I love baby wearing; with #2 on the way should I get a double stroller?

[HaywardMama]

Hi! I wore my first son and he has never taken to a stroller except for long distances (which is when it's more useful anyway) honestly I've used my strollers around a dozen times since he was born. However now that he's 2 1/2 he's getting heavier to carry. So it's making me wonder about how it will be with 2 and for long day trips since we like to travel.

I'm wondering if any of any other moms who love baby wearing have strollers with more than one child.

I love the streamline of not having the bulk of a stroller but I can see having one on hand for things like our trips to cities like Boston that walk a lot that it will be useful with two.

Do you find that with 12 month and a 4 yr old that a double stroller is more useful; or baby wearing with a single stroller. Can a 5 yr old walk enough that just the 2 yr old is in the stroller?

Should I stick with our single umbrella style peg perego? A friend is selling her count ours tandem stroller which shifts into different positions for a good price. Its a streamline stroller.

If you don't like the bulk of a stroller: is streamline double easier or side by side. I've seen some pretty lightweight/slim side by side too.

Just really looking for some opions of how life really works with 2. Thanks!

[TiffanyToo]

I think I would try to manage a bit with the two children.

Then if a stroller is warrented make the expense when it is needed versus buying now only to maybe not need it.

I would also buy or make a carrier that my friends and family can use. When my son was little my child care provider was not willing to wrap him yet she was willing to wear him. I made her a Mei Tai to wear him in. I made my husband a mei tai to fit his size. Dh still uses his mei tai with our 4 year old.

You can also tandem baby wear.

[poonico]

We have a sit n stand type stroller.  I like it, but I don't use it enough to justify the costs.  I think if I had to do it again I would save my money.

[lifeguard]

Ds will be 3 just after this baby is born. At this point I have no intention of purchasing a stroller. I figure I can wear dd & ds can walk - he walks most places at this point anyway. For those times we do go a lot further & we might need to carry him dh is often with me & he can wear ds or I can bring our wagon for ds.

I'd definitely go with the wait & see - it's not like strollers are really hard to find.

[EmmyK1028]

We have a toddler (just turned 2) and twins who are almost 8 months old. We use a double stroller for the 3 of them (and someone gets carried/worn), so a similar situation to what you're talking about in that we have one less seat for the amount of children we have. We do still *have* our toddler's single stroller from when he was the only one and always talk about how it would be good to have around for when we want to go somewhere for a long time/distance (like the zoo) and we honestly have never gone out with a double and a single. It's just easier for us to put one in the Ergo than to deal with the stroller in the truck, etc.

If you do plan to forgo the double and always wear one or the other, I would recommend learning to back carry if you don't already. Sometimes, especially for quick trips to the store, the toddler is the easier one to carry since they will be unbuckled from their car seat anyway and the infant can quickly get popped in the stroller. 

I've also learned that with a big toddler, it's actually easier to carry them if you're also carrying an infant....the weight balances a bit better. I do one on back in the Ergo and one on front with a Moby (Although, they're quickly outgrowing the Moby and I'll have to upgrade to something woven or another Ergo...) 

Hope this helps!!

[drmom21]

Just yesterday I wore my 4 month old and pushed my toddler in a jogging stroller at the Philadelphia zoo. There came a point when I wanted a double stroller. I mostly want one for my husband who stays home with my boys so that he can get out with them more. If my 2 yr old was not 41 lbs I would wear them both! Have you ever done that?

[kstaelens]

Having 2 is the big unknown until you do it!!!  I was terrified about how things would work out but they always seem to work out great.  We have a single Bob that we used around the neighborhood a lot but I wore our son most of the time and especially when we went outside of our neighborhood or traveled.  When our daughter came along we prepared by getting the Chariot double.  We decided it would be awesome to have such a versatile stroller that could ride behind a bike yet convert to a stroller for walking, jogging and more!  It's been great but we don't use it very much and again I mostly wear her.

One option that I seriously considered but never ended up getting was a surf board thing that attaches to the back of a stroller.  It has it's own wheels and your toddler or older child can stand on it while it tows behind your regular stroller.  It's really cool!!!  Not sure if it will work for your stroller but you could take measurements and see if it will work plus it is much cheaper then buying another double stroller!  Here are some links for a few and I found them on Amazon too.

http://www.newbabyproducts.net/product_info.php?cPath=237_277_452&products_id=9197

http://www.landofnod.com/search.aspx?query=ride+along+wheeled+board

I hope this helps!

Kate

[LaughingHyena]

My oldest was 2 1/4 when my second was born and I was really glad of the double for the first year or so.  We got a cheep used Maclaren as I wasn't sure we would use it much and I didn't want anything that would be huge to store.

Personally I found pushing a buggy with the newborn on my front was quite hard and not great on my back, it was actually a bit easier when he was old enough to go on my back.

We did have a buggy board for a while as I thought it would be a good alternative to a double. I know some people really like them but it didn't work to well for us. I found it a bit of a pain pushing the buggy with the board attached. It was difficult going up and down kerbs with a child on the board, and or course crossing the road holding a toddlers hand and pushing the buggy with the other was a pain too. Dropped kerbs were OK but most places I need to cross the road round here I had to ask DD to step off. Another issue for us was that if DD did not want to stand on the board it was difficult for me to get her to, leaving the playground for example. With the buggy I could strap her in and distract her with a snack, there were many times I ended up with her in the buggy, DS in the sling and the board empty.