Londoners, what do you actually use?

[Fuckedoffat48b]

We are currently considering which buggy to get our first baby. We live in SE London zone 4, don't currently have a car but are planning on getting one one and obviously use public transport, both trains and busses a lot, and will have to navigate narrow bumpy pavements full of other people. We are about to move into a small, two bed house.

I am wholly against big expensive travel system, and think they are overly cumbersome, unnecessary bourgeois status symbols that are an inconvenient menace on the Tube. I want something light, foldable and narrow. My husband has fallen in love with the iCandy Strawberry .

Whenever I ask staff in showrooms what Londoners who use public transport actually use they all swear blind they use the iCandy and Bugaboo. But then they would wouldn't they…

So Londoners, what did you actually use from birth. And was it any good?

A sling or carrier at first, with an eye to the Yoyo in a couple of months is looking promising. Will see if I can make my way to JL to try the Yoyo and Dot out, as they weren't at the Mothercare showroom we tried.

A sling or carrier at first, with an eye to the Yoyo in a couple of months is looking promising.

Exactly this. There's a sling library in Beckenham, which can't be miles from you. Absolutely try before you buy, or start off with a second hand cheapy.

No, we aren't far from Beckenham, so I will check it out. Do you have a link? I'm going to a sling workshop next weekend. You can get various leading brands pretty cheap on Gumtree as well, occasionally un or barely used.

We have the bugaboo fox before that we had the buffalo living in zone 3. We have s dog and I needed something that could handle dirt paths. I don't like the tiny buggies like yo-yo for newborns at all. They seem so low and exposed especially on london transport. The sling did my back in and DS learned to sleep in it only which was a nightmare as he'd wake soon as I sat down in a Cafe. I was forever worried I was suffocating him too because he was a winter baby.

We mostly used a sling too. We had an uppababy Cruz, which isn't too cumbersome but you feel like a dalek with any pushchair around London - easily defeated by stairs!

We used a sling for DD1 up until 5-6 months then got a Cruz. It’s lasted well, and has a massive basket - now have a buggy board for it. Also got a newborn/baby insert second time around

We also have a Maclaren which we got when our eldest was a bit older before DD2, easy and light and means we can fit more in the boot than just a buggy

I’ve had my bugaboo chameleon for nearly 7 years and I still love it. 3 DS later it’s still going strong, children have always been positioned really well in it and it’s comfortable to push and for them to sit in. We still use it most days now but also have a yo-yo for travel and in the car. DS seems happy enough but it’s not as comfy to push and is more unstable. I wouldn’t use it for a tiny baby; I returned the newborn insert unused exactly because of this. I know a lot of sling advocates and have used them on occasion but following the traumatic birth of my first child carrying any extra weight is not a sensible choice for the already challenged pelvic floor-just another perspective.

Here you go: southlondonslings.co.uk

Maclaren - can hoist it on to your hip if necessary to go up and down steps and the handles can fit around the pole if you need to wedge two buggies into the space on the bus.
I did also have a 3 wheeler for walks in the park and loading lots of shopping into the basket.

Thanks for that perspective Whattodowithaminute. Another reason to possibly delay deciding until after the birth perhaps.

South London Sling Library aren't in Beckenham any more. They do weekly pop up events in Crystal Palace and other places though.

Yes that’s a good point What - after my EMCS with DD1 could carry her everywhere no probs

VBAC with DD2 it was quite painful and couldn’t carry her in the same way

I live in a city, but not London and use the bus, rail and tram. I definitely couldn't have used a sling after giving birth, was in far to much agony with pelvic pain for that. I've recently bought the cosatto woosh in fjor colour for my six month old. However it is suitable from birth up to 25kg apparently. I love it, light, easy to maneuver one handed, one handed fold, nice big hood, big basket for the size of it. It's really hard to know what you want in a buggy/stroller until it's to late and you've already bought one!

I'm in love with my bugaboo cameleon. It's really nicely sprung and spacious so great for DS to nap in on the go. Yes to being defeated by stairs though (😂 at the dalek comment). It's really nippy to push and I love it so much!

Also just got a used mclaren triumph for holidays, it's so so bumpy compared to the bugaboo although much easier to get on the tube.

I'm zone 2 and use a car, I don't get the tube anymore because of the stairs but like trains and buses

I have the City Mini. Loads of stairs at my local stations, so I chose it because it is very light and I could carry it up stairs with baby in it if I had to.

Now he's forward facing, the one hand fold is super useful

Which one did you get in the end? :)