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Bringing up baby

(45 Posts)
NanKate Mon 12-Jan-15 15:55:03

My DinL was horrified when I said I use to put my DS down the garden in his pram everyday. Anyone else do this ?

annsixty Mon 12-Jan-15 15:59:53

I think those of us over a certain age all did NanKate they were well wrapped up and in PROPER prams. We had a carport and in wet weather they would be put under there.

Leticia Mon 12-Jan-15 16:05:35

It would depend on your garden and type of pram-I expect that most people wouldn't have appropriate conditions these days.

FlicketyB Mon 12-Jan-15 16:10:53

I did with DD and she would sleep for hours and hours and hours. She was born in May and it was a long hot summer. DS was born in October and would only sleep in his cot in his bedroom. Even at a few weeks, if I put him in a pram in the garden, or in his crib in the living room, our bedroom or anywhere else other than his bedroom he would cry himself into a state until I put him back in the one place he was prepared to relax and sleep.

Ariadne Mon 12-Jan-15 16:12:45

Mine - spring / summer babies, spent a lot of time in the big pram, watching the leaves and the balloons I tied to the trees. They had to have fresh air - that was the law.

Digression - I was once pushing my big twin pram, with a baby at one end and a toddler at the other, hoods up, up to the shop when we lived at Lee on Solent. There was an absolute gale blowing, and I was only out because, as ever, I had forgotten something. I was accosted by an elderly lady - clearly a retired nanny (gaberdine mac, uniform hat) who congratulated me on bringing them out - "This wind is full of oxygen, my dear!" So there you are.

Agus Mon 12-Jan-15 16:27:04

Always put my two out in the garden. Summer nets to stop bees etc getting near them and storm covers on colder days.

DD1 was a summer baby and preferred to lie on her tummy. When she had a bit of nappy rash, I applied egg white to her bottom, left her uncovered and the addition of fresh air cleared up the nappy rash.

tanith Mon 12-Jan-15 16:28:29

Yes always put mine in the pram outside, I suppose things are a little different nowadays , I'd be a bit wary of leaving a baby outside alone even in the garden.. such a shame times have changed so much..

harrigran Mon 12-Jan-15 17:23:15

I put both of my babies out in the garden, of course in a proper pram. One was born in March and the other in December but hail rain or shine we were out walking, only one that suffered was me as I got drenched.

loopylou Mon 12-Jan-15 17:43:28

Both of mine went out in the garden in the big pram, with a cat/fly net, under a tree where the baby could see branches moving.
The dog we had when DD was a baby would lay by the oram and come and get me if she woke up, and we did live in the middle of nowhere.
Back then you would see a baby left outside a shop too, wouldn't dream of doing that nowadays.
Walked miles pushing that pram, toddler on pram seat when number 2 arrived....

glammanana Mon 12-Jan-15 18:06:12

I always had mine out in their big pram all weathers DD was a summer baby and she had fat chubby brown legs come October,they always had a cat-net over the pram just in case but I never had any problems,even when left outside a shop you wouldn't even mind if anyone stopped to chatter to them,so sad things have changed over the years you can't even smile into a pushchair now without the mum thinking you are a mad woman sad but understandable.

rosequartz Mon 12-Jan-15 18:09:23

Yes, all three slept in a nice big pram in the garden, with a cat/insect-net. With just a vest and a nappy during the long hot summer, and wrapped up all snug in the winter.

You could strap them into those prams; when I was given a more modern pram to use for the DGC I found there was nowhere to attach the harness so I couldn't use it after they got wriggly.

rosequartz Mon 12-Jan-15 18:09:45

Not all three together, I hasten to add, they are not triplets! grin

vampirequeen Mon 12-Jan-15 18:59:10

We didn't have a garden so me, the baby and the pram went for a long walk everyday.

Mishap Mon 12-Jan-15 19:04:56

Yes - they used to sleep in the garden - with the cat/insect net of course. They used to love watching the leaves blowing around and it kept them quiet and happy for hours.

rosequartz Mon 12-Jan-15 19:07:27

vq and we did - the obligatory long walk (with the dog winding his lead around my legs!)

whitewave Mon 12-Jan-15 19:09:03

Yes - I remember that we were encouraged to keep to a routine with baby. I do remember it was bath and morning feed about 10'ish then out into the garden for a sleep. Always went out every afternoon for a constitutional before play in the afternoon. etc etc.

rosequartz Mon 12-Jan-15 19:12:05

The Routine! It sounds much the same!

All went to pot by the time number 3 arrived.

apricot Mon 12-Jan-15 19:23:13

This was usual when I had my babies in the 70s. I was surprised to learn from Mumsnet that it is still common in Scandinavian countries.
When I spotted a proper substantial pram recently, the baby's mother told me she had brought her pram with her from Sweden.

whitewave Mon 12-Jan-15 19:34:46

Made life much easier I think, Baby knew where she was and hopefully so did Mum. Mind you Mum is usually at work now so it is all immaterial

Marmight Mon 12-Jan-15 19:39:43

I had a lovely big carriage pram for my lot. They all went out in the garden under the lilac tree, cat net in situ and, in the summer, a canopy. I don't think any of my gc's had the same treatment - too busy a life and always the fear of baby-knapping wink. I walked for miles with the pram and once left it parked outside the Post Office; I had a funny feeling when I got home that something was missing.......

ninathenana Mon 12-Jan-15 22:53:01

I used to put both of mine in the garden I could never get them to sleep out there though.
The only picture I have of me as a baby is sitting up in the coach built pram in the garden. I must be about 6-7mths.

Deedaa Mon 12-Jan-15 23:30:51

I think mine were only out in the garden if I was out there. I don't know why, it's just the way it was. None of the grandchildren have got gardens so it's a non starter for them.

I've got photo's of me out in the garden in my pram during the big freeze in 1947.

NanKate Tue 13-Jan-15 07:06:18

The springs snapped on my pram during the big freeze of 1947, fortunately I thawed out. grin

mrsmopp Tue 13-Jan-15 08:09:04

Yes, just like you, I used to put the pram out in the garden. We didn't have a tree with fluttery leaves, but baby loved to watch a line full of nappies blowing in the wind. When did you last see a line full of nappies??

Bez Tue 13-Jan-15 08:24:42

The prams today have no insulation really. We have just had twin grandchildren born - non-identical boys. It was amazingly difficult to get a twin pram as DiL wanted the children one in front of the other rather than a two wide contraption. We actually had the choice of two which would take carry cot type tops - and then take pushchair seats and car seats on the same chassis. DiL does not drive so will be walking with the pram many days. The best place with most information was JLewis - the two Mothercare shops in Cardiff were totally useless with their stock and knowledge of the staff.
We bought the travel system(grin) in JL because of the sales girl. She was very knowledgeable and demonstrated the two makes they stocked. To buy the chassis, two carry cot tops and two push chair seats cost over £1K and even at that price I did not think the pram is that well insulated. Many of the pushchair types had the babies facing into the wind. I ordered the pram etc and it was stored by JL and delivered when they wished to have it. The service and the conditions/guarantees they gave us were extremely good as you would expect.
Interestingly the advice given by the manufacturers was that babies should not be in a car seat for more than two hours at a time. In effect this means that the dual purpose seats are not really recommended to have as the only seats for the babies.
The boys are now a week old and doing well - one was very small and is still in ICU but now out of the incubator etc and we are hoping everyone will go home this week and the pram will start to get some use.