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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put car seat in car at 37w pregnant

54 replies

Boomclaps · 20/07/2020 13:10

Just that really. We’ve got the infant carrier in our front room. Which is fine but I was planning on popping it in the car, triple checking the fit and yada yada yada.
Anyway, neighbours think it’s a bad idea and are making weird passing comments about it being bad luck. Is it ok to pop it in the car? Wwyd?

OP posts:
TokenGinger · 20/07/2020 13:46

I did mine around 38.5 weeks. Admittedly I didn't leave the car seat in the car but we did leave the isofix base in.

I'm thankful we did, because we realised we'd been sold the wrong isofix base and had to do a quick change and the following day, my waters went!

TheOrigBrave · 20/07/2020 13:57

I didn't and wish I had. So I was the fool in the car park having just been discharged WITH A BRAND NEW HUMAN BEING, trying to understand the instructions, which might as well have been written in hieroglyphics for all the sense I could make of them.

BeeFarseer · 20/07/2020 14:02

Very sensible.

If your neighbours crack on about it being 'unlucky', tell them you'll sacrifice a pigeon to cancel out the bad luck.

Original poster
Boomclaps · 20/07/2020 14:04

Thanks. It doesn’t have to stay in there necessarily but I thought I would make sure all in order. We very rarely use the car anyway but the low risk birth centre is about ten minutes drive and the large hospital is about 25 mins away and just think we don’t want all that faffing nonsense when we are on the way to the most important event of our lives!

OP posts:
MummaGiles · 20/07/2020 14:05

If your car has even a minor bump before the baby arrives then you'll need to replace the seat.

That happened to me, about a week before baby came.

Wannabegreenfingers · 20/07/2020 14:28

Your neighbour is mad. Put in the car and forget about it. Enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy.

ivfdreaming · 20/07/2020 14:38

We both practiced putting it in and out etc and then it went back in storage. But I've lost several pregnancies and felt like it would be bad luck to have too much in the house

GlassOfFizzPlease · 20/07/2020 16:08

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

It's more logical to practice now than with a newborn in the hospital carpark. Even with DD2, I got it in there a few weeks early (upon which DD1 used it for a teddy for a while!)
This was us, doing it in the car park Grin

It had been in the boot of DH's car for weeks, he brought it in when baby and I were leaving then neither of us knew how to fit it! I was struggling to move so couldn't even attempt it, and got grumpy with DH who couldn't get grumpy back as I'd just birthed him a child 😂

All fun and games! But yeah, get it in now. I get a lot of people from older generations (mostly) may think it's 'bad luck', but you're 37 weeks, therefore full term and baby could decide to come any time now.

Jojo19834 · 20/07/2020 16:12

Just done mine this morning at 37+6 but had intended on doing before now for the reasons many have said - could have popped by now and some early birds have had the unfortunate time for figuring out in the hospital car park! Mines in at least, hoping midwives will check she is strapped in correctly!

BertieBotts · 20/07/2020 16:19

Putting the car seat in your car could in no way endanger your baby.

Installing the car seat incorrectly because you're either in labour or knackered and stressed because you have a newborn could well endanger your baby.

I know which I'd do!

Even if you do have to replace it after a minor car accident this is trivial - several high street shops sell baby car seats so you could go and buy another one the same day and just claim the money back from insurance.

AryaStarkWolf · 20/07/2020 16:21

Unless you're superstitious why on Earth would you even be questioning this Grin

BertieBotts · 20/07/2020 16:25

BTW midwives have no training on car seats so likely won't be checking whether your baby is strapped in correctly.

Make sure the straps are on their lowest setting and you know how to move them up just in case you have a gigantic baby.

Make sure all newborn inserts are in place (if you've bought it new, they probably already are, if you've had it second hand, check the manual, you can download a new one if you don't have one)

When you do up the straps over the baby do not be afraid to do them up tightly. They need to be tight to work! Baby has just been squished up tight in the womb and doesn't mind a bit of tight wrapping. If they are tight enough you won't be able to pinch any of the webbing. If you can pinch it together, they are too loose.

If it's a three point harness like a Y shape the two top straps go over the shoulders as close to the neck as possible, arms on the outside of the straps. If you have a 5 point harness the two side straps need to go over the waist which might mean you need to pull little froggy legs out of the way as you tighten :)

BertieBotts · 20/07/2020 16:30

This is a little bit like a free virtual antenatal class on car seats, well worth a watch if you have some spare time.

www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=832688823919223

2155User · 20/07/2020 16:47

BTW midwives have no training on car seats so likely won't be checking whether your baby is strapped in correctly.

I second this, the midwife didn't even wait to see the car seat we had for DS, discharged me and waved by before even looking

SnuggyBuggy · 20/07/2020 16:51

Your neighbour sounds a bit odd. Practicing putting the seat in is a pretty sebsible and normal thing to do.

HooNoes · 20/07/2020 16:53

I wouldn't because I'm Irish and we believe that it's tempting fate. My younger cousin had her nursery all set up because she didn't believe in such shite and unfortunately her first baby was still-born. This meant that her Mum and Dad had to go in and clear out the perfectly laid out nursery for her before she could come back. Nothing to do with superstition, it's just counting your chickens before they've hatched. I wouldn't allow anything into the house before mine were born as IAM SUPERSTITIOUS.

HooNoes · 20/07/2020 16:56

The thing I'd be most worried about is you losing the baby and then having to remove everything. No superstition required there.
I just think it's wise not to take something for granted until you have the baby here. That's where the superstition comes from.

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 20/07/2020 16:56

Do it, I had mine in the car at 37 weeks, took it out so friend could put her Ds in his in my car for the day, left my car seat in boot, promptly went into labour th next day and had to install car seat after delivery by c-section as Dh couldn't figure it out.
Next kid, it went it at 36 weeks and stayed there.

Roselilly36 · 20/07/2020 16:58

I would, absolutely wish I did, practise makes perfect!

Alsohuman · 20/07/2020 16:59

The neighbours also probably think that storing the pram at your house is bad luck too?

They’d be far from alone. It’s astonishing how many people believe this superstitious bollocks.

SnuggyBuggy · 20/07/2020 17:03

So do the superstitious types wait until the baby is born before buying anything for it. My old episiotomy scar is hurting at the thought of having to do that Shock

Alsohuman · 20/07/2020 17:17

@SnuggyBuggy

So do the superstitious types wait until the baby is born before buying anything for it. My old episiotomy scar is hurting at the thought of having to do that Shock
No, they keep it all at someone else’s house. A lot of my friends kept their baby stuff at their mum’s place back in the dark ages.
okiedokieme · 20/07/2020 17:18

I wouldn't, but I left my pram at the shop (you could do that then) and my df collected it whilst I was in the hospital.

okiedokieme · 20/07/2020 17:18

I wouldn't, but I left my pram at the shop (you could do that then) and my df collected it whilst I was in the hospital.

Original poster
Boomclaps · 20/07/2020 17:23

Thanks again all. We don’t have anywhere else to put it. Our DS Was born late in the second trimester, and we lost him so I I’m familiar with loss.
We don’t have anywhere else we can store or put things other than our house though. So I don’t know really what we’d do.

OP posts: