Carrycot in a twin 3 wheeler - advice please

[Gem13]

I bought a second hand double Mountain Buggy a few months ago when I found out I was expecting number 2 (DS will be 18/19 months when D? arrives).

My idea was to buy a carrycot for the baby as I like the idea of babies being flat (and a bit more protected against the weather as this will be Feb) and push them both into town. Leaving the buggy in the hallway for most of the time.

However, we will be moving into the country in a couple of weeks and now I'm wondering whether I'm going to find it difficult driving two children into town, then having to assemble the carrycot onto the buggy before transferring both of them into it.

I haven't bought the carrycot yet and am baulking at the price especially as DS grew out of his at 9 weeks (he was a big baby).

I'm not sure how much I'm going to be getting out of the house in those first few weeks with 2 little ones and am wondering whether I should just forget the idea of the carrycot. Along these lines, would a 'new' baby be flat enough in the MB to sleep if we ended up at a friend's house, playgroup, etc. for a couple of hours?

While I'm on the subject which one do people prefer - the Mountain Buggy or the Instep (Nipper) double? I'm concerned now about the weight of the former and lugging it in and out of the boot...

I really could become buggy obsessed

Apologies for being tedious. DH won't indulge me. Maybe it's a pregnancy thing - I was just as bad last time round.

I knew I was asking too much

I got really lost there gem13!! Do you have a carrycot already from the first baby? Could you just hang onto that one and use it for playgroup/friends (ie not put it on the buggy if it doesn't fit) if you think it will only last for a few weeks anyway?

Sorry, sometimes mumsnet is a way of talking out loud! Thanks for saying you got lost though, rather than that you nodded off!

I have a carrycot from DS's buggy (which of course doesn't fit the Mountain Buggy). I wouldn't be able to take it to a playgroup or friends in addition to the buggy because of the hassle of parking and getting them out of the car. DS would still be too little to walk sensibly plus I'd have to carry the baby, carrycot plus nappy bag, etc. Parking is a real problem here - historic old town where you grab a space and then trek to where you want to be.

I know the mountain buggy is one of a very few buggies that you should put a newborn in, but the carrycot is even better for them.

I think it goes down to 18 degrees or something. I only had a single and the carrycot and it was a nightmare trying to squeeze it in our car, but it popped together very quickly. It was invaluable when visiting as you only had to get the carrycot out (I hate babies all twisted up in car seats).

I used it as a bassinet for the first 10 weeks and moved ds from room to room with me. I have mixed emotions about it -it was great for some things, and I am passionate about lying babies flat so it was the right option for me. I also like the fact you can see the baby as you push.

I've never found the MB heavy, I've got a hideous umbrella stroller that actually weighs more!!

If you are using it for trips to town, I personally would wear the baby in a front pack or sling and take a single stroller, and then use the double once the baby was 3 months or so. I power walk with the MB but only ever use a sling at the shops.

How 'new' is your mountain buggy ? The design changed just over two years ago - so although the original ones said suitable for newborn in fact they maybe weren't really. Think the newer ones have hard bits in the seat. But that said I have the older version and used it for my one from about a month - used a sling before that as I didn't have a double - with one of those header hugger things and he seems fine. Never left him sleeping in it for hours but certainly for when I went shopping / for a walk. I got a pop-up carrycot for him to sleep in if we were out and in one place.

I love my mountain buggy still two years later and use it daily for school run. At one stage I got fed up with how much boot space it took up so got a mothercare umbrella fold double buggy for shopping but it was heavier, wider, awful to steer and harder to put up and down so didn't make shopping easier.

Watch out for punctures - epecially when the hedges have just been cut. Luckily I also have a single so sometimes carry a spare wheel to do a quick swap over.

Gem13, it's a double MB Urban isn't it? In which case I think you'll find that it goes pretty much flat, so fine for a newborn - you might want to put a sheepskin down for padding if you feel the need. Having said that, I had the carrycot with the single MB, and the thing I liked was that you could just plonk the baby in it, wrap it up in a blanket and go - no faffing round with straps or buggy snuggles - great in winter. And you could lift the baby out from the buggy and take it inside - as the buggy is so big, this is quite useful, as you can leave the buggy outside.

Another option is to get the babylifter from Phil and Ted's - although it's made for the Explorer, it fits any buggy. Haven't actually seen one in real life, but as I understand from posts on here, it allows you to lift the baby in and out of the buggy in much the same way as a little portable cot. About £25 I think + postage - have a look on their site.

Thanks for all the replies - you've restored my faith in the Mountain Buggy as being the best buggy for my situation.

Good idea about using the sling for trips around town and waiting until D? is older to use the double MB. DS was born in July and looking back I walked for miles pushing my new bundle. I'm not so sure that I'll feel so inclined in deepest, darkest February to do the same plus I'll have DS to entertain so I may be spending more time in the house.

I have the Samsonite pop-up carrycot but hadn't thought of taking that around with me. That's a great idea. If I do end up at a playgroup/ friends I could use that for D?.

The babylifter's a good thought. DS is still a great sleeper who will only sleep in his cot and I've always wondered if it's due to the fact that he was always flat in his carrycot or in his cot (unlike his friends who fell asleep in their buggies and still have to be coaxed to sleep). Bobthebaby - yours is a good sleeper too, isn't he? I wonder if there's something in that...

em13, i was also going to suggest a baby lifter. I hadn't really seen them in the UK, but they are a standard piece of baby equipment, here in Ch at least. So don't go to all the expense of getting one from NZ!! You can get them very easily over here, so if you're interested, could probably suggest a few web sites that'd send one, for not too much.As well as being very practical, carry-cot-wise, they are also very snug & will keep baby warm in the winter.

Monkey - that would be great if you could suggest some sites. I haven't seen them in the UK yet and only know of the kiwi explorer one but then I haven't looked very hard.

Where on earth did you get the idea that ds is a good sleeper? Which thread did I claim that on. Anyhow, its true he now finds it harder to go to sleep in his buggy or the car seat than the cot. Complete reversal of most babies!

bobthebaby - I was confusing you with bobsmum! I posted a while ago about DS sleeping a lot and she replied that her DS (bob?) was a big sleeper too.

Ah well, there goes my theory!

Monkey - I'd really like some more info about the sites selling the baby lifters please. That way I can indulge my hobby for buying buggies/ buggy related items! Plus, they do sound like a great idea.

Gem13
Where did you get hold of your second hand double MB? I am also due in Feb, and will have a 17/18 month age gap between the two.

eBay - it was still bloomin' expensive though (whisper - it was £300, but in excellent condition and with raincover and UV shade...!!!). I keep my eye on eBay for them and there hasn't been any for ages.

DS's childminder has it on loan at the moment. For the two days he is with her, she has two toddlers for the school 'run'. She says it is great to push but finds it really heavy to get in and out of the car so gets her DH to do that.

Thinking about it, DS will be used to sharing his personal space with D? come Feb. That's good.

I thought my ears were burning Gem13!

BTW - ds (my lovely good sleeper!!!) was always in a lie flat carry-cot for the first 3 months - ours attached into the back seat of the car to the seatbelts, so he was very rarely in a scrunchy-up car seat. And he'll only go to sleep in his cot now....

Thanks Gem - will take a look at ebay. As they are about £500 new, you didn't do too badly. Are you posting on the Feb 2004 thread too? Sounds like you are in a very similar situation to me.
If anyone reads this and wants to sell me a second hand double MB, let me know! Don't mind if its a terrain or urban model!

bobsmum - thanks for restoring my faith in my sleep theory!

LucieB - I'll keep my eyes peeled for you.

sorry gem -haven't forgotten, but just being crap & disorganised - my kiddy mags are downstairs & computer up, so keep forgetting. Off the top of my head, try www.babywalz.de dunno if you speak german or french - in french the product is called 'coussin' in german it's
Trage-Kuscheltasche.

Let me know if you need help with the lingo & I'll get back to you if I pull my finger out with more sites

Thanks monkey. My french/ german is not great but I have managed to work through some sites using free translation sites. Can I ask how they fix to the buggy seat though? Have you seen one in action on the Mountain Buggy (or the double)?