Very confused first timer would appreciate advice, please!

[PurplePidjin]

12 weeks with PFB, as far as my knowledge goes the baby's legs go at the bottom, right?

I think I'd like a travel system - I live in a first floor flat, the only storage downstairs is my car - so picking baby up nicely snuggled in a car seat or moses basket seems best. It's a long way up the outside steps to my front door!

I'd prefer to avoid pink and blue, and don't really like black for babies.

I don't know what car i'll have by then as I currently run a 1970 Beetle which will probably go into storage but we're pretty skint so replacing him might be out of the question.

I plan to do a lot of walking (parents 3 miles away) to get fit. Dp runs, so something he can use for that would be lovely. DSIL may lend us her P&T Sport though, which would cover that I think?

We're on a limited budget, so will likely not get everything I want but I'm happy to buy everything except the car seat 2nd hand. Please may I have some guidance on where to start looking?

I have the mamas and papas glide which I love but its mainly black. Sil has the oyster which I also love which comes in many many colours. Both are middle of the range in price but a lot sturdier than some of the cheaper ones. Hth.

TBH a travel system might not be best. It is fairly easy to scoop baby out of pushchair asleep, you could maybe have a cheapy pouch or ring sling under the pushchair to carry the baby up in? Infant carseats are bloody heavy for carrying up and down stairs and carrycot type things are just awkward to carry on stairs. I'd get something fairly compact and easy to carry that is suitable from birth so you can pop baby in sling, fold all in one and carry up at the same time as your baby. You might mostly keep it in the car but at times you will need to take the pushchair up to the flat so it can dry.

I'm getting the Oyster and I love it. You can get it in about 12 colours and you can put a car seat on it.

I had a Phil and Teds with DS1&2 and it was brilliant. It was just as good a single as it was a double. Your DP could easily run with it too.

I love my Oyster too but if you're thinking of carrying baby up to the flat in the car seat. Don't. Your back will kill you.

By the way I had a loola with ds1, we lived in a top floor flat and while it isn't the lightest it is well balanced and has a carry handle so you can carry it with one hand up the stairs. It can be used from birth by itself with no need to carry cots or anything but you can also take the seat off and use a carseat.

Wow, thank you for all the advice so quickly!

We're definitely going to look at slings, a lot of dp's runs are off road so he's planning to take baby (and slow to a walk!) so I can have a Sunday morning lie in. It's just the evening on road stuff that wheels would help with

It does sound like a cheaper pushchair plus several car seats dotted around might be a better option.

What sort of price does "middle of the range" cover?

Somewhere... somewhere in a thread down below this there is proper info on what you need in a pram to actually run with it... From memory most things are not suitable for actual running (esp as it sounds like your DP is does proper serious running!) you need really big wheels.

Agree with whoever said carrying a car seat or carrycot up the stairs will likely become painful/tedious/impossible as your baby grows. Slings good, personally I'd just um, carry the baby up and down in my arms. If you're storing the pram in the car then you can easily carry a bag or two as well. Obviously if you'd need to carry the pram or some part of it up with you as well this wouldn't work!

Any ideas whether you will want the baby to face you only initially or for a longer period?

General starter suggestions (keeping everything fairly lightweight):

Bigger wheel/air tyre options - Baby Jogger City Mini GT (takes choice of carrycots and car seats, quite new so not sure how you'd go second hand, forward facing only beyond carrycot stage if you chose to buy one, from birth if you didn't), Bugaboos (cameleon, gecko, frog etc. loads of used ones) Mountain Buggy Swift, Mutsy Evo (got very good feedback from someone on here recently but new only), Jane Muum (again new but circa £250) iCandy Peach or Peach jogger (expensive but apparently worth the investment if you like them) AH Uppababy Vista is supposed to be really good/lux for the price but it's fairly expensive IMO.

Smaller wheels/less terrain-y options - Bugaboo bee/bee plus, Oyster, Baby Jogger City Mini, Britax B Agile, iCandy Cherry, Graco Evo.

That's just a dip in the ocean, there are loads of good singles, once you know the specifics of what you want it'll be easier to narrow it down.

Hope that helps a bit

You won't need a jogging/running pushchair until 6m if not 12m if your DH is planning to do off roading running as opposed to running on tarmac/flat pavement which would be okay at 6m. Babies aren't supposed to be joggled in that fashion as it's just not safe for their heads and necks.

Also, P&T's are fine for off roading but not for running/jogging as they don't have a fixed wheel though they do make a running pushchair called a called a Sub 4 so if your SIL has that snap her hand off as it's apparently fabulous.

Lots of info on running/jogging pushchairs here and here.

I have no idea about parent facing vs forward facing but will have a think! I'll also be investigating your fantastic comprehensive list - might have to go to a shop and push a few around.

Dp does do serious running, across the New Forest. Landrovers struggle, so I don't expect to find a buggy to cope! Wheels for evening on road running, sling for walks with the club on Sundays as that's more about dad/baby bonding and mummy having a lie in than actual training :) (one of his friends in the club actually guessed when dp said he'd be entering the marathon this year!)

Well, you've talked me out of a travel system I think, will have a trawl round ebay and websites in the morning. Thank you very very much

Have no pushchair advice, except that we had an iCandy Cherry and it did two kids fine. Didn't run with it though (falls over laughing)

But, but, but you're up-duffed. Squeeeeeeeee! CONGRATULATIONS

Have you started crocheting matinee jackets yet?

Thanks, PoW!! 12 weeks yesterday and just started testing patterns for a blanket. PFB will wear babygrows plus whatever people buy as presents until I get the hang of which end needs a nappy and which end a boob :o

I wouldn't worry too much about that, it will let you know pretty damn sharpish, plus what goes in one end comes out the other! Often simultaneously!

Good call on the babygros - ignore the fact that they call them sleepsuits these days.

I have a P&T Sport which I run with, off road and on pavements, have donecwith both DC from when they were about 6 months.

Hah! From looking on Ebay, I think it's going to be bugaboo or bust! Some of them are £500 for a second hand pram? You gotta be kidding

www.pramworld.co.uk/product/11838/Jane_Slalom_R_District

From the looks of it these go cheap second hand... Is there a reason, or could I get a bargain?

I've had a look on ebay for some off roading/runners -

this would be good for street/rough-ish terrain running as it has 16" wheels

this would be good for street/rough-ish terrain running also due to the 16"

again this would be good for street/rough-ish terrain running as it has 16" wheels

this has 20" wheels so would be great for running on all terrains

this would be good for off roading but not for running as the wheels are too small

Thank you very much, TruthSweet. I particularly like the Ironman one!

Would a buggy like that do me for nipping to the shops/normal life, or is it more for specific sporty stuff? I'm going to be the on using it, the running is more of an optional preference so dp doesn't have to sacrifice his hobby too much...

As you don't need that sort of pushchair until baby is 6-12m so you might as well get a pram/pushchair you can use now and then swap for a runner later when baby is developed enough to cope with being run with (for running on really rough terrain a cycle helmet on baby is advisable in case the pushchair tips and they don't really make them for children under 1y).

The the world is your oyster - if you get one with a decent resale price you may end up paying only a few pounds for a years use or you might choose to keep it for day to day use and DH can have his running pushchair too.

We lived in 2nd floor flat, kept pushchair in garage. (had travel system). I found it really hard after the first few weeks to carry ds up and down in carrycot, much easier just holding him, but had to leave him upstairs, go down and set pushchair up then get him.
We went to kiddicare.
We have a hauck appollo 4, can't remember how much, but not too expensive, definitely less than 300. It's brown with blue trim and some cream bits. I will be using it for 2nd dc regardless of gender.

Hth

If I was you, I'd get a p&t sport, lent if SIL will play ball, the cocoon is fab for carrying a sleeping baby, and you can get a travel adapter thingy that will take a car seat.

I went for a Maclaren lie flat stroller as everyone I spoke to goes to a stroller after 6 months. The one I got has a soft cot which fits onto the seat for newborn baby to lie flat and also has the adaptors to fit a car seat onto it.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=maclaren+techno+xlr&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1R2ACAW_en&tbm=isch&tbnid=3M5i5uHcnNjCLM:&imgrefurl=www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_87969_10001%3Fcm_sp%3Dsearch--search_suggestion--product_suggestion&docid=NkqLxcYmKMxSZM&imgurl=www.kiddicare.com/wcsstore7.00.00.332/ExtendedSitesCatalogAssetStore/images/catalog/KC14443/KC14443_L.jpg&w=350&h=400&ei=ycq4T4CjDcrN8QOovKiiCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=578&vpy=2&dur=756&hovh=240&hovw=210&tx=102&ty=117&sig=116720262593544243634&page=1&tbnh=131&tbnw=115&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:98&biw=1366&bih=618" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I got this one, but it comes in other colours

I wouldn't recommend lugging the car seat back and forth, weighs a ton even without the baby in. Get a great sling (I have a bjorn and its horrific), a lightweight buggy that'll last the duration.

My dad builds pedal cars, so I might set him a challenge - build me an off road buggy, you've got a year

SIL is lovely and has already offered to look out some bits for us that the dn's had.

My mum is dropping hints that it's traditional for the grandparents buy the pram (issues with her own inlaws when I was due) so while I'm perfectly happy to use sil's, I'd also like my mum to enjoy her first grandchild moments iyswim

I didn't know about the adaptors for a car seat, that might be a handy purchase if we use sil's as a spare.

This is a very steep learning curve, and I really am very grateful to everyone for taking time to help get it through my thick skull

That's what MN is for

No question, no matter how silly it seems to you, is silly.

PS I will be off to my local slingmeet for some decent advice as soon as is reasonable. I can't do the same for buggies because I'm convinced some pushy salesperson will take advantage of my ignorance to part me from several hundred quid!