Newborn and 3 flights of steps - buggy dilema

[scotgirl]

Ok so I am trying to help a friend pick a buggy. I have 2 kids myself so should be an expert (ha ha!). This is her first child and she lives on the third floor (no lift).

I know that that the best thing as a new mums is when the baby falls asleep 2 minutes from home so that you get the full benefit of the nap - but how does she get the newborn into the house?

I think the best option is to get a buggy/pram that she can carry up the stairs (i can do this with my XT). I think she would like a carry cot though not just a buggy. I am about 2 years out of this but I think that that the icandy Cherry is do-able to carry in its entirety as it seems to weight only a bit more than the XT. The other option is getting a buggy were the carrycot lifts out and you can leave the base at the bottom of the stairs. But what do you do after 5 months as the baby would be out of the carry cot? Buy a lightweight buggy I guess but what a waste of an expensive travel system. I've had slings but personally, would not want to be completely reliant on them to get out the house.

I've had a Quinny Buzz (air tyres) and Loola Up and would not recommend either as too heavy to bump up stairs - the baby would so wake up!

Can anyone help with some suggestions - she is getting pretty stressed out by it all!

I was in exactly this position, in fact it was one of my very first posts on mumsnet.

I personally wouldn't bother with an expensive travel system, but if she wants one could she take the carry cot off and put the rest of the pram in the boot of the car? I don't know how easy they are to fold down.

I had my DS in a sling and didn't have a buggy at all for ten weeks or so, which was the easiest option in some ways, but had its own drawbacks (could be a pain in cafes when there's nowhere to put them down, he began to get quite heavy, although I did carry him in a sling a lot until he was six months or so)

A lovely mumsnetter gave me her www.mumsnet.com/Reviews/PushchairsFromBirth/831-mothercare-citilite, which is incredibly light and very easy to collapse and put up with one hand. I could carry DS (I put him in a cocoon type sling like thiswhen he was tiny)and the buggy and then put him in it. Then when he got a bit bigger I got a maclaren triumph.

I found the thought of it stressful too, but it really is do-able and that phase doesn't last all that long anyway

has anyone got the icandy - can you really just pick it up and carry it up the stairs - or is this a total non starter?

IMO its not the weight that would be a problem but the bulkiness - I've got a Bugaboo Gecko (which is pretty light - one reason we got it), but its awkward to carry when assembled. I wouldn't rate my chances of being able to carry the whole thing up 3 flights of stairs without waking the baby.

If there's space for the base at the bottom of the stairs is there space for the base + the pushchair element? On mine you have to take the seat off to fold it, but once you have it does fold down quite well...

I found DD hated the carrycot from about 3 months and I felt that was too young to put her in the pushchair so I started using a sling pretty much full time. My experience was that it was easier to get around and do things with DD in a sling than it was with her in a pushchair so that became my method of choice till DD wanted to walk (about 2), and then I kept one in a bag in case she changed her mind while we were out. I started with a stretchy wrap, then moved onto a woven wrap or a Mei Tai depending on what mood we were in.

I agree with Tangle, hte stairs up to our flat aren't that wide and I wouldn't have felt secure carrying a buggy with a newborn in it.

sling sling sling, i have a v expensive buggy and have barely used it and DS is 8 months and 22 lbs. i actually resent using the buggy and it's limiting ways

we started with a moby (wrap type) and have just progressed to an Ego.

the world of slings is baffling but i would say with 3 flights of stairs it would be the best option