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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Carseats on pram frame

140 replies

GrandTheftWalrus · 22/10/2021 10:17

I've seen a lot of people using a car seat on the pram frame instead of a carry cot. Now obviously if you drive baby will have been in seat then taken from car and onto frame. But I've also seen someone describe it as barbaric to use a car seat attached if they don't drive and should only use carry cot.

Is it barbaric? Should people only use car seat part if they drive? Would you ask everyone that has a car seat on a frame if they drive?

OP posts:
Biancadelrioisback · 22/10/2021 10:19

I wouldn't ask anyone anything. It's up to the parents. None of my business.

Perhaps the carrycot bit was wet or soiled. Perhaps someone dropped baby off in the car seat and the person looking after baby just wanted to pop out and didn't have the carrycot. Perhaps perhaps perhaps.
There are any number of reasons why someone might use the carseat bit. Absolutely none of your business.

EatYourVegetables · 22/10/2021 10:20

Yes it is. Tiny kids should not be in car seats for long, a flat surface is much better for them (for breathing etc).

Marelle · 22/10/2021 10:20

A car seat is to keep a baby safe in the car. End of. It’s stupid and unhealthy to put it on a pram frame. Babies need to lie flat for proper spinal development. Although frankly I don’t give a shit if strangers’ babies end up with deformed spines so I wouldn’t say anything to them.

Otherpeoplesteens · 22/10/2021 10:24

I seem to recall the advice was that a baby should only be in an infant carrier a maximum of two hours at a time.

If a baby is asleep in one when you stop at Lidl on the 15 minute journey home, then an extra 20 minutes asleep in one while you pick up some wine and courgettes won't matter. If they have a two hour nap in one while you lunch, then put them in the car awake for an hour long drive, that's quite a different prospect.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 22/10/2021 10:26

Time in the car seat should be minimised as lie flat is healthier and allows more movement.

However practicality means that sometimes the car seat attachment is useful. With my first I couldn't drive so sometimes got lifts/taxis... I needed to take the car seat with me then. Or with my second you could take a car seat into toddler groups with a sleeping baby, but not a pram. Or someone on the school run, taking the car seat out for 5 mins. Or popping a shop for a few minutes.

Silverswirl · 22/10/2021 10:27

I used them all the time clipped on to the pram with twins but it was mainly for short journeys ie taking my 2 year old into a baby group or nipping into a supermarket, or getting out of the car and dropping other kids into nursery or school.
I also occasionally took them out of the car still in their car seats to finish a nap inside in the car seat.
Preferred to lay the buggy seats flat if going for a longer walk.
No everyone is able to have carrycots on their pram- if I had then I wouldn’t have been able to fit a buggy board on for my 2 year old

Sneezymcsneezy · 22/10/2021 10:28

My carseat has a lie-flat setting.... (Cybex) things for babies are designed to make parents lives easier these days

Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo · 22/10/2021 10:31

I wouldn’t use a car seat on a pram base whether I drove or not. They’re a necessity for when in a car but shouldn’t be used outside of that wherever possible.

TurnUpTurnip · 22/10/2021 10:31

No I wouldn’t say anything to a parent over this 🙄 I feel this way about people that cover their babies pram with a blanket (over the whole pram) but I wouldn’t say anything about that either, I use
To use the car seat on the pram and I don’t drive but it was never for more than two hours so 🤷‍♀️

DoctorSnortles · 22/10/2021 10:39

I loved the car seat-to-chassis set up when DD was a baby. We had a big dog at the time needed a good, long walk and I used to drive to a place ten minutes from home to do this. DD would fall asleep on the journey and it was brilliant to be able to just clip the car seat into the pram wheels, walk the hound for an hour, then clip the car seat back into the car. Cut down on so much faffing and DD would mostly sleep the whole time.

Totallydefeated · 22/10/2021 10:40

I wouldn’t stick my beak in and tell anyone something, same as I don’t when I see babies sleeping in prams indoors in padded coats and a padded pram cover when it’s 23 degrees inside and I worry they’re way too hot.

I used to wheel DD on her car seat on her pram, as she had terrible reflux and would be screaming in pain when lying flat. I kept the time to a minimum and as we hardly went in the car (live in inner London) I expect she was in the seat for far less time than many babies who live in places where they have to be driven everywhere.

I don’t doubt it was less ideal in some ways than her lying flat, but then she would have been in terrible pain screaming constantly so in that sense it was far better.

Life has a habit of dishing up combinations of circumstances that mean there is no ideal option and you’re stuck trying to go with the lesser of two evils.

OutOfSortsToday · 22/10/2021 10:43

Would you ask everyone that has a car seat on a frame if they drive?

Wtf?! I'd have some choice words for a complete stranger asking me this.

Our car seat does lie flat, but we pay close attention to recommended time limits anyway. If a stranger wanted to pass comment or try to 'educate' me based on seeing me for one moment of the day I'm afraid my rather sleep deprived inner voice might not be on her best behaviour.

nurserypolitics · 22/10/2021 10:46

I literally can't imagine a scenario where someone would use a car seat like that if they weren't driving. You can't buy a buggy frame on its own, so you'd have somewhere suitable to put the buggy as well as the car seat.

We got a car seat that could go on the buggy for exactly those situations where the baby has just fallen asleep and you want to move them, but we adhered v strictly to the guidance. I know people don't, but a lot of people ignore most SIDs guidelines and unless they genuinely don't know there's no point pointing it out.

Vbree · 22/10/2021 10:48

I don't think it's ideal to use for long periods, but ok for a quick shopping trip for example. No more than a couple of hours. Ours never lied flat so I didn't like to leave my son in it for too long. I wouldn't think anyone would comment though, it's no one else's business.

Original poster
GrandTheftWalrus · 22/10/2021 10:49

The reason I'm asking is someone told me it was barbaric that I use the car seat on the pram frame because I don't drive. I find it easier to push etc when the car seat part is on it. She's never in it for more than 2hrs. Usually 45 mins if I go to supermarket before school run. I see many people with a car seat on a frame and have never thought it was barbaric!

OP posts:
Crunchingleaf · 22/10/2021 10:50

I would never say it to another parent that their baby should be lying flat as much as possible. In some circumstances it would be fine like popping into a small shop for 5/10 minutes. For a walk they do need to be moved into the carrycot.
I think maybe some parents don’t know that being in a car seat for long stretches is bad for a baby.

MindyStClaire · 22/10/2021 10:50

@Totallydefeated

I wouldn’t stick my beak in and tell anyone something, same as I don’t when I see babies sleeping in prams indoors in padded coats and a padded pram cover when it’s 23 degrees inside and I worry they’re way too hot.

I used to wheel DD on her car seat on her pram, as she had terrible reflux and would be screaming in pain when lying flat. I kept the time to a minimum and as we hardly went in the car (live in inner London) I expect she was in the seat for far less time than many babies who live in places where they have to be driven everywhere.

I don’t doubt it was less ideal in some ways than her lying flat, but then she would have been in terrible pain screaming constantly so in that sense it was far better.

Life has a habit of dishing up combinations of circumstances that mean there is no ideal option and you’re stuck trying to go with the lesser of two evils.

This is what I was going to say.
TurnUpTurnip · 22/10/2021 10:51

@GrandTheftWalrus

The reason I'm asking is someone told me it was barbaric that I use the car seat on the pram frame because I don't drive. I find it easier to push etc when the car seat part is on it. She's never in it for more than 2hrs. Usually 45 mins if I go to supermarket before school run. I see many people with a car seat on a frame and have never thought it was barbaric!
By who exactly? A stranger?
Original poster
GrandTheftWalrus · 22/10/2021 10:51

Yeah when we go on long walks/days out she's in the pram part. But already it's tilted up as she likes to see us (she's 5 months and the pram converts to a chair for when they are 6 months +)

OP posts:
Original poster
GrandTheftWalrus · 22/10/2021 10:52

By someone on a group @TurnUpTurnip

OP posts:
TurnUpTurnip · 22/10/2021 10:53

Well ignore people on groups then as literally no stranger is going to approach you and ask you if you drive 🤦🏻

Vbree · 22/10/2021 10:53

Just ignore the comment Smile Short periods are fine.

Original poster
GrandTheftWalrus · 22/10/2021 10:54

Obviously they aren't going to ask but I wonder how she can tell who is a driver and who isn't! That was the part that confused me the most.

OP posts:
Bambam2019 · 22/10/2021 10:57

Barbaric? Oh, please!!!

NellieBertram · 22/10/2021 10:57

I only found it useful to have the carseat attach to the frame when I didn't drive and didn't have a car.

Once we had a car it wasn't necessary.