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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car seats and taxis

30 replies

123FirstBabyDumbo · 12/06/2024 17:18

AIBU to not have realized taking taxis/ ubers with an infant is not possible?! Please tell me there are other idiots like me around.

First baby due soon, was planning some visits abroad (I'm not originally from the UK) and breaks, all to cities where public transport is shit but the driving is horrific. No way can I drive there with my tame UK driving experience.

I can't take a car seat AND a stroller if I want to go for a walk or to a shopping mall or a museum. So what do people do?? Are there any portable carseats for infants? my online research is not giving me any obvious solutions other than the doona.

I know the doona clips in but 1) I've already bought a pram and 2) I thought the doona is not safe for more than 30 mins because of asphyxiation?

Re the driving - there's no way in hell I'd get into a car without a car seat in these destinations. Car seats are technically not mandatory but that would be so unsafe.

OP posts:
Original poster
123FirstBabyDumbo · 13/06/2024 22:34

BertieBotts · 13/06/2024 13:21

It is advised to have babies in a car seat for no more than 30 mins at a time for the first 4 weeks. After 4 weeks the time expands to 2 hours. No need to stick to a 30 min limite for 12 weeks.

If you are out with a newborn (IME we didn't really leave the house very much for those 4 weeks) for longer than 30 mins you can just take them out of the seat, and give them a bit of a cuddle/feed/play/kick around on a blanket to give them a break. Likewise for an older baby you just take them out after 2 hours, give them a break and then you can put them back in.

There are also lie flat(ter) seats on the market like the Joie i-Level or the Cybex Cloud. They're not actually flat enough to totally ignore the guidance, but you can use your own judgement. And likewise it doesn't make sense that on the 27th day of life and the 28th day of life the baby suddenly gains an extra 90 minutes' ability to cope with being in a car seat - you can use common sense around this.

And please remember the guidance only came in years and years after travel systems were first invented and marketed. It is a real risk to be aware of, but it is a very small one. As long as you're not using a car seat as your baby's bed overnight, or keeping them in it for hours and hours at a time every day, it is unlikely to cause a problem.

The adapters as shown for your pram will take any EU MAxi Cosi/Cybex/Besafe/Avionaut/Britax (2020 models+)/Nuna and most of the Joie car seats. Double check any new seat you buy can be fitted with the car seatbelt and doesn't need a base.

Do you have a carry car seat to use at home? Or just a permanent one fixed in your car? Are you somewhere that uses the EU standard for car seats or another standard, and what about where you're planning to visit?

Thank you @BertieBotts for your very considered reply. It's very helpful. I haven't bought the car seat yet but thanks to this thread I will buy one of the ones that fit the bugaboo and follow the advice here, and will also buy the attachments for bugaboo that someone else linked to. I don't live in the UK but a friend will be buying it for me from there and bring it over so it will be up to UK standards.

I had googled car seats and prams loads but I think I just got information overload and I don't have anyone to ask in real life. I also went to a shop here but on reflection the shop assistant was not the most helpful.

My grandparents can't wait to meet the baby and I'm really looking forward to this trip and when the issue of car journey popped into my head, I panicked!!

OP posts:
gawrna · 13/06/2024 23:03

If you are travelling to your home country, wouldn't your relatives be willing to ferry you around a bit? When we visit PILs overseas (in an area with poor public transport) we bought a multi stage car seat which they keep at their house as we visit regularly. Then the car seat stays in their car for the duration of the trip and we only need to worry about bringing the buggy. They don't mind driving us around as they like to spend as much time with the grandkids as they can.

Otherwise we tend to limit ourselves to places with reasonable public transport when travelling with younger kids, with occasional use of a taxi that offers a car seat. Neither of us are keen on driving abroad and it's a headache dealing with car seats and taxis and buggies as well (especially when you get to the next stage of car seats as they don't clip on to a buggy and are big and heavy).

Original poster
123FirstBabyDumbo · 13/06/2024 23:19

@gawrna yes of course but I'll be there for 3 weeks. I would like to be able to meet friends, go shopping etc. I can't always wait for a lift, all the family members who drive also work. The ones who don't work, are too old to drive. It's a 3 week trip, not just a weekend.

In any case, the very helpful mumsnetters have solved my issue 😍I blame my 16 weeks of throwing up and now PGP for my generalised baby brain ha!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 14/06/2024 09:22

Depending on where you are you might be best off getting a car seat locally? Although technically you should use a UK-regulation car seat in the UK, it's not likely to be picked up on for visitors and most car seat regulations across the world are broadly compatible with different sorts of cars, unless you are somewhere like a developing country where it's hard/expensive to get anything at all.

BertieBotts · 14/06/2024 09:25

This looks like a really good option though for frequent travel. It will be similar to the Nuna one which recently got a good crash test score. Can be belt or isofix fitted, without base. It goes onto those standard Maxi Cosi type Bugaboo adapters.

https://joiebaby.com/uk/sprint-integrated-isofix-baby-car-seat#color=24

sprint™

#html-body [data-pb-style=MLKNJVB]{justify-content:flex-start;display:flex;flex-direction:column;background-position:left top;background-size:cover;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-attachment:scroll}Installation Installs in vehicle using built...

https://joiebaby.com/uk/sprint-integrated-isofix-baby-car-seat#color=24

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