I remember when it came to making a purchase of a pram for Ethan, that it wasn't as straight forward and fun as I'd wanted it to be. In all honestly, it was quite a bit stressful. I realised I had so many things to consider.. Did I want a travel system? Did I need all of the accessories if so? How much should I pay? So many questions whizzed around my mind. I settled in the end for the Graco Evo and it's been good to me. I'm happy with it and it's as lightweight and as easy as I needed it to be. But for new parents, or soon-to-be-parents, here's what you really need to consider when buying a pram or pushchair..
+ Newborns should really lie flat
This is to protect their backs. It's recommended that a pram for a newborn should consist of a lie-flat option. We actually, didn't purchase the carrycot for our travel system. Instead, we opted to use his newborn car seat which attached to the pram. This was fine, we were told, as long as he came out of it for a stretch every 2 hours, which he more than did. A lot of parents do this and the choice is yours, but the recommendations seem to sway towards a lie-flat option for the newborn stage.
+ Thinking about strollers
Strollers are generally introduced around the 3-6 month stage. You may not need to purchase one. The pram that we have has a stroller type attachment that comes with it as standard. Ethan could last in it for a long while. The reasons, as I understand them to be, that people opt for strollers are usually because they are more lightweight, easier to fold, easier to get into a car boot and therefore better for traveling. We're actually due to review a stroller soon and will also be holding a giveaway for one, so I will have more information on this soon!
+ What about the size?
The size of the pushchair matters. It matters that it fits in to your car boot and that there is still room for shopping to fit. It matters that you can easily get it in and out of your front door and up any steps and that there is somewhere for you to store it. Sizing also matters because it needs to be light enough for you to easily assemble and disassemble. I have a back problem, so this is something that I thought about very carefully.
+ How much should I pay?
That's a difficult question to answer. Prams and pushchairs all vary in price. Most are a couple of hundred pounds. You need to pay what you 1. can afford and 2. what you feel comfortable in spending. I would recommend reading up on potential pushchairs before purchasing them. There are a few websites, like Mumsnet around where you can actually read different pram reviews and get other Mums opinions. Shop around for prams shops online who offer a great range of pushchairs, and also head over to eBay and check out local Facebook selling groups to see if you can get your hands on your desired pram any cheaper.
Buying a pram, can at times be a little stressful, this is because you need to get it right for you and your baby. Take your time with it and enjoy testing out and playing with different types of prams before you make your final decision. :)
