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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:
lovelovelovepancakes · 03/08/2018 14:00

I found it easier just to leave the baby at home.

With my dh of course Grin

SoyDora · 03/08/2018 14:03

I’m sure leaving the baby at home is easier but not much point going to a baby group without them Grin.
Plus mine worked away mon-fri!

winniestone37 · 03/08/2018 17:24

Genuine judgement? I'd desist with the parent comparisons now and your experience will be the better for it.

Grilledaubergines · 03/08/2018 17:31

I’d say the fact that the majority do it is good enough reason OP, to say it’s more practical. Have a winter baby. Tuck them up all cosy in their car seat, tuck a little blanket in so they’re really snug in the car. Then lift them out into to cold air so the shock of the change in temperature wakes them screaming. Go on, try it.

Dillydallyer · 03/08/2018 17:36

I’ve had two winter babies. One of them has breathing problems. Carrying them out in the wind causes them to gasp and struggle to breathe. They’re more sheltered in a car seat. I never left them to nap in the car seat, and could easily get them both out without them waking, but I preferred to have the car seat in the house. I didn’t want it getting too hot/cold. I found it easier to put baby in it before we left the house than bending into the car in the pissing down rain. I also didn’t want it being stolen. Cars get broken into for car seats and the like and I don’t want to leave anything desirable on view in the car.

SoloD · 03/08/2018 17:36

I used a SnuggleBundl to life my daughter in an out of the car seat, absolutely brilliant

Why do people use car seats as baby carriers?
ChocolatePecanPie · 03/08/2018 17:41

Never understood either. Just popped mine into stretchy wrap.

Car seats carry a Sids risk and also increase prevalence of flat head syndrome. Also bad for carrier back/shoulder/elbow/wrist

Guest6565 · 03/08/2018 17:44

The only reason travel systems exist is down to the money made out of them as a package. People could do so much better purchasing a car seat to remain in the car , and a seperate buggy/pram.

Mmest75 · 03/08/2018 17:48

It makes me shudder when I see a new born being carried ...
A fall, we never intend to trip, slip. A dog jumping up ...
A car seat much safer or I just used to pop them in the carry cot pram.

chickenanbeanz · 03/08/2018 17:54

Babies were carried safely in people's arms indoors and out long before car seats/baby carriers existed. I'm a farmer girl I got used to doing all the animal feeding jobs with my baby in my arms/on my hip. I feel babies are much safer and happier either carried by their mum or dad short distances or lying freely in a pram than they are carted everywhere in a car seat, I hate seeing babies squished up in car seats attached to pushchair bases, some people leave them on there for hours, car seats are for car journeys, I only would leave my kids in the car seat to walk into house from car because easier to get baby in and out at home

BillywilliamV · 03/08/2018 18:04

Oh as if matters, you can carry your baby in a gold sedan chair or a plastic sack, whats important is that you get to feel superior to other mothers because of your choice!

Stupomax · 03/08/2018 18:06

Gosh all of the judgement on here really makes you realise why mums get PND.

BillywilliamV · 03/08/2018 18:06

This thread sums up everything that is truly grim about Mumsnet!

MumsTheWordYouKnow · 03/08/2018 18:08

It’s much safer than just to carry them in nothing as you could drop them, trip also it’s something for them to lay in while you’re somewhere you can have a pram. They may be sleeping. I see people walking around with little newborn babies not holding them securely enough and wonder why they would do that.

Dillydallyer · 03/08/2018 18:08

Doesn’t matter whether anyone ‘understands why’. Just another reason for parents to judge each others choices. I never judge people who carry their baby and would hope that nobody judges me for carrying mine in a car seat.

DoubleLottchen · 03/08/2018 18:10

I had a big carseat that stayed fixed in the car, so I always carried mine.
I always carried for short distances too, rather than faff with the baby carrier or pram.
I suppose everyone just does what seems to them to be the best option - in retrospect people probably thought I was odd to walk to the corner shop or the doctor's carrying a baby, but it didn't really occur to me to do otherwise. I never worried about falling over (nor did I ever fall over); and I don't remember struggling to pay, or to sign my name or whatever.
I did use to think carrying a car seat looked a bit cumbersome and unnecessary.
But I really don't like being weighed down with extra things - I couldn't wait to ditch the pushchair either - whereas other people (my friend for example) find pushchairs really useful. My friend from baby group used a pushchair for about 2 years longer than I did. Neither of us could understand the other, but I don't think she was wrong, and she doesn't think I was wrong; we're just different people.

ChanklyBore · 03/08/2018 18:11

I had a car seat that wouldn’t come out of the car.

I chose it on purpose because I didn’t want to carry a car seat around.

Stupomax · 03/08/2018 18:11

I'm now looking at my 17 year old DD wondering how the hell she made it to adulthood considering she was carried about in a carseat for some of her baby years rather than being held close to my heart for every minute of the day, yet she was also occasionally carried in my arms at enormous risk of being dropped at any moment when she should have been wrapped in a fleece lined titanium cage guarded by lions.

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 18:12

It's funny how the ones who are like "oh it's much easier to use a mei tei/stretchy wrap" seem to think their way is superior. Boreeee off. I wore all 3 of mine in slings and carriers and sometimes used the carseat. Reminds me of the crap in the babywearing groups 🙄 "oh I just cannot understand why anyone would use a pram!" well done earth mothers!

MyBreadIsEggy · 03/08/2018 18:16

If dd was asleep, I’d leave her in the car seat and take that with me. But if she was awake she would come out of the car seat. Worked well.....
Then 17 months later, o had DS. Trying to wrangle a toddler and carry a heavy car seat just didn’t work! So asleep or not, DS came out of the car seat and went straight in a sling so I had both hands free to deal with DD.

user1484424013 · 03/08/2018 18:22

I only.use a car seat for a car. Hencephalitis why it's called a car seat and they are ugly and babies are all crumpled up.in them really creepy

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 18:37

@user1484424013

I only use a car seat for a car. Hencephalitis why it's called a car seat and they are ugly and babies are all crumpled up.in them really creepy

What a weird post! Confused

Are you saying babies being in car seats cause inflammation of the brain? Where is your source for this outlandish claim?

strawberrry · 03/08/2018 18:38

I never liked mine in a carrier, I used to always take the pushchair and transfer them to that rather than being cooped up in a car seat.

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 18:38

This thread sums up everything that is truly grim about Mumsnet!

Yes it does!

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 18:38

What a very odd thing to get worked up about! Confused

Everyone I know does this sometimes, as it saves the baby waking!

@chocolatepecanpie

Car seats carry a Sids risk and also increase prevalence of flat head syndrome. Also bad for carrier back/shoulder/elbow/wrist.

Never heard that before.

Source? Proof? Link?

Loads of judgy fuckers on this thread. You do it your way, and mind your own business. Hmm

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