Baby prams...or carriages in my day...

[suespud]

1967, a Royale Pram in Navy Blue. I think Sue's Mum bought it for us.

It was very much the tradition for the grandparents to buy the pram and the cot for the couple's first baby. Does that tradition still carry on?

Indeed it does, it was lovely to go along with the parents to be and have some fun watching them choose.
But what a shock it was , when we realised these days..that a new system is required for each sibling that comes along.....
So we have bought 5 single and a double... So far......hopefully that will be all...

Goodness! Sorry, not having grandchildren, I am obviously out of touch, but why a new pram/buggy for each one?

Indeed Gill!!! Probably because they are used day in day out for nigh on 2-3 years, shoved into the back of cars, bags hung on them...etc. Then of course they will be shabby and dated...for the next child...

[oldbluefox]

All these sets of wheels around. We'd have been in seventh heaven with so many options for our soapbox buggies!!! You never see them nowadays.

[Boris+]

Silly question Sue -

And this is something which could potentially quite annoy me - I am getting the impression that with some of these modern 'travel systems' there has to be (by law) a base plate thing which has to be fitted in your car. Maybe if you have more than one car you have to have more than one base plate (Isofix?). Ok, but what is possibly a bit annoying is that some makes (or is it most makes) of travel system don't accept the use of items from other ranges.

So for example if the car seat we have bought is not the same make as the travel system which is going to be ordered by our daughter and her husband, then potentially our car seat won't fit their Isofix base plate. If that is correct, then whatever they select as their car seat and Isofix base plate will dictate the make of the rest of the items to cope with the baby growing.

So, I reckon that one of the reasons for you buying all those items (apart from doing it out of love) is that it's this modern travel system idea?

I still think that coach built prams are lovely - but I don't think we are going down that route.

Em

[GillD46]

Indeed Gill!!! Probably because they are used day in day out for nigh on 2-3 years, shoved into the back of cars, bags hung on them...etc. Then of course they will be shabby and dated...for the next child...

I'm obviously more out of touch than I'd thought Our three all used the same pram, but in fairness we did buy a new buggy for each one, not because they had especially worn out, but things progressed as each one came along and were easier and more convenient to use and transport. And one snapped in half in the back of my estate car when a drunken idiot crashed into my car when it was parked outside at a friend's house.

[Andrea S]

Sue, Your last comment " hopefully that will be all".

From the age of your Grandchildren and your closeness to them you could be a Great Grandma years before you get to my age and Still spending.

[suespud]

Silly question Sue -

And this is something which could potentially quite annoy me - I am getting the impression that with some of these modern 'travel systems' there has to be (by law) a base plate thing which has to be fitted in your car. Maybe if you have more than one car you have to have more than one base plate (Isofix?). Ok, but what is possibly a bit annoying is that some makes (or is it most makes) of travel system don't accept the use of items from other ranges.

So for example if the car seat we have bought is not the same make as the travel system which is going to be ordered by our daughter and her husband, then potentially our car seat won't fit their Isofix base plate. If that is correct, then whatever they select as their car seat and Isofix base plate will dictate the make of the rest of the items to cope with the baby growing.

So, I reckon that one of the reasons for you buying all those items (apart from doing it out of love) is that it's this modern travel system idea?


I still think that coach built prams are lovely - but I don't think we are going down that route.

Em

I have my own set of car seats, (age appropriate of course) which stay in the car. I have my own buggies..double and single.. makes life much easier. When OH is home we use one of his cars, so seats can stay where they are, in mine.

[suespud]

Sue, Your last comment " hopefully that will be all".

From the age of your Grandchildren and your closeness to them you could be a Great Grandma years before you get to my age and Still spending.

You know Andrea, that did cross my mind....
Oliver, is 6 now...I'm 57 next birthday... So yes I guess I could be a great grandma in my late 70's...
Oh my word.....

[GillD46]

My late mother-in-law became a great grand mother at 65 which s only 5 years older than I am now and I don't have any grandchildren. Nor am I likely to sadly.

[Boris+]

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the input - I don't know what to do ...... I didn't really want to go and get our own 'wheels' - I'll give it some thought.

Meanwhile - and yes, this is naughty - have you seen the new Paddington Bear clothes on BabyGap today? Aaaaaw!

Em

[suespud]

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the input - I don't know what to do ...... I didn't really want to go and get our own 'wheels' - I'll give it some thought.

Meanwhile - and yes, this is naughty - have you seen the new Paddington Bear clothes on BabyGap today? Aaaaaw!

Em

I just have basic buggies in the car, umbrella style fold ups, for the length of time the babies are in them..just for school runs etc.

We had the nursery done out with Paddington bear for our second child. Not seen Baby gap range yet.

[Boris+]

Hi Sue,

You've just got to have a look - it's so cute!

When I was expecting, we were told that we were having a boy. So - our nursery was duly decorated (just painted) a very pale yellow, but all the cot bumpers and duvet covers and quilts for home coming were hand embroidered and hand appliqued with trains! The going home from hospital outfit was basically white, but with a little embroidered bib (more trains) and boots, mitts and hat edged in blue - and she looked very cute in it.

So, from hard experience, although we have been told what this baby might be (in terms of girl/boy) I'm not going to say anything until it's here - and then we'll know.

Em

[suespud]

Scans are pretty good theses days..a lot more detailed. Unless the baby was hiding its bits when he/she was scanned..the sonographers are usually accurate.

[Boris+]

Hi Sue,

I know - but once bitten ..... etc!

Em

[david63]

Reminds me of the story of the doctor who never got the gender wrong.

He would say "Mrs Smith you are going to have a boy" and then in his diary he would write "Mrs Smith - girl". If it was a boy no problem but if it was a girl he would just show her the entry in his diary!

[greenfish187]

I had a silvercross coach built for my daughter and she is only 7
I bought it from e bay it came with the bag and i bought the cat net and sun canopy and rain cover
It was racing green,i loved it only got rid of it as i was trying for another baby and thought if i sell it i might fall but didn't
Everytime i went out i always got comments of how nice it was and what a shame you don't see them much anymore.
It was great for changing her in downstairs too and loads of room under the pram for shopping
My daughter loved it too as she could see all around her
I had a silvercross carrycot for the car which had a pushchair with it
I don't like to see babies in these travel systems i like to see a baby flat.Just my opinion
I also used proper nappies

[Boris+]

Hi David,

Because I had problems when I was expecting it was private all the way. Every time we had an appointment there was a scan. All the time the words used were 'little chap, him, his, he ....', nothing feminine was ever mentioned.

Thing was, we had done the nursery, and selected names for a boy and never dreamt it would be a girl, so when she was born I had a nano-second of shock and then had to select some names pdq.

So, it's blasted difficult at the moment, and the baby shower is being done in very non-gender sort of colours! As for names this time - I think it's going to have a serial number as they can't decide on names.

Em

[Boris+]

Hi Greenfish,

Back in the day I can clearly remember the colour schemes that two friends had on their coachbuilt prams. One friend had a little girl, and her pram had a white body with sort of dark moss green coach lines on it, and the hood and apron were also the dark moss green, and then on the body of the pram was a plaque with a delicate pink rose and leaves painted on it - and it looked so lovely, and she had pale pink blanket etc inside. My other friend had a little boy, and that pram was a mid-dark coffee body and hood and apron, and it was very stylish.

I really think that little babies should lie flat - we'll just have to wait and see what our happy couple decide on!

Em

[gfwgfw]

I manage to just about afford a second-hand Marmet extravaganza

Used by our babes, then advertised and snapped up post haste for almost the price that it cost me

The much beloved was so proud of her shiny Marmet and it's lovely passengers

Halcyon days

Graham

[ItsmeAnnC]

I think medical advice is still to lie babies flat - that's why these car seats, and chairs like them, have the warning that baby must not stay in it for more than two hours.

[Delboy]

A coincidence, but my niece has just put a connection on her Facebook site, that Posh Tots Clothing, have a prize for a Silver Cross Pram to the value of £800 on their Facebook page.

To enter you just have go onto the fb page and tick like on the page, a random draw will be made within the next nine days.

http://www.poshtots.com/Apparel/17/PoshCategory.aspx

[CaroleF]

I had a Marmet Pram too - brown with cream interior. I used it for both my girls and they were still using it up to about the age of 2. When my eldest daughter had her first baby we said we would buy the buggy - pram. I didn't realise we would practically have to take out a mortgage to buy it! She got a Bugaboo - well has anyone tried to put one of those together! Believe it or not it came with a DVD showing you how to put it together. My daughter said Nonsense of course I can put it together - well about 10 frustrating minutes later we sat and watched the DVD. She now has a second child - now 18 months - and I still don't know how to collapse the buggy! Bring back proper prams - actually I still have a Marmet like mine. I got it second hand when the first grandchild was expected. My daughter said she'd never use it but amazingly she discovered the baby could lie properly flat so it got used a lot around the village - and she got lots of comments about how lovely it was to see a "proper pram".

Carole

[Boris+]

Hi Carole,

What a lovely colour scheme - very adaptable for either a little girl or a little boy.

I bet you've got some smashing memories.

Em

[suespud]

Well, my daughter and her husband have finally agreed on a name.....
He is going to be called William.
But again...his other grandmother is getting his name ( like she did for Ramsay) embroidered on a silk(polyester) cover for the silver cross pram she has..
Sooooo chaverish.....chavish ??
I don't like stuff like that at all ...initials/ names on cushions etc.
Each to their own I guess.

[GillD46]

I like William - but not so sure about the embroidered pram cover

[suespud]

I like William - but not so sure about the embroidered pram cover

Same here Gill...lol