelmed and lost looking at stuff. I don't even understand what any of it is! People are saying that prams come in three parts, but which three parts? What are they? Prams and what? Car seats? I don't understand the lingo when I look it up, and, honestly, I am so stressed and overwhelmed and work and so tired that I am just feeling like I am never going to have time to do it.

What are good prams to buy for that price and what do they do? Any help appreciated.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Buttons294749 · 29/10/2021 19:17

3 parts are usually bassinet, seat and frame.

Are you thinking of a dc2 soon? In which case get the uppababy Vista

DuploSubmarine · 29/10/2021 19:17

I think they must mean, the frame, the carrycot and the pram for older babies (where they sorted sit up). You can get frames with car seats that also fit into them, but I'm not a fan of them. Can't remember using that tbh.

We had an Uppababy Vista and really liked it. Think that's your sort of price range.

If I had my time again though, I think I'd get a Stokke because I like how high up they are. I'm tall and the Uppababy was good (Bugaboos were rubbish for me as I would have been stooping), but the Stokke ones look even better.

clatterclatter · 29/10/2021 19:20

Three piece will mean frame, carry cot for small babies and seat for older babies and toddlers.

I got an occaro for that price including a car seat too and it’s been great. Must have done over a thousand miles over the last few years (lockdown walks…) and is a good as when it came out of the box.

A nice quality bit of kit will make your life easier.

Liverbird77 · 29/10/2021 19:22

I can here to say my UppaBaby Vista is excellent!
I knew I wanted a second child hot on the heels on my first and it is perfect for two!

Even for just one though, the bassinet is comfy and safe for sleep and the basket under is roomy. The wheels are thick enough to cope with parks etc.

I am quite tall too, so I like the way I can extend the frame.

chocopuffs · 29/10/2021 19:25

It totally depends where you live and what you'll be doing. We live in London and have a Babyzen Yoyo which is amazing for shops, restaurants and public transport (I can carry it with the baby in on my own up and down stairs) but would be rubbish on rough terrain and country walks. I was never keen on big prams so it suits us but what you'll need will depend on how you plan to use it. Also bear in mind some tiny babies don't like the pram much so you may spend a lot of time with them in a sling or carrier.

mayblossominapril · 29/10/2021 19:49

I’ve found one pram doesn’t do all jobs. A stroller is very useful but not got for newborns even if it’s lie flat.
Also will you want to push a heavy travel system when your child is 14 months plus or will you want to swap to a stroller.
I got a silver cross freeway half price from
The silver cross website. It has its faults but it’s built like a tank and we’ve not broken it yet. The car seat clips on which is very handy and it’s a which Best Buy car seat.
I also have a silver cross pop and a double city mini.
Can you ask mums you know about their prams and pushchairs and how they fold, what are the faults etc

Roselilly36 · 29/10/2021 20:13

I can remember buying 3 different versions of prams, but the time DS1 was 4mths, a travel system (pushchair with a car seat) a very lightweight stroller easy to fold one handed if getting on & off public transport, a stroller to keep in DH car. My advice would be to think about how you think you will use the pram the most. Many congrats OP, it’s an exciting time

Dipsydoodlenoodle · 30/10/2021 15:15

We got our pram from Smyths Toy shop - went one evening with a wish list of things we wanted / uses and tried a few. I've ended up with a joie one - it has really good suspension for dog walks.

Ours came with the flat bed, a seat for when older and a car seat.

I'd advise you to maybe look at reviews on YouTube and see the positive and negative things people have said and think about is it something you think you might want etc. I would never have thought about suspension until I saw YouTube - I then thought about what was important to me...

Ruthietuthie · 30/10/2021 15:26

Just get an Uppababy Vista or a Nuna Mixx (with Pippa car seat). That's what you need. Both are WONDERFUL. Get the matching bassinet for when the baby is little.

canigooutyet · 30/10/2021 15:40

Do you drive or use public transport?
If you use public transport you need something that is light and easy to fold, preferably one handed. There will be times that you need to fold.

If you drive you need to take into consideration the size of your boot.

If you live somewhere above ground floor, again something light and easy to fold.

If you have limited space, dimensions need to be taken into consideration.

The descriptions will tell you what it comes with as well as weight, size and how it folds. Go into shops and start pushing them around. I made the mistake of buying one online and the height and design of the handles made it very uncomfortable for me to push.

What other things are you struggling with?

Oh and you don't need to buy a specific changing bag. I found rucksacks and a foldable changing mat were a lot better and lighter.

Ameteurmum · 30/10/2021 15:41

I have a bugaboo donkey, has a basket when they are a baby, transforms in to a seat when they are bigger and I had adaptors for the car seat to go on the frame. Used until both of mine were 3 and didn’t want the pram anymore. I must be one of the rare few that don’t switch to a stroller - hated it, felt like pushing a dolls buggy

GuidingSpirit · 30/10/2021 15:48

If you have a john lewis or mamas & papas near you, you can book an hour long appt where they talk you through all the different options for your lifestyle and you can push some different options around the shop.

I live in SW London and have an uppababy vista v2 which i love! Then we bought a car seat which fits on top so that if we have to take a taxi to appts or anywhere (we dont have a car of our own), it clips on and off the frame. (This is what is called a Travel System). It also has a massive basket, which i love! But my vista is a beast and not great on the tube. I mostly see bugaboo bee and babyzen yoyo, which look much easier on the tube.

LakeShoreD · 30/10/2021 16:03

By 3 bits presumably they mean a bassinet or newborn attachment, the seat for 6 months + and a car seat which can usually clip onto the frame and make a ‘travel system’.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the car seat part since most prams are travel systems these days anyway and compatible with loads of infant car seats. And more importantly young babies aren’t supposed to spend too long in them and older babies are too heavy to lift like that. So I personally think they’re a bit pointless.

As for what pram to choose, have a think about your lifestyle and go from there. If you live a city and take a lot of public transport then something small with a one piece fold is a must. If you do lots of country walks then you’ll wants something bigger and all terrain. Other things to consider are if it will fit in your car and if you want to be able to use it as a double. Then once you know what you’re looking for, set a budget and go to somewhere like John Lewis where you can try them out.

Catherine709 · 31/10/2021 18:24

City living - Bugaboo Bee. Compact, lightweight, sturdy, very easy to manoeuvre and fold.

Country living - Bugaboo Fox. Easy to manoeuvre and fold, sturdy, large wheels for country lanes/off roading.

3 parts of most prams are the frame, the basinet (tiny baby laying down) and the pram (older babies sitting up)

I have both and love them!

lililou · 31/10/2021 22:35

I felt like that too OP and I recently got a subscription to Which to help me narrow it down, figure out which prams are actually decent... and avoid spending an absolute fortune.

The extra bits people are most likely referring to are:

Car seat that fits with pram (this is not essential and babies shouldn't be in a car seat for more than about an hour or so anyway, but if you get a travel system with a car seat you might be able to save some money. Car seats are pretty expensive too.) it's advised not to get car seats second hand as you can't guarantee if they've been in an accident and safety is compromised.
lie flat cot attachment (newborns need to be lay flat for the first 6 months, they can't spend too much time sat up as it puts a lot of pressure on their lungs. Some prams come with a seat that does lie flat, but a lot of these only recline to 150 degrees rather than the safer 180 degrees.

I didn't know any of this until very recently so don't worry yourself. Once I'd done a little bit of reading up on that another thing I also found helped me to narrow it down was to create a list of must haves and nice to haves. For us, we live in a fairly rural area so something that could deal with that terrain was important.

I saved a bunch of prams and travel systems on which to compare them, found where I could buy them cheapest online then went into Mamas and Papas to try them out. Still bought online as found cheapest price there. Personally, I'd be a bit wary of going to a store before you've done a bit of looking around and research yourself, so you don't get upsold something more expensive that you don't need.

brightwhite · 31/10/2021 22:43

I actually think the 3 parts would be
Lay flat pram/ carry cot 0-5/6 months
Pushchair / seat that sits up 6 months+
Car seat - fits in car/ carry's / sits on wheeled frame to push round.

I would go to smyths or mamas & papas and ask for a demo to see what you like.

Derbee · 01/11/2021 11:14

I’ve just bought the Bugaboo Fox 2 for under your budget. They’re discounted because the Fox 3 has just come out. I loved the look and the build quality of the Bugaboo. We also walk outside a lot with the dog, so wanted something with decent wheels. We never use public transport, so I wasn’t worried about having a tiny pushchair for buses etc.

A travel system is generally what people refer to when they’re talking about a unit that has a bassinet for a baby, after 6 months it can be used in a standard pushchair form for a few years. They can also take car seats, for if your baby is asleep in the car and you need to pop into a shop etc

TataMamma · 01/11/2021 11:49

I totally remember being there and completely overwhelmed.
I wouldn't buy anything until after the birth, but just get a good quality carry on sling. It's more natural for both you and your baby to be that close. I ended up carrying my first until she was 8 months, although I'm probably a bit extreme there. But I'd defo say use that, and then go to a store and try different things out, putting your baby in it at the time you want to use it. John Lewis are good for being able to try out loads of things, although I'd then go online to put it somewhere else :).
You've been given a generous gift by your parents, but I ended up using a pram/pushchair from freecycle - good ones come up a lot, and I've just picked up a double buggy there that I'll be needing soon. Maybe you can persuade your parents the money could be better spent on something else for the baby - whatever you need, or perhaps staring an ISA or similar if there's nothing.

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