Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why do people use car seats as baby carriers?

277 replies

Polestar50 · 02/08/2018 00:41

Genuine question.
I have fairly recently has a baby and have only just noticed that most parents use their car seats to carry their babies if walking a short distance (in and out of baby classes etc.)

It hadn’t occurred to me to do that. I just get my baby out and carry him in my arms, which seems much easier to me. He normally stays asleep snuggled up to me.
I find it much more comfortable to have him in my arms than to carry a bulky heavy car seat around and it’s not as though you can leave them in the car seat for any length of time once inside so what is the benefit?

AIBU to think that faffing around with a car seat is much more difficult and uncomfortable, for both parents and baby, or is there some advantage that I’m not seeing here ?

OP posts:
PrimalLass · 02/08/2018 00:44

All babies are different and some wake up when lifted out.

HTH.

Merryoldgoat · 02/08/2018 00:45
  1. If they’re asleep they stay that way
  2. If you trip or fall the baby is more protected
  3. You have somewhere to put them down

I’ve had to see the doctor frequently and it means he sits on the floor watching and chewing his cloth book rather than me trying to wrangle him whilst talking to the doctor.

User11220 · 02/08/2018 00:47

I used to be concerned about tripping /falling with baby in my arms when outside.

Oliversmumsarmy · 02/08/2018 00:48

You might trip and a car seat would at least give baby some protection.

Also where do you put baby down when you go in somewhere where you need to get something or sign for something or need both hands.

BrutusMcDogface · 02/08/2018 00:49

Merry's list is fairly comprehensive. You can't just lay your baby down on the floor if you need both hands. In the car seat they are safe and comfortable for short periods of time.

DryHeave · 02/08/2018 00:50

I fell while carrying my 6 week old. Luckily he was in a sturdy baby carrier and only noticed his hat had fallen off. I couldn’t walk properly for 4 months, having fallen heavily and taken the fall in a way that protected him rather than me. I’d never carry my small baby in my arms outside after this experience.

Isadora2007 · 02/08/2018 00:51

Simple answer because they think it’s easier. Hands stay relatively free, baby more likely to stay asleep...
Most people don’t tend to realise it’s not an optimal sleeping position for babies and that there are safety related time limits to their use.
I think it’s quite sad. But then mine hated the car so leaving them in a car seat never happened as a result. Maybe if they’d loved the car and slept a lot I’d have been tempted.

BrutusMcDogface · 02/08/2018 00:54

I think it’s quite sad.

Why?! Hmm

SeamusMacDubh · 02/08/2018 00:57

@Isadora2007 I don't think the OP means why do people leave their babies in car seats rather than transferring them to prams etc. More, why don't they just carry them in their arms from the car to the baby group/doctors/wherever.

Merryoldgoat · 02/08/2018 00:57

Why is it sad? 5 min drive to doctor (or similar), into surgery, have consultation (10-15 mins), home again. Out of the house about half an hour max.

GothMummy · 02/08/2018 00:58

I used to because I desperately did not want to wake mine up!

LyndorCake · 02/08/2018 01:00

So you're happy carrying your baby, others are happy using a car seat. Why does it matter?

Pinkkahori · 02/08/2018 01:11

I couldn't carry dd1 in her car seat after she was a couple of weeks old. I'm short and I found it very heavy and cumbersome to carry. I remember taking her to a check up and the doctor asked me why I didn't have a carrier.
It was 12 years ago though and my car seat wasn't an expensive one. I think they are smaller and lighter now.

Original poster
Polestar50 · 02/08/2018 01:16

Lyndorcake
It doesn’t matter at all! I’m not bring judgey here, just curious as it’s something I’ve only just noticed that I do differently (and I suppose don’t want to ask anyone irl as it may come across as judgey when it’s really not meant that way)

Useful answers that all makes sense (but haven’t persuaded me to start carrying my car seat quite yet Grin)

OP posts:
Girlwhowearsglasses · 02/08/2018 01:16

Sling! Hands free baby. I never understood it either because of banging car seat onlegs etc. I sort of see why you might as it’s like a cocoon for baby.

With twins no option though - hence prom that I used to chuck them both in from cat as no strapping in required. For first six weeks anyway

PippilottaLongstocking · 02/08/2018 01:17

I’ve seen people walking round town carrying babies in car seats, I find it so odd! (One time it was a group of 13/14 year old girls and one had a car seat with a tiny baby in hooked over her arm like a handbag, it was an odd image that’s really stuck with me) Short distance with the baby asleep I can understand though.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 02/08/2018 01:18

‘From cat’ = ‘the pram’

TotHappy · 02/08/2018 01:20

They are heavy and nightmarish but most babies DO wake up! Plus, you can leave them in there for extended periods. I'm not saying hours on end but an hour ? If they're asleep? Damn right

Original poster
Polestar50 · 02/08/2018 01:24

Yes, I can see the protection angle makes sense (if it was icy or snowy I’d probably naturally carry the car seat rather than carry in arms for example)
Maybe I just feel less worried than others about tripping in normal circumstances.

Sorry to hear about your fall though DryHeave. It obviously can happen. Hope all’s well now.

OP posts:
PolkaHots · 02/08/2018 01:30

Maybe they don’t love their children as much as you love yours?

ittakes2 · 02/08/2018 01:33

If you get the car seats which click into a base with isofix than its quicker to get the car seat out than the baby.

Chelseajunior · 02/08/2018 01:43

What @ittakes2 said ^

DiegoMadonna · 02/08/2018 01:44

The main reasons for me are:

If the baby is asleep, it stays asleep.

When I get to wherever I'm going, I can put the seat and baby down.

neverendingstoreeeeee · 02/08/2018 01:45

I once had to lay my three month old down on a concrete step so that I could unlock my front door. (Two handed job requiring a slight shoulder nudge too.) I had tried for five minutes to do it while holding her.
I actually am struggling to believe that you find it easier to carry a baby tbh. They get heavy bloody quickly and until they are a lot more robust you can’t really park them many places safely. In a car seat you can put them down to sign forms, drink tea, help a toddler put sun cream on, get shopping out if the boot, whatever. Life has to carry on. A baby in a car seat is ten thousand times easier to carry around than a heavy wiggling mass. (Oh, it’s also really easy to whack their heads on car doors once they get bigger and just toss them up in your shoulder when you are organizing...)
I cant think of a single plus point to a loose baby in transition. Not one. It’s why car seats have handles...

DiegoMadonna · 02/08/2018 01:45

Oh, plus what ittakes2 said.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.