Why do people use car seats as baby carriers?

[Polestar50]

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 ?

Oh and DD2 hated being ‘snuggled’ until she was about a year old. She just wanted her space!

Shortly After I had ds2 I couldn’t lift the car seat without feeling like my vagina was going to fall off. Used to have to carry a floppy newborn around when nipping into shops, dr appointments etc then ask strangers to hold him when doing tasks that needed 2 hands eg. Taking dd1 to toilet, signing forms, packing shopping etc. Not ideal!! Was so glad when stitches healed and I was able to either lift car seat even if it is heavy and awkward!

Tiny babies need two hand and older babies jump and wriggle.

I had to lay my baby on the post office counter trying to sign something.

Going swimming means you have somewhere to sit them down.

Going to baby group which are more about mum's socialising if baby is sleeping why wake them?

DS was about 7mths. Too heavy to carry in the car seat, not to mention he needed a break from the car seat. I carried him into motorway service station thinking it's not far I won't need the buggy which was at the bottom of the boot. Have food great, bum change great, I needed the loo not so great. Where do I put him??

The baby change mat and strap him on? - can't do - it comes across the loo cant use both at the same time.

My Baby mat on the toilet floor - but he won't sit in one place - don't really fancy him crawling on a public loo floor.

As a stranger to hold him - do I trust a stranger ?

Somebody mentioned they think newer seats are lighter actually I think they are heavier because of the improved side impact protection.

I am surprised that people find them comfortable to carry, I found them way too heavy and awkward to hold. I just used a sling if I needed two hands.

I hated carrying the car seat too. I found it heavy and bulky.

Understand that others love which is great for them. I was much happier using a sling or pushchair (or just carrying even a bigger kid for 5 mins)
DD never really slept in the car as a baby and the rare times she did doze, woke up immediately the car stopped. I may have felt differently / put up with my discomfort if she’d slept!!

Mainly so that i could put him down when needed and have free hands. I really missed using mine when he got too heavy.

Locking doors and cars, outting your bag and coat on, shoes too if youve been at a baby group are all much easier to do when your baby is snuggled in their car seat. Filling forms out, eating and drinking, going to the toilet. Also hard to do when youre carrying a baby.

Some babies wake when lifted out of the seat.
I was always paranoid about dropping or tripping with mine.
There’s somewhere for them to sit if you are getting out for, say, a doctors appointment or whatever so you don’t have to sit for ages with them in your arms.

I just used a sling if I needed two hands

That was my plan too, but DD2 hated the sling.

I'm with the OP. Find it really odd to carry a very heavy car seat around. I always just carried mine. If I really needed 2 hands for something I'd put them on the floor on top of my coat or ask someone to hold them.
makes me wince to see them bent in the seat for what can be hours

Going to baby group which are more about mum's socialising if baby is sleeping why wake them?
because they're meant to be in a car seat for the shortest possible time

Lugging babies around in car seats and letting them sleep in them for hours is a major risk for plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome)

Mine were never in the car seat for long (never slept more than 30 mins at a time anyway) but it was still convenient to have it to hand for somewhere to put the baby while I chased the toddler around.

My baby is almost 14 weeks and me/DH have done a mixture depending on the circumstances; It’s early days and we will be flexible to her needs as she grows.

How old is your baby op?

5 min drive to doctor (or similar), into surgery, have consultation (10-15 mins), home again

My goodness, Merryoldgoat where do you live? I want what you've got! Where I live, it's more like a 5 minute drive to the Dr's, then an hour and a half waiting to be seen!

What a strange thread!
Surely you carry a baby in a car seat for similar reasons that you would carry shopping in a bag?

Heh, I used to take my PFB out and carry him too, I wouldn't take the seat in, unless he was asleep.

I think it is a first baby thing because you can make everything revolve around them at all times. More difficult later on.

Because I have an older child and need 1 hand free.

You just wait, OP.

Yabu. Much easier carrying the car seat imo. You can plonk them down in it and use two hands for something for a start.

Baby stays asleep making it easier to 'pop into shops etc' - since having a toddler I never usually pop into anywhere as it's such a palaver to get her in/out. My dd would always wake up trying to get her out of car and into pram.

At baby groups etc baby can be put back into their car seat inside at the group etc to save leaning into car potentially on a busy road for example.

If it's raining/cold baby can be easily slotted back into the Isofix base without needing to spend time doing that in the elements.

Somewhere for baby to sit when out.

Until she became too heavy to her physically lift in the car seat it was easier.

I always carried my babies too.
The car seat was heavy. I didn't fall over. Just like I didn't fall over if I carried them at home or anywhere else for that matter.

Prefer
To stock the car seat on the travel
System myself as hate carrying the car seat.
If going to be out long- or gong to a restaurant I will transfer to a pram bassinet but if it’s a quick drs appointment or something he will stay in the car seat.
On child no three and the all have perfectly shaped heads etc!
I do like a sling but not for anything quick as they are such a faff to get on and off!

Everyone knows you unbuckle the baby from the car seat and pop it into your jeans pocket for maximum comfort and safety.

This is a genuinely weird thread.

The issue of being too long in the car seat isn’t about developing a flat head it’s about suffocation. They are fine and safer for short periods than carrying probably. I rarely used mine to carry the baby around as no1 was huge and after c section it was just impossibly heavy. Second child pretty much lived in a sling for convenience.

I used to carry dd, the car seat we had was so awkward to carry and we switched to one that stayed in the car as soon as we could, it helped as dd was small and not too wriggly too 🙂

makes me wince to see them bent in the seat for what can be hours
It makes me wince a bit to see people carrying their babies along the street. I tripped and fell when carrying mine. Luckily he was ok. It's safer in a car seat and obvious advantage if they are more likely to stay asleep and also you don't have to lay them on hard floor.
They are cumbersome and heavy but for me the advantages outweighed that.