It’s the lead up to your little bubbas due date, you’re getting excited, the nursery is ready, hospital bag is packed and you’ve got the expensive pram that the sales assistant in Mamas and Papas assured you folds away into an A4 envelope. Before you know it, your baby has arrived, only much to your confusion, they are not interested in the pram. In fact they hate it. They would much rather be carried. You’re thinking ‘well there’s £2000 I’ll never get back’.
I’m sure I can’t be the first Mum to have a baby that can’t tolerate anything other than a sling?
Fear not, it wasn’t a total waste of money. Here are 5 practical (and a little silly) uses for your pram that do not involve your baby.
1. Shopping trolley
Many times I have set out to do the food shop with baby in the pram, then 500 metres from the house she is screaming already, and I end up putting her in the baby carrier. At first it felt slightly silly/pointless, pushing an empty pram and carrying my baby.
But then I got to the shops and realised how handy it was. Do you know how much shopping you can fit in an empty pram? A lot. Try it.
2. Zimmer Frame
I know they say rest after you have given birth (if you can) but a little walk and some fresh air is great for your mental health.
So if you’re feeling a little sore or fragile from birth, or maybe your back aches from carrying your little bundle of joy all day, a pram makes a great zimmer frame.
3. Sensory den
Get some fairy lights and some multicoloured sensory scarfs hanging off there and fill it with exciting new objects for them to discover and voila! You have yourself a sensory den.
4. Pet Carrier
You know your cats are dying to claim the bassinet as their own. .
Or maybe your dog is getting a little old to be walking long distances now and would rather be carted around like royalty.
We used our pram to take our puppy out before he had his vaccines! Needless to say this only happened once he hated it, (unsurprisingly) and spent the whole outing trying to jump out.
5. Heavy item hauler
Not sure how you are going to move that massive plant pot your mother in law helpfully dropped off as a gift? Or all that washing needs to go down to the washing line?
Take the weight off your back and use the pram wheelbarrow style.
And if all else fails?
Sell it, donate it, or pass it along to another unprepared parent-to-be who is expecting their baby will love it.
At the very least, your pram will have had a rich and varied life, even if your baby never sat in it for more than 12 seconds.
I would love to know, what weird uses have you got out of your pram?