Anyone NOT get a double stroller for a newborn & toddler?? (long!)

[bubbaray]

DD#1 will be nearly 3 when this baby is born. DD prefers walking now. The only strollers that she willing rides in (and even then, not always) are the BOB Revolution and Silver Cross Micro. Occasionally, she asks to ride in the Atlantico. She does not like the MBUS. We don't use our Chariot Jogger much, but she does like the Trek (made my Chariot) bike trailer....

Anyway, I'm wondering if I really "need" a double?? DD will still be going to DC/preschool while I'm on maternity leave (12m) with the baby. So, a lot of my time with the new baby will be using a single. On weekends, DH thinks it will be easier to use 2 singles. I'm not convinced on that one and would love to hear from more experienced moms on that.

I've contemplated the BJCSD and am very tempted to get that as a all-purpose double. Its about the same weight as a Mac Twin Techno and as I have a van, fitting it in the car isn't a problem. I love the fold and new colors are cute!

I've considered a SitNStand type stroller. Not sure if DD will be the right age? Also, can the toddler sit on the rear if the front seat is reclined or has a car seat in it (yes, only rarely).

Also considered the P3 or Zippy with toddler step, but I don't think this will work in newborn mode. If the Chicco C1 came with a toddler step, I'd be all over that (loved my Chicco 2002 and should never have sold it!).

Other contenders are a double Chariot bike trailer with stroller wheels (seems bulky for a stroller).

Not interested in an MBUD (never dealing with MB's customer service again!). No more children after this, so don't need something like a double with toddler seat option (Valco or ABC).

We are both tall, so Combi's are out.

I'd consider a BOB Revolution Dualie, but I'm concerned with the one front wheel. Are they tippy side to side compared to something with 2 front wheels like the BJCSD? DH and I are both VERY impresed with the BOB Revolution single (though the lack of a recline would be problematic with a newborn).

Lastly, I will be having a scheduled c/s for medical reasons, so I'm worried about how I will cope with a double stroller for the first few weeks post surgery. For that reason, weight is an issue.

Any ideas?!


Melissa

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[Momof3Labs]

We've used our Venezia exclusively for the last 5 months, and are thrilled with it. Logan can lay flat and snooze if he wants, and Colin can hop on the footstep when he is tired. It's not the best all-around stroller, so I do plan to sell it in maybe 6 months, but it works great for the age difference we have.

[bubbaray]

Thanks Lori. I'd forgotten that the Venezia also had the footstep.

If you do end up selling it, keep me in mind. I'm a Swap member and have 100% positive feedback on ebay!


Melissa

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[MommyAllison]

First of all, congratulations! :)

Second, I have no personal experience to offer, but I have a good friend with 2 kids 23 months apart. She has 2 singles, no doubles, and has survived. No, it is not always pretty, like when we go shopping, garage sale-ing, etc. but she makes it work. When her DH is with her I think they still just use one single (kids are now almost 1 and almost 3) and chase/hold the non-riding child. So, I would say it is doable, esp since yours will be further apart, your DD will be in preschool, etc. But, I will still get a double stroller when we have #2. HTH a bit!

Allison
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[bubbaray]

Thank you -- on both accounts! :)

I really appreciate that feedback. I don't know anyone with kids this age (we're old, our friends mostly have teenagers or kids in college!). That's good to know that your friend does make it work with singles -- I thought my DH was insane to even suggest it. Apparently, he is in good company, LOL!

Thanks again

Melissa

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[Emmas Mom]

Just wanted to chime in on the Sit & Stand. We have one & it works fine for our age gap (which is similar to what yours will be). And yes, your toddler/preschooler can sit when the infant seat is in the front part. It's big & bulky but we got a new one for a steal so we use it. My older DD really likes her "big girl" seat & the fact that she can sit down or stand up. Go figure....they're easy to please at that age. ;)

[bubbaray]

Thanks for the help!

Can you use the Sit N Stand with a newborn? Does it recline pretty flat?? I'd prefer to use it without the infant car seat (DD#1 hated hers).

Also, do you have the Baby Trend one? Or the Joovy or the new Fisher Price?

TIA!

Melissa

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[Tanya]

Well, I think it totally depends on your situation. I'm expecting my 2nd when my DD will be 3 years and 5 months old. I went ahead and got a P&T E3 because it can be a single or a double. I didn't want to push a bulky double around when my DD walks a lot of the time. We have a membership to our zoo though and she still rides in a stroller there a lot. There are also times at malls or wherever when I just want her confined and I'm sure there will be more of those times when I also have a baby with us and can't just leave everything to go get my opinionated 3 year old. Anyway, my DD will be in preschool two days a week for 2.5 hours. My DD has always LOVED to go out. She hates staying home, so that was another reason I got the stroller I did. I still want to feel like we *can* go out. I don't take another adult with me to the zoo typically.

I also debated on whether I needed a double and I feel like I made the best decision for *us*.

Oh, and I believe the sit-n-stand type strollers have to take the infant seat for newborns. I don't think there's much of a recline, so I think the instructions say to use the actual stroller seat after 6 months of age. In my opinion, that would mean anytime the baby could sit up well enough. Until then, you'd have to use the infant carseat.

Tanya

[bubbaray]

Thanks for the info.

We've looked at the e3. No way would DD EVER sit in the rear position. Never in a million years, plus she'd play with the wheels (though I think the new ones have wheel covers). But, I know my not-so-keen rider and she hates being confined (I think that's why she d/n like canopies).

If she liked riding, I'd consider something like the Jane Powertwin, but honestly, I think I'd end up with her walking so much that its not worth it.

Thanks for the info on the Sit N Stand. It might work for those limited times I'd be out with both in the first few months.

Thanks again.
Melissa

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[Emmas Mom]

No, it does not recline all the way, you need to use it with the infant car seat. It has 2 recline positions...sitting up & semi reclined (has to be in this position for the infant car seat). I have the Baby Trend one:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1154121614/ref=sr_1_1/601-4010540-0723318?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000BMJ6VG

[Piglet]

I have a double, but seriously have not used it in MONTHS! Even before, I think I used it a dozen times since DS2 was born. I even bought a double Mac thinking that I will use it more than a big Graco or whatever because it was lightweight, easy to fold, etc. NOPE! Didn't use it! What a waste of money - I better get pregnant soon so that I can at least use it with DS2 and DC3, LOL!

[Momof3Labs]

>If you do end up selling it, keep me in mind. I'm a Swap
>member and have 100% positive feedback on ebay!

Melissa, I'd sell it to you even if you didn't, lol! I'll keep you in mind (I may also hold onto it if we decide to go for #3)!

[Tanya]

Well, we've only used our E3 as a single so far, but I don't strap my daughter in or use the napper bar. She understands that she has to tell me if she wants out so that I can stop. I just push the stroller up to see animals at the zoo and instead of lifting her constantly in my pregnant state, she will stand in the stroller (I'll hold her hand to keep her balance), sometimes even in the seat if she needs to be higher.

Since she'll always be the heavier child, she'll always be in the front of the E3, so I will probably have more of a fight with her WANTING to get into the back when she's borderline getting too heavy.

She can climb in and out of the E3 without any problems as long as I leave the napper bar off. She likes it better than her other strollers and it's less dangerous with her climbing in and out of the E3 than it was our old single...and it's less lifting for me.

Anyway, I think kids go through phases. DD refused to ride in grocery carts for awhile. Now she'll ride in the car ones. She refused to ride in the stroller for awhile and just wanted to walk. Now, she sometimes asks in the mall and always asks to ride at the zoo for a good part of it. She's 3 years 3.5 months. I think she started the refusing to ride stage when she was 18 months. I can't remember how long it lasted though.

As for the wheel covers, it doesn't come with them, but you can buy them as an accessory. I'll just wait and see if I end up needing them later for the baby.

You just have to see what you need for your own situation. You can always do a wait and see approach too and see what your DD is like when your baby is actually born. There's a big difference between 2 years and 3 years in my experience. I actually liked age 2 better than 3.

Tanya

[jkogan]

we're a few months away from #2 entering our lives and are considering a sit n stand. what brand(s) do you use and what do you like/dislike about it/them?

- Jeff

[southern_kali_gurl]

AJ will be 3 next month and so far he has yet to be in a stroller since C was born. We took a trip to the zoo and I thought for sure he would be asking to be in the stroller or held by the end of the day but he did just fine. Usually AJ will stay close to the stroller but he has gotten away from me a few times and I do wish for a double at those times but I know he will not sit in it so instead of running after him with a single stroller I would have been running after him with a double stroller. :)

It's still early though so maybe we will end up with a double but at this point we're doing fine without one.

HTH!

Araceli
Mommy to two wonderful boys!
AJ 08.03
C 05.06

[mom2kate]

I have 2 with that age spread. I ended up buying a TS for the Valco I already had and the Mac Twin Traveller. I also had a Teutonia Y2K and P3. The Valco + TS, was at best, OK - I certainly wouldn't go out and buy the Valco + TS, but if you already had the Valco, then a TS isn't a big investment. My older DD could sit in it for about 20 minutes max.

The big question is how much walking you really do (and how much your older child can walk), especially around your neighborhood. I like to do a lot of outdoor walking, so there were a few months where I wished I had just gotten a all terrain double. However, after about 7 months, my older DD was able to ride a bike outdoors and I didn't need a double anymore. The price of an all terrain double would have not been worth it to me for such a small period of time.

As for the Mac TT - I have a niece who is almost the same age as my younger DD, so we've used it more for them than I did with my oldest. I only used the Mac TT when travelling (which I did a lot of in the first 4 months - admittedly I'm a bit insane that way). I doubt I would have bought the TT if I didn't know I'd use it with my niece. We never used it for errands as my older DD would just walk.

We used the Valco and the Y2K as singles on the weekends and that worked really well.

I love the P3 with the 2 and use the step all of the time now - my older DD loves it, but we could start using it until youngest was 5 mo. I would really think about that longer term - it works so well.

So unless you are doing to do some serious outdoor walking after your older child is out of school , you may be fine with just singles. I would definitely just wait and see what you need after you have the baby.

Good luck

[atlcombs]

Hi! I just had my second DD 5 months ago and we did not buy a "true" double stroller. We bought a '05 single Valco Runabout with a toddler seat. That way, we had a place for both kids without having to have a wider and less manuverable double stroller. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my Valco and both kiddos seem to be fine in it. When we have only one around, we take the toddler seat off and voila, a single stroller. We did a lot of shopping when I was pregnant and this worked the best for us. I did look at a MBUD, Mac TT, E3, and a Combi. The Valco was what won us over, and when the oldest said, "Mine." =) Hope this helps and good luck to you!

~gina