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Original poster

Can anyone register a baby?

26 replies

Raella50 · 07/07/2020 20:50

Right we’re having a daft hypothetical conversation because we’re binge-watching “The secrets she keeps” on BBC iplayer about a woman who abducts a baby. A guy says that she won’t be able to register the baby if not the mother and it’s sparked a conversation about if that’s possible. I mean, when we registered our babies no one checked our ID!! Anyone could have turned up, claimed to be the mother and registered them. My husband seems to think it’s all recorded when a woman gives birth - is that true? Presumably there is a way of knowing what babies are born and when? Sorry for the ridiculous question, we are just confused. Does anyone know how this works? Thank you!

OP posts:

theproblemwitheyes · 07/07/2020 20:52

You have to be a parent, i think, and you have to have the information of when and where the baby was born (time/date/hospital) and to whom. All of that is recorded by the hospital (or midwife if its a homebirth) and the registrar has access to the system to confirm.

Also, they checked our ID. They really should have checked yours.

7ofNine · 07/07/2020 20:53

I assume they check the hospital number etc when you go to register them?
I honestly can't remember!

Original poster

Raella50 · 07/07/2020 20:55

I know that sounds plausible bite we didn’t give over any hospital numbers or anything!!!

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Families

xine15 · 07/07/2020 20:55

I don't think they checked out I'd but they checked our info against the records they had from the hospital (and in fact gave us a more accurate time). So if we hadn't know all that then there would have been questions.

xine15 · 07/07/2020 20:55

HeeeeyDuggee · 07/07/2020 20:57

When we register DD end of last year both DH and I had our passports checked. They cross referenced information against the hospital records.

It would be pretty difficult to register a baby these days unless your the parents going on my own personal experience of it.

If your married either mother or father can register baby without the other. If your unmarried the father can’t register the baby alone. I think if you want the dad included you both have to go too or at least that’s what we were told with my eldest

Boringnamechanging · 07/07/2020 20:57

They checked my id for ds (dh didn't come with me as he was back at work) for dd they checked dh's id because he officially registered her even though we were both there as I was feeding her.

We were asked for place of birth and date and that was matched up to the hospital record of the birth. We were also asked for marriage date and location which was the same county.

Original poster

Raella50 · 07/07/2020 20:59

Yes they did ask us for details! Place and time and details of marriage too.

OP posts:

GoodbyeToCare · 07/07/2020 21:00

We didn't have our ID checked but the hospital gave us a card to present to the registrar. This was 14 years ago right enough so things might have changed by now.

EdithWeston · 07/07/2020 21:00

Hospitals or midwives (or other person present at a birth, if unusual circumstances) have to notify the fact of the birth.

Registrars then cross reference notifications to registrations.

So there's a good chance that the crime would be spotted

SunbathingDragon · 07/07/2020 21:04

You don’t have to be the mother. Some mothers still die in labour or shortly after childbirth. Ultimately it’s is who has legal guardianship of the baby at the time of registering or someone from the hospital (a witness of the birth or administrator).

Beebeet · 07/07/2020 21:04

We didn't have to show ID either, we needed the red book, but if you have managed to acquire a child you could probably get the book. I did think it odd really, most people have photo ID now or could provide some sort of verification, if DH would have gone alone he would have needed to take some.

Rose789 · 07/07/2020 21:05

We had ID checked with our first but not with our second. They did ask some questions though. With dd2 I think they just wanted us out as fast as possible as the baby managed to projectile vomit over herself and dh and filled her nappy at the same time. It was not the happy family moment we had planned

Mmmmycorona · 07/07/2020 21:05

We had an a4 piece of paper that we had to produce when registering her. I was given it on discharge from the hospital.

NothingIsWrong · 07/07/2020 21:09

I don't remember having to produce ID for any of ours, but I did have the red book for each of them. DS was a pain as he was born in a different county to where we were living so we had to travel to register him.

zaffa · 07/07/2020 21:11

Ohhhh I think I can remember this one! We had to use DD NHS number I think, which was in her red book, and present ID as passports or marriage certificate. Registered her in December. I remember thinking it odd I could use marriage cert as I'd but actually had to because I hadn't changed my name on my passport or drivers licence yet had at the doctor and I wanted my name as my married name on her certificate.

What I found more odd was that I couldn't register her at the doctor without a birth certificate even though I had an NHS number for her! Although I did eventually persuade them to because it was xmas and I couldn't get an appointment but I needed to book in our six week check up and they were very busy. I had to bring her with me and show them the baby before they registered her which made no sense - I could have showed them any baby!

Original poster

Raella50 · 07/07/2020 21:19

Ahh!!! Now we did have to have the red book . Maybe that has the number in to corroborate the birth record against our story??! That’s making more sense. Thanks all! Sorry for the daft question

OP posts:

titnomatani · 07/07/2020 21:25

DH took in our passports along with my hospital discharge summary. I think it varies across different boroughs.

titnomatani · 07/07/2020 21:26

Plus they'd been sent details from the hospital about baby's birth so they knew what they were looking for when cross referencing.

HopefulFor2020 · 07/07/2020 21:31

Registered my baby yesterday (at 12 weeks - stupid Covid!). First thing she asked us for was baby's nhs number from the discharge notes which I guess she checked on the system. Not really sure as we had to do it on the phone from outside and then go in one at a time to check details, show ID and sign. She asked us all of our details (birth date, address etc) but I assumed she already had that on the screen in front of her?

Registering first dc 10'years ago I don't remember taking id but I was only 2 days pp and had no idea where I even was!

Crunchymum · 07/07/2020 21:36

Maybe I'm imagining it but I'm sure we had to show passports?

JanewaysBun · 07/07/2020 22:07

Both DH and I had to show our ID.
London 2019.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 07/07/2020 22:12

7years ago... Couldn't book an appointment to register without something from the midwife (as she was home birth). They brought to to the house the next day.

DD1 was an overseas birth, a lot more complicated to register!

ChanklyBore · 07/07/2020 22:18

I didn’t have to show any ID to register my babies births. None of them were born in a hospital. I am not married. I don’t have a current passport. I’m not sure what I could have been asked to show! Apart from the baby of course.

So IME yes any woman could register a baby. Not anyone thought, because a man would have more questions asked I suspect.

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