Until recently the option of a Cot Seat was unique to the Pegasus range of All Terrain Pushchairs illustrating their commitment to providing parents with the ideal product for their child, now other manufacturers are having to follow - but with inferior imitations.

It also means that your Pegasus pushchair is the only pushchair you will need from birth to 4 years, in the town or the countryside, for all of your children. The only other thing you need to buy for your child to be mobile is a car seat. With some three wheeled pushchairs being unsuitable until your child is six months old and only having a six or twelve month warrantee that's quite a staggering difference.

The standard seat on ANY all terrain pushchair is not suitable for a new born baby and is not recommended for a young infant  - British Standards require manufacturers to label their pushchairs as not recommended for a child under 6 months old.

Health professionals insist that new born babies must lay flat, because it gives them:

• correct spinal position for healthy development during that rapid growth in the first six months

• freedom of body movement for comfort

• the ability to turn their heads to be sick (apologies to prospective parents for the graphic detail but this is actually quite important)

Some manufacturers offer reclining seats which are sometimes mistakenly represented as a solution to the problem of how the pushchair can be used from birth, but they are innapropriate for a new born baby. In some cases these pushchairs would not comply with the basic British Standard (BS 7409 1996) for pushchairs if tested in the reclined position because the child's head would hit the ground before the frame if tipped over backwards. So they have it tested in the non-reclined position.

Q. So do I have to buy a Cot Seat ?

A. No. An alternative method of transporting your new born baby in those first few months is a sling - modern slings are designed and tested to provide the correct posture and head/neck support that a new born baby needs. Plus they have close body contact with you.

Q. Why can't I fit a car seat to the pushchair rather than have a cot seat ?

A. 'Travel system' pushchairs are widely available and it would be easy enough for Pegasus to make a bracket to fit a car seat but the latest evidence is that although a car seat is the ideal position for a baby in the event of a car accident, if used for prolonged periods it isn't good for a baby's development . Most health professionals would recommend that parents minimise the length of time a baby spends in a car seat.

Q. So why should I buy a Cot Seat ?

A. Because a sling may not be your preferred option or practical in common situations:

• if the season or terrain means that you aren't confident of a secure footing then you may feel that your baby is vulnerable should you slip over

• if your baby falls asleep on a walk you can't easily leave it in the sling until he/she wakes up

• you can't stand a sling out in the garden on a fine day to sleep in the fresh air (note that all pushchairs must be labelled to warn parents not to leave a child in the pushchair unattended)

• a sling may not be practical for you as the only option as your baby grows - approximately doubling their birth weight in the first six months

In other words you don't need a Cot Seat if you aren't going to use the pushchair from birth.

Q. So what is the Cot Seat ?

A. The Cot Seat is not merely an attachment for the standard pushchair seat, it completely replaces the standard seat which is stored for later use when the baby is old enough to use:

• it can be fitted in minutes - some customers regularly swap between the Cot Seat and the standard seat (when the child is old enough) depending on whether the trip in the pushchair occurs when the baby is due for a sleep or not

• the base and head boards provide support and protection but can be easily removed so that the Cot Seat can be machine washed at 40 deg - how many 'prams' can be put through the washing machine to stay bright and fresh or be 'spring cleaned' in anticipation of the next arrival ?

• incorporates 'D' rings for use with a body harness to give extra security from sudden jolts or the 'helpful' attentions of older children

• has additional anti-tip frame straps

• includes a standard size removable mattress

• is designed so that it can be used with the normal accessories - storm cover or shower cover, sun canopy and basket

• a Mini Snuggle Bag, Land Rover Snuggler or Lambskin Fleece can be fitted to keep your baby cosy

• for a summer baby a Shade-a-babe can be fitted to provide sunshade and act as a cat net and insect net

Q. When does the baby move from the Cot Seat to the standard seat ?

A. British Standards legislation states that the standard seat is not recommended before six months, however:

• a minority of children may have outgrown the cot seat by six months, the fact that they have outgrown it is usually a good indication that they are large enough to go into the standard seat.

• the reality which many parents find is that a little before 6 months their baby may become bored looking at the clouds and wants to see what's going on, so they alternate between the cot seat and the standard seat dependent upon whether their baby is due to sleep or not when they are going out - it takes only a minute or so to swap the seats over.

If in doubt ask your midwife or health professional as they are best placed to advise you... it's what they are there for !

Q. When I first use the standard seat is there anything special I should do ?

A. Apart from ensuring that the walks are not particularly arduous - lengthy or rough terrain we would recommend:

• that a head hugger is used to give extra support and conceal excess shoulder harness straps

• use a body harness rather than the fitted five point harness as a more secure fit can be obtained for a smaller child

Q. I am expecting our second baby, my eldest is only 2 years old and not yet able to walk far. What are my options ?

A. It depends on your lifetstyle but there are three options:

• buy a Land Rover Double ATP and have a cot seat on one side (we give one Cot Seat away free with the Land Rover Double ATP)

• use a baby sling for the early months instead of a Cot Seat in the hope that the extra few months will make all the difference in their ability to walk.

• fit a Buggy Board to a Land Rover single ATP, it works well with either the Cot Seat or standard seat on the pushchair, but the wheels are not designed for use off road on soft ground.

We can supply a Cot Seat separately by mail order.

The Cot Seat complies with BS 7409: 1996 when fitted to a Pegasus pushchair frame for which it is exclusively designed and tested.

It must not be used as a carry cot or as a cot seat in a car.

It is not suitable for use on a pushchair frame made by a manufacturer other than Pegasus - apart from the fact that it won't fit it may also endanger the baby.

But on a Pegasus pushchair....it's excellent !

Tel: 01363 881110 email sales@chariotsatp.co.uk
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