Spendy, But Worth Every Penny

As the birth of my second son approached, I got it into my head that I wanted a classic, Mary Poppins style pram. We had all of the necessities (including 3 strollers of varying sizes and functionality) from our first son, and I wanted my new baby to have something special that was new for HIM. The Inglesina and Silvercross prams had me drooling, and I began to lobby my husband for what I knew was a completely impractical purchase. I knew that this is not something I needed, it's something I wanted. The surprising thing is that our baby is now 4 weeks old and we've agreed we could not have survived this first month without it.

I shopped and shopped for the perfect pram and best price and almost decided against buying one based on the negative review from "oreothief" on this site. I am so glad I did not allow myself to be discouraged, and hope others won't be swayed by her unfortunate experience.

I ordered my pram from Dmart.com and it shipped the next day. There's no need to wait 6 weeks as the other reviewer indicated. I had it within the week and my DIY-challenged husband had no problem snapping it together. We pop the bassinet off the frame and it fits easily into the back of our Toyota Rav 4 (not a huge car) for strolls downtown.

It is breathtakingly beautiful, and very high quality. Everyone stops to admire it (and the baby inside, of course) and the baby is so comfortable stretched out, protected from the sun, not bent into a car seat and strapped down so he can't move. There's tons of space to toss blankets in with him, bags underneath -- it's as functional as it is fashionable.

The other reviewer is right that the wheels do not pivot, but you can certainly make wide turns without lifting the wheels and lifting them when you need to is not much of a chore (it becomes second nature once you've pushed it a few times). You are not buying this pram for turning performance, you are buying it for beauty and comfort for your baby. Look for maneuverability in your stroller, not in your pram. And the bouncy ride mentioned in the negative review is a bonus for me -- my baby likes the gentle jostling and is usually asleep by the time we reach the end of the drive. It's springy, but in no way rickety. I put him in it in the house, too, and can bounce him with one finger on the handle while I do other things.

Using the pram in the house is one great benefit that I had not expected. I have not even gotten the pack and play out with this baby, because I just put him down in the pram when he falls asleep and can roll him into the bathroom so I can shower, into the laundry room so I can fold clothes, into the kitchen so I can cook, etc. I love being able to keep him with me wherever I go without having to move and disturb him! And the pram is so lovely, I don't mind having it parked in the living room where a pack n play would be a total eyesore.

On the other reviewer's final note (the frustrating walk she took when her son was 6 months old), I must say that I'm not sure I see myself using this once my son can sit up. That's part of it's impracticality, certainly (that you only use it for the baby's first few months), but one that you accept when you decide to indulge. Once a baby can sit up on his own and start pulling the pram apart, he's too big to be in it (at least in the bassinet) -- this is not the prams fault.

Bottom line -- I LOVE this pram. It would not have worked for my first son when we lived in a brownstone with loads of stairs, but in our current house and neighborhood it is perfect. Even my husband has said (unprompted) that is has already paid for itself many times over.