One of the most important, and potentially more expensive purchases you'll make will be your pram or pushchair. The choice available can be mindboggling – so here's our guide to help you decide what's right for you and your baby.
Laid Back
Your baby is going to need a pram or pushchair that can be adapted to a horizontal position for the first three months as they'll spend a lot of time sleeping and will not yet have the strength to hold their heads up. After that you can put your baby in a buggy, but try and find one that gives you plenty of flexibility on incline, to make it comfortable for your child when they're sleeping.
Face To Face
If you can, try and borrow or buy a pram or reversible buggy for the first six months or so which allows you to have your baby facing towards you. Eye contact is really important for babies and it'll be much more interesting for both you and your baby to be able to see each other when you're pounding the streets!
In Training Prepare yourself to be bamboozled by the choice of buggies on offer. Find a store where the assistant can give you practical advice on what will suit you, as well as showing you how to fold and set up the chairs. All those levers may look incredibly complicated (and some are definitely more tricky than others) but don't worry - you'll soon be an expert at collapsing it at a moment's notice.
Suits You A good sales assistant should ask you about your lifestyle and home to help you find the best buggy for you. Questions you should ask yourself include the following:
Will you be using public transport a lot? If the answer is yes – a lightweight buggy that collapses easily will be of paramount importance.
Do you need to go 'off-road'? If you think you'll want to go jogging, or walking across parks or beaches with your buggy, perhaps a three-wheeler would be the best choice.
Will there be more than one child using the buggy? If your other children still need to use a buggy, you'll need to look at double buggies, or perhaps a buggy board.
What's On Offer? RK's guide to the pushchair ranges you're likely to come across:
Pram or carrycot
Allows the baby to lie completely flat, usually facing you. Three-wheeler
Sturdy and great at covering all terrain, but this can be heavy to lift. Travel system
Three-in-one system comprising of a car seat which can then be attached to wheels to turn it into a buggy. Usually includes a carrycot as well. Lightweight
As all mums will tell you - everyone eventually buys a Maclaren Volo for travelling with. It's one of the lightest on the market. Designer
Fashion has caught up with the pushchair and from Bugaboos to Stokke there are designer styles all over the high street - at a price. Whether you want to pay for something that might be completely 'out' in a few months is entirely up to you!
