To ask what the position is with taking babies home from hospital?

[scoopingthewater]

Do you need a car seat? What if you don’t drive?

[Charleyhorses]

Of course not everyone drives. But I would hazard a guess at most would opt for a taxi the day after pushing a human out.
Each to their own though. Pram and walk is fine if you genuinely are ok.

[BiBabbles]

With my oldest, someone came down with us and checked the car seat in my FIL's car. I'm not sure if this was a standard at the time or if it was because during my pregnancy a midwife had tried to get social services involved (SS and the hospital agreed the midwife had been wrong to do with and had actually done a few illegal things in the process, there was a whole thing that continued onto the post-natal ward with a midwife who oddly had the same surname. Thankfully she was not involved in this check).

With my 3rd and 4th at the same hospital, no one asked or checked, and we left with them in a baby carrier.

[Witchend]

The hospital leant us a car seat with dc3. We arrived at midnight, expecting dh to be able to go home.
They suggested we could go home, and I said we hadn't bought the car seat so they produced one.
I was home by 4am.

[UsernameChat]

The hospital I was at (central London) didn't ask and couldn't have cared less what our plans were once we left the hospital. Once I had my discharge papers, I simply walked out. No one asked where I was going or how I planned to get home with the baby.

At the time (not sure if it's changed), the law was you must have a car seat if taking a baby home in your own car, but you could simply hold your baby on your lap if you were taking a taxi (which is what I did).

[LadyOfTheImprovisedBath]

We got a travel system with a detachable car seat bit - and a huge pushchair bit underneath - it was great lasted all three kids.

We got it beacuse we thought despite not driving we might need a car seat every so often - though that didn't turn out to be true and we only used it one other time when I was vsisting my parents and need a lift to and from station in their car and needed a car seat with me.

We had planned to head home by bus with first - compromised from DH who though we should walk it back the couple of miles.

However a lovely friend of DH stepped in said don't be silly and fitted the seat that came with travel system - fitted with seat belts in tehir car and waited around all morning in car park for us to get discharged.

We ended up just walking out midday as no-one had any idea what we were waiting for and communty MW had pop in to see us - they were lovely and happend to be in hospital that day - and was booked to see use next day anyway. No-one said anything when we did just walk out.

People did tell us we wouldn't be able to leave without a car seat - hence the travel system - but in reality no-one seemed bothered on the day. Had HB with next ones.

[scoopingthewater]

Yes it was helpful twiz.

I meant your second post where you just came on to say you don’t like me much. I wasn’t aware I was making you post.

[Cornishmumofone]

My car seat was checked when I left hospital with DD. I was readmitted two weeks later and staff insisted on checking the car seat again. I was annoyed, so waited until they'd left my ward, picked up my rucksack and left via the alternative exit.

[Nobeautysleep]

We walked home with baby in pram.

[Persipan]

I don't have a car but I got a cheap (Joie Juva) carseat for going home (lift from a friend), on the basis that I'd be bound to need it from time to time - which has proved to be the case.

I certainly couldn't have walked home (and I walk everywhere, including walking to the hospital to be induced), and I had too much stuff with me to make public transport an enticing option once I also had to carry a baby with me.

[Doveyouknow]

I don't remember anyone checking how we were taking either of my newborns home. I have always thought this was a Mumsnet myth!

[LemonsYellow]

@itsgettingweird

I don't think op is being defensive but I gave birth abroad where they are less nannyish of parents and actually trust them!

I had an extended rear facing seat that was fitted in the car. We then had another portable one that grandparents kept.

I drove and DP didn't.

My parents etc were over when I had ds and they drove me home from hospital. They used the spare seat. I walked ds to car in my arms whilst dp carried the bags and my parents the flowers and gifts!

No one once questioned my ability to travel my baby safely

How is any of this relevant to the OP’s question?

[scoopingthewater]

It’s interesting to read different peoples experiences.

[Twizbe]

@scoopingthewater

Yes it was helpful twiz.

I meant your second post where you just came on to say you don’t like me much. I wasn’t aware I was making you post.

I didn't say I didn't like you. I said you were being defensive. There is a difference.

People are trying to help and you're being quite rude to some posters who have asked genuine questions.

We know you don't drive but don't know some other context that would help.

How do you plan to go home from hospital? Are you in an area with good public transport (like a major city)? Do you rely on lifts or taxis?

Knowing this is helpful with advice around not having a seat at all or whether worth borrowing or buying one.

[Twigletfairy]

I didn't need a car seat for either of my children despite driving home. I left them hospital with them in a sling and then transferred them to the car seat when at the car

[scoopingthewater]

Yes but twiz laying into me personally just doesn’t help. If just upsets me and makes me feel bad. I genuinely don’t understand what the point is.

I asked a question, question was answered, obviously threads take a bit of a life of their own and it really would have been rude to have pompously said OK stop posting now ... question answered.

I wasn’t being defensive in answering questions people asked or pointing out relevant info - not everyone can drive and not everyone has a spare £100 for a car seat given that this is something you can’t pick up second hand unlike cots prams etc.

Have a good day anyway.

[premiumhob]

@Cornishmumofone

My car seat was checked when I left hospital with DD. I was readmitted two weeks later and staff insisted on checking the car seat again.

Checked for what?

[scoopingthewater]

And I do drive as it happens. It was a hypothetical question and I’ve said that a few times now.

[lyralalala]

@LittleMissLockdown

One of the hospitals here has car seats you can borrow. The other doesn't.

Really is this in the UK? How on earth do they know they are returned safely. The hospital surely cannot garuntee that they aren't involved in accidents once they leave the building? I'm also amazed they loan them out and they are returned and not just kept.

It is in the UK. I was curious about it and the staff member I spoke to said that the feeling is that they are safer than people having no car seat. I actually thinkg they are probably safer than the car seats that a few cabs have that rattle around boots for months on end - I wouldn't even secure my shopping in some of them let alone a child.

Apparently the vast majority are returned, which surprised me.

[LadyOfTheImprovisedBath]

We got a taxi down to hopsital when I was in labour - no family nearby - we did have to wait a bit as it was a really busy taxi day (we did in that time try the friends who said and we'll take you down and none picked up before taxi got there though I was slightly before due date )- but they had no issue with me being in labour - had people insist we wouldn't be able to do that either.

The hospital policy apparently was you had to have a car seat but when we asked MW they didn't really know if that applied in our situation.

[Twizbe]

@scoopingthewater saying you're being defensive isn't laying into you personally.

You can get a car seat second hand. It's not advised as you don't know if it's been in an accident.

If you know the seller / giver and know the seat's history it's fine to take one second hand or to borrow one for the odd journey as needed.

[scoopingthewater]

Have a good day twiz

[CharitySchmarity]

When my DC2 (22) was born, there was a family about to leave by car with a baby who didn't have a car seat. They were another nationality and I don't think they really understood the law on this. The midwives were doing their best to explain to them that it was illegal and they strongly advised them not to do it, but they couldn't physically stop them from leaving.

There were houses right opposite that hospital, and I assume babies were sometimes born to living there, in which case it would have been absurd for anyone to insist on a car or a car seat. In fact I could probably have pushed a pushchair from the hospital to my house in about half an hour - but not when I'd just given birth.

[Thespottytortoise]

How do you plan to go home from hospital? Are you in an area with good public transport (like a major city)? Do you rely on lifts or taxis?

This!

There's a world of difference between travelling across a city, making changes in public transport, walking for longish periods at the start/end, to a single bus, going from outside the hospital, to within 100m of your house.

Whilst I'd have done it if necessary, the bus goes, every 10 minutes, from outside the hospital to about 200m of my home, which is closer than a lot of hospital car parks (though most I believe let the car pick you up from outside maternity).

[AlbusSeverusMalfoy]

@scoopingthewater

So every mother who gives birth lives with someone who has a car? No one takes the bus or walks anywhere?

Not with a fresh new born baby no. And not a new born baby on a bus in a pandemic. And why would you want to walk when you feel like your inside might fall out unless you live across the road. If no car or car a suitable pram. They may ask hone you are getting home. They may not.

[Topseyt]

I don't think you have been sarky or "spiky" at all.

No, you don't need a car seat to go home from hospital. They are not prisons and have no power to detain you so they have no right to insist on one being produced before you can leave with your baby. If you feel able then you can discharge yourself and go home with the baby in a buggy, or whatever sort of suitable carrier you have.

A car seat is obviously advisable to have available if you are likely to travel much by taxi or in other people's cars.

You can't be sure how you will both be after the birth, so you might need to be prepared in case walking or going by bus turns out to have been overly optimistic. The best laid plans etc. do sometimes go astray and childbirth is nothing if not unpredictable.