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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Taxi journey 5-10 min - car seat needed?

103 replies

LaVitesse2022 · 25/08/2023 18:58

Hi all,

Due in a couple of months and thinking about logistics after birth. We live very close to maternity and I've been walking or taking the bus to my midwife appointments. Ideally we'll get the bus home from hospital after the birth but obviously not sure what state I'll be in. We may need a taxi, in which case it'll be a 5-10 min ride home.

I know by law it's not required in these circumstances - so AIBU to not wanting to get a car seat just for that hypothetical and very short drive home? I know accidents happen even in short rides, but it does look like a very small risk.

For context, we don't own a car and live in a small flat in London so I'm not keen on getting stuff unless absolutely necessary.

No hateful comments please, just interested in what other people would do in this situation, particularly ones who have been in similar circumstances.

OP posts:
TropicalTrama · 25/08/2023 22:39

LaVitesse2022 · 25/08/2023 19:30

@TropicalTrama yes, I'm in London so could get a black cab and wheel the pram in. Not sure if much different in safety terms to carrying the newborn in a sling and the backseat of a regular car though, hence my dilemma.

Really appreciate everyone's suggestions. I hadn't thought about me taking a cab while dad takes baby on bus/walk, which sounds like the safest/best. I'll still consider if worth purchasing car seat for the odd drive though

Safety isn’t really a concern when it’s 20mph on a good day with no traffic- you wouldn’t think twice about no car seat on the bus and in London it’s basically the same thing.

bellac11 · 25/08/2023 22:43

Mrsphilmiller · 25/08/2023 18:59

They won’t let you leave the hospital without a car seat (is what I’ve heard through the years)

This is often said but what law would prevent the parent walking out

Its not a PPP situation

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 25/08/2023 22:51

OP if you are wearing a sling jn the cab then you won't be able to wear a seat belt.

Blessedbethefruitz · 25/08/2023 22:51

I'd buy a baby one - they start at £40, and you don't know how often you'll need to do hospital or dr trips (we are non drivers with a not super healthy first baby - second was much better). Our follow on car seat though has been used once only in 2.5 years!

Outwiththenorm · 25/08/2023 22:58

Jesus you’ve been growing this baby for 9 months, likely to go through hell (sorry but true) birthing it, and quibbling spending £50 on a car seat to get it safely home? Yes baby could die or be horribly injured in a prang. Yes you are being U.

( I accept I’m touchy here but MIL could not be convinced that we weren’t over-reacting when we refused to take our 3 month old in a 50 minute taxi ride - on motorway! - to her house from airport without a car seat. “But it’s legal!”)

UndercoverCop · 25/08/2023 23:02

Have you got any friends with a car seat? I picked up a colleague in the same situation, DH stayed home with our DC and I went to the hospital picked up and took them home.

TheCave · 25/08/2023 23:07

The newborn car seats last until around 12-15 months. Are you sure that you would have no other use for it apart from this one trip? Are you planning any holidays for example?

Someone else mentioned the Joie Jova - i agree, it's a good car seat in terms of low budget but scores well for safety. It's lightweight too. If budget is tight then see if you can get a secondhand seat - but do look for a well-known brand which scores highly for safety, ask if it has been in any kind of accident, and only get something that has been lightly used (I'd avoid anything ancient looking - car seats do have expiry dates).

BringItOnxxx · 25/08/2023 23:08

Please God don't take a newborn in the back seat of a normal taxi in a sling!!!!!!! That's insane. I don't have a car but have a car seat. There are always going to be occasions you can use it, even a second hand one is better than nothing.

Kilicat · 25/08/2023 23:14

Op, have you looked at Fat Llama? Could rent one for very little if/when needed. Might be worth seeing if you've got any local listings.

CauliflowerBlue · 25/08/2023 23:19

I love in a small London flat and had similar thoughts.

We decided to get a car seat and I’m glad we did. We had many trips to hospitals in the first months. Some of the journeys were over an hour long, I wouldn’t have wanted baby “loose” for such a long journey.

You won’t be able to (safely) use a sling from brand new newborn. They take practice to fit and require a mirror and patience.

You can get lie-flat car seats that attach to the pushchair. You could get one of those and then won’t also need a carrycot for the first 6 months.

Sugarfree23 · 25/08/2023 23:29

Op do you have family or friends with a car that you are likely to need a carseat over the next 18mths?
I think I'd try for a second hand one.

But if your highly unlikely to use it again then I'd buggy in the back of the taxi.

Never heard of anyone actually being checked to see they have a car seat. I think it's a myth that floats around on forums etc.

Mamai90 · 25/08/2023 23:31

I wouldn't let my toddler go in a 5 min car journey without a carseat, I don't drive and sometimes it's awkward and the easier option is to just take a lift but it's not worth the risk however small, it's still a risk and no way would I risk it with a newborn baby.

I'd borrow a carseat or get a second hand one, you might find you need one incase of emergency too.

Giveuprobot · 25/08/2023 23:45

Outwiththenorm · 25/08/2023 22:58

Jesus you’ve been growing this baby for 9 months, likely to go through hell (sorry but true) birthing it, and quibbling spending £50 on a car seat to get it safely home? Yes baby could die or be horribly injured in a prang. Yes you are being U.

( I accept I’m touchy here but MIL could not be convinced that we weren’t over-reacting when we refused to take our 3 month old in a 50 minute taxi ride - on motorway! - to her house from airport without a car seat. “But it’s legal!”)

She's not being remotely unreasonable to ask a question and people who managed to remain calm in the face of a reasonable question have given practical and sensible suggestions which will save the OP buying a car seat for no particular reason.

Caspianberg · 26/08/2023 06:00

@CauliflowerBlue of course you can use a sling from newborn? Ds was born peak covid, dh wasn’t even allowed back in building after birth. Ds was popped in sling so I could carry baby and luggage myself 2 days after birth. He had been in sling the day before in the hospital also as screamed being out down so I put him in and walked around room. Was ergo embrace, easy to use without learning and designed from newborn.

NewDogOwner · 26/08/2023 07:16

They won't let you leave until they have seen a car seat.

bellac11 · 26/08/2023 07:24

NewDogOwner · 26/08/2023 07:16

They won't let you leave until they have seen a car seat.

Under what legislation and law?

User15387500 · 26/08/2023 07:25

NewDogOwner · 26/08/2023 07:16

They won't let you leave until they have seen a car seat.

But you may be walking home.

Oysterbabe · 26/08/2023 07:25

NewDogOwner · 26/08/2023 07:16

They won't let you leave until they have seen a car seat.

This isn't true.

Mydustymonstera · 26/08/2023 07:31

When on holiday we used our baby car seat as a substitute bouncy chair (it had a slightly curved base). It was really useful to have somewhere for a 3-6month old to sit safely for short periods & they were content as they could see what was happening. So you could possibly save space by not getting a bouncer or baby gym & trying the car seat?
(remember the 30 min time limit when they are small)

TheBarbieEffect · 26/08/2023 07:33

Please don’t buy a second hand car seat. You don’t know the history of the seat, whether it’s been in a crash, been dropped, been improperly cared for, has mould inside from food/drink previous baby has had etc.

All these can effect the integrity of the seat and make it unsafe.

UnaVaca · 26/08/2023 07:34

Get a car seat. What happens if you urgently need to get somewhere with the baby?

mynameiscalypso · 26/08/2023 07:35

We had a baby in a small flat in London without a car and we got a relatively cheap car seat. We didn't use it a lot but I used to take it in taxis with me. DS was a small baby and it felt a lot more secure than a pram. Often I just took baby + car seat + sling when we were going to appointments and the like. We passed it on to family eventually as it had never been in any sort of crash so I feel like we got our money from it.

ShadowPuppets · 26/08/2023 07:42

I’ve taken my DC in a taxi without a car seat but that’s always been after they outgrew their first car seats (which were seatbelt not isofix so easy to pop into a taxi). So they’d have been 12m+ when I did. I wouldn’t do it with a newborn.

Agree you in the taxi and Dad walking home would be best if no car seat, but I’d say a baby car seat might be a wise investment, at least for the first 12m.

SataumaMeddler · 26/08/2023 07:42

Contact your local Home-Start. They can more than likely lend or help you source a car seat. Our local one lends lay flat seats for bringing baby home

Ace56 · 26/08/2023 07:56

I feel like maybe a lot of these posters haven’t had much experience of London traffic?

OP, you know the route and the general speed you’ll be going. Assuming it’s like most of London you’ll be going 20 mph max, same as a bus. If you’re driving 5 mins of course you can just hold your baby or leave it in the pram, same as you’d do on the bus. I wouldn’t overthink this.