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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think they would HAVE to let me leave the hospital?

75 replies

catholicatheist · 07/11/2010 17:48

Even without a carseat once my baby is born?

I have just ordered a car seat and isofix base etc and it said it will be here by 15th. Now just say I had the baby before then (I dont live far from the hospital..about fifteen min walk) I have heard people say they wont let you go home without a car seat? Surely they couldnt force me to stay? What about people whodont have cars?

OP posts:

AuntiePickleBottom · 07/11/2010 23:01

legally a baby can travel in a taxi without a carseat ( not that i would do this)

Also i hate the idea of renting a car seat, how do anyone know that carseat has not been in an accident, been dropped or have out lived it life ( i think 5 years)

OP i see nothing wrong with your dp walking the baby home while you take a taxi.

Timeforanap · 07/11/2010 23:21

Not having to wait forever to be discharged and jump through protocol hoops for self/baby/both of you again for a different dept. is one of the many reasons it's so much nicer to have a baby at home if you can.

igetmorelovefromthecat · 07/11/2010 23:45

I had DD2 in a hospital in July and tbh they didn't even question how I was planning on transporting her home, I just left as soon as they had done the paperwork and they were like 'yeah bye!'. Could have been planning a camel ride back for all they knew.

byanymeans · 08/11/2010 00:39

when I had my son 3 years ago they questioned every thing, car seat, what cot we had but I think they just did not like me or my other half.
If they ask just tell them truth that he/she is going home by foot in a pram the old fashioned way.
But should you chose to walk with them just a little word of warning check how loss you trousers are before you leave I went out for some fresh air and a little walk just after having my little man. Every body told me that I would be best to take stage 1 maternity trousers in to wear home but a few minutes of walking lost my trousers and was very embarrassed. I was just over the moon to be this out a big bump that I honestly did not think to check just how loss my trousers were.

SparklePffftBANG · 08/11/2010 07:10

yes I'd read on here to take maternity trousers, which I did ...the ones that fit me until about 6 months, which I was confident I'd fit into when I was baby-free. I didn't

Fibilou · 08/11/2010 08:51

to clarify, the only people that can take your baby from you are social services, the police and the court. Hospital staff have no power to take your baby or withhold your baby. they would have to phone the police to take the baby into police protection and the chances of that happening for "newborn baby is being walked home in a pram" are absolutely nil

flossie64 · 08/11/2010 08:57

Whe nI was in hospital having my DS ,there was a woman who's H turned up with a pram and they loaded it up with all her stuff and the bay to walk the 3 miles home .
can I just say that would nt have been me.
You will need a car seat though if you do use any car, borrowed or otherwise.

flossie64 · 08/11/2010 08:59

Sorry typos, don't think the keys are working very well!
bay = baby
nt =not

Fibilou · 08/11/2010 09:01

You might feel fine to walk home - we left 4.5 hours after DD was born and I would have had no problem walking home (about 20 minutes) as I felt perfectly OK.
We went from the hospital to see my Mum in the hairdresser then to Waitrose to buy some lunch ! Just because you've given birth doesn't necessarily mean you'll feel like you've been run over by a steam roller

SparklePffftBANG · 08/11/2010 09:19

exactly Fibilou! The only reason I couldn't have walked very far was because I had to keep my trousers up with one hand

differentnameforthis · 08/11/2010 10:09

I had dd 4 weeks early, and nothing was due to arrive until 2 weeks later.

Not wanting to even think about taking her home without a car seat, dh spoke to the shop we had purchased the stuff from & they fast tracked it all to the store for us. It was Mothercare. They went out of their way to help us with everything that was on back order.

Mama's & Papa's were a PITA! The cot arrived - mattress weeks late. Was a good job we had been leant a bassinet!

StrikeUpTheBand · 08/11/2010 11:12

We had a carseat and I think they did enquire, but noone walked us to the door or even down the stairs. We had been waiting since noon (Myself, DS aged 2.6, DP and newborn DD). At 5pm (!) DS suddenly seemed unwell and had a temperature of 39. We asked the student midwife and she took his temperature, and then DP ran down to the hospital chemist to buy some neurofen medicine for him. She then came over and got our paperwork done in record time and straight away so that we could leave to take him to hospital. As we were leaving I remember looking around and marvelled at the complete lack of ceremony - midwives and patients everywhere and noone really noticing us leave! It was snowing outside, and somehow on the journey home in the cold DS cooled right down and was absolutely fine! Goodness knows how long we'd have waited had he not been poorly though .

StrikeUpTheBand · 08/11/2010 11:13

take him to the doctors (not hospital, we were already there!).

Original poster

catholicatheist · 08/11/2010 11:18

''Just because you've given birth doesn't necessarily mean you'll feel like you've been run over by a steam roller''

Oooh those are words I like to hear! Right note to self if taking maternity jeans bring a belt.

Yes exactly its not enforceable, I didn't think it was legally as it would require social services intervention which of course is not very likely over a car seat issue..they would not even send anyone out.

differentnameforthis Glad to see I am not the only one who doesnt buy everything by week 30!

OP posts:

abr1de · 08/11/2010 11:19

I was walking for fifteen minutes within days of a cs. It's not that unusual.

Fibilou · 08/11/2010 11:20

I was up and about taking baby out in her pram the day after she was born. I am one of those annoying women that had an easy pregnancy, easy labour and an easy baby - it is possible !!

MoonUnitAlpha · 08/11/2010 11:25

I'm still wearing my maternity jeans and ds is 3 months old

I had a long and horrible labour, forceps, stitches etc, but still felt ok to walk the 20 minutes home when we were finally released on day 4. Luckily a friend offered a lift though!

WassaAxolotl · 08/11/2010 11:32

Oh, for goodness sake...

You are not required to have a car seat if you're not travelling by car. There is no law saying "all parents must have car seats". There are, however, laws about transporting infants in cars.

Therefore, if you're travelling by car, then they will check if you have a car seat if they have time. Probably because the midwife doesn't want to risk losing her registration, or be sued by parents who were caught in a road traffic accident on the way home. Yanno?

tabouleh · 08/11/2010 11:34

Yes of course they will let you leave - but you will need to be assertive and tell them.

I had heard this checking car seat bollocks and there was NO WAY that my DS's first trip outdoors was going to consist of him in a car seat with the door wide open and DH fiddling doing the car seat up safely.

Much much more sensible to put the car seat in the car in advance of the birth. Then when ready to leave DH checked car seat was ok and came in to the hospital to get us.

And.. yes the midwives didn't like it - and asked that we wheeled him to the exit in his cot on wheels thing. A midwife accompanied us out to the car!

That was part of their health and safety - and I agreed in order to not make a scene.

But honestly, how bloody bloody sad to have this immense pressure not to carry your own child out of hospital.

WassaAxolotl · 08/11/2010 11:37

So, if the hospital staff did find out you were taking a baby in car sans car seat, I think they would be legally obliged to notify either social services or police. I'm not sure which.

Original poster

catholicatheist · 08/11/2010 11:39

look it even talks about it on websites..lol

I feel a bit sorry for the midwives I bet a lot of them feel quite embarrassed about having to do it too.

Important reminder at 38 weeks pregnant
One of the most important things you will need to take to the hospital with you is an infant car seat. In fact, the hospital will not let you leave without one.

www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/pregnancy_week_38.htm

OP posts:

SparklePffftBANG · 08/11/2010 11:40

"Right note to self if taking maternity jeans bring a belt"

was that ebcause of what I said?? Nooo, completely the opposite - my smaller mat trousers were too tight, so I had them gaping open :o
But many women pop back into their size ten jeans of course - I haven't owned a pair of size ten jeans since I was about 8!!

Original poster

catholicatheist · 08/11/2010 11:42

Yes oh right..well I will take what I can wear now and a belt too. I have heard the general rule is whatever you could fit into at five months but to be honest my bump got massive in month six and seven so I am not counting on that.

OP posts:

stoatie · 08/11/2010 11:43

It is about health and safety. On occasion I have seen post natal women who up to then have felt fine suddenly faint/become unwell. Therefore hospitals advise against carrying babies "just in case" you faint, trip, slip etc.

Re car seats - if like my local unit, the post natal notes have tick box regarding travel safety, the discharging midwife has to discuss this with you (or face being "pulled up" on this if notes audited)- generally along lines of "do you have car seat if intending to travel by car? Please ensure you have followed manufacturers instructions re fitting etc. Please ensure airbags disabled if using in seat with airbags"

WassaAxolotl · 08/11/2010 11:43

That one is an American site, I think. During my googling, it appears some American states have explicit laws about new parents having seats.

I don't think Britain does yet.

I bet the midwives dislike it too.

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