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Pushchairs

Join our Pram forum for pram advice. Plus read our round up of the best pushchairs currently available.

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Original poster

Help! Pram needed for 98th percentile baby!

20 replies

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 15/08/2013 11:31

So my 8 week old baby is 98th percentile and v. long. She's filled her city mini gt (and moses basket!!) already and hv commented that we will need to think about a new pram soon! It's more width ways than length ways, but she's starting to look really wedged in and she's got another few months before she should be in the seat and out of the carrycot. DH isn't keen for her to go in the pushchair seat at all (I suggested a cosy sheepskin to put her on) and I overlooked the fact that the city mini gt doesn't parent face when we bought it, so I'd like to get something that can parent face. I was considering a versa gt but having read the thread about the versa carrycot this morning, which we were going to buy based on the dimensions on the John Lewis website, this also seems a no go as it's exactly the same as what we already have. I can only think of the new bugaboo buffalo but friends all seem to have a marmite relationship with bugaboos. In a bit of a stick over this as I need something fairly compact and easy to travel with as I don't have a car during the week and like to get out and about around our village on buses to town etc

Any mum's of big babies with any tips?

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batfuttocks · 15/08/2013 11:37

I have big babies - long, dh and I are tall. Expecting no 3 any day and have opted for an uppababy vista this time. It's huge!

Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 15/08/2013 11:53

Thanks bat on my list to check out when we go pram shopping! Back to the drawing board with all of this!! DD was a surprise big baby, I'm only 5'5" but DH is tall. Do you use public transport with your vista? Congrats on no.3 btw!!

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forevergreek · 15/08/2013 12:42

We have a bugaboo cameleon .Our tall 2 year could fit in carrycot part if he wanted, and out tall 3 1/2 year old fits in seat fine ( but walks). We use on London buses regularly, and it fits on better than most umbrella style as with the handle down it fits behind the pole neatly

NeatFreak · 15/08/2013 12:44

I also have a baby almost off the top of growth charts and is 8 weeks. We have a mothercare my4, which suits perfectly. I have a friend with a baby 8 weeks older and also on 98th centime and she fits the same pram.

Phineyj · 15/08/2013 12:46

We have a Graco Evo and our very long DD (a little shorter than yours though) fits into it fine. You can have it in 3 positions - flattish, medium or upright and it can face you or away. I think it is great and the only thing I would say is that if you or DH are very tall it may not suit -- my DH is 5' 9'' and it's only just high enough. It is a lot cheaper than a Bugaboo and easier to fold.

Ihateparties · 15/08/2013 18:20

The city mini gt is suitable from birth without the cot, you don't need to change it unless you're already wanting to for other reasons. Many people with tall toddlers buy the gt specifically for its capacity to seat a larger child. I believe it takes the bj deluxe carrycot, which is larger than the compact but there comes a time when babies are touching the sides of any carrycot, if they became genuinely uncomfortable they will probably let you know?

By all means get something else for other reasons (parent facing or any old other thing that you yourself want) but please don't feel you need to replace it because of random HV comments that aren't even necessarily accurate.

Tiggywunkle · 15/08/2013 21:25

If you want a parent facing seat, then thats a valid reason for buying a new pushchair. If you simply want a pushchair with a bigger seat, then you wont find much bigger than the BJCMGT.
There's only approx 6cms difference between a baby on the 50th centile and one on the 99.6th centile which in the relative scheme of things isnt a lot. Your baby may well look big in the carrycot, but as Parties says, unless your baby is clearly distressed to be confined, (and after 9 months in the womb any carrycot is positive freedom!), then a carrycot is a good place for them to be. Other options would be a Bugaboo cocoon which would last until your baby is around 9-12 months old. If it helps the Buffalo carrycot is 80cms long by 37cms wide at the mid point tapering to 40cms wide at the head end. I dont have the Versa or compact carrycot measurements but would appreciate having them if you dont mind measuring!

Tiggywunkle · 15/08/2013 21:26

Just to add, my 2 year old was very happy curled up in the Versa carrycot :)

Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 16/08/2013 08:08

Thanks everyone. Well this just adds to the confusion really! I would like parent facing, I don't really know how I overlooked that one blames pregnancy hormones as I'm usually so thorough . Having looked into the Buffalo it's simply too big for me and it sounds like its very heavy. I love my BJCMGT and think that I'll be happy with her in the seat when she's older. I know it's pfb but I just don't feel comfortable putting her in the chair (we tried it last night) whilst she's so small (age-wise!!) I really thought we had the whole pram thing nailed

HV has also told us that parent facing is optimum for speech development (maybe she's on pram sales commission !!) so that's been playing on my mind too.

We're going to our local pram shop tomorrow to see if there's something we prefer, if not we'll work with what we've got.

Thanks for all the responses. Oh and tiggy I'll get the tape measure out later for you.

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Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 16/08/2013 10:13

Tiggy I've measured the carrycot. By pushing the tape measure into the sides it measures 30cm x 77cm. By just measuring across the top side to side it's more like 29cm x 76 cm. HTH.

DH has seen a bebe comfort in wired magazine and is sold based on the big wheels! If only it were that simple!

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forevergreek · 16/08/2013 10:15

Formerly- take a look at something like the bugaboo bee cocoon. You can add to the pram to make it snug for the next few months.
You can also add sheepskin or both for super comfort

Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 16/08/2013 10:21

Thanks forever. The bee is out. We tried it last weekend in mothercare - showroom model was completely battered and broken (didn't seem like a good sign to us!), plus we didn't like how low it was (my bad back) and felt baby would be too exposed. DH thought it felt flimsy for the money. I also think we've been spoilt by the city mini gt folding mechanism. I was gutted as thought it was the perfect solution and was all geared up to order one :(

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Camwombat · 16/08/2013 10:30

My DS is off the growth chart lines and forms his own special centile line... we had the Quinny buzz for him.

The carrycot lasted maybe 5-6 weeks what a waste of money and from then we put him parent facing in the main seat lying flat. He looked very little in it but we had no other options. I also used a sling for him, until he got too big for that.

Now he also has a Maclaren techno xt that we got in the US as they have a higher weight limit of 25kg rather than 15kg.

forevergreek · 16/08/2013 11:35

Ah I meant just the bee cocoon to go in current pram rather than the actual pram.

Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 16/08/2013 11:55

Ah! Now that's not a bad idea at all!

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Ihateparties · 16/08/2013 12:09

Yes, cocoon in seat, as tiggy and forever said that's a great option. The bee one is nice but there are others or you could have a custom made one made. I can see why you would want parent facing in a general sense. I think the versa has the biggest seat of reversible options. However if you talk to your child much of the time generally speaking... which i'm betting you do.. then I find it a bit difficult to take the speech thing entirely seriously.

Have you considered maybe an ebay cheapie pram with large carrycot for the next few months, like maybe a pretty old not very pretty one with a view to returning to the gt after he outgrows the cot of the used one?

Tiggywunkle · 17/08/2013 00:07

Bugaboo Cocoon like this in a City Mini double. This is a 10 month old (nearly 10lbs at birth) in one. Our Bugaboo Cocoon was absolutely one of our best baby buys. When the baby is small there is a head support, which can later be removed.

Look also at something like a Graco soft cot which can parent face in the flat seat unit, and then, if you undo the hood at the rear (in fact I think you can turn the whole hood round?) then you can put it over the baby's head by pushing the hood round down to where the knees usually are. Does that make sense?

I wouldnt worry about speech development! If you are walking outisde 12 hours every day, then yes, it would be important to have a PF pushchair. However if your baby is having direct input from you at home during the day, then they probably will enjoy the break from seeing you to have a nosy at the big wide world for a couple of hours! I dont know about your DC, but mine both slept a good chunk of all outings for their first year! Believe me, another 2 years hence, you will be glad of the FF break from constant questions ;)

Tiggywunkle · 17/08/2013 00:14

Thanks for the measurements BTW
Is that the compact or the compact plus carrycot? It sounds quite narrow, but the length seems reasonable. 3cms less than the Buffalo carrycot, which is nothing really.

Twattybollocks · 17/08/2013 23:32

Do you have a budget to stick to or is it whichever pushchair does the job best? If you have the money, do have a look at the stokke crusi, the carrycot is huge, really huge. Or if you wanted to avoid the carrycot option the seat unit parent faces and can be used from birth with the newborn insert, and its a very very comfy seat, spacious and well padded. My sisters dd is 10 months and 91st Centile and still looks little sitting in it.

Original poster

FormerlyKnownAsPrincessChick · 18/08/2013 09:13

Hi Tiggy, we have this one Compact carrycot and your comments re being squished in the womb and having the luxury of the carrycot made me DH thought that was funny too! Especially as she was a surprise 9lb10 baby (baby and my bump measured bang on average the whole way through - even the mw who delivered her was shocked when she popped out!!)

Thanks twatty re recommendation. We looked at the stokke yesterday but DH didn't like it. Thought it was too heavy and too high up.

We went to look at prams yesterday and we're going for the chameleon as it's light and baby has so much more room in the carrycot, she actually looked small in it! Tried her in the uppababy vista which was bigger but not as long as the bugaboo and the Cruz, which was much too small. I hated the fold on the vista too, although I thought it was a nice push. Shame that the versa doesn't have a wider carrycot as I really thought that was great too. It just didn't solve our current problem and if we have another I expect we'll need a big carrycot again. I know we could probably ride it out in the compact carrycot but she just looks so squished and I'm really bothered about the parent facing thing. Chameleon just seems to tick our boxes. Hope we can get a fair amount for our city mini!! (DH also commented that baby's new pushchair is going to cost as much as his first car!! )

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