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Pushchairs

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Original poster

How long do you really get out of a carrycot? Are they worth it?

20 replies

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 14:18

We've been looking at the uppababy vista, icandy something or other and the bugaboo cameleon. I thought I wanted a carrycot which is why we've stuck to these three. However, now I'm questioning how long they use the carrycot for and if it's really worth it.
They all say 6mths but what is this based on? My other babies were all 9lb+ at birth and all crawled at 5 or 5.5mths.

So if we didn't go for one with a carrycot, what would you all suggest for a newborn? I have a big boot and don't need to use public transport. Baby due September if that makes a difference.
TIA

OP posts:

nocake · 12/08/2011 14:30

We were given an iCandy Cherry and ended up buying a carrycot to go on it. It was very, very useful for us as DW walks into town or to friends almost every day and DD could sleep in it. We used it until DD was over 6 months. The alternative is a sling, a lie flat buggy or using a car seat on buggy wheels.

We bought our carrycot on eBay so you could sell yours once you've finished with it.

Quenelle · 12/08/2011 14:34

We had a Jane carrycot and it was a huge mistake. DS wouldn't sleep on his own anyway, and the inside of the carrycot made such loud rustly noises it kept waking him up.

I paid £180 for it and managed to resell it for £50 on ebay.

I would definitely not bother again. I would get a moses basket and a pramette.

rushofbloodtothefeet · 12/08/2011 14:37

We had the iCandy Cherry too and did find the carrycot useful, but probably not for the full 6 months. With DD (PFB) I was a bit more paraniod and used the carrycot until 6 months, but used to prop her up with a cushion. With DS we used the seat unit from about 3 months. He was a big baby and hated being laid down. We had the cosy toes which really does make a nice snug nest for them, without it the seat does seem a bit big for small babies. I always thought the recline was fine, even though their legs don't go down flat.

Pootles2010 · 12/08/2011 14:43

We had babyjogger, and used second hand carry cot. Glad we did, as although was useful, wasn't £150 worth of useful iyswim.

It was useful for him to sleep in whilst we were away, just put the moses basket mattress inside it.

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 14:53

Thanks you all!
So would a 9.5lb baby fit ok in a carrycot? And if this one crawls at 5mths, can I still use it or do they need to come out once they can crawl? I presume they can stay in it when they are rolling?

Nocake, I will want to walk into town most days too which is why I was considering it in the first place. My babies are such fatties that I struggled with the sling. DD1 was almost 10lbs!

I guess both the icandy and the bugaboo have good resale potential but I just don't want to buy something I won't get much use from.

Quenelle, we have a moses basket which we normally get about 3mths out of. I won't use the carrycot for naps as I'll be putting this one straight up in the cot.

Rushofblood, interesting that you used the pram seat from 3mths. I'm trying to work out what the 6mths thing is based on. Is it back strength? I assume it's not a rigid thing like weaning and that a large, crawling baby who can support herself should be fine in the seat and in fact could be in danger in the carrycot or am I mistaken? Anyone would think this was my first!

OP posts:

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 14:56

So Pootles, does the carrycot fit on the babyjogger? I'm so confused!!! Do people buy the carrycot for their babies to nap in them? I wouldn't use that at all. Definitely the cot or possibly moses basket for first month. We have a travel cot for going away.
It would really only be used for walking into town with the pram. I wouldn't take it off at all. DS is 7.5. Things have changed so much since we pram shopped for him!

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Milkybrew · 12/08/2011 14:59

I have a Britax B smart 3. The seat unit itself lays flat so suitable from birth but I got a good deal on the carrycot so bought that too! Very pleased that I bought it as DD sleeps so well in it, she's fast asleep in it as I type! I find she doesn't sleep as well in the seat unit, perhaps it's having the 5 point harness all over her? I do walk a lot, so it's nice for her to be laid flat and comfy and even though she is a big baby at 14 weeks still has lots of space!

sparklyrainbow · 12/08/2011 15:06

DS was 9lb8, he lasted in the Uppababy vista carrycot until he was 4 months. It was his length, constant kicking/wriggling and attempts to pull himself to sitting while in it that stopped us, plus the weather got better (he was born in December) so he didn't need as much protection.

If you get the Uppababy (love ours), I would get the carrycot however as I wouldn't want to put a newborn in the seat unit without some kind of fleece/nest thing (i.e. more than cosytoes), DS looked quite pathetic in it at first and it doesn't go completely flat.

If you are looking at the Vista, have you considered M&P Sola, we almost bought one but then saw the Vista? :)

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 15:13

Thanks, Milkybrew, good to know they find them comfy.

Sparklyrainbow, that's what worries me! If this one is also over 9lbs and as physically active (PITA early) as the others then I wonder how much use I'll get out of it. I don't suppose it matters too much with the Vista as it comes with the carrycot. Does your DS fint the seat unit comfy? The seat unit on the bugaboo looked very small. The shop assistant told me it fitted up to 4yrs but my DD2 is just 3 and it was way too small for her. Not that any of mine would stay in a pushchair past about 2.5! Maybe I'm over thinking it all but I don't want to spend a lot of money on something my fat but very physical baby won't get any use from.

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Tiggywunkle · 12/08/2011 15:26

My two were both over 9lbs and both stayed in a carrycot until six months. DD crawled at six months but used to sit up in the carrycot and look out but she did used to still sleep a lot. We used our carrycots a fair bit. But there is no need to. Plenty of pushchairs have seats suitable from birth. The Vista cones with a carrycot, as do say Bugaboo Chameleon so like you say it's no big deal either way. BTW I can still put my 12 month old comfortably in some of the pushchairs I test out. Some are way too small though. So they aren't all the same size! Babies should be laid flat until six months for spine development.

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 15:38

Thanks, Tiggy, that's helpful. So even if they are crawling at 5mths, I should still lie them flat in a carrycot for spinal development? I think that was one of my biggest queries. I wasn't sure if it was safe once they could crawl, sit up and climb out sort of thing.
Also good to know that bigger babies still get use from them.

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Tiggywunkle · 12/08/2011 15:59

If you felt there was a safety issue ie the child being left unattended or not simply sitting but trying to crawl away then I wouldn't use the carrycot. Most have D rings to attach a harness to anyway. But I have kept my two in as long as possible. Safety would come before spine development.

Quenelle · 12/08/2011 16:00

carpetlover that was my whole rationale for getting the carrycot. I couldn't see the point in a moses basket at all.

I think I just chose the wrong carrycot. The Jane pushchair is bloody awful too.

PrettyCandles · 12/08/2011 16:06

I had a carrycot for my dc3. He was born in October and I had nod in school and one in preschool, which meant I was doing three school runs most days, plus shopping etc, so I wanted him to be lying flat for the many hours he was going to be spending in the buggy. Also, being a autumn baby, I felt he would be better protected from c

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 16:06

Quenelle, this is no4 and we already have a moses basket which was a gift for no1 so it's already here. Not sure I'll use it this time though as I may just put this one staight up in the cot. Upstairs in the cot will probably be the quietest most restful place to learn to sleep with 3 siblings running riot downstairs! Not sure there was lots of carrycot type pushchairs when my eldest was born (he's 7.5) so I'm talking about 8yrs ago but that one has definitely seen better days now. I only remember the enormous Silver Cross one with enormous wheels. There seems almost too much choice nowadays!

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PrettyCandles · 12/08/2011 16:12

Poop! I hit post, sorry.

Also, being a autumn baby, I felt he would be better protected from cold wind and rain if he was facing me.

It was the right choice. Dc3 was 11lb at birth, and his size was always at least 3m ahead of his age. He was comfortable in the carry cot well beyond 6m. He crawled at 5.5m, so after that I tended to use reins in the carrycot and clip them to the D-rings. When he wanted to sit up in the carrycot I would put a little foam wedge behind him, but it wasn't as good as a proper seat unit.

We had a Quinny carrycot.

Pootles2010 · 12/08/2011 16:25

We used it instead of travel cot because our boot was so rammed with stuff! Once you've got a pushchair, carrycot, massive bag of baby stuff, our suitcase, and oodles of other stuff, simply wouldn't have fit!

Yes our carrycot fit on the babyjogger. It suited me fine as don't drive, and like you just used it mainly for walking into town. The only drawback of it was it totally got rid of the main draw of the babyjogger - the easy fold. I'd have been very nervous getting the bus with it, as i'd have been totally unable to fold the buggy whilst holding baby!

Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 17:13

Thanks, prettycandles, that is useful info!

Pootles, we have one of those pop-up travel cots which is great as it takes up virtually no space. We have quite a good sized boot as have a land rover discovery but obviously a carry cot takes up quite a lot of space regardless.

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Original poster

carpetlover · 12/08/2011 18:45

DH has just texted to say he was discussing this at work and one woman who's just returned from mat leave said she had an Oyster which she got from mothercare which had a carrycot. Is that MC's own does anybody know or just a make exclusive to MC as I haven't seen it anywhere but haven't been to MC. Does it compare to the others?

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Tiggywunkle · 12/08/2011 23:31

You can get the new compact carrycot for the Baby Jogger City Mini where you do not need to remove the fabric, so you still have the fast one handed fold, ie hold carrycot in one hand and fold pushchair with the other.

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