RA, pushchairs and car seats - advice please

jenzie06

Hey all,
I know that pregnancy, babies and RA have been done on the website, so apologies if I'm going over old ground.

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for pushchairs and car seats which are easy to use and won't break the bank?

My hands, especially my thumbs are very weak (for example I strained my right thumb yesterday trying to put on my swimming costume!) so its got to be lightweight with easy fastenings. Otherwise I'm going to need someone with me everytime I go out.

Hope everyone is feeling ok.
Take care
Jen

woodbon

Hi, Sorry, I don't have any kids, so don't know about the bits and bobs. Their are quite a few Mums on here, so someone with experience will be along soon, I'm sure! Good luck, Sue

julie16

Hi Jen,

Sorry can't be much help as my 2 boys are 7 and 5 and I've only been suffering from arthrits about a year.

I have isofix seats in my car which are very stable but are very painful to get out as you have to squeeze 2 bits together. There's some very light weight buggy nowadays which are good. Especially the ones that are designed to take on holiday. Don't buy one with fixed front wheels though as harder to steer.

Sorry can't be much more help.

Julie

suzster

i have a 2 yr old and my RA started when she was born.
i will say that all straps on car seats and pushchairs can be hard, but from a safety point of view thats the law, but some things to think about are :
prams, i bought a proper pram, 1stly because i think babies should be in a proper pram, but the decision was made before she was born, but i'm glad i did it! i bought a well known silver cross pram, full suspension which was a god send, i to have very weak and painful hands that get sprained at the drop of a hat, so the 'bouncyness' of the pram was great, easy to push and gentle on your hands, perfect!
i found that the pushchairs with 2 umbrella style handles were impossible, the grip you need to push them was uncomfy and after a little while my hands really ached, so the long bar style handles for me were much better.
the suspension is also important because without it (i made several quite expensive mistakes) you will feel every bump, jolt and eneven surface and trust me it hurts!!
i now have a 3 wheeled pushchair with suspension and similiar tyres to my silver cross, not sure what you call them, but you know the type you have to inflate, cannot think of the word sorry!
ir is heaven! just as easy as the pram to push, comfy for my hands and comfy for sarah (my toddler!)
my advice re straps would be to try them out, they can all be hard but some are easier than others, but try them in shops then look online for when you decide what to buy, it really is worth shopping around for the best prices!

also, baby clothes, nobody designed them to be easy on weak hands, if you need any advice on that or other stuff please just ask, pm me if you like, trust me i have been through most things already and i wish i'd had the support of everyone hers when sarah was a tiny baby!!
i hope i've helped a bit?
sue

maud48

Hi Julie
Can help with buggies but not car seats as haven't found one that isn't difficult to undo.
I've a grandson who I have custody of and still uses a buggy occasionally, also have just helped my daughter to find the right buggy for her new baby (she has back problems).
The best sort of buggy is definitely a three wheeler with swivel wheels which are incredibly easy to push. Four wheelers always really hurt my back which three wheelers don't.
I bought a Q****y which was really easy to push but found the harness was very hard to undo but possibly that was just mine so it would be worth trying one out. Also it needed 2 hands to fold so not ggod if you have to fold it a lot
I haven't found that the lightest buggies are necessarily the easiest to push so depends on whether you'll be going up and down hills and lifting it. Also using public transport limits the size.
My best buggy was a M.....care Urban Detour 3 wheeler - quite big and heavy but with an adjustable handle height (really good if you have back problems) and a dream to push.
Other things to think about are if you need a lie back seat, forward or rear facing or both - there are so many possibilities.
Really the best thing if you can is to try out as many as possible if you are able to get to a shop.
Hope this helps and let me know if I can do any more,
Maud

glitterbug

Hi Julie,

How are you? We have just bought a quinny buzz 2nd hand, we spent ages looking at prams etc that were easy for me as my hands are really bad and to be honest none seem to be very easy. The buzz however was the "easiest". We are planning to attach the maxi cosi cabriofix car seat to it, which is nice and compact but to be honest the fastening isn't the easiest.

Another reason we chose this 3 wheeler pram was due to the fact my wheelchair can fit right between the back wheels and my husband is planing to adapt it so it can attach to the pram like the disabled shopping trolleys.

Hope this helps a bit but it might be a case of trailing round and checking things out.

Good luck

Jo

dutchess

Would it be worth getting a referral to an occupational therapist either via your rheumy (hosp ot) or gp (community ot). I know where I live in norfolk the local hosptial's ot department now run group/support sessions for expectant parents etc. Just sounds really helpful as they can advise on ways to do things to protect your joints or guess recommend what type of equipment would be beneficial. Best of luck with finding the right equipment and congratulaions!
Take care
Luv Kelly

woodbon

Hi, I know I don't have babies, but I was a nanny for 4 years, even if it was, omg, years ago :!:

I wonder if you went to a proper pram shop or a department in a more expensive shop, they may have assistants who will offer advice rather than just try to sell you something.

It those sort of places still exist now!!! I feel really OLD.

Take care, love Sue

katekelly

Hiya,
When I had our youngest I found the best car seat was one that stayed permanently in the car. The one we got was expensive (£100 approx.) but it did Sarah from birth to 3 years so it was 2 for the price of one!!
One of the reasons for getting this seat was because I was scared in case I couldn't do the seatbelt up properly to keep the seat secured correctly. Having one that you left in the car all the time meant that Hubby put it in safely and there it stayed. Also when I got her out I was only carrying her weight and not that of the seat as well.
I had a Silver Cross pram and buggy that I could assemble and collapse easily. It was the same as I had for my older ones; unfortunately I could only afford to buy a second hand one and Hubby refused to push it as he thought it was a bit "Psychadelic" (sp.) and so we pooled our resourses and bought a 3 wheeler from Mothercare. It was from their Urban Tourer range and was also quite easy to collapse and assemble both with just one hand. The only downside was that it was quite large and had large wheels (these could be removed but were quite fiddly) when collapsed and so anyone with a smaller car would have trouble fitting it in their boot.
When we bought a high chair we got a Mamas and Papas one. It folded flat (easy storage), it had lockable wheels and so I would sit (or lie as it was a recliner) Sarah in it and wheel her around downstairs. It had adjustable height so I could sit at the table or on the settee to feed her and 2 trays- these were great for cleaning.
Hope this is of some help to you.
Kate.

jenzie06

Thanks for the replies guys.
I'm still researching and asking friends and family members who have got small children.
We've still got a while to go as I'm only 12weeks but I want to get the research done early. I think the best thing is to go to the shops to try them out.

Got my first scan on Wednesday - can't wait!!

Hope you are all ok today.