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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:
ChocolatePecanPie · 03/08/2018 18:47

Which bit?

arbrighton · 03/08/2018 18:48

Mine was too bloody heavy with a heavy lumping great car seat too and couldn't carry him in a way that didn't ruin my back even further. So we didn't generally do that apart from on way out of house

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 18:50

@chocolatepecanpie

I mean - post the proof/source/link for ALL OF what you said.

But you knew that didn't you?

BunsOfAnarchy · 03/08/2018 18:51

Bloody car seat weighed more than my baby for the first 15 weeks! Yes bulky and weighty and annoying but incredibly safe especially when baby is newborn and you have had no sleep and your body and mind are still a hormonal mess!

Isofix seat takes about 3 seconds to put in car or to remove from car...easy peasy and quick too. I only take baby out the car seat if;

  • she wakes up
  • looks like shes sleeping uncomfortablely
  • if shes approaching 90 mins of being in there

I carry the seat in that special way the US chiropractor woman revealed. Its waaaay less painful!

metro.co.uk/lifestyle/?ito=amp-channel-signpost-lifestyle

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 18:51

@chocolatepecanpie I would be particularly interested to see the proof that keeping a baby in a car seat whilst they are asleep, causes sudden infant death syndrome.

That is quite a statement to make.

ChocolatePecanPie · 03/08/2018 19:41

You should be able to find source from here. I suppose I’m incorrect to say sids but prolonged periods in car seats does affect breathing and can lead to death. I believe it’s commonky known to not leave babies in car seats for long periods. It affects their airways.

Re flat head. I suppose this is no different to being laid supine a lot. Back to sleep guidance has seen an increase in flat heading syndrome. Due to prolonged pressure on the back of head. A Sling Has the benefits similar to tummy time.

fatimashortbread · 03/08/2018 19:43

Car seats are handy in restaurants when they are too small for high chairs. The baby is part of the meal and the parents get to eat!

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 19:44

So you have no source. And yes they affect breathing and the spine which is why the guideline time limit is there, so they are not linked with sids unless guidelines are not adhered to. Therefore your point was BS.
Flat head syndrome is also not likely from the short time the mum would be using the carseat if adhering to the guideline mentioned above. Also carseats aren't exactly flat and the inserts for newborns are flexible. And yes flathead syndrome is barely worth mentioning when it comes to keeping babies safe ie supine.

Kayagh1 · 03/08/2018 19:48

I had twins and carry both car seats effectively much easier than trying to carry two babies especially to doctors as I can’t fit the oram in now just chase them everywhere

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 19:49

So @chocolatepecanpie - as @flatearthsphere says, you have no source, and are in fact, spouting utter tripe.

Dangerous, misleading tripe, that could scare the fuck out of new young mothers.

Nice one! Hmm

Rooska1 · 03/08/2018 19:57

I know of a teacher who says she can identify which children have spent long periods of time in car seats as babies, by their posture. It is damaging to leave them as their spines need to stretch and grow. You are definitely doing the right thing by taking your baby out and carrying them instead.

Milkmachine15 · 03/08/2018 19:58

Not tripe at all....
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/621160/Car-seats-babies-killed/amp

arbrighton · 03/08/2018 20:02

If you read beyond the headline in the express (NOT A SCIENTIFIC SOURCE )

It states that half of those were being strangled by their straps.

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 20:02

Well if a teacher says it it must be true! We aren't talking hours in a carseat we are talking transport into baby groups or into a supermarket. My god.

Lindalee3 · 03/08/2018 20:03

Not exactly 'proof' is it? A histrionic news report from a shitty tabloid.

'31 babies have died in car seats.' Never heard that in my life.

They are no more at risk 'scrunched up' in their car seat, than they are 'scrunched up' anywhere else.

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 20:04

Also most of the babies that have died in carseats have been left in a carseat for an extended period USUALLY after the parents loosened the straps or even undid them so they slid down occluding the air way or became strangled.

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 20:05

Shall we link the headlines where mums have killed their babies by babywearing incorrectly? Because the people whose babies died in carseats were using them incorrectly.

BertieBotts · 03/08/2018 20:06

They are not linked with SIDS, SIDS is unexplained death. They are linked to asphyxiation when used for prolonged periods of time, because of the upright angle required for safety. Your car seat manual will state this, it's not made up. There was also research published in 2016 which raised the alarm WRT premature and full term newborns and reduced the official guidance to recommend no longer than a 30 minute stint in a car seat for newborns - to include driving time, time on a pushchair, time being carried around or being placed into the seat ready for the car or left to sleep in the seat on arrival at destination. For older babies this limit is 2 hours. The car seat manual probably won't have a specific time limit stated, because this is country-specific guidance by health authorities.

The link with flat head syndrome is based on any product where the baby is laid supine, which happens to include car seats.

The idea about a curved spine/being bad for backs seems to be based on no research at all - newborns actually do have naturally curved spines - their backs are arranged in more of a C shape and they only develop the S shape later on once they start to spend more time in an upright position, when they learn to sit and pull up and walk. While it's true that babies need the chance to be allowed to develop these skills by being out of "containers", it doesn't really matter massively if the "container" is flat like a pram or reclined like a car seat. They just need some time every day in an unrestrained environment to help them develop their motor skills.

TBF, none of these concerns, not one, apply to parents using a car seat to transport a baby from a car to a building or for short trips (e.g. into petrol station, corner shop, school playground) while holding the car seat.

Constantly clicking the car seat from one container to another without removing the baby - yes. And they should never be used for overnight sleeping (this will be stated in the manual, too). But in reality nobody could keep a baby in a seat for hours and hours on end unless they were never planning to feed the baby or change its nappy.

ChocolatePecanPie · 03/08/2018 20:06

Yes if people adhere to guidelines but many many people don’t. I know many mums who will drive somewhere with baby in car seat and then pop baby on a buggy system and let baby sleep in car seat for a hour or so.

It’s not tripe. Totally fine if keeping to safe times but I personally wouldn’t do it but that’s my choice.

Re:flat head. Take a look at google scholar - there is plenty of research on increase incidence of plagiocephaly and likely contiributing factors.

Speechiebaby · 03/08/2018 20:07

Some car seats allow a baby to stay in there longer in a reclined position,e.g.kiddy care. I agree they are heavy to carry and a pain! My little one wakes up the second I take her out and it difficult to get her to nap in the day so that's why I do it x

BertieBotts · 03/08/2018 20:08

Here is the research: www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2016/october/child-car-seats.html

TightropeWalk · 03/08/2018 20:08

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/warning-over-babies-sleeping-in-car-seats/

Quite a thourough interesting nhs link. Most of this thread is now batshit.

BertieBotts · 03/08/2018 20:09

That's on asphyxiation - not plagiocephaly.

Iwantaunicorn · 03/08/2018 20:09

With my DTs it was easier when they were newborn to carry the car seats than unload the pram, build it up, clip on their carrycots, unload child from seat, carry child and place in carrycot, repeat then finally go do what I wanted to do. Now they’re a few months older, this is what I have to do, because they’re too heavy.

If I had an only, I’d probably still be carrying the car seat, I’m quite a clumsy person so would be too afraid I’d trip, bash them, or need both hands and would have nowhere to put the baby.

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