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!)

And how come you all drive to school? Our school really discourages driving to school due to MASSIVE amount of pollution it causes not to mention the obesity epidemic it's contributing to.

Like millions before us have done and we have evolved through this journey we have managed with less luxuries. With a bit of common sense. Pick the baby up and a try it or a sling? Try it I'm sure it will work out for you. Congrats

I had to do school run with 3yo, 1yo & newborn. No car, no help (partner left for work early) and had to get a bus as it wasn’t close. Tbh it was bloody hard and a real pain!

I found another mum with a small baby, and we did a trade off, I collected in the mornings and she did the afternoon run, we both found it so helpful, as she was always late of a morning, and collected her DD and mine from school on her way home from work.

Thanks for all your replies- there have been some really helpful suggestions. I have a sling, so think I will get a maxi cosy or similar car seat, see how the first week or so goes and then can get a chassis that fits the car seat if/when I need it. The pavement is really narrow outside the school so need to take that into account too.
I know this is not a massive concern and pales into insignificance compared to so much, but it’s just one of the niggles I have latched onto in the run up to the birth of DC2. I did the same with Dc1 about things that now seems really straightforward! Guess it’s my way of dealing with stuff!

When our twins were newborn we asked a member of staff to bring our daughter to our car in the school parking area and if no one was free we'd ask another parent we knew to bring her to us and sometimes we'd pop them in a sling. Sometimes we'd walk to school with them and collect our daughter wbich took 20 mins. Having a new baby and routine to think about can be daunting but asking advice for this seems a bit odd. Sorry x

Hi

I just put car seat on buggy frame. Just takes a minute and then I can hang coats, PE bag, book bag, every other type of bag on the buggy too!

Also there is this

www.toysrus.co.uk/toys/doona-group-0-car-seat-in-storm/0131212

My friend used one with DC3 and said it was well worth the money!

Good luck
X

You do it because there is no alternative! I found it harder when I was heavily pregnant but then our school run is a 25 min walk, driving isn't involved.

Very tired! I do playground meet/greet. You could carry car seat, buy an easy-to-use travel system (although very time consuming),a buggy that goes flat or some form of carrier suitable for a new born, a baby carrier like a baby Bjorn, or one of those stretchy scarf things or a sling. I've also seen people just bring them as babes in arms swaddled in a blanket. Maybe try cheaper options before buying something expensive like a travel system.

Try it with twins then you will realise one baby is easy. Sling then car seat into travel system.

See how you get on. We had DC3, and a week later DC1 started nursery. So much to-ing and fro-ing! But you’ll find that whatever you do, you just get on with it, because there’s no other option :)

Sometimes I carried the baby, sometimes carried baby in the car seat, sometimes clipped seat to buggy, sometimes used the sling. If your DC1 frequently comes out of school with one hundred bags, coat on their head and a delightful junk model under one arm then I’d second a pp and say take the buggy (from car to school, I understand walking from home isn’t an option)

You’ll be fine :)

Guess what I carried my baby to school today (5 minutes walk to the bus stop) carried her on the bus as never offered a seat. Carried her to the school, carried her back to the bus stop, back on the bus and back home. She's 8 months old. It really isn't rocket science that was all with 3 other kids.

I haven’t read all the posts, when my youngest was born my youngest daughter was 21 months and My eldest 3 years old so in nursery full time ( used to be jn Wales 2 years ago). The best thing I found was an ergo. Never used one before as didn’t get on with any. Used this and was a game changer for me. Took me a minute to put him ( baby) in and he would go straight to sleep as cuddled to mummy. Plus I had hands free to hold both my daughters hands. It frees you up. I found a pram a logistical nightmare to be honest..

Sling. Slings are amazing

I would walk with a sling or pushchair if at all possible as its much easier than transferring into and out of a car. If a car is absolutely necessary then sling or carry baby to school from car. Its far too much faff to take care seat out and attach to a travel system which will need to be unfolded.

Another vote for a Quinny Zapp frame with a maxi cosi car seat. Teeny tiny, fits in the foot well (so if you park bumper to bumper no need to open the boot). If you have a base in the car for the maxicosi seat, it's so easy to click it in and out. I'm totally bemused by everyone saying sling. Why would you strap baby in seat, unstrap, strap into sling, remove from sling and strap into seat again when you could just put them in to the seat once? Also, I found it very useful to be able to give my eldest both hands at various points of drop off (indoors shoes, coats and zips etc) and wouldn't want to reach around a sling when I could just side step the buggy. Depends how old your eldest is as to whether this is a factor though.

Yes a buggy you clip the car seat into is essential for school runs! Much less of a faff then swapping into asking and risking waking baby! I used to carry the car seat in on the nursery run but you could park right outside! And even then they got too heavy!!

Honest question: What does 10min drive, parking and walk translate to in overall door-to-door walking time, OP?

The beast- slipping them in and out the sling takes a minute and is so easy if it's something you're used to. To me easier than getting a pushchair in and out the car multiple times for a journey. I also love the closeness of the sling and didn't like using the car seat as a buggy as it wasn't recommended when i had my one (advice really moved on to for long periods which a school run isnt but you see people out all day in them!)

I think whatever you do you just get used to!

I had exactly the same park and short walk scenario as you. You really will need something to put the baby into as you won't just have the children but also school bags, craft projects etc and a brolly if it's raining. I used a Icandy cherry to clip the car seat onto as the frame is very light and then switched to a mountain jogger when dc2 was older as it's a one handed fold/unfold so super quick to set up and it has lie flat if they're tired. Also the hood is so big you don't need to bother with a rain cover unless it's a total deluge.

Our school really discourages driving to school due to MASSIVE amount of pollution it causes not to mention the obesity epidemic it's contributing to

😂 Somehow I really don't think not walking to school is a big contributor to the 'obesity epidemic'. Most fat kids are fat because of a crappy diet not because they get a lift to school.

DS2 was ten days old when DS1 started pre-school a 30 min drive away. I spent a good chunk of my day breastfeeding in the car! The travel system was invaluable. I could dangle all DS1’s bags on it (book bag, PE bag etc) and get him to hold on whilst walking across the car park. There’s no way I could have carried the car seat, the bags and held DS1’s hand!!

My baby is 10 months now. When I took my toddler to nursery on a morning I just to use my pram wheels. I’m only tiny and she was a big baby for me almost 9pounds and the the weight of the car seat too was just too much I’d also had a section so carrying anything hurt.

I never thought of using a sling. 😂

As others have said, you will need the travel system when the seat is too heavy to carry. I think carrying a baby in your arms is risky but then I’m not a baby wearing type as I always worried about falling.