How do you get the stroller down the stairs?????

mimsy7420

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:43 pm

So we have an elevator in our building for the week - but if I am home alone on shabbos and want to go out with the baby how do you get down the stairs?
Do you bump the stroller down the stairs? Can you do that with a lot of stairs (meaning more then 3 or 4 stairs?)
Also, if you are getting a lightweight stroller that you can hold in one hand and the baby in the other, then you can probably walk down the stairs. But what happens if your stroller is too heavy for you to pick up with one hand?
And what happens if you are getting a stroller that needs 2 be taken apart to be folded - like the bugaboo?? You can't carry the frame, the seat and the baby all down the stairs at once!

Just wanted to know what works for other people....

baseballmom

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:51 pm

I have bumped a stroller downa flight of stairs....what I would probably do is buy an umbrella stroller that is lightweaight and can be carried up and down either 1) With baby in it or 2) in one hand while carrying dc in the other.

Signed mother who used to live on the 6th floor, with 3 dc

rachel

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:56 pm

Before yom tov (I don't carry shabbos) I usually take it downstairs. If I forget then I ask dh before he leaves to take the stroller and leave it downstairs.

Last edited by rachel on Wed, Mar 14 2007, 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

mimsy7420

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:58 pm

I don't have anywhere to leave it in my building. The building super would go crazy if I left my stroller around. NOt to mention that someone would probably take it.

ssbarnes

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 4:00 pm

I just picked up a cheap lightweight umbrella stroller just for that purpose. It was cheaper to purchase 2 umbrella strollers than to get a double one. I got pretty good at pushing them both. I tilted them on the back wheels so that I could steer it with one hand.

yOungM0mmy

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 5:03 pm

For 9 months of DS's life we lived on the third floor, no elevator, and DH was out most of the day, so if I wanted to go out, I had to do it myself. I didnt have the bugaboo, but the quinny with the maxi-cosi carseat, pretty similar.
I usually didnt take them apart, I would bump them up and down the steps with DS inside. If I had lots of shopping underneath, and it was too heavy, I would take the car seat off, take the frame and stuff in the basket up half a flight, pulling while I climbed backwards, so I could still see DS, then run back down the half flight of stairs for DS in the car seat, and repeat 6 times!
Not so easy, but that's what I did...

nylon

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 6:34 pm

I have a Bugaboo and I live in a converted house with narrow stairs. Not fun! Luckily, there's only 3 flats, so I can leave the buggy in the hall for a few minutes. So, I take the baby out of the buggy, bring her up. Then go downstairs, take apart the buggy and fold it up, and bring it up (if I don't have shopping, I can bring both the carrycot & frame up at the same time, if I do it's 2 trips). Then they get stored by our flat door (we have space there, along with coat hooks etc).

The steps in front of the house (not many but a few of them are a very awkward depth) are more of a problem.

I'm outside the eruv, so Shabbat isn't an issue.

shoy18

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 6:38 pm

What Ive done is hold ds, and bump the stroller down the stairs empty that way its light and you dont have to worry.

Going up, Ive never had to do alone

mimsy7420

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 7:28 pm

Mommy3.5 wrote:

Baby carrier. Bump empty stroller down.

Oh! I like that idea! Thanks!

I found the stroller I'm thinking of getting is very heavy when all assembled, with seat or carrycot attached so I'm wondering if it safe for me to bump down the stairs (I hopefully will never have to go up alone).
Is it just an art that one can master?

mumoo

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 9:24 pm

like the last few posters-however you get the stroller down, do it without baby in it

funny story: my first time in Israel, a family vacation, and my sil and I are together in a museum (no idea which one). I have a double mcclaren at the top of two large flights (dd's are with dh) I went to walk with it downstairs but it got away and went bumpety bump bump down to the landing, slowed down almost to a stop before the next set of stairs. We both breathed a huge sigh-that must have pushed it over the edge as it went crashing down turning over as it fell. sil and I (we just heard a joke whose punchline mirrored what was happening) were doubled over lol. A woman downstairs runs screaming over to the stroller- I felt so bad, she had no idea it was empty

TzenaRena

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 10:19 pm

If you are going to be holding a baby in one arm and stroller in the other hand on the steps please be sensible and don't wear thin spiky heels that can get caught on the steps ch"v. I once fell down a flight of stairs holding my niece, the last time spikes were in style.
BH the baby wasn't hurt, because I cradled her with my arms as I fell, but since I couldn't use my hands to break the fall I was moderately hurt.
(My niece is now a beautiful kallah kah Smile

)

Marion

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 1:21 am

We lived in a 3rd floor walk up. And we got a travel system because we don't own a car. We carried the baby in the carrier/carseat, and we folded the stroller and left it under the stairs, attached to the railing with a bike lock.

dmum

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 2:46 am

everyone I know bumps baby in stroller up and down lots and lots of stairs. in israel we used to live on 3rd floor - big pram - no elevator - bump bump bump all day. eventually we started to leave it downstairs with bike lock, but when I had shopping it was actually easier to bump pram up rather than carry baby and 10 bags of shopping up 3 flights! btw, babies love bumping once they are abt 4 or 5 months old - turn it into a game! (plus great for your arm muscles!)

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 7:18 am

I bdavka made sure the stroller I got was one that could be easily folded and unfolded, and lightweight enough to carry down from my top floor apartment.

But regardless, if I think I might be using a stroller on Shabbos, I ask my husband to take it down on his way to shul, and then it's outside waiting for us when I go to take a walk Smile

mimsy7420

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 7:40 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

But is it lightweight enough to carry in one hand while carrying the baby in the other?

greenfire

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 7:49 am

When I had small babies - I left stroller locked up - under stairs - so did other moms - this way it was not in anybody's way ... once you figure out your routine it will get easier ... whatever that may be ... and before you know it they will be walking teens ... so enjoy them now!!!

mimsy7420

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 7:51 am

I wish there was somewhere I could leave my stroller on the ground floor.

So the general concensus is that one shouldnt bump the baby down the stairs while strapped in the stroller??

greenfire

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 7:55 am

Yeah baby shouldn't be in carraige going bumpety bump - can your hubby take carraige down on days you plan to go out ...

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 8:41 am

only1 wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

But is it lightweight enough to carry in one hand while carrying the baby in the other?

Yup. It weighs 16 lbs.Can your husband leave it outside if it's nice enough weather that you may be going out anyway (I.e., not raining) if he can't leave it on the ground floor?

(BTW, a Snap N Go which is only 40 bucks is even easier, since you can take breaks with the car seat and the frame is like 10 lbs.)