Aibu to wonder how people do the school run with a new born?

[SuzanneSays]

Second baby due in a couple of weeks, drive to school is about ten mins, then couple of mins walk from parking area. My plan is to just unclick car seat and carry baby in that, DH says it will be too heavy and we need to buy a travel system so I can unclick car seat and wheel baby into school on buggy. Realistically can’t see myself doing that in a rush on a cold January morning! Aibu to wonder how other people manage it? ( not really much of an Aibu- sorry!)

When I had to do a similar nursery run, I initially used a stretchy wrap (put on at home and just popped baby in on arrival), then a buckle carrier. So much easier than lugging the car seat.

I walked so baby would fall asleep - but most parents who had to drive had car seats that clciked onto a chasis.

Few used easy to put up pushchairs though baby often woke - though they pretty much adapt to older child's rouitne and usually timed their naps around that.

My daughter was 4 months when my son started school. School was a good 1.5 miles away - we walked - in all weathers and it tired my eldest out at the end of the day and gave me a bit of excercise daily - I would have often done my 10,000 steps by the time I got home at 9:30. I did use a sling though as a large portion of the journey was through the woods, sometimes would take the dog as well to kill two birds. As PP have suggested I also used a sling - best thing I ever bought. I'm pregnant now and am half dreading a double school run with a new born next year. DS's school doesn't have a pre-school and the nearest preschool for for DD is further away again. I'm going to be knackered - maybe I'll have to start driving then.

Clicking a carseat onto a travel system is waaaay quicker and easier than getting them into a sling (especially when they're asleep and need to first be wrestled out of their snowsuit).

I decided it was going to be too hard and truthfully part of why DS was home educated for the first year was his brother’s birth in the first week of the school year.

I’d be looking at the sling/carrier as the best starting choice but keeping open the idea of investing in a travel system to click the seat in and out of the car if it turns out that you have one of those babies who hates transitions with a passion.

I would agree with husband over a travel system or light frame with the ability to click on your car seat, travel systems have changed so much I know my first travel system was huge bulky and a right pain needed more arms than I had to fold /unfold.

Second was an extremely light narrow travel system folded into a cube almost, one-handed fold/unfold, 30seconds to get out and literally seconds to attach the car seat

I found it much faster to get the pram out click the car seat on and to be able to walk at a reasonable pace, than struggling with one hand holding Dc and the other holding the car seat and plodding along because I found the seat was awkward and uncomfortable to carry like that, I did have more complications after second than I did with the first which wont of helped the situation.

Travel system would be best. It will be more hassle to get the baby out of the seat and into a sling, then back again.

I don't know if it's been said but your second is so much easier. It isn't anything like having your first.

I’m naughty and park a bit illegally across from the School gates in a morning and quickly run my eldest across leaving them in the car. My youngest is 2 and grumpy in a morning and the walking him to and from first thing was way too much effort (when he was newborn I could park opposite pre-School doors so I’d just pull him out in the car seat). I’m due my 3rd soon and will continue with the routine. For pick up I will clip the seat on the pram and walk up as it requires waiting around for them to be sent out.

I walked so would just put the baby down in the pram after the first morning feed.
Most driving parents I know seem to use prams, either with or without car seat, a few use a sling or carry. I don't recall seeing anyone lugging a car seat around.

I use a stretch wrap sling. I put it on before we set off, pop her in it when we arrive. Takes 1 minute to put her in it. I've had a section, and the car seat/ pram is just too heavy. With my previous baby, I used a sling then carrier until he could walk, it was always much quicker.

Stretchy wrap sling all the way. Put it on at home and then pop baby in when you get there. Leaves you handsfree to deal with the other one and all their paraphernalia.

Someone mentioned upthread about having to take a snowsuit off for a sling. Personally I never used a snowsuit in the car. Normal clothes with a blanket on top for the car and then you can whip them in and out or the sling.

I used the car seat with the travel system, I had no problem grabbing the wheels from the car boot and clicking it in. I had a lot of pelvic problems after both births and physios told me carrying car seats can play havoc with a new mums pelvis because it is so heavy and invariably carried on one side.

why can't you just carry the baby? Using your arms?

steely in what way do you mean " a bit illegally"? Do you mean on zig zags or double yellows thereby endangering the lives of all the other children?

Nope half across a drive of someone I know who leaves for work after I’ve gone 🙄

I hope you find a way that works for you op , you've had some great advice here.

It is a bit of a nightmare initially tbh. The hardest thing for me has been having to stuff a top up feed into my ds in order to buy some time for the school run as it takes about 90 minutes to complete the round trip plus the waiting around etc. At 11 weeks it's starting to get easier but it does interfere with the baby's daytime routine most days.

I hope the birth goes well and congratualtions

We have a doona. Best thing we've ever bought. If you are reading this, and see recommendations for other car seats, done just chuck the Doona in the mix.

It is not a standard travel system.
There is no clip on chassis
No putting wheels on and putting it up in a car park.

Literally, park, remove car seat, press magic button and it transforms into a pushchair. It's amazing.

And yes travel systems can seem convenient, but from seeing us park up in a parent and baby space, next to people half way through sorting their travel system, we are still ready first.

It fits down train (and shop) aisles, easy to sketch on a plane, and it means you have your boot free. Putting it down on a bus means simply pressing a button.

All hail the mighty doona. It is the answer to your problems.

You might tell, I love the doona.

Agree with your husband. The Carseat does get a bit heavy to carry even with a newborn and even though it is a hassle to get the puschair out it is better at the end. We had both a puschair that fitted the maxi cosi and a baby carrier. You just need to allow time for it. If the baby is sleeping it is just easier to take him out in the car seat and put him in the puschair, also if it is raining. I know everything sound like a hassle even the slim but this is what it is with 2 children.

I would use a sling or pop open a city mini jogger.

I cant stand travel systems and a car seat stays in the car 100% of the time for me.

I used the travel system for the school run. Sometimes those were the only decent naps mine had so there was no way I was waking them getting them out of the car seat and into a pram or sling. Different if you have a baby that stays asleep when moved I suppose.
My travel system wasn’t bulky at all, and with the seat base in the car it was no trouble at all. If I was out for longer periods I’d always use the proper pram/lie flat buggy seat but when you’re in and out the car like on the school run or just popping in to Tesco for a pint of milk on your way home then the travel system is great.

I used to carry the baby in the car seat till he was too heavy. Then I would just get him out and carry him or put him in the sling- he'd usually stay asleep if he was asleep anyway. If not then he'd fall asleep on the way home!

Steeley113 that's not "naughty" just fucking obnoxious. You're making it dangerous for kids to cross over the road to school and everyone else is thinking "what a twat". What makes you so precious you can't park legally and walk up to the school?

Everyone else parks along that road, some even come 20 minutes early to get parked there. Perfectly legal to do so. They just ask we don’t park across drives which I do because my friend has said I can. Honestly, get a grip, I’m there all of 30 seconds.

I would have thought you would get more use from a travel system.

I didn't drive when I was doing the school run so my routine was to put the newborn in a sling, (she would sometimes breastfeed on the way) put the toddler in a buggy and then walk the 30 minute walk to school to drop dc1, 2 and 3 off. I did learn that I needed a buggy I could push one handed so I could also carry an umbrella when it was raining!

At one point, when dc4 was doing morning sessions at nursery I spent 3 hours a day walking the school run with the baby in all weathers.

I would have loved the 'hassle' of unclipping a car seat and popping it on a frame then getting back in the car to go home!

Did you carry your first around very much in their car seat? I found them too heavy to do any more than just getting them in and out of the car really.