[ausbokkie]

Hi all,

Apologies if this has been covered before. I am a total pram rookie and am currently making the most of all the sales to buy for baby #1. When looking at prams, most of them say they are suitable for newborns. But then some of them offer a bassinet attachment at extra cost. Being on a budget, I'm just wondering if the prams, as they come, are really suitable for a newborn. What is the benefit of the bassinet attachment? I would be very grateful for any advice!

[peppergemm]

Hi!Hard to know first time around! With my first I did buy the extra bassinet and found it to be good. My ds was an April baby so it made it easier to keep him warm and he slept well in the bassinet. BUT it wasn't a double pram so with baby 2 on the way I've now bought a new double. It doesn't have a bassinet, ill be using a capsule that goes from car to pram. I wish I had that first time because ds used to always wake up going from car to bassinet! Hope that helps

[KRT]

Suitable for newborn means that the seat can lie down completely flat. It's really all you need. The attraction of the bassinet is that your baby faces you and can be removed (in the bassinet) from the pram if they're sleeping. The downside is that with lots of them you need to remove the bassinet from the pram to be able to fold the pram.

Depending on the pram, you can often get secondhand bassinets really cheaply on eBay if you decide you would like it.

I didn't like my pram with bassinet, but it wasn't a good size for my car and my baby refused to sleep in the pram while walking *sigh*. I much preferred using a sling/carrier - but lots of people love their prams and find the bassinet really useful.

[feliz6]

We bought a bassinet because DH insisted on it!! We hardly used it so I donth think it was worth the money. DS didn't seem to like being in it and he grew out of it very quickly.

[wenbart]

We got the bassinet with the pram with our first, and we used it heaps. We also got the stand for the house and it was used as his bed as well. He was a big baby though and had grown out of it by the time he was 14 weeks old.

With the next two, it was used as their bed only because I couldn't use it and the toddler seat on the pram!

My sister also used it for her daughter as her bed, and my cousin has just used it for her son as well!

So we have had plenty of use out of it in the end. It is still in really good condition, LOL! But I guess it only got exposed to the elements with our first!

[Jillian_10]

I have a 2 storey house. For the first few months my son slept next to me in his pram bassinet - I could push it wherever I wanted downstairs and I could have him near me, rock him. Loved it. I know other people who barely used theirs at all. If you dont mind, get one second hand. Otherwise, for my money, $165 for 3 or 4 months of use didn't seem that bad.

Please note that sleeping in the pram is not recommended, etc. I made the risk analysis for myself and felt fine with it, but that's just me. As soon as he could roll we stopped using it.

[Justaduck]

Suitable for newborn means that the seat can lie down completely flat. It's really all you need.

Not necessarily. The Steelcraft Cruiser says suitable for newborn but it only tilt reclines, it does not lay 180degrees flat. I would not want it for a newborn at all. They are always in the bent shape that the stroller sits in & I am trying to get rid of mine (a replacement brand new one too as the first one had all the padding come undone within 2 weeks.

Avoid Love'n'Care Delta - they have a known fault where a piece gets bent. I have had it happen, then get repaired (they use a hairdryer to mould the plastic back into shape). Then demanded they replace the part, then happen again. I then made them swap it for a brand new one, and had the same issue once again. Otherwise they are good for the price you pay.

Have just got a Valco Matrix Dart Plus for $329. that comes with the bassinet (for next time around) but the stroller on its own lies flat, or maybe to 170degrees. The bassinet is included in the price.

[Ellie_83]

Hi!Hard to know first time around! With my first I did buy the extra bassinet and found it to be good. My ds was an April baby so it made it easier to keep him warm and he slept well in the bassinet. BUT it wasn't a double pram so with baby 2 on the way I've now bought a new double. It doesn't have a bassinet, ill be using a capsule that goes from car to pram. I wish I had that first time because ds used to always wake up going from car to bassinet! Hope that helps

Hi,
I'm also first time mum to be and looking into prams.....what type of double did you get, as i was thinking that one that comes with the toddler seat attachment option for later may be a good option, just worried about the weight though, so wanted one that folds without the seats in it.......
Cheers
Ellie

[Eirinn]

Not necessarily. The Steelcraft Cruiser says suitable for newborn but it only tilt reclines, it does not lay 180degrees flat. I would not want it for a newborn at all. They are always in the bent shape that the stroller sits in

Yep, I would not put a newborn in anything that wasn't an actual flat surface. I got a bassinet attachment for my Quinny pram, but hardly used it as I loved babywearing so much. Have you considered buying a carrier instead? It is so good for both the baby and you!