Do I need a double pram/buggy

[Leahd89]

2nd baby is due in September, 1st will be 18 months, sounds like it's quite obvious I will need a double pram but whilst I'm off on maternity for a year the granny's will still be minding the eldest 4 days of the week and I will have DH at the weekends, so it will only be one day a week I have the two on my own. Is it possible to use sling/cheap buggy etc alongside current pram or should I buy a double. I have seen one I like but don't want to fork out the money if I'm only going to use it now and again, would consider second hand to save money

Thanks

Go for a second hand double.

It's possible to get by without one, but so much easier to have one.

I had a slightly (but not much) bigger gap, and bought a second hand double. I've never used it and it's used for storing stuff on until I can convince someone to buy it off me. It depends really on things like how much you use slings now - I often tandem carry, and when I've taken them out with a single pushchair, I often end up swapping them a fair amount.

I have a 2.5 year gap - toddler goes in the buggy and baby in the sling. There've been a couple of occasions where I've thought it would be good to not have to have the baby in the sling, but that's cancelled out by HIW awkward using a double buggy would be (e.g. can't try clothes on when shopping, but there's so little space in the shops round here that I struggle to get a single stroller around a lot of them).

I tried without a double for the first month or so (21 month gap). It was an absolute nightmare. We got a second hand double buggy (Phil and ted) and it was a life saver. We did have a buggy board on the single pushchair and a sling so had lots of options depending on where we were going. If I had to do it all again I would buy a really nice double buggy as we went on to have a third ds.

Second hand double. I have the same age gap and I absolutely needed it. It's possible to dobthr whole sling thing but so much more practical to be able to out the baby down. You might find that he stays home some days and it's not as cut and dried 4 days per week and the gps as you think

Thanks everyone I might look into a second hand buggy and then I have the option, I've heard people struggling with side by side buggy's for getting through doors of shops etc, any opinions?

I used to nanny twins and had a side by side mountain buggy that fitted through doors etc well and coped with pretty much any terrain.

I’m not planning on buying a double when our second is born in the autumn. DS will be just over 2. We’ve got a nipper sport so for longer journeys will throw the big one in that, and have the little one in the sling. For shorter journeys we’ll pop the carrycot on (might buy the soft cocoon you can get instead as would be easier to pop that under the pushchair if they swap) and big one can walk.

I just had a look at the mountain buggy and really like it, I like the you can use a car seat or carry cot then change to a buggy but not anywhere near cost of the bugaboo donkey, thanks

I think it entirely depends on how much walking you do on the days you have both. If you don’t walk very much you could try a sling. I think 18 months it’s too young for a buggy board. That being said my oldest is 21 months and she stands on the board even when we are out most of the day. But again that depends on each child I think. What I do is to try and alternate who is on the push chair and then use the sling or board for the other one. But in absolute honesty I’m really glad I bought my double it’s so much easier. You can buy a second hand maybe to save money, some second hand are not too expensive.

The duet is the narrowest side by side so does fit but I find the tandem easier to push.

're buggy boards by 2 year old had a pretty scary fall from one so you might want to have a double on stand by if you don't like the sling/buggy board option. He basically forgot himself and let go

I think you need one. It's a stressful time anyway with not much sleep, so if you need to go somewhere you can do so with them both safely strapped in and no danger of oldest running off. Congratulations on your pregnancy

Thanks for all the advice and congrats, will get out and have a proper look when lockdown is over and try them out in the shops 😊

I had 2.4 years between Ds1 and DD and then 2.3 years between DD and DS2. We have a double buggy and it has been worth its weight in gold. I walk a lot with them on the sea-front (about 4-6 miles) and DS1 and DD were too heavy to carry all that distance. It's great in bad weather too