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Pushchairs

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Original poster

Advice on prams/pushchairs

14 replies

MB34 · 11/08/2012 16:49

We have bought a travel system and (we think) got a very good price on it. It's a Gracco Quatro Tour Deluxe.

However, my mum pointed out that the baby will only be in the carrycot (which will face me, my DH, whoever is pushing) for about 4-5 months, if that, then will be in the pushchair (which is suitable from birth too) that only faces away from the adult.

I have a couple of questions

  • is 4/5 months too young to be facing away from the adult?
  • does anyone have one of these and what do you think of it? (is it heavy, how is the colour/material after use on the beige coloured system?)

Thanks

OP posts:
MrsPaynie · 11/08/2012 16:54

I had that travel system with my first DC, I found it great. Huge shopper basket, easy to push and move about, easy to fold down, attach carry cot and car seat, all around easy to use. The only down side I found was how bulky it was folded down, we only had a small car at the time and I spent a lot of time on pubic transport. I do rate it as a pushchair, my DS used it until about 18 months old when I had DD and needed a double pushchair.

TeaandHobnobs · 11/08/2012 16:57

Hi MB34

Why don't you ask MNHQ if your post can be moved to the pushchairs part of the forum? There are lots of people there who can help you I expect!

milk · 11/08/2012 17:17

Each child is different.

My friend's DD started facing outwards at 5 months and loved it, whereas my DS has just turned 17 months and only now he will look outwards without screaming for me.

Original poster
MB34 · 11/08/2012 17:55

Thanks guys,
MrsPaynie that's what I thought when I bought it, we weighed up the pros and cons and thought/think I can handle the bulkiness for the great price!

Tea thanks for the suggestion, I haven't ventured much outside pregnancy and baby names so didn't realise there's one just for pushchairs!

milk I'm torn as I have 2 nephews - the one on DHs side is 5 months and is ok with facing out and my sister's DS is 2 months and will not settle unless my sister is touching him and I think it may take him longer to face out in his pushchair.
Now I'm only on my first DC so have no experience but my theory is that my sister is very clingy with her DS (her DPs words not mine) and on some level think that this makes him clingy back. The 5 month old isn't as clingy and his mother isn't either.
I may be totally wrong here and I know I can't judge how I'll feel (or DS will feel) but I want my DH involved in everything so DS doesn't get clingy.

OP posts:
Original poster
MB34 · 11/08/2012 17:58

PS Tea how do I do it - is it the email address under "contact us"??

Thanks

OP posts:
SlightlySuperiorPeasant · 11/08/2012 18:37

Click on the 'report' button by your first post and add a message on the next page asking for it to be moved.

To your question... I haven't used that pushchair myself but my friend has it and really loves it. She's just had to get a double but was using it until her DS was 18 months too. You see lots of them about do they must be alright!

MNHQ
HellenicGamesMumsnet · 11/08/2012 22:22

Hello. We're going to move this thread to Pushchairs, as requested. Smile

Tiggywunkle · 12/08/2012 01:16

To be honest forward / parent facing depends on the child.
In my experience - most young babies fall asleep within minutes of you leaving the house. Even as they get older, most will sleep on an outing even if they don't necessarily sleep at home (my 2 year old for example!) So to be honest parent facing for a young baby I dont feel is that important. Unless you spend huge amounts of time out every day and the main time you see your baby is in its pushchair. Then that is different!
By 6-12 months most babies are quite happy to be sat up and looking forwards at the world. Its usually the parents who want to see their offspring rather than the child.
When separation anxiety kicks in at 12 months old, or older, then you may have a child who cries if they can't see you (I have one of these - but he to be honest is rare in my experience).
But generally if you are out and about for the odd hour or two each day, I relish the peace of being outside, whilst my children see the world - I am quite sure they see enough of me in their other 10-11 waking hours each day to have a break!

peanutMD · 12/08/2012 01:25

A friend of mine has the mother care version of this pushchair and loves it, it id now in use for dc3 and still looks relatively decent.

I had a shot of it and didn't like the size and shape of it, felt very plasticky to me and has awful suspension.

She is currently in the process of trying to pad or on to me for my unborn dc2... And I am in the process if tactfully saying no.

milk · 12/08/2012 06:05

I am a clingy parent Blush I didn't leave him for the first 9 months... and even then I was only away from him for an hour or 2.

WeeLors · 14/08/2012 14:21

We used the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe for DS1 (in black though so can't comment on wear and tear in that colour). Things we loved were the huge shopping basket, the very padded cosy seat (which still has loads of room for very tall 2.5yr old DS1), the huge moveable hood and just the general ease of use as a travel system. I also liked how sturdy it felt and ease of pushing/suspension was very good for the size of the pram.

The main negatives I can think of were that it is very very heavy so when your DC gets older you may crave pushing a much lighter buggy (we use a good old MacLaren for DS1 now when he needs it). Ditto with size, they are very big so you may get small pushchair envy after a while (for me this didn't really kick in til DS was >1yr though) and they take up a lot of space folded. Finally, DS grew out of the carrycot within 3mths so we had to put him in the pushchair BUT this really wasn't a problem in our case as the Graco is so padded and cosy (and lie-flat) that he was always perfectly comfy. At the time it never even occurred to me that he might have issue forward facing, I think most babies are absolutely fine with it tbh.

Overall, we had no regrets buying this travel system until DS was about 18mths when it became soooo heavy for me to push but you can always invest in a super-cheap buggy at this stage cos your DC will likely be walking here and there anyway.

P.S. We still use it now for supermarket trips cos of the big basket and when DC2 arrives (Oct) we'll prob still use it for the baby when both DP and I are around, with DS1 in the MacLaren if needed (have bought a Joovy Caboose Ultralight for when I'm on my own with the 2DC).

P.P.S - peanut I don't understand, if your DF has a Mothercare version of this pushchair then surely its not the same pushchair i.e. a Graco?

peanutMD · 14/08/2012 15:25

Weelors - the mothercare Trenton deluxe is made by Graco as are most mothercare own brand pushchairs.

The Trenton deluxe is the quattro tour deluxe.

WeeLors · 14/08/2012 17:10

Ah I see, ok dokey I get it now Blush

peanutMD · 14/08/2012 21:31

wouldn't blush about it Weelors, if I wasnt such a pram nut then I wouldn't know lol

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