I agree misdee,I don't like seeing newborns scrunched up in a car seat all the time,Maybe I'm old fashioned.My ds 13mos was in a silver cross pram until he was about 8 mos,but only for walks straight from home,not using the car IYSWIM.I still like to beable to see him but he's more interested in looking forward now so I've changed his britax pushchair to face outwards now.

hate, hate, hate them. Has anyone ever seen the pram bit of a 3 in 1 in action? Of course not, people put their baby in the car seat even if they are not going in a car. Complete madness. Then they take the car seat out and leave the baby in that at home. A great invention from someone who didn't want to hug his or her children ever.

There's no denying that they are practical but most infant health professionals agree that it is best for newborn spinal development for babies to be laid flat as much as possible. Therefore it is suggested that prams/pushchairs that lay flat are best, car seats are too upright and mean that the baby's spine is curved and not straight during use. This applies too much pressure to the spine as it is just not strong enough to support baby's weight in the way that the car seat requires. I think that the guideline is that babies should not be left in a car seat for more than 90 mins at a time. I presume it would be ok to stop for breaks and take baby out of seat every 90mins if on a long car journey for instance. I had a 3 in 1 pram for my DD when she was first born, I agree that it was lovely to see her when walking.

I had a three in one and DID use the pram until dd was 3 or 4 months (for walks and trying to get to sleep) (altho' I confes many a time I ended up carrying her and trying to push the pram single handed!) - then she became too nosey and the car seat was at a great angle for her to be able to see lots and I could still see her. She's now 5 months and I think i'm going to have to start using the pushchair but I will be peering over the side the whole time.

I guess it depends how you use them. It was my first child and I didn't really know what I wanted and it gave me the best of both worlds

Me and Misdee are sisters and our other sister uses her car seat for her DD all the time. Misdee and I were dicussing this the other day. I had a pram for all three of mine. DS and DD1 both used the same pram, and I had to buy another one for DD2 as the other one broke I did manage to pick up a lovely one at a Car boot for £20, and it was geourous!! I sold it for £15 afterward too.
I have a Graco pushchair and a carseat which fits into it but I have never used them together. I hate seeing babies in pushchairs too. I love prams as they keep the wind off the baby too.

I think lie-flat prams are best for newborns, more comfy, better insulation, let in less noise etc. I also got mine 2nd hand after the first one broke when I lent it to someone . I got it from the local paper, everything included, must have been about £400+ new and I paid £50 I almost never took the car seat out of the car, only now and then if she was fast asleep. I don't think they're the best way for babies to sleep. I don't have any technical info on why I think this, but its how I feel and I know its what "older folk" think is best, a few came up to me when baby was in the pram and said how nice to see a baby lying down!

Interestingly you don't see travel systems as often in Europe, apart from in shopping centres. Most new borns go in carrycots or flat 2 in 1's with footmuff or a convertible foot muff with handles/soft carrycot. Here in CH they seem to keep them lying flat a lot longer, pretty much until they can sit themselves up. Baby Bjorn carriers are also really popular. It is probably mainly a means of protecting them from the elements.

I found among my NCT group that ds was unusual in that he would stay asleep in his seat if lifted from the car, so based on that the main selling feature of a travel system seems dubious.

btw our paediatrician recommended on more than one occasion that dd should spend as much time as possible in her RockaTot due to reflux and when she had bronchiolitis. He thought the likelihood of damage to spine was minimal.

We didn't buy a 3-in-1 mainly due to cost and we felt we wouldn't use the pram bit all that much but I think we'd have used it more than we thought.

I admit I was one of those mothers who would plonk the car seat straight into the pushchair but DS would stay sleeping. We kept him in the car seat in the push chair for about 5 months but never went on really long walks and tried to make sure he wasn't in the car seat for >90 minutes at a time.

We don't live in a town and there are minimal places to walk from home. If I lived in a town or city and could go for a nice paved walk from home every day then I would definitely have got a more pram-like thing. I think if you have to use the car more then practicality does take over a bit.

Incidentally we discussed car seats and travel systems in detail at my Aquanatal class which was run my midwives. All agreed they preferred prams (older generation?) but said that in the first month the car seat was absolutely fine because babies spines were still uncurling so the curved seat was probably comforting but even then the 90 minute thing was possibly important. However I don't think there's ever been a study has there?

I never wanted one but my friend had one - a Graco ssytem, and it was so so heavy. I think that is what put me off at first. I also agree about the sitting up in a car seat problem - I always read that babies were better laying down. I don't think I ever saw this friend use it without the car seat in.

We went for a lovely big, deep 3 wheeler which lays flat. We got a nice thick cosy toes for it and it has been great. Now DD is older she can have it sat upright, but can still lay down for a nap. And it is pretty light too.