Double Dilemma, help needed!

[fishym2b]

So DS will be 2.5 we walk everywhere and we have wet winters I think I will need a double but is it possible to cope without?

I have a Bee that I am planning on getting a buggy board for and also have a BJCM, so was hoping to do the whole sling the newborn/ take turns in the pram thing.But just not sure if doing this for 6months will send me crazy!

Am looking at doubles and my plan to be thrifty is just going out the window! Am thinking a P&T Explorer would work as needs to be short enough to fit in our lift but I would love be able to see LO.

Also looking at the B Dual but not convinced about the resale value and seems to cost a bit more new as not so many offers to be found! Also looking at the Peach but it is £££ and the DH would insist I sold the Bee and BJCM when I want to keep them both! Oyster max looks good but again the P&T seems to be a better price and resale option. Anything I have not seen? Would love something parent facing if possible.

Thanks :)

It is perfectly possible to survive without but it does really depend where you go and what you do :) I did 20 years with no double but realised that in the real world you need to shop and browse and get to a to b without dawdling / tantrums / opinionated 2/3 year olds deciding what they want to do or which direction they want to go in!! Believe me I have been so glad of my double and DD is now 3.5years old, and although she's walking a lot, when I am on my own its much easier to put her in a double and simply walk.

There are some very good B-Dual offers around if you look - often at half price which means you dont lose too much on resale. Its a great time of year for bargains as the new 2012 stock is rolling in. P&Ts are longer than you think - the B-Dual for example is shorter than a P&Ts - they protrude a lot at the rear - I knock my shins when I walk on some P&Ts. The Peach Blossom 2 is fabulous. The Jane Twone and the Mountain Buggy +One (given your age gap) is definitely worth a look too. Go and have a wander around Best Buggy. Parent facing is hard though....

I've just sold my double because I just wasn't using it, it was a Phil and teds, they are good but once you have the second seat occupied you can't really use the shopping basket that well (IMO). DS (8 months) has been in the sling since newborn and DS 2 has the buggy, the oldest scoots.

It's a very comfortable sling though and since you start using it at newborn by the time you are carrying an 8 month old you don't really notice. I can carry him for a day like that if I need to (and you get major cuddles which is lovely).

If your DS is 2.5 and walks a lot anyway I would be inclined not to bother, or buy a very cheap ebay one for the odd occasion when the sling is not convenient (although I'm yet to do this because the only time the sling is tricky is clothes shopping and I do that when DP has them). If your DS is on a scooter or walking by 3 you could be looking at about 6 months use really.

Thanks Ladies.

Think I am going to resist buying one for now. See I how I get on with using sling/ buggy board. I think the main problem is the doubles I do want are just soo £££ (donkey/ peach) but I learnt my lesson first time round buying a cheap Hauck travel system that I just hated and don't want to buy a rubbish double.

I also have no way of trying any of these out which puts me off as DS is quite a large and am not too sure on how he would into some of them. Where in London is best to look at a wide selection? We are overseas but once LO is here we would fly to UK to visit family and friends. Now I just need a new obsession!

Tiggywunkle that website is fab :)

Thanks.
To be honest if you do get a double then see it as a rental. Buy well (at as much discount as you can!), keep the boxes, look after the pushchair and you should get a good chunk of money back upon resale. IMHO if you can afford it, you end up paying less than buying a cheaper pushchair which you end up binning or practically giving away at the end.
I tried a sling for about 5 minutes before realising there was no way I could push a pushchair (I lean over slightly) one handed whilst securely supporting my newborns head without it killing my post pregnancy back. I used a sling a lot for my eldest but a double was just far simpler with two. I hope it works well for you though.
I can't really help with pram shops in London although Oxford Pram Centre has a good reputation - but its miles out and John Lewis is always a good place to start.

Tiggywunkle shh! I am trying to convince myself I don't need one! Also were we are there is not a massive market for resale. It is just things like doing the shopping that worry me. Have bought a mini micro scooter this week to hoping DS will whizz along nicely on that, am possibly deluded on this front and have visions of him whizzing into the road but we have the summer to train him and he is a really good walker at the moment. I will report back in Sept to let you know how we are getting on and if we do end up with a double :)

i use slings and doubles :)

if you invest in a very good sling (maybe find a sling meet/library near you try naturalmamas.co.uk local boards in the forum), then you may not need a double at all. I am 38+ weeks pregnant, and ws carrying my 15months old on monday in a sling at victoria station.

With DS I did use a sling a lot. A babybjorn one which I know isn't very popular on here but I liked it. I also have a patapum which I used but my DS is tall so outgrew it pretty quick. On our last trip to the UK we had to change from Vauxhall underground to the overground and I was truly flummoxed as to how we would do it if we had a double and not the BJCM with us especially as we had luggage too. Am overseas but our parent and baby group has done a sling meet before will have to get another arranged just for me!

def organise a sling meet :)

there is a weal;th of knowledge out there with slings (am not a buckle fan myself, prefer a long wrap or a mei tai), and all depends on what you prefer.