Hiya, I'll be having my baby by elective c-section on April 3rd 2009. My son will be just over 26 mths / 2 yrs 2 mths old, but we want a double buggy (either twin or tandem) as he'll get tired walking long distances and I don't like baby carriers.

We've been looking at lots of different ones on the market at the mo but the best ones (ICandy Pear, Phil & Ted Vibe etc) are all way too expensive. The good thing about these two I've just mentioned is that they convert back to single pushchairs once my toddler is too old to go in it (probably around 3 yrs?). So you're getting more for your money (albeit still expensive!) whereas if we get a twin (side-by-side) one then we've got to buy another buggy just for the new baby once my toddler is too big for the double.

So I was just wondering what (double) buggies people who've had c-sections have been buying, and why? We obviously want something that's light, easy to push one-handed, easy to fold up and not heavy to lift into the boot of the car.

I love the idea of having one that fits a carrycot (like the ICandy Pear) as I prefer having my baby snuggled up in a proper pram-type carrycot with a hood and apron and tucked in with blankets and teddies! (sorry, I'm very girlie like that!). But I don't mind a buggy that just lies flat so long as it takes a cosytoes or cocoon thing (like the Vibe) so they're all cosy. I just don't like ones where the baby's just lying in the big seat and they look so tiny and they're rolling around cos it's too spacious! (IYKWIM!).

Anyway, any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Cheers, Anita

PS - We were looking at spending £300 max.

hi, i dont know im afraid but didnt wanna read and run. i had a silver cross 3d when cameron was first bon and found this extremely hard to get in and out of the car boot. i have since bought a maclaren techno xlr and i love it, its suitable from birth and is very lightweight with a cosy toe with it.
have you considered getting two like this and the clips that cconnect them together? cant think where iv seen the clips, perhaps kiddicare.com. that way you can use it as a single when your toddler has grown out of his pram.
xx

I can't help with the c-section side of things but I just wanted to say if your 'big' one will be 26 months then don't buy the I-candy. The seats are tiny, the manufacturer says they are suitable for up to 3 but Millie is only 2 and I think she would be really uncomfortable in them. I've got a Phil and Ted's sport and I love it, it's a little bit cheaper than the vibe and tbh there isn't very much difference between them, you can still get the cocoon for a newborn (although my fat lad grew out of that at about 6 weeks ) If you aren't bothered about 2nd hand their are always quite a few on E-bay which are obviously cheaper than buying new.
xx

Just remembered, my sister in law has the same Phil and Ted's sport as me and she had a section with her second so I am guessing that using it wasn't a problem! She doesn't really drive though, you might find it a bit heavy to lift in and out of the car while you are still recovering.
hth

Hiya i've got the Jane Powertwin, we bought it new when youngest was born last august, eldest was 18 months at the time. Eldest will now be 3 in feb and youngest is 15 months and its still going strong, it has plenty of room for both of them (its a tandem) and is easy to push with one hand and get through doorways etc. It is however heavy to life in and out of the car boot and you need a big boot to fit it into. We had the rebel carseat which fitted into our for when youngest was little but you can get a matrix carseat which lays flat instead if you prefer x

Thanks for your replies guys. I'd heard bad things about the Jane Powertwin (if the eldest child in the front leans out, it can unstable / unbalance it, it's hard to get up / down kerbs, and the front child can kick the wheel to lock / unlock the wheels... perhaps you can shed light on whether these are valid complaints, emmalou?!).

I'm also surprised to hear that the Pear's seats are small - I've just read somewhere that they're the widest out of all the tandems! Guess I need to head back to the store and do another test-drive! But thanks for the heads-up anyway, Bedhead :-)

Re: the P&T Sport, the front hood's too small for our toddler - what a stupid design! Wouldn't hurt them to make it a big bigger! And my friend's got one and says her 6 month old is practically in the shopping basket! So that one's out I'm afraid...

Has anyone tried the P&T Nipper 360? Apparently it can fit through 'all' doorways...? Obviously it doesn't convert back to a single though and you can't fit it with a carrycot or car seat...

The pear's seats might be wide but they are really short so they end up with heads and legs sticking over the edges! I'm a bit supprised that your toddler is too small for the hood on the sport, Millie is quite tall for her age (26 months) and she fits under it. If you don't want the second child in the shopping basket (not actually as bad as it sounds lol) then the Vibe might be out as well as the design is exactly the same at that point.

I think you may have combined two pushchairs with the P&T Nipper, there is a P&T Sport Double (which is a side by side) and an Out and About Nipper 360. They are essentially the same pushchair, imported by the same company, although I think the P&T version may be slightly narrower. My little sis used to work for an independant Nursery shop and she reckons that the Nipper was the best double pushchair on the market. Unfortunately it was to wide to fit onto any of the paths around us or that is the one I would have gone for.

Can you tell I spent aaaggggeeeesssss researching pushchairs before my second was born lol
xx

I thought the Nipper 360 was made by Phil and Ted and called 'Out n about'? Are they two different pushchairs then?! Oh jeez, just when I was getting my head round them all...!

Our son doesn't fit the Sport hood when the newborn seat is in - apparently the front seat is higher up when you have a newborn, and you can lower it when the baby's 6 months, but it's too small already and the baby's not coming till April!!

I see what you mean about the PEar's seats - they do look rather short, although I thought / assumed they had footrests? They do recline, don't they?

Am def gonna have to have another test-drive...!

Ive never had a problem getting it up kerbs or found it unstable BUT you are bang on about the wheel lock. It is a small catch located on the side of the front wheel and nearly every time my eldest is in it he manages to kick it so then the wheel locks and it takes a bit of fiddling to unlock it again. Thats th eonly problem ive had though x

Hi

I am having a c section at the end of march beginning of april, and we've just bought the mia moda compagno twin.
Ollie will be 22 months old, so just under 2 when the next one is born. Obviously as I'm having a section I don't plan on going anywhere alone for the first couple of weeks, so after that moving the pram around will be easier.
The moda is lightweight, not much bigger than a normal pram, it doesnt overbalance in any way because - it fits a car seat facing you and the back is the best bit. It has a seat for the older child, and they are harnessed in completely but can alternate between sitting down and standing up on the buggy board.
It does also have cup holders and other fancy stuff...

It's only £200 brand new, but we found one on ebay (on special offer at the moment with a free matching foot muff that normally costs £30) for £177 inc delivery.
So we've bought it.
The car seat that fits it is about £70, so in all compared to other twins its cheap

Plus once the older child is walking most of the time, they still have the buggy board if they want it, or it can be used as a normal single.
The seat at the back is perfect, not too big, not too small, and it makes a great platform for shopping bags once the eldest stops using it

http://www.miamodainc.com/

click on the twins section - or its called the compagno.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mia-Moda-Compagno-Twin-Tandem-Pushchair-Nero-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ350120260373QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350120260373&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

its really easy to push one handed (we tried in the shop we saw it in, with Ollie in it) and is easy enough to get up and down kerbs.
ITs a one handed folding mechanism, and it folds up to no bigger than our 3 wheeler does, and fits upright in the boot of our meriva, along side the dog......

Cant really rave enough about it

Sorry for waffling

HTH

Stephe
xxxx

Hi ,

I have a 15 day old who was delivered by elective c-section and a 26 month old son! I had the same dilemas as you.
I have to say I agree with bedhead about icandy pear I thought when I read about it, that it would be the best option but its not so great in the flesh.

I went for phil and teds sport which I am loving! I can push it no problem and although I shouldn't be lifting I can get it in and out of boot already!

The hood isn't really high enough for my son but so far this hasn't been an issue I don't put the hood up and the raincover still fits well.
I also have the maxi cosi car seat adaptor which is great and although they do not recommend it I have used it with doubles seat on and the balance was fine!

Gail xx

I wish I had thought of this issue before my dd was born!!
I only have one child and don't need a double but I have a Jane Slalom with a matrix car seat and I couldn't use either on my own!!
I had to leave the car seat in the car b/c it's way too heavy and I had to buy a 2nd lighter stroller (OBABY) because I couldn't lift it in and out of the car on my own.
My recommendation is DON'T BUY JANE if you're having a c-section! They are all really heavy and presumably the powertwin is even heavier!

If you're daughter is 26 months do you think she might be ready for a buggy board? Would she always want to sit in the stroller?

My friend has a 3 month old and 24 month old and she puts the 24 month old in the stroller and puts the baby in a sling for now but she plans on getting a buggy board very soon anyways once the 3 month old gets a bit bigger and heavier in the sling.

Just an idea, it works for my friend and it might work for you...

Oh sorry Anita, I just realised you said you don't like carriers...

Maybe the buggy board is still an option for your little guy....

Hi hmvdb, thanks for your message. I'm not keen on buggy boards to be honest - they look awkward and I've seen people walking to the side or far behind the pram to avoid kicking it, and I don't like the idea of my son throwing a tantrum on one when crossing the road, and flinging himself off it, plus if he's to tired to walk he's likely to be too tired to stand! He walks at the moment but only for a little while and then he gets too tired, so he's in the buggy most of the time around the shops particularly, as it's much easier than trying to convince him to go in your direction (without causing a tantrum!). I'm hoping he'll need a buggy till he's at least 3 so I can get some use out of it, plus it's so much easier pushing 1 (double) pushchair rather than having him in one hand (possibly throwing a tantrum or dawdling) and pushing a buggy with the other. Thanks for the heads up on the Jane Powertwin, I've heard awful things about that to be honest! I still think I prefer the Icandy Pear but it's so expensive, but a cheaper alternative is the Nipper 360 double which I do like, but I'm not sure it'll fit on the bus without me obstructing the aisle (my car's not very reliable so I need something that'll go on public transport if necessary, and I obviously can't be doing with the bus driver telling me to collapse it cos I'm blocking the aisle!). IF anyone's been on a (low-loader) bus with a double (side-by-side) pushchair with no probs, please let me know which one you're using! Thanks :-)