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Buggies
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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #1
19-03-2008 10:56 AM

[Moved from Lewisham hospital v Kings College hospital]

Yes!! Dont go and buy an expensive one because they are trendy and cool. Buy one that you can lift and carry with the baby in it. There is nothing worst than looking cool with your Bugaboo until you try and put it in your car boot and cant lift it. For those without a car and will travel by train try doing the same thing from platform two to platform one at Forest hill.

I would suggest going to Mothercare etc and having a good test drive. We bought a Grakko with a baby seat base that stays in the car and a baby seat that transferes between car and buggy. As our baby grew we then did away with the baby seat and she then just used the buggy.

We also bought a cheap (?49.99) stroller from Toys R Us which weighs 4kg, folds to nothing and weighs nothing.

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crazycomet


Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #2
19-03-2008 11:09 AM

Thanks Londondrz, its good to hear someones elses ideas. One thing we are a little confused with is, its suggested that you dont keep your newborn baby in the car seat for too long as they need to lay flat, so my query is; If you were taking the car & baby shopping and you put the bubbas in the car seat wouldnt you then have to transfer the bubbas to the carry cot? Basically, is there a need for a combination buggy that has car seat, carry cot, buggy etc etc all in one? or do you think that you are better off just buying a normal buggy with a separate car seat that stays in the car? Confused

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #3
19-03-2008 11:15 AM

In response to essgjaygee, I was also discharged by the Dr the night before I left, but none of the nurses told me or came to do the discharge routine. My midwife was surprised to see me still there the next morning. So my third unnecessary night in hospital was hell -Id have got help at home. This was really sloppy nursing practice.

Maybe we need a dedicated section for babytalk on se23.com.

We have a Bugaboo which is fine - it does go in our small car. Most other parents I know revert to the McClaren at some point. We are now looking at a McClaren Quest as a second buggy as its light and easy to fold. Personally I would advise anyone to start with a MCclaren suitable from birth and then see what your needs are from there.
My friends have found that the Pilkos, Loolas, and other wonderful sounding marketing brands are just not convenient for a busy urban lifestyle of buses, tubes, nurseries/childminders houses, and car boots, so they have stopped using them. If you can borrow something for the first six months then that will also save you loads as you can then go straight to the pushchair.

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Deanos


Posts: 14
Joined: Dec 2005
Post: #4
19-03-2008 11:17 AM

We had the same dilemma, but went for the travel system with the seat that could be slotted onto the chassis in the end. We don't use it often, but it has been useful. We don't have our son in the carseat for more than 2 hours, but he wants feeding every two hours anyway, so this isn't really a problem. It is convenient to have the choice, so I would recommend it. Agree with the advice goven above re: size and wieght, make sure it will fit in the boot of the car and obviously, consider how many steps you need to get it down if you live in a flat.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #5
19-03-2008 11:33 AM

Maybe we are just bad parents but have found that it didnt effect our 3 year old and our youngest who is six months has no problem. The longest they are in it is once a month for 3 hours when we drive to Norfolk and most of that time they are asleep. If we go to Bluewater etc we tend to get there, have a coffee, take her out of the seat for a feed and then put her back when we walk around.

The seat is well designed and quite comfortable, sure I wouldnt like to be in it all day but a few hours in acceptable.

BTW, check out the simularity between a McLaren at a few hundred pounds and the ?50 "own brand" model at Halfords/Toys R Us. They seem to look the same, strange thatRolleyes

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essjaygee


Posts: 49
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #6
19-03-2008 12:08 PM

Same as the lovely Londondrz..... wotcha by the way Love
We used a Graco which lies totally flat and has lift-out-of-car-and-attach-to-buggy carseat, (only thing is our version's a bit heavy) plus a pushchair only lighter version.

Our pushchairs have come from Kiddicare http://www.kiddicare.co.uk (who are worth looking at for prices by the way, based in Peterborough but do free and very quick delivery). We also have a mega light and largely useless ?15 pushchair

This time I've felt really strongly about wanting to have No 2 facing me when flat in the pushchair (Graco faces out) so have picked up a two year old Mamas and Papas Pliko with car seat on ebay for ?62. I wouldn't usually buy a car seat second hand but I trusted the seller and it is immaculate.

Unless you are minted, don't be persuaded by "fashion". Your child really won't care and if the yummy mummys at the swings in Dulwich look down on you come and find me and we can be deeply uphip together.

If you drive, do you need a matching car seat that can slot into the main body of the pushchair? Does it fit in the car boot? Will it fit securely in your car (if you need to use a seatbelt beware as I spent most of the first 6 months of the life of our son sweating and swearing as the seatbelts in our ancient Clio were too short! My husband was very happy that we "had to" change cars!), will you want a carseat base. Can you fold/pick up the pushchair by yourself (one handed even better)? Can you get it in your house if required? How important is forward/backward facing to you?

Oh and also I belive that Graco make the Mothercare buggies so keep an eye out for the varying prices there.


Hope some of this helps. You will find that now I have remembered my password and have delurked, that I tend to ramble somewhat.... (and I've just realised repeat most of what's already been said.. Blush)

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #7
19-03-2008 12:46 PM

Ramble, ramble!! You said it Laugh

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essjaygee


Posts: 49
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #8
19-03-2008 01:02 PM

I find if you say alot of stuff, some of it might be right.

I think there's a poo/wall/will stick analogy that demonstrates my point.

Thumbsup

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #9
19-03-2008 01:34 PM

If anyone out there shares essjaygee's healthy attitude, I have an old Mothercare travelsystem, including baby carseat, which is up for grabs FREEEE if anyone wants it. It's just like a Graco, but branded Mothercare, mainly in a forest green colour, with orange (honest, not as bad as it sounds. The pushchair part is well worn and the canopy could use a simple diy repair, but generally serviceable. The baby seat is in excellent condition (having been used for a much shorter period!) and doesn't need an extra base to put it in a car. I was extremely pleased with pushchair - capacious shopping net underneath, adjustable back and easy to push. It served me very well. I can't bear to put it in the bin and would love to see it go to a good home. PM me if you would like to have a look.

P.S. I also bought a largely useless ?15 buggy (fixed front wheels are hopeless), so it remained in as new condition and I sold it on ebay for almost as much as I paid!

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Jane2


Posts: 221
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #10
19-03-2008 03:31 PM

Buggies can be very confusing! But I agree, don't go for one of the massive ones unless you are planning on doing lots of off-roading.... I had a Maclaren Techno which has been great (although probably not ideal for the first few months as it doesn't go completely flat) it is neat, really easily manoeverable and foldable (doesn't hold that much shopping though).

Another thing to bear in mind is whether if you are planning to take your buggy on the local buses. It is often difficult to get a buggy space on the buses, and some of the bus drivers can be very jobsworthy and only allow one buggy on at a time. In theory if they are all small buggies you can fit three on a bus, but if someone has got one of the big 'chariot'-type buggies it can take up all the space. I've often waited anxiously at the bus stop to see if I'd be able to get on the bus with my buggy, and if the bus is full I'd have the choice of waiting for the next bus, or folding up the buggy (which is impossible with one hand, so in the past I've had to resort to looking for a kindly stranger to hold my baby, whilst I've wrestled with folding up the buggy, and all the bags, whilst the thoughtful bus driver usually starts driving off....). So easy foldability is definitely a plus-point.

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thenutfield


Posts: 235
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #11
28-03-2008 11:13 PM

I agree with Jane2, Maclaren Techno is a very good buggy all round. Now I'm expecting another baby, have bought a Phil and Ted for baby and toddler, so I'll be over by the swings in Dulwich Park then... Blush Roz there is a new Yahoo Group for mums and dads in SE23 where we can baby talk to our hearts content!!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SE23parents/

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