What Pushchair Suits My Lifestyle And My Baby, Best?
What pushchair suits my lifestyle and my baby, best? Is a common question many new mums are asking especially in these times of economic uncertainty. There is the need to make the most of the limited resources avaliable.
In simpler times, I would have said, your lifestyle, your knowledge of pushchairs and having a budget would help immensely.
The Prevailing Indices
But today, the indices of choosing a pushchair, is the above and more. Chiefly among them, being the current global crisis and its impact on our finances.
The cost implications of buying a pushchair is between £90-£2000 or more, depending on what you want to go for and the accessories you may choose to add on.
As a new mum, you would have to measure this dent on your finances, against the dire consequences of the pandemic on our livelihoods as indicated by the World Economic Forum.
In its recent publication, How coronavirus has hit employment in G7 economies, the organisation said:‘’The global outlook is not positive –– the UN’s International Labour Organization predicts 1.6 billion informal economy workers could suffer “massive damage” to their livelihoods. In the second quarter of 2020, COVID-19 may cost the equivalent of 305 million full-time jobs.’’
As grim as this may appear to be, knowing the distinct features that sets baby carriages apart as highlighted in my previous post, your routine or lifestyle and having a budget will continue to be relevant in answering the question: What pushchair suits my lifestyle and my baby, best?
For the purpose of this post, I would be referring to all baby carriages, with the generic term pushchair.
This is for no other reason, than for consistency throughout this article. As you already know, I have explained the differences between the commonly used baby carriages in the previous post.
A Time Like No Other
It’s a fact that having a baby changes everything. More so, having a baby in these uncertain times calls for bigger adjustments.
A practical way to go in deciding your choice of pushchair, would be to first evaluate your present circumstances including your cash flow, and how it’ll impact on you, when baby arrives.
For example: Will I be moving from my current location? Do I still have a job?Are questions you might need answers to.
There has been a lot of job losses so far. Certain schools of thought predict that, even more people are currently unemployed without knowing it!
Whether you are adversely affected by the current situation are not, having a new baby in itself is a huge milestone and will change your life in more ways than one.
# Knowing your lifestyle
Once you have been able to ascertain what the changes will be, you would have a clear sense of what your routine or lifestyle will be like in the times ahead.
But, in order to know yourself, you may want to answer the questions below:
- Am I going to be commuting a lot by car or would I be going on the bus or train?
- Am I going to be walking?
- Am I going to be a stay at home or a nine to five mum?
- Do I intend to have more than one child?
- Do I have to take the baby to a childminder or a creche?
Mind you, these questions as mundane as they may seem, could help you in no small way in answering the question: What pushchair suits my lifestyle and my baby, best?
Also, knowing yourself is an effective tool in understanding which mum category you would fit into.This, in turn will help determine what pushchair is most suitable for you.
Other Important Factors
Equally as important as knowing your mum category is having a plan and a budget, which is how much you have avaliable to spend and how you may want to go about spending it.
# Your current financial situation
The big question here is,do I have enough resources?
As earlier stated, a lot of livelihoods are been affected by this pandemic. The effect of this is limited and scarce resources.
I would reiterate as I have in the past that you can always ask for help from the pool of human capital you have available to you. You don’t have to go overboard with your spending.
You can also buy a preowned pushchair , but you must ensure that they comply with the latest British Safety Standard BS EN 1888: 2018 or BS EN 1888: 2019 or the European Standard ECE R44/04 or R129 i-size.
Otherwise, make good use of discounts, sales and offers.
# Get help
In addition to asking for help from friends and family, you may want to go to the appropriate government or family support agencies for advice or assistance. And also to know your entitlements.
# Storage, manageability, and long-term use
You may also want to think about the storage, manageability, and the long-term use of the pushchair you want to buy.
Siobhan, a mother of one, insists that manageability, long term use and storage are key factors, when deciding to buy a pushchair for your newborn baby.
She said that although her 4 in 1 pushchair was very comfortable for her preterm baby, it was complicated and didn’t serve her well in the long run, in her opinion.
Siobhan said: ‘Most of the parts were not useful anymore, only the stroller was useful’’.
She also said: ‘’You should buy one that doesn’t have too many accompaniments for easy storage and easy handling.
It was comfortable for baby but complicated for me because I didn’t know when to use what’’.
Please note that every mum’s situation is uniquely different as what doesn’t work for one, might very well work for the other. Still, it’s good to be aware of such things.
Now, that we have asked ourselves some pertinent questions and considered the other important factors that will help us in our quest, I shall go on to explain the four categories of mums, and the types of pushchairs, they should consider.
The Four Categories Of Mums And The Type Of Pushchairs They Should Consider…
- The Growing Family Mum
- The Car Owner Mum
- The Train And Bus Mum
- The Outdoorsy Mum
As a mum of four, I have lived a life that has so far reflected almost all of the four categories of mums, I’m going to be telling you about.
For this reason, I can safely say that your lifestyle, finances and your future intentions are very important, when choosing a pushchair for your baby.
An introspective reflection on these questions would place you into one of the four lifestyle categories a lot of new mums would belong to .
In addition, it will help determine the type of pushchair, that is most appropriate for you and your baby, as certain pushchairs work better in some situations than others.
The Growing Family Mum
If you’re planning for more than one child in future, then you might want to consider a pushchair that can serve you for longerand also accommodate the next child or children.
This is like buying one pushchair for the price of two or three, as the case may be.
It’s a more economical option and also fits well into your planning well ahead of time paradigm.
If you fall into this category of mums, you will need a double convertible pushchair to accommodate your growing family.
This type of pushchair in addition to having a carry cot for your baby comes with an additional seat for the toddler. And in the event of a third child, could come with an extra feature like a buggy board or a glider board (which the bigger child can ride on) be attached to it. With this, you can have a one size fits all type scenario.
Reya, a mum of three, fits into this category. She hadn’t planned to have her babies in quick succession. Her second baby followed on the heels of the first but getting the double convertible pushchair, helped her immensely.
According to her, ‘’I had my babies 13 months apart, I didn’t plan to get pregnant soon after my first.
I had a stroller earlier on but because, the second baby came sooner than I had planned, I had to buy a double pushchair.
My older baby was under while my new born was on top, it was a pushchair that you could use for three year”.
# If you are expecting twins
In an instance where a new mum is expecting a set of twins, she can go for either of the following:
A Tandem is a double pushchair where one baby is placed over the other to allow for a narrow frame or the twin pushchair or double pushchair which is a pushchair where the babies sit next to each other or side by side.
This same kind of framework will apply for mums who are expecting triplets and quadruplets.
The Car Owner Mum
The car owner mum is the one who commutes a lot by car than public transportation. This category of mum moves baby from one location to another by car.
Busy mum, Ornella fits perfectly into this category, and wanted a pushchair that was most suitable for herself and her baby.
She said that, she was considering the size of her boot, the weight, manageability, and the long-term use of the pushchair.
She said: ”I was thinking about the size, I was thinking about my car because I had a small car, a Nissan Mira.
I wanted one that was light and easy to open and close to manage’’.
She also said: ‘’The active mum, should buy a buggy that comes with a car seat and then a pushchair.’’
She explained further that her pushchair came with a carrycot. All in all, her baby carrier served her well for a long time.
In this case, a commonsense requirement would be to have a convertible pushchair which comes with a car seat that, you can easily attach and detach from the chassis.
Another option would be a travel system because it comes with a carrycot, a car seat and pushchair. It’s a convenient way to move a baby from the car to the house or vice versa without disturbing the baby’s sleep.
The safety tips should be to consider the size of your boot, the creche or your child minder, if you use such services.This way, you would be guided against going for anything that’s bulky. You should aim for something that’s compact when folded to give room for shopping or luggage and storage at home.
Please note that the maximum amount of time a baby should be kept in a seating device is two hours.
The Bus And Train Mum
When I think about the most suitable pushchair for this mum, my experience with The Red and Black pushchair (TRBP) comes to mind.The only way to avoid any difficulty is to never compromise on manageability.
Siobhan had a 4 in 1 pushchair. She said that the tyres were maneuverable.
She also said: ‘’It had a thick rain cover, it wasn’t plastic, but it looked like plastic, so it was easy to clean.’’
Your choice of pushchair has to be one that’s maneuverable, lightweight, easy to fold and to carry in and out of the bus or train.
Top tips: Rain and sun protectors are very important to help protect baby from the elements.The wheels shouldn’t be too bulky for the bus or train aisle and shouldn’t be too small that it gets stuck into the street pavements or platforms.
The Outdoorsy Mum
An outdoorsy mum is one who simply loves outdoor activities. You will be going for walks a lot, jogging or perhaps going to the beach or be out in the woods. You’ll always be out and about on bumpy and patchy roads or maybe even just the rough lanes or pavements in the city centre.
One of the things to look out for in the pushchair of your choice is the wheels. It should be one that is suitable for every terrain- rough, patchy, bumpy, or smooth.They should be large and sturdy enough to walk all kinds of surfaces.
The handlebars should also be adjustable for ease and comfort. The recommended type of pushchair for you is the All-Terrain Pushchair.
Please note: The All-Terrain pushchair is great for the outdoors and multiple surfaces but too bulky for the public transport systems and indoor spaces.
They are also very bulky for small car boots and will be a storage challenge for a mum with a limited storage space.
Finally…
Today, we talked about, What pushchair suits me and my baby, best? in discussing this topic, we looked at the current pandemic and how it has impacted on a lot of people’s livelihood. I also told you about the importance of knowing yourself and how it influences your choice of pushchair.
For the next article, I will examine the features of a good pushchair, mums talking about their pushchairs and also some pushchair reviews.
Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below.
Reference
Thank you Ibi for another great piece. Very informative and educative too. It clearly explains all you need to do depending on your circumstances. Thank you.
However I have a question? What if one starts out as mum entering trains and buses and as you progress buy a car, but you have bought a pushchair that suits your lifestyle then, what happens now. Buy another one. And how about if you planned on only having one child and later get pregnant with twins
How do you handle or manage this situations
Appreciate your responses
Thank you
Dear Sunny,
Thanks for your comment. For the mum, who switched from public transport to her personal car, all she needs to do is to buy a separate car seat. This is because it’s mandatory by law, that young children should be strapped securely in a car seat when traveling by car.
Her car seat can be attached or detached from her pushchair with the help of adaptors, which she has to buy separated. Secondly, she has to ensure that the car seat is compatible with her car.
Another thing is, depending on the age of the baby, her can get a lie flat car seat which can be used from birth to six months or a combination car seat which can be used from birth to four years. This, I think will serve her better.
For the mum who is expecting twins, I think the best way go to go about it is planning. Obviously,her expenses have doubled, but with planning she can get a good pushchair for her babies that’s within her reach. There are affordable good quality pushchairs. I would say to start early.
Dear Sunny,
Thanks for your comment. For the mum, who switched from public transport to her personal car, all she needs to do is to buy a separate car seat. This is because it’s mandatory by law, that young children should be strapped securely in a car seat when traveling by car.
Her car seat can be attached or detached from her pushchair with the help of adaptors, which she has to buy separated. Secondly, she has to ensure that the car seat is compatible with her car.
Another thing is, depending on the age of the baby, her can get a lie flat car seat which can be used from birth to six months or a combination car seat which can be used from birth to four years. This, I think will serve her better.
For the mum who is expecting twins, I think the best way go to go about it is planning. Obviously,her expenses have doubled, but with planning she can get a good pushchair for her babies that’s within her reach. There are affordable good quality pushchairs. I would say to start early.
I hope this has been helpful.
Pls keep the posts coming Ms Enebi…very helpful
Dear Abby,
Thank you very much. I’m happy to hear that you find this informative. Please free to share.
Thanks again for another well thought out and timely write up. Especially when we have to consider the livelihoods affected by the pandemic. I must admit that you have carefully kept the narrative realistically simple and clear enough for everyone. You have even suggested buying preowned pushchair if the need arises.
Thanks a bunch.
Dear Iquo,
Thank you so much for consistently following our posts. I am delighted to know that you have found this post informative,helpful and simple enough to read. Please feel free to share. Thank you.
My favorite option is the travel system! You get everything you need for travel in one purchase. They tend to be more expensive, but not as expensive as buying each individual piece! Just My two cents!
Hi Brianna,
Thank you for your valuable reply. I know that alot of new mums will find your contribution helpful.
Thank you
Very informative and helpful post for moms looking for a stroller. When I had my babies, I looked for one with a carseat that attached. I found it made things so much easier, to be able to put the carseat directly onto the stroller. Then, when my babies grew, they could just go directly in the stroller itself. It’s definitely good to weigh all the options and know what you need for your lifestyle. Your post will help people make an informed choice.
Dear Carla,
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. This resonates so much with a lot of car owner mums. Thank you
Hi there,
It’s such a huge and important investment, especially for people with growing families. I am relatively new to the concept of a travel system. I’m now starting to appreciate why people who starting having a baby also get bigger cars.
Hopefully this article will help new parents in considering the plethora of factors involved in purchasing a pushchair.
Dear Sharon,
Thank you for your comment. You are very right to say that pushchairs are a huge and important investment for people with growing families. I have no doubt that this article will be of immeasurable help to a lot of new parents.Please feel fre to share.
Thank you
Amazing pushchair recommendations for the new mums. I highly recommend anyone checking them out who are looking for a good quality pushchair on your website.
Thank you
Habib
Dear Habib,
Thank you very much for contribution to this post. I’m glad that you found it useful. Please feel free to share. Thank you.
A very interesting blog for Mom’s
Dear William,
Thank you. I ‘m delighted to know that you found this blog very interesting for mums.