Pram Question

[babyboybluewithnumbertwox]

We were having a nosey in John Lewis the other weekend and asked the advisor about double prams in which she said we wouldn't need one as our son will be 23 months (turning two in June) when the baby is born in May (our son would be too heavy for a double pram).

She suggested getting a buggy board which works for the pram we have so don't mind doing this.

I'm just curious to those who had 2 year olds and a newborn, did your 2 year old want/need to go into the pram? I could pop our newborn in a sling and take the stroller which probably makes the most sense. Just keen to know what others do/have done!

Our gap was larger and we definitely needed a double, we lived at the top of a big hill and I was on my own a lot so if I wanted to get anything done/get anywhere fast the capacity to strap them both in and go was invaluable. Buggy board useless for a tired or non-compliant 2 year old - they do certainly have their place though.

I highly recommend the mountain buggy duet - it can also be used as a single with a side basket with the right add on kit which a lot of people don’t realise.

15 months gap here so I did get a double, but with a 2 year gap I’d just go for a buggy board. Once my eldest was raffling she was a nightmare to wrestle into the buggy anyway.

Depends on the 2yo. I had a 20 month gap and only used the double a handful of times. Generally a mix of buggy board, pram, sling or pram and stroller on day trips with two adults.

Other toddlers use the buggy regularly to school age. Younger DD still used it at 3yo!

I have a 26 month gap between dc1 and dc2 and found the double pram invaluable. I don't drive so rely on walking/public transport. It's so handy to still have the double pram for strapping the older child into when you are in a hurry or when they are tired. I definitely got a good years use out of it, especially when my oldest was tired after nursery. I now have a 23 month gap between dc2 and dc3 and use the double all the time. I couldn't be without it.

I had a baby in May whilst my daughter was 21m. We definitely wouldn't have survived without a double. She's 2yr 5m now and we still use it A LOT. I second the Mountain Buggy Duet too. It's a fab pram and like the other person commented you can also use it as a single.

I don’t think there’s one answer. Many 23 months olds still nap, and if yours does then you’ll definitely need a double if you ever want to go out over nap time. But if your 2YO doesn’t nap, isn’t a fan of the buggy anyway, and is sensible enough to actually stand on the board then you might get away without it. Pushing a heavy toddler in a stroller with a baby in a sling is not something I’d be keen to do as it sounds like murder on your back.

If it were me, I’d get something that easily converts between a double and single and also takes a buggy board so you have all bases covered. Maybe the Uppababy Vista - there’s no way your 2YO would be too heavy for it either as the toddler seat can take up to 50lbs.

I have the egg tandem (I had the egg from birth with my first born) as well as the Phil and Ted's dot. I really recommend the Phil and Ted's dot, the footprint as a double is exactly same as a single. There was lots of times when my oldest would walk but it was no hassle having the second seat as it was nearly tucked under the main seat. I used to use it for shopping when dc1 was at nursery or walking

Another it depends! We have a smaller gap (19 months) and we love our double for:

• When we’re out all day and the eldest needs a nap.
• When we’re near a very busy road it’s safer to strap her in (we live on an A road).
• When we’re in a hurry and don’t have time to walk at 2 year old speed.
• when it’s very crowded.

If your eldest doesn’t need a nap or you rarely go out for the day or you won’t be pushing a pram anywhere busy, you likely don’t need one. We also opted for a tandem not a double so we could fit through doors.

I hated the buggy board. 26 month gap. He just messed around on it and when he was having a strop I needed to strap him down.

Really depends on the child and your lifestyle. We walked a lot and my eldest was very ‘strong willed’

Of course you can still use one! I used a double till my oldest was 4. How strange I used a tandem one though so maybe that’s different (not a side by side one)

It depends how frequently you'll use the pram I think. If you drive and only have the pram for walks or quick trips to the shop I'd say don't bother. But if you don't have a car and walk everywhere/use public transport I think a double would be a must tbh. At 2 DS still used the pram quite a lot but he's also a lazy sod 😂 he definitely couldn't manage the 1.5 miles we have to walk to nursery some days. So we still use a buggy and he's 3

Just make sure the use of a buggy board doesn’t invalidate the warranty of the pram chassais.
It very well could.

Ours is a bigger gap (3 yrs) but a double is handy as we have a very active older one -I just need some where to pop him to make sure he doesn't randomly dart off while I've got my hands full. My friends toddler was more calm and so was happy to hop on/off their buggy board as needed.

These are all super helpful responses! Thank you.

Before going to John Lewis I had a double pram in my head as we do love our walks/trips with friends so I was very surprised when the lady shot it down and didn't explore any options.

My son enjoys walking solo but is happy to go in his pram when needed. At the moment, he naps from 12.45 - 2pm so this could drop or still be the same... who knows. He tends to have his naps at home and we go out before or after, however, this will more than likely change come maternity leave. He will be at nursery Monday to Wednesday and at home Thursday and Friday so will be out and about with both babies then. I do drive and tend to take the car somewhere/to meet friends and walk from there but we have lovely walks near home and a great park so will be taking advantage of that for the first while.

I know from carrying him in the sling it was tough as he got heavier so not sure if I like the idea of constantly carrying our newborn. Definitely going to explore double prams now and see what suits us best!

I couldn't have coped without my double buggy! It's the only place my son will nap. I have the double Nipper and they're only just reaching the combined 22kg weight limit now at 3 & 1.

18 mth gap and used the double for shopping and errands. I used the sling a lot and later the back pack but for the first six months or so I used the double buggy daily and occasionally for another 6 months.I did all errands eg. shopping, toddler groups etc on foot and was out and about a lot. Your toddler may get get tired after activities and want to pop onto the buggy for a rest or a nap so unless you are going to drive everywhere you have to bear that in mind.A friend of mine with a 3 year gap measured how far her toddler could walk with the aid of chocolate button bribery.it was quite a long way ( I think 3 miles) . Based on that she coped with a buggy board but on the post nursery run it was often the 3 year old in the pram and the baby in the sling.

Get a Phil & Ted's double. The limit for the older-child seat is 20kg or something like that and it can be used as a single too. The only problem was I couldn't lift it up curbs with my 3yo & baby in.

I needed a double so dc1 could snooze or for when he had a tantrum or needed to be contained (he was a bolter)
I only used it for a few months though.