Travel System or Pushchair?

[NellyE]

Hiya,

I'm hoping someone can help me as I'm REALLY confused as to what to do about buying a buggy. (I'm a clueless first-timer, btw).

I was all set to buy a travel system, but have seen several posters say don't bother spending hundreds of pounds on a pram/car seat as you'll take them out of it within a few months and put them in a pushchair instead. I really don't want to end up spending a lot of money on something that we won't use for long. But lots of pushchairs can't be used for newborns, so what do you do for the first few months?

What do people think and what have you done? If I do get a travel system, do I need one with a carry cot if we've got a Moses basket? And which ones are good?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

[faddle]

If you are in and out of your car several times a day, nothing beats the convenience of the travel system, but if you are doing more walking than driving, a lie flat carrycot is a must as you arent supposed to have newborns in the car seat for longer than 2 hours or so.
I'm afraid my pet hate is to see tiny babies in umberella type strollers facing away from parents, they are fine from 6 months, but really, until then, you will probably find your baby is happiest when he can see you and that means a rear facer. A pramette is a good compromise and does rear facing/lie flat from birth and then the seat zips up to a forward facing pushchair from 6 months. Most have a travel system option too.
If you want to spend real £££ there is stuff like the bugaboo bee that I've just bought, its every bit as small as a buggy when folded and just as nippy in the shops, but it rear faces, you can get a snuggly thingy for it for newborns and it rear faces as a pushchair too. I guarantee if you get one of those, you wont be trading it in for a buggy in 6 months!

[5inthebed]

Prams are a total minefield!

Do you drive? If so, do you usually drive into town, or do you get the bus.

If you don't drive, do you rely on public transport a lot?

A travel system is really only good for if you do travel a lot by car and will be using the car seat when you get out the car.

Carry cots are better for a baby as they can lie lat on their backs, where as there are few prams that are suitable from birth because they don't recline fully enough. Will you be out alot with your baby in the pram? If you are, you would probably be better getting a pram with a carrycot. A lot of prams now have seats that start off with carrycots and then they change to a proper seat when the baby is old enouh/too big.

What i your budget?