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[Woody]

Chaps,

As you may or may not know, MrsWoody is expecting to hatch later this year which we are both, naturally, over the moon about. Those of you who've been down this path will know, there's a lot to learn and a lot to worry about.

Having been around babies/kids a fair bit (I have 10 nieces/nephews), my biggest worry is actually car related!

We currently have the GS and the MINI. Perfect as a pair, for now. Post children, not so sure. However....as the GS is incredibly practicle and most likely going to be the car of choice for weekends away etc, I would like to know what prams would fit in the boot.

Have any of you got any recommendations? I seem to recall reading about this before but I can't find anything on the search.

All help/tips appreciated.
Cheers
Woody

Faliing that, can anyone recomment me a car that the size of a Fiesta, has a huge boot, great on motorways, fun to drive, ideally with leather/nav etc and return 50mpg and is less than 5 years old. For £5k.

 

[cobratwin]

Yeah it's not gonna work mate I suggest you look at getting a black Alfa 159 2.4 TI And do a straight swap for you GS that would be a much better solution. Just so happens I know where there is the exacts car you need.

 

[mjheathcote]

It won't be a problem getting a pram in the boot...just no room for anything else!

 

[conaero]

This should fit:

...well, it is Friday!

 

[Woody]

Yeah it's not gonna work mate I suggest you look at getting a black Alfa 159 2.4 TI And do a straight swap for you GS that would be a much better solution. Just so happens I know where there is the exacts car you need.

Funny you say that, I've been looking at them today! Love 'em. Though, I have been told that they're underpowered....

It won't be a problem getting a pram in the boot...just no room for anything else!

Aye, thats the worry. I dont like having stuff all over the inside of the car either....gets right on my wick!

This should fit:

...well, it is Friday!

Cracking! At least it'll fit in the boot! Nice and compact, plus doubles as a toy! That there is a 'win-win'!

 

[dickygrace]

Woody,

I have one, goes in the Mini with one seat folded down, and fits in the Gransport. Loola Bebe Confort. I'll mail you a picture. We don't need it an longer and you can have it for nothing if you wish, but I know most mums like everything new. It's £350 for the full travel system, includes the pram which reclines, a car seat which can clip straight onto it when you remove the top and a base to stay in the car which saves loads of hassle. I looked everywhere, should have a degree on the subject!

 

[Woody]

Sounds good Dicky...I'll give it a google!

Yeah, I think my wife wants new but I will run it past her! We've spoken about it and we'll certainly make use of hand-me-downs, but for some reason, I think she wants a new car seat/pram.

To google...

 

[dem maser]

I have put the quinny in the 3200 with a few bags of shopping

 

[dem maser]

Swap the mini for those big minis??
Do good offers now.....

 

[drellis]

its not fitting the pram thats the problem, its all the other guff you end up taking when going away on holiday, i have a six month old and when visiting the inlaws i had to buy a roof box for a saab 9-5 estate as could not fit everything in, and just chopped in my alfa 166 for a audi s4 estate for extra space, also an estate is just so much easier to get the pram in and out, and do nappy changes on! So get rid of mini, have to say its early days but the audi s4 4.2 i have just got does seem to tick every box (numb steering though)

 

[dem maser]

Its not ideal but you could get a quinny in and not a lot else, maybe a bag or so.....

We havebeen using the 1 series to get about and its small....

Our next car will be s giullietta (on good finance deals) or a used saab with roof racks....

 

[TridentTested]

and just chopped in my alfa 166 for a audi s4 estate for extra space,

I had a 166 when our little 'un was a baby. I thought the 166 had bags of space: 500 litre boot, one of the biggest around, certainly a lot bigger than the 159.

Woody, it all comes down to your other half's perception of what she must have for her baby. Remember, it will be her baby - that's rule number one.

Babies actually don't need much stuff, the problem is babyhood has become another consumerist marketing opportunity cynically aimed at new parents when they are at their most vulnerable. I think we managed to buy every single milk bottle and feeding cup on the market - and there are hundreds, believe me.

This consumer binge is mostly, it has to be said, on the mother's side. When my partner went back to work after maternity leave I was a stay-at-home dad. I made an effort to go to dads' groups to get out and meet others. Over the few years I went to them you could always tell it was a dads' group before you walked in the door: no buggies outside, just a couple of bikes with child seats. All the dads in these groups made their toddlers walk, or stuck them on their shoulders, or carried them on their bikes. Mums' groups on the other hand would be wall to wall £700 "travel system" buggies bigger than your average 4 x 4 and filled with consumer tat.

Yes baby will need a car seat and I can understand if Mrs W wants to buy new, there is a logic to knowing it hasn't been involved in a shunt. Maybe I shouldn't admit this on open forum but our first rearward facing one was borrowed and two weeks after our daughter was born I saw a 9 months to 4 years seat (Maxi Cosi Priory) sitting beside the wheelie bin of the flats opposite. I took it, put the cover through the washing machine and kept it until we needed it. That did us until last year. You don't need to spend tons.

I would fully recommend the push chair we used, the Bugaboo Bee. I see they have become very popular so others have endorsed the choice. It is light and folds as small as 'stroller' types but can be used from birth. The stroller types only work from six or nine months, which means you end up buying a pram type for the first few months. Pointless and expensive. The Bee will see you from birth to three years no problem. I'm pretty sure it would fit in the boot but what we did was strap it in the passenger seat and Mrs TT sat in the back with baby - where mothers want to be anyway.

With all the other clobber it's just a state of mind. You don't need a special 'changing bag' - any bag will carry a few nappies, I used to keep a spare one in my jacket. You don't need a massive folding travel cot, try one of these. Cheaper, lighter, smaller - and insect proof if you travel to sunny climes.

Exciting times. And pay heed to all those who will tell you to treasure every moment; they are right, and the moments pass so quickly.

Keep us posted

 

[dem maser]

I love my girl....i laugh to myself thinking about her

My wife wanted a bugaboo and almost got it for £800 until i went mad and she wet for a quinny instead at £300

Its all marketing rubbish.....buy a good buggy, a maxi cosi baby seat and your done

 

[TridentTested]

Its all marketing rubbish.....buy a good buggy, a maxi cosi baby seat and your done

Never a truer word.

No doubt the Bugaboo travel systems are as dear as a set of P-Zeros but the Bee was £300 when we bought it.

I know friends who have done with a £15 stroller from Argos. It works.

 

[dem maser]

My mum has a £50 mclaren that is excellent for when she has her.....

I regret buying the quinny....a car seat and a cheap buggy....finished....

I never bought the isofix thing at £150 and i still use the belt to put the seat in

 

[drellis]

The Alfa 166 did have a huge boot but even though a 2004 model it did not have isofix and crash test score not great so went, lovely car though , the Audi ain't as

 

[bigbob]

Great news. I remember that stage well and all my car related research. I sold an SL500 and bought my 3200 when my wife was pregnant with #1 if that helps.

What you need to do all depends on how you take holidays. If you want to go round Europe for a couple of weeks then you need a bigger car IMHO - rental or owned. If you don't then the GS will be fine. There are plently of travel systems on the market. They are largest when children are young. Once kids are over 18-24 months old then the space they take reduces appreciably. Don't sell you car just keep it and see how everything settles.

 

[mjheathcote]

One reason why I sold my Elise last year was because I wasn't using it having a 2 & 6 year old. Hence the Maser with the rear seat and a boot (the Elise boot was really tiny, but a Quinny Zap fits!). So with you already having the Maser, no problem!
It does get better after their first birthday, no steriliser required for a start.
My kids love going out in the Maser, my daughter hangs her bag on the pop out peg for a start!...and they understand no shoes allowed in 'daddies special car'...you will soon understand why if not!
You really could not have a more practical Italian Supercar!

 

[Brendan]

Mine are 8 and 10 so we are in the stage of:

Slamming the car doors
Wipping shoes on back of seats
Crumbling stuff up and trampling it into the carpets
Sticky sweets
Rubbing wet hands over windows
Hiding their rubbish in the car
Leaving toys in the car

 

[2b1ask1]

With my youngest celebrating his 12th Birthday yesterday I put myself in the 'experienced parent' group..... Yes I agree with pretty much everything that has been said:

Baby No1 had their own large bedroom decorated as a nursery with a cot, crib (I hand carved it myself), changing cabinet & multi-function facilities in the cabinet (nappy draws basically), baby bath, multitude of interactive cot toys, in the rest of the house there was a sterilizer, bottleing plant, miriad of speciallist cleaning equipment, buggy and starter car seat nest combination, silver cross (Edwardian chrome and coachwork style) pram, baby bath and yes a trip anywhere involved many bags of goodies....

Within days, the crib was moved beside our bed and room was made for the million and one gifts recieved!

Car changed from a pick up truck to a Fiat Uno 3 door.

Baby No. 2 I think the only new items were a toddler top seat for the silver cross (totally impractical but one of those motherly status things) a new stage 2/3 seat for No.1 a one behind the other double pushchair that was massively expensive (about £600 in 91), totally impossible to fold down and impossible to stear! followed by a sucession of other twin buggies, side by side and one behind, none of which worked.

Car changed to Fiat Regatta 4 door saloon.... and trips out involved far les items, just one bag with nappies and a change of cloths for each and that was it...

A few years break and a supprise = baby No.3!

Built a very large extension to double the size ofthe house, new bedrooms all around, and a whole load of new baby things as they had all been given away with the exception of the cot and crib that were brought down from the loft! Ah yes and a new converting nest car seat converting to pram and buggy combo concept that actually worked but got destroyed in the Isle of MAn at the TT's!

Car had been changed to a Hyundai Coupe so we bought a Fiat Useless (people carrier) as well! Trips out involved well not a lot really, spare change of cloths and nappies left in each car for each child and a packet of baby wipes and carrier bags to contain the fallout!

Very quickly baby No. 4 then baby No.5 (millenium child); off to see the Dr to get fixed....! Any number of pushchairs and boogie boards, I lost count or care...

People carrier changed to Kia Sedona (has already been reported just how awful that was), suffered for 5 years. Realised that actually we rarely travelled as a whole family and got shot of it for a van for me and the first Aygo for Jeanette, yes 5 kids and only a 4 seat car! With 3 in the van if we needed to we just took both. Some time later I got an old MkI Discovery with 7 seats and that doubled as a van and weekend people carrier. We have kept the Aygo although we are on No.2, the Discovery went and I'm back in a van for work with back seats (giving 6 when needed).

Plus there is Baby No.6 but she is blue and garaged....