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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:
Guest6565 · 02/08/2018 10:50

Most preemie babies have the car seat test before going home. Their sats are monitored to ensure there was no desaturations or bradys. It was just enough for me to think, my baby needs to be in a car seat for as little as possible in her life.
I later read a story about a baby who had an awful reflux incident in a car seat and they too were told to minimise use.

Going from car to home, whatever. But seeing them as longer term buggy alternatives just seem a step too far for me, and I've heard of people using them overnight (nope no never wtf)

MrsSnootyPants2018 · 02/08/2018 10:51

It increases with age. Newborns 30 mins then around 4-6 months an hour but it's not a good position to sleep in really at any age.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 02/08/2018 10:52
JacquesHammer · 02/08/2018 10:54

makes me wince to see them bent in the seat for what can be hours

Or maybe you can - you know - give parents the courage of their own convictions.

I was fully aware of the guidelines and never exceeded them.

I didn't fancy trying to have post-partum vaginal exams carrying a babe in arms. Or popping into the bank. Or visiting the dentist.

I agree with you OP I prefer to keep mine close to me

Yeah no we all want ours as far away from us as possible

skunkatanka · 02/08/2018 10:59

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

Oh yes, much safer laying them down on the floor to be trodden on or giving them to a random stranger to hold.

BertieBotts · 02/08/2018 11:13

There is research to back up the 30 min limit. However nobody seems to know at what age they stop being "newborn" and at what age the limit increases to 2 hours.

You can literally take them out for 5 mins and their oxygen sats reset anyway.

There is no premature baby car seat test in most UK hospitals, it's an American thing. The 30 min guideline wouldn't work for them there because most car trips are longer than 30 minutes so it would be completely impractical. Hence their advice is not to use the car seat to hold the baby unless you are in the car.

crispysausagerolls · 02/08/2018 11:17

I have a 1 month old and my reason is purely because of safety - I don’t feel safe walking from the car to the house with baby in my arms. So scared of falling. However he immediately comes out when at home, even though I have a car seat that can lie flat as better for his back, I really don’t like him being in there for longer than necessary as it’s bad for them. Really irks me to see mothers using car seat on pram base for extended periods of time. I always use the pram if going somewhere with him other than home. Will never forget seeing Victoria beckham carrying tiny Harper in her arms whilst wearing 9 inch heels. Fucking mental.

Aftereights91 · 02/08/2018 11:25

Because I have a toddler who's figured out how to get out of the buggy and how to unclip the reins. He runs off and he's fast. I'm a damn sight faster chasing him without the baby in my arms. If she's in the carseat on the floor she's safe and I can stop the Toddler getting run over

Original poster
Polestar50 · 02/08/2018 11:29

I am sorry but I just don’t get the fear of falling over. I know some people say it has has happened to them but it really is not very common surely? A stumble maybe but not a full fall that would put the baby in danger.

How many times did you have a proper full fall before having a baby? And what is it about being outdoors that increases the risk? (Most people seem happy to carry the baby in arms whilst indoors in their own homes)

I have fallen very exactly twice as an adult. Once on an icy pavement and once when I lazily didn’t do up my shoelaces and they tangled. Both of these things were completely avoidable. I would never carry the baby on ice or with undone shoelaces.

Do people really just fall over all the time when outdoors?

OP posts:
Kokeshi123 · 02/08/2018 11:32

My understanding is that there are some serious concerns about overuse of carseats causing flat spots on babies' heads. I get that leaving them in a carseat when they are asleep may be necessary, but people really should avoid leaving them in these seats longer than necessary. I don't think it's precious to point out that there appear to be some issues with how these things are being used.

BertieBotts · 02/08/2018 11:34

Yes I must admit I am surprised to see so many people say they are worried about falling - it never really occurred to me.

JacquesHammer · 02/08/2018 11:40

Old rugby injury = permanently damaged achilles tendon = likelihood of ankle randomly giving out is exponentially increased Grin

crispysausagerolls · 02/08/2018 11:46

Kokeshi123

I completely agree with you! They HAVE to be in the car seat for a car journey, but when they return home or go out of the car for shopping etc, it’s inappropriate and unnecessary to leave them in the seat.

OP I’m quite a clumsy person, and very paranoid about falling! Also I have a 2 door car so to get him out of the car involves a “dangerous” manoeuvre whilst carrying him that makes me uncomfortable - better to just take car seat out to the house and get him out there.

Guest6565 · 02/08/2018 13:15

There is no premature baby car seat test in most UK hospitals

Are you suggesting I totally made it up? Grin I am in the UK, there certainly is and indeed was there for it

Stupomax · 02/08/2018 13:25

After endless hours of breastfeeding her, nights with her sleeping beside me, and long evenings spent holding her while she screamed, there was no fucking way I was waking her to get her out of her car seat so I could cuddle her some more.

I loved my babies but I actually didn't need to hold them 24 hours a day.

TheCag · 02/08/2018 13:32

It’s simple. Ds1 was a bad sleeper, woke at the drop of a hat (literally!). I carried him in the car seat if he was asleep as I was desperate for him to stay asleep.

Ds2 was easier, transferred into a sling no problems. Much easier for me to carry, better for my back and so I didn’t carry him in a car seat.

Starlings27 · 02/08/2018 13:34

Another one of those "Breaking news! People prefer to do things in a different way to me!" MN posts.

Amanduh · 02/08/2018 13:36

What a ridiculous thread. As if you can’t recognise why people would carry a baby in a car seat 🙄

Starlings27 · 02/08/2018 13:36

@Kokeshi123, I thought the flat head thing was due to official recommendations to put babies to sleep on their backs? The carseat issues is about restricting the airways of babies who haven't yet developed adequate head control/neck strength.

Guest6565 · 02/08/2018 13:40

What a ridiculous thread

It's not ridiculous. There are people giving their reasons why they wouldn't, and why they do. Everyone has the right to make informed decisions.

Happyandshiney · 02/08/2018 13:48

Do people really just fall over all the time when outdoors?

I had incredibly low blood pressure for a long while after my twins were born, so yes I fainted and fell over quite a bit (including down the stairs carrying a baby).

Combined with severe sleep deprivation and various birth injuries I wasn’t in a great way for some months post partum.

I was so bad I was obsessive about using the wrist strap on my pram. I was terrified that I was might faint and the double pram would roll into traffic.

If these aren’t problems for you OP that’s super, but given you are out and about at groups you must surely be aware that not everyone comes through labour in tip top condition?

TightropeWalk · 02/08/2018 14:10

I'm sure the advice is backed up by evidence but the midwife telling me about the 30 min recommendation had no idea what it was!
My 9 year old stopped breathing in hers, it was too steep and hospital advised a car seat that had a much less steep incline. Fairly scary.

BertieBotts · 02/08/2018 14:42

Then your hospital was unusual, Guest! I'm not saying it never happens but it's not a standard test. Nobody I know who had a premature baby had that test, it's not a given thing. Possibly the practice is becoming more popular, it would make sense.

Chathamhouserules · 02/08/2018 18:03

Do people really just fall over all the time when outdoors?
My toddler tripped me up. But you haven't got one of those. But still not worth the risk. Outside has hard pavements to fall on. More dangerous than at home.

PolkaHots · 02/08/2018 18:22

Do people really just fall over all the time when outdoors?

It’s the fear of falling, rather than falling itself. Have some empathy!

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