Yeah you can, but there's no harm in having a carrycot that you can use for daytime sleeping.
Think of a pram/pushchair as being three separate things essentially.
You've got the main frame and seat unit. In some models, especially more basic pushchairs, these are one and the same thing, and in some models you can take the seat off the wheels/frame, either to give you more folding options, as some of them are quite bulky, or to turn the seat unit around so it can be parent facing or world facing.
Questions to ask yourself about the main unit:
- Do you want something more lightweight or sturdy?
- What age do you see yourself using this to? Do you want it to last until your child is 3 or do think you'll ditch it quite quickly for a lightweight stroller/buggy? Is it likely you'll want to convert it to a double or use it with a buggy board for an older child?
- Does the seat recline? If so, is the seat unit moulded or hinged? Some are moulded and just tilt back, others have an actual bend where the bum would go to raise/lower the backrest into different positions. How easy is it to do and which positions do you think you'll use?
- Are you going to need to fold it? If so, how easy is it to do and how big is it when folded?
- How big, and how accessible is the shopping basket when the seat is in various positions, with different attachments on etc?
- Wheels - small ones make it lighter and a smaller fold, large ones may be more comfortable over bumpy terrain.
Then some prams have a separate carrycot, AKA bassinet (hint if you're finding sites using the word bassinet they might be American, it's a good idea to try and stick to UK review sites as lifestyles, pavement, cars etc are so different). This will either click into the frame with the seat unit removed, or sit inside the reclined seat itself. They can be rigid framed or soft sided, and provide a totally flat surface for a baby who's not yet mobile or sitting to lie, roll, sleep. Usually they don't have any harness, but a few do. Most babies outgrow this part somewhere between 3-6 months and most of them get fed up of lying flat while out and about by about 4-5 months. Worth bearing in mind when you think you'd switch to the seat unit.
Things to ask about this part:
- How big is it, how much space does it take up when the wheels are folded? (e.g. in car)
- Is it suitable for naps off the pram base (flat bottom)?
- How much extra does it cost and is it worth it?
If you want a pushchair you can use from birth without a carrycot, you need it to have a parent facing seat which can do a totally flat recline. Personally I don't miss the cosiness factor of a carrycot once you've got a nice cosytoes on there for a winter/autumn/late summer baby, and for a summer/spring baby you might want more airflow anyway. But it's nice to have the option.
Lastly if there's the possibility to add car seat adapters, that turns your pram/pushchair into a travel system. Worth noting: Graco, Silver Cross, Chicco, Cosatto, Britax, Hauck, and own/generic brands like Safety 1st and Mothercare car seats only go on their corresponding same brand pushchair, sometimes without any separate adapters. But most pushchair brands and most carry car seats all use what are known in the business as "universal" adapters, but the most common way they will be described is "Maxi Cosi adapters", these will take a Maxi Cosi, Cybex, Kiddy, Joie, Besafe and some of the pushchair-branded ones like Stokke (made by Besafe) and Nuna (made by Joie). Therefore any pushchair which says it's compatible with one of these car seats is also usually compatible with the whole list. It's worth double checking if you've got your eye on a couple of different car seats but it's easy enough to check this in any large baby equipment shop.
It is useful to be able to transfer the baby in a car seat when they're sleeping, but do bear in mind it's only advised to keep babies under 4 weeks in a car seat for 30 minute stretches at a time and for older babies no more than 2 hours in one unbroken stretch. This is to do with the steep angle making it difficult for little babies to breathe deeply in a car seat, which is OK for short periods of time but not extended. The car seat also is quite restrictive, usually only has one recline setting on the pushchair, and isn't as comfortable for the baby as a carrycot or pram seat. It's useful, but you might not use it as much as you think.
You might want to look around with your mum, and maybe ask some questions of any friends who already have children. Also if she hasn't done any baby shopping recently she might be shocked by the price of some of these systems as they have really gone up in price over the last few years. So it might be worth discussing with her if she has a budget or you want to go halves or something.