# Do you need a stroller/pushchair if you are planning on baby wearing?



## Adelicia

It's always been my plan to baby wear, but I was also going to get a compact pushchair. As I'm getting closer to the birth I feel less and less like this is something I need or indeed want. I feel like I would be much happier having my baby close to me.

Am I being naive? My mum keeps telling me that I'll find carrying the baby very hard, and that after even a few weeks s/her will be too heavy to carry. Is this correct, or is it just her perception of things? Have any of you gone totally without a pushchair/stroller?

I am thinking of buying a stroller for when the baby is a 3 or 6 months old, but I don't feel it's something I need for a newborn, and if I don't get one until s/he is a bit older I don't need to worry about it being suitable from birth.


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## Lover

So spooky, I was talking to my friend about this last night! She reckons we should have a travel system too because she wore her baby when he was born and found it hurt her shoulders and back but that's because she had a rubbish Bjorn carrier. I'm confident that we won't actually need a buggy because we've done our research and decided to get an Ergo as it has so many good reviews. We have money to buy a pushchair if we need it but won't be getting one before baby is here. I'm hoping (like you) that we won't need one until bubs is around 6 months. 

Sorry I'm not much help, I look forward to seeing replies though :) xx


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## Elphaba

It's really entirely up to you, hun. I do have a pushchair although I didn't plan to babywear initially so it didn't occur to me not to get one.

I tend to use my pushchair and sling equally but could probably cope without the pushchair if I needed to. The times I find it useful are if we are planning to have lunch out as obviously with the sling there is nowhere to put Xavier down (he's too little yet to support himself in the sort of highchair you get in restaurants). Also, as I don't drive, I find it useful if I need to pick up something heavy from town as I can chuck it in the base of the pushchair rather than have to carry it and him together. Also it enables me sometimes to get a lift with a friend who picks me up from somerewhere other than my house - I couldn't carry the car sreat without the pushchair.

But of course these circumstances are particular to me and might not be relevent to you!

You could always go without one but have in mind the one you would get if you DID need one, then should you decide you DO need one, you already know which to order. Some places, like the Kiddicare website, deliver next day so you could get one quite quickly if you really needed.

ETA: In terms of heaviness - I don't find Xavier too heavy to carry at all. As long as you have a decent carrier, you should be fine. Saying that, my back has been playing up a bit this week, so I've opted to use the pushchair more the last few days. But if I didn't have the option of the pushchair, I'm sure the sling would be fine.


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## bubbles

I wear DD and have a 2yr old. I haven't bought a double and haven't felt the need to either, it is completely doable


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## Sam292

I would say it is possible but we have found ours quite handy at times. In the early days we had a moses basket for daytime sleeps but he hated it so always had a few naps in the pushchair laid flat. We didn't buy a pram, just a light weight chicco stroller and when it is heavily raining I prefer it, as an umberella can only keep you so dry. If you get the right carrier though, you wont find it uncomfortable or too heavy to wear all the time. My son is big for his age and I can still walk for hours wearing him with no trouble. Why dont you wait and see as the lady above suggested? xx


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## Aunty E

I would have a pushchair personally. I wore Mog a lot until I got pregnant again, but I used the pushchair when I was doing the supermarket shop (so I had something to put the shopping in) and when I knew I was going to be out for a few hours, as it was lovely to be able to leave her sleeping in it. I've bought a double for exactly that reason, even though I'm sure I could carry Teddy and push Mog.


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## APmama

I have probably used our buggy twice so far this year? both times it was just for a novelty ride for him lol. 

My LO is 18 months old and i wear him everyday. I wore him in a stretchy wrap (moby style) till 8 months and then in the Ergo on my back, and sometimes in a woven wrap. Obviously at 18 months he is not a tiny baby, and i have major back injuries and walk using crutches for SPD - and i have no problem full time babywearing :) 

I think people just suggest say you will need a stroller as they aren't informed about good baby carriers and methods of babywearing. I would wait and see, you may just need a very cheap stroller for occasional use once he is older. Even at this age i prefer LO up with me instead of down at knee level in a buggy, and he never likes to be in there for more than 5 minutes.


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## louandivy

If I ever have another baby I won't bother with a pushchair, but I guess it can be quite handy those first few months before they can sit in a highchair, if you want to go for a meal or something. But ever since I bought my Ergo I haven't used the pushchair so I feel really bad that my mum and her partner bought me a £700 pram!


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## Jetters

I would definitely get a pushchair, for the first 4 months I barely used it to be honest, but after that I use it a lot more cos he's got heavier- whenever I go out now I take the pram and the sling though and alternate :) (usually he falls asleep on me, then i put him in the pram to give my back a break). He's a big baby though! The pram is useful for carrying the changing bag and the shopping!


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## Adelicia

Thanks ladies :)

This is all really helpful stuff. I think I'm going to wait and see what happens. If nothing else, there are many more options when you don't need to consider the chair being suitable from birth, and there 3-6m+ ones tend to fold down a lot smaller. When you drive a supermini and live in a fairly small 2 bed house these things become a lot more important!

I have two carriers already, one I can't remember the make of and is a sort of 'outdoors' thing, and a ring type sling. I really like the idea of a wrap, but I'm going to wait until bump arrives so I can buy one in a nice gender suitable colour, as most of the unisex ones I've see seem rather light coloured, and that just seems like a recipe for a very grubby looking wrap to me.


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## lozzy21

I couldn't cope with out my pram but i don't drive. If im getting a bit of shopping in, its a nightmare trying to keep you and baby upright while youv got a load of bags on the bus, if you go out for dinner and their asleep or to little to go in a high chair you have no where to put them. Trying clothes on in a shop on your own is impossible too.


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## Zedfaca

I don't know if this is an option for you but I just borrowed a pram. It was just in my friend's way anyway and I already had a pushchair. I've only been out with the pram once in six weeks though (and hated every second of the journey!)


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## Bisous

Love that your thinking of carrying the baby most of the time as it is so much easier and makes your life more simple as you don't need to take lifts everywhere, think about putting the pram in the car, stearing it round everywhere and never having free hands!
I would suggest putting baby in the carrier you buy from a young age (i.e don't wait until they are four months old as that will cause nightmare problems!) and getting them used to it. Let them try it when they have just been fed, need a nap and you have washing up to do and then I think you'll find it a dream. I know babies who suffer from bad reflux and colic and can't lie flat on their backs in the pram so a carrier is great for this.
It is perfectly manageable to never use a pram if you enjoy this sort of scenario. However, the pram can be useful if Grandparents, for example, take the baby for a walk as lots of people worry about carrying them. Furthermore, there is something wonderful about looking down at your baby in the pram as they watch the world go by and strangers look in the pram...and you will smile and think it is bliss. 

xoxo


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## DueMarch2nd

It's worth remembering that some babies don't actually like being worn. My LO has been fine with it until lately he wants to walk but in that case he wouldnt go in a pushchair either really. The main reason I like our travel system is that if he sleeps in the car I have had the option of just taking the car seat and attaching it to the pushchair and he stays asleep. He doesnt sleep much when we are out now he is older and we are getting his new car seat any day now (waiting on being told e can collect it) but if he ever falls asleep in the car I will definitely miss that! Having said that I havent used the pram in ages. I actually cant remember the last time i used it tbh


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## NaturalMomma

I dont' use a stroller and I have 2 kids. I always wear ds2 when we're out and he's 10 months old now. And sometimes DH wears ds1 and he's 3.5 years. To me strollers are so luggy and annoying, and a carrier is easy to bring with. I love wearing ds2.


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## lori

Depends. I love my ergo, but I bought a bumbleride so I can go jogging with LO. I like to bring it along places even if I plan to wear LO, because it's nice to have the option of putting him down (I have a bad back) and it's a handy place to stash your shopping bags or whatever else while wearing LO.


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## JASMAK

I would def have a stroller. I mean, it really depends on your lifestyle and daily activities. I was shopping today with baby in the ergo, and I had a hard time reaching down and putting things in the cart. Hubby was with me, though, so I had help, but on my own it would be hard. I have two older kids and I usually put Kelana in the stroller when I pick up after school because the older two are just so tired and need me to be physically there for them for hugs etc so if it isn't raining, I use the stroller. She likes it so it is OK. She actually loves her stroller. She loves her ergo too. She is a good baby.


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## Shylovebird

I have a nine month old and I bought a second hand travel system purely for the carseat.. I used the carseat a fair bit but never once used the pram. LO loves to be carried and her weight is so well distributed in the ergo that I can still carry her easily. Everyone is different, as other people suggested it may be worth not buying one yet and seeing how you go.. you can always go get one if you would like one.


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## veganmum2be

i use slings mainly, but i do find the pram usefull, for example if im going for coffee, so i dont have to have him on my lap, and shopping, its very hard to carry a changing bag, the shopping and baby, especially if you need to make a stop to feed etc.

i dont find the weight a problem, but my LO is only about 13lbs at 5 months, but a good supportive sling shouldn't mean baby is too heavy to carry :)
x


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## Rachel_C

I think it depends how you feel about heavy bags! It's not the baby that's the problem for me (and she's still fine to carry at 25lbs), it's the changing bag plus any shopping I do. When LO was younger I used the carrier about half of the time. For any full day trips I would use the pram and for any shopping I needed to do where I wouldn't have the car to bring it home. If I did it again, I would get one of those old lady trolley things you can get like a suitcase. You can get some pretty funky ones now and they'e not expensive. That would have made things a lot easier. Now, LO walks when I would have used the carrier in the past so I only really use the pushchair or nothing.

Even if you do find you need a pushchair, if you'll be carrying too, I'd say wait until you need it to buy it because a babyless pushchair is a lot lighter than a pushchair with a baby and all your stuff in it. You'll get a better test drive of whatever you try out, if you can put baby and your stuff in it.


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