Love/hate your pram? Love shopping? Help me!

[taika]

I'm starting to feel like I've left this whole pram puzzle a little late to figure out... please help me, please!

Did you like or dislike the pram you bought? It seems so much money to spend and get it wrong so I'm instead having a crisis and being indecisive.

Here's what I think I'm looking for:
- Something small, or at least narrow. I live on the sixth floor and the lift is tiny (84 by 64 cm, I measured it the other day!). There's also not much space to leave the pram downstairs and I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable doing that anyway. Because of this easy to fold (one-handed?) would be good too.
- Something suitable from birth, so it must lie flat or have a carrycot part or, um, I'm not sure how they work or what's best.
- No need for a carseat as we don't have a car. I'll mostly be walking or taking public transport. This makes me think small is better too. Hopefully easily maneuverable too - so is it better to have turny wheels rather than fixed ones?
- I think I'd prefer four wheels for stability.
- Light if possible, just in case I have to lug it up the stairs with a baby under one arm.
- Front and rear facing if possible. Is this as important as I think it is? My OH thinks it's not an issue.
- The wheels can't be tiny because it has to withstand a Finnish winter.
- I think I can get most brands here, but obviously nothing that's Mothercare/Babies-R-Us only or anything like that.

So... any recommendations or any that you think I should stay well away from? What brands are good?

I'm also thinking about babywearing and then just getting a pram in a few months when LO can already sit up... would I get exhausted carrying her all the time? I think I might need another post about that actually - I have some slings but I'm not sure they're the right sort of thing

Help me out! Choose me a pram! And thanks a million in advance

 

[purple13]

there are only a couple of parent facing pushchairs that i can think of... and neither really fit your criteria. i've got one of them (loola) and its great - but its heavy and wide.

the city mini baby jogger is great - light, easy to use, one-handed and v quick folding and it lies flat so is suitable from birth. BUT its not parent facing; that's important to me too, yet i still really like this pram.

my advice?

get a sling/carrier (i use a baby bjorn most of the time) and have a pram as a secondary mode of transport - i only use mine in certain circumstances and find the carrier far easier; connor prefers it too.

if your pram isn't being used as often then you can decide what you can afford to compromise on

 

[Gem & Leland]

mine fits most of that BUT i dont know about the width , ive got the 3 wheeler verson but it comes in 4 too

britax vigour 3+ ( or 4+ is a 4 wheeler) ill measure how wide it is when its up tho ! but it has big puncture proof tyres so perfect for your winter and it parent faces , ull need a carry cot for from birth tho BUT this can be used as your moses basket so thats one thing less to buy !
http://www.britax.co.uk/index.php?optio ... Itemid=331

 

[BabyMagic]

I have Bugaboo Cameleon and I absolutely love it. It is very light to push (you can do it with one hand only). The pram is suitable for a newborn (a true lie flat) and has a carrycot part (you switch it to another part at 6 months). This is actually the reason why I bought it as I spent some time in my home country Suomi this summer and I wanted something that LO could sleep in at night (I ended up co-sleeping with her so no need for that).

The mattress is far better than in our moses basket!

It has 'turny' wheels - I think they call them swivel wheels. It is easy to change from rear to front facing.

The front wheels are smaller, but you can buy separate wheels for snow. It doesn't come with a car seat but it fits Maxi Cosi. You can choose from different colours (you can have different base and top colour). We have it in sand (both top and base).

Having said that, it is not the smallest but it does fold. They also do Bugaboo Bee which is their new smaller size, but I doubt it's truely lie flat (I doubt any of the smaller ones are???).

I've seen these prams in Helsinki too - not that they seemed to be as common as where I live.

I chose this pram as I stopped people on the streets and everyone who had Bugaboo Cameleon seemed to be happy with it. Most of my friends have the same pram and love it too (one has so far had a puncture though).

I just wonder what your budget is as Bugaboo is not the cheapest?

 

[BabyMagic]

Forgot to say that LO cried her eyes out when in a pram until about 5 weeks, so a sling was a saviour!!! Now it's the other way round, she only likes to sleep in her pram, and gets cranky in a sling if she is tired.

We have a kari me sling and it's really nice. It takes time to get it on, but LO is really comfortable in it. It has different positions (cuddly for a new born, tummy to tummy when a little older and now LO is facing the world). In the early weeks LO was in a sling a lot as she would cry otherwise. It made her feel safe and I am sure allowed her to become the confident little baby she is now!

 

[andreag]

In your circumstances I would be tempted to go with a sling and see whether a pram is necessary in the early days. I used the pram alot for my first but I can see me using the sling alot more for my second now I have found such a comfortable one (and number one is still in the pushchair!) I have a parent facing pram/pushchair and I wouldn't recommend anything else - the interaction is fantastic - but they to tend ot be too big and bulky for your needs.

We started off with a Freedom Tomy sling which was awful, so I ended up making a pouch sling. It is the first time I have followed a sewing patern (I had only done curtains and cushions before) but it was dead easy and the result is fantastic. I made a couple for me and my husband and we can still carry her for hours (and she's neary 2 stone now) without it being a problem. Pouch slings are great for neworns and develop with the baby. Once the baby is older, the choices for buggies are greater and there would be more to suit your needs. If you can't sew, there are plenty of pre-made ones available. Be sure to get the best fit, as this will ensure the weight is evenly spread.

The only problem with the sling I could forsee is if you have alot of bags to carry back - prams are great for loading the shopping into. It might be easier to get some wheels for the shopping!

Good luck

 

[littlepip]

I had a loola when ryan was first born but found it VERY heavy and bulky and the wheels always got trapped in door ways! so when ryan was 7 weeks old i got a petit star zia and i LOVE it!! Its from birth, its very light, i can put it down with one hand and up with one hand and its nice and cosy and suitable from birth!

 

[taika]

Thank you lovely ladies! You've really helped me get things clearer in my mind

get a sling/carrier (i use a baby bjorn most of the time) and have a pram as a secondary mode of transport - i only use mine in certain circumstances and find the carrier far easier; connor prefers it too.

if your pram isn't being used as often then you can decide what you can afford to compromise on

I think this is what we'll do. We have a baby bjorn carrier (and a couple of others!) so I think we'll start with Millie in that and then decide what we really need in a pram once she's here. Unless I see something great on special offer of course

mine fits most of that BUT i dont know about the width , ive got the 3 wheeler verson but it comes in 4 too

britax vigour 3+ ( or 4+ is a 4 wheeler) ill measure how wide it is when its up tho ! but it has big puncture proof tyres so perfect for your winter and it parent faces , ull need a carry cot for from birth tho BUT this can be used as your moses basket so thats one thing less to buy !
http://www.britax.co.uk/index.php?optio ... Itemid=331

This one is definitely on my list as a possible for when we do get something - thanks!

I have Bugaboo Cameleon and I absolutely love it. It is very light to push (you can do it with one hand only). The pram is suitable for a newborn (a true lie flat) and has a carrycot part (you switch it to another part at 6 months). This is actually the reason why I bought it as I spent some time in my home country Suomi this summer and I wanted something that LO could sleep in at night (I ended up co-sleeping with her so no need for that).

Hei! I hope you were here while the weather was nice - Finland can be so lovely in the summer. You'll also probably understand my big excitement of this week too: I got my äitiyspakkaus yesterday! It was so much fun to unpack everything and go through it

As for the Bugaboo, that one looks really nice and it's more easily available over here than the Britax one. Mind you, the price is scaring me somewhat... I'll have to talk it over with my OH and see what we can afford. Do you think the separate snow wheels would be necessary? We live right in central Helsinki so I'm wondering if we could get away without them. What do you think?

In your circumstances I would be tempted to go with a sling and see whether a pram is necessary in the early days.
We started off with a Freedom Tomy sling which was awful, so I ended up making a pouch sling. It is the first time I have followed a sewing patern (I had only done curtains and cushions before) but it was dead easy and the result is fantastic. I made a couple for me and my husband and we can still carry her for hours (and she's neary 2 stone now) without it being a problem. Pouch slings are great for neworns and develop with the baby. Once the baby is older, the choices for buggies are greater and there would be more to suit your needs. If you can't sew, there are plenty of pre-made ones available. Be sure to get the best fit, as this will ensure the weight is evenly spread.

The only problem with the sling I could forsee is if you have alot of bags to carry back - prams are great for loading the shopping into. It might be easier to get some wheels for the shopping!

Thanks for this, I think we will now be starting out with a sling. We have a baby bjorn, what I think is a mei tai from the 70s (my mum gave it to me saying she'd never used it as she couldn't work it out), and a papoose sling (like this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0279519128). Is that the same as a pouch sling? I'm a bit worried about how safe it feels but I can't think of a way to try it out properly before baby's here! I think carrying her plus shopping might be a bit beyond me though, so I probably won't wait too long before making my mind up on a pram

Thanks littlepip for your tip too... I really want to avoid getting the wrong pram first time round so all recommendations are really helpful

 

[BabyMagic]

I have Bugaboo Cameleon and I absolutely love it. It is very light to push (you can do it with one hand only). The pram is suitable for a newborn (a true lie flat) and has a carrycot part (you switch it to another part at 6 months). This is actually the reason why I bought it as I spent some time in my home country Suomi this summer and I wanted something that LO could sleep in at night (I ended up co-sleeping with her so no need for that).

Hei! I hope you were here while the weather was nice - Finland can be so lovely in the summer. You'll also probably understand my big excitement of this week too: I got my äitiyspakkaus yesterday! It was so much fun to unpack everything and go through it

As for the Bugaboo, that one looks really nice and it's more easily available over here than the Britax one. Mind you, the price is scaring me somewhat... I'll have to talk it over with my OH and see what we can afford. Do you think the separate snow wheels would be necessary? We live right in central Helsinki so I'm wondering if we could get away without them. What do you think?

We were in Finland from 21 May for seven weeks. One of our places is in Mikkeli (in the lake district) and it had snowed the week before our arrival. I used to love lake swimming and stupidly did this time too when the waters were still a little on a chilly side. It can be soooooo refreshing, but I got mastitis (luckily mild though). Overall the weather wasn't too bad - it varied from warmish to a bit cooler. The colder weather ensured that there weren't many mosquitos or 'paarma's (biting flies???) around which was great.

I don't qualify for the aitiyspakkaus as I don't live there. It is a very good incentive though - you get so many useful free things in it. I think they could improve the colours a bit though...

Not sure how long you have been living in Helsinki, but tbh I wouldn't worry about the snow tyres. If you go for the Bugaboo you could possibly find out how easily they are available if you need them later on. The weather in Helsinki has changed dramatically in the recent years. When I was little we could ski/skate throughout the winter, but nowadays the snow doesn't seem to even settle properly. The Bugaboo is pretty good with its standard tyres too - I use it on Hampstead Heath pretty much every day. Not sure if you know the place but the paths are REALLY bumpy and the Bugaboo is fine. Obviously the snow is a different kettle of fish...

We still love our sling. The Baby Bjorn is supposed to be really good as well. My understanding is though that it isn't necessarily suitable for a new born (too much pressure on their bums?? ). Your slings may be better to start with if they allow your LO to 'lie down' instead of being held up if you know what I mean.

 

[taika]

We were in Finland from 21 May for seven weeks. One of our places is in Mikkeli (in the lake district) and it had snowed the week before our arrival. I used to love lake swimming and stupidly did this time too when the waters were still a little on a chilly side. It can be soooooo refreshing, but I got mastitis (luckily mild though). Overall the weather wasn't too bad - it varied from warmish to a bit cooler. The colder weather ensured that there weren't many mosquitos or 'paarma's (biting flies???) around which was great.

I don't qualify for the aitiyspakkaus as I don't live there. It is a very good incentive though - you get so many useful free things in it. I think they could improve the colours a bit though...

Not sure how long you have been living in Helsinki, but tbh I wouldn't worry about the snow tyres. If you go for the Bugaboo you could possibly find out how easily they are available if you need them later on. The weather in Helsinki has changed dramatically in the recent years. When I was little we could ski/skate throughout the winter, but nowadays the snow doesn't seem to even settle properly. The Bugaboo is pretty good with its standard tyres too - I use it on Hampstead Heath pretty much every day. Not sure if you know the place but the paths are REALLY bumpy and the Bugaboo is fine. Obviously the snow is a different kettle of fish...

We still love our sling. The Baby Bjorn is supposed to be really good as well. My understanding is though that it isn't necessarily suitable for a new born (too much pressure on their bums?? ). Your slings may be better to start with if they allow your LO to 'lie down' instead of being held up if you know what I mean.

I love getting out to a mökki and having sauna and lake swimming - haven't been at all this year though because I'm quite allergic to mosquitoes and midges and I don't think I can take my anti-allergy meds while pregnant. Mind you, there's so much rain at the moment I don't think it's really the weather for it! I hope your mastitis cleared up quickly, I hear it can be really painful. I read one tip that Savoy green cabbage is good for it but I've never been able to find it in Finland... unless I'm blind to it somehow there's only white cabbage here it seems.

I've been here nearly seven years now and even in that time I've noticed a difference in the winters. It's sad - I really like the definite seasons you (used to) get here but last winter was just an extended autumn really. Barely any snow and just rain, rain, rain. I'm hoping for a better one this year, even if it means extra tyres for the pram! I know Hampstead Heath pretty well too - I was living in London for quite a while before moving over here. The two places are so different but I love them both, which does make it rather hard to decide to live in one permanently: I'm still thinking I might move back to London one day. This is further complicated by the fact my OH is French and feels the same about Paris - I wish we could just know which country should be home! I saw you were thinking of going for British citizenship... I hope that means your family knows where it wants to be? I suppose if you can manage long holidays in Finland you really can get the best of both worlds

Thanks for the sling advice too - hopefully with three different ones we'll find something that works for us and supports her properly

 

[BabyMagic]

I saw you were thinking of going for British citizenship... I hope that means your family knows where it wants to be? I suppose if you can manage long holidays in Finland you really can get the best of both worlds

Thanks for the sling advice too - hopefully with three different ones we'll find something that works for us and supports her properly

My parents are totally behind me getting a British citizenship. I may not be going back to work, which would mean that LO and I could spend summers in Finland, some time in Dubai during winters (my OH has some business interests there) and rest of the time in the UK.

My family loves coming to London too (and are looking forward to escaping to Dubai in winter). The flight is so short (I lived for a while in Australia and South Africa and could really 'feel' the distance) that it is not an issue to pop over for a few days.

Luckily it is easy to travel between Helsinki, London and Paris. The Eurostar is very handy so I guess living in Paris or London would make it easy to travel between those two cities. Having said that, I am sure that after living in Helsinki for seven years you start feeling quite settled down. Helsinki is a great city. Some Finns can be a bit narrow minded though (not to mention their binge drinking habits, I dare to argue that they are worse than Brits ).