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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to take a baby on the underground?

44 replies

BarrelOfMonkeys · 21/02/2009 19:06

I live about 45 mins by train from London, and have had various London friends visit since DD was born 6 weeks ago, and would like to do return visits but while getting on a train with DD seems achievable, the underground fills me with anxiety - the dirt, the pushing people, the steps to navigate - not somewhere I want to expose my baby to! Am I being a bit PFB and AIBU to give up on ever making it south of the river ever again?!

OP posts:
AliceTheCamel · 21/02/2009 19:10

Your baby is only 6 weeks old. If you don't want to take her on the underground, and you don't have to take her on the underground then yanbu not to.

She'd be absolutely fine if you did. But I wouldn't have wanted to take my perfect, clean, sweet, darling little 6-week-old on the underground either .

It is perfectly reasonable to be ott protective of your baby while she is so little.

ShambolicBaby · 21/02/2009 19:11

how about a sling?

it might be easier

compo · 21/02/2009 19:12

tbh now is the perfect time to take her because you can put her in a sling
but don't feel you have to, don't feel you need to go a-visiting with a 6 weeker, enjoy people coming to you for a bit longer

ScummyMummy · 21/02/2009 19:13

I think you are being a little bit overprotective, yes, but most people with 6 week olds are. I think outside the rush hour tubes are as doable as trains with a small baby but I also think that it is fine to wait till you're ready. There are buses going south of the river as well- would they feel easier, perhaps?

oxocube · 21/02/2009 19:16

Oh I had to do this sometimes when I worked in central London but lived in Croydon. If my childminder was ever sick, I had a back up but she lived by my work in Kings Cross and I had to take baby (from 3 months to 1 yr) on Thames Link or train to Victoria and tube. It made me change jobs, I hated it so much, esp when the escalators broke down and I had to do the stairs with a buggy

sarah293 · 21/02/2009 19:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

scienceteacher · 21/02/2009 19:17

If you put your baby in a sling, and travel outside of rush hour, the tube is fine.

Earlybird · 21/02/2009 19:18

When you feel ready, you'll be surprised how many people automatically pick up one end of the pushchair when you come to the stairs. I only had to ask for help a few times, and people were happy/willing to oblige.

Agree with Scummy - don't go around peak travel times, as crowds are tricky and not pleasant.

YaddaYaddaYadda · 21/02/2009 19:18

No, yanbu at all. I live in London, DD is over 1 and has been on the tube twice, it's just a nightmare travelling with a baby and hardly anyone helps you. If you're going to do it then I'd use a sling not a pushchair but personally I'd continue to get friends to come to you.

oxocube · 21/02/2009 19:19

To be fair, I should have pointed out that I hated it because it was so bloody inconvenient and hard, rather than a paranoia of tubes/dirt etc. If I had time, could choose off peak travel times and it wasn't forced upon me, I don't think i would have had a big problem with tubes themselves

nappyaddict · 21/02/2009 19:20

Steps are a PITA to negotiate with a pushchair. Use a baby carrier instead.

Simplysally · 21/02/2009 19:20

Can you use the mainline to get to South London or buses? At least you're above ground then.

glucose · 21/02/2009 19:21

buses are a bit easier i think

spicemonster · 21/02/2009 19:21

If you do take a pushchair, people will always help. I have only had to do it myself about twice and I take my DS on the tube at least once a week. Having said that, much easier to take a sling with a wee babe. And I remember really hating taking my DS down the main road because of all the particulates. I still don't like it but we live in London and so I've finally managed to convince myself that the air isn't much cleaner in the back garden than on the main road 100m away!

TeenyTinyToria · 21/02/2009 19:21

I used the Glasgow underground with ds when he was a baby - bung your dd in a sling and go for it, it's easier at this age, honest.

Once you need a pushchair, or have an escaping toddler, you won't want to use the underground unless you have to!

CrushWithEyeliner · 21/02/2009 19:22

YANBU

piscesmoon · 21/02/2009 19:28

I would use a sling. You will find that someone will stop and help if you have a pushchair.I would avoid rush hour whatever.

mileniwmffalcon · 21/02/2009 19:34

yanbu - i vividly remember the first time i took dd2 out in a pushchair and had a slightly tricky bit of road to cross to get to the park - parked cars, fast traffic, cars pulling too fast out of side roads etc. i had a minor panic attack, could not cross the road and went home, sending dp and dd1 to the park on their own. dd2 must have been 6 weeks old and whilst i'd been out with her in a sling from 3 days having her that far away from me in a situation that was very mildly perilous totally freaked me out (in my defence i'm mildly phobic about cars/traffic at the best of times).

irrational it may be, but there's not a lot you can do when hormones attack

Original poster
BarrelOfMonkeys · 21/02/2009 19:37

I'd forgotten about the mainline trains! Will have to look into that. I've never really done London buses as the few times I have I've invariably missed my stop unless I know the area, or its taken 2-3 times as long to get to my destination but that would be preferable to the tube. I'll have to practise more on the local buses and maybe give it a go in a couple of weeks...

OP posts:
hf128219 · 21/02/2009 19:37

Use the tube quite a lot. Buses too.

You just do it! Before I did it I fretted and worried about how could I possibly manage. Now it's second nature!

giantkatestacks · 21/02/2009 19:44

I tend to meet friends who live norf of the river somewhere in between like tate modern or some such - somewhere with a cafe and baby changing thats easy for both to get to.

beanybean · 21/02/2009 19:46

If you check out the Transport for London website and click on the maps section, the standard tube map shows you all the stations where there are lifts (wheelchair sign). There is also one that shows you which ones have baby changing. Sorry, tried to paste the link but couldn't do it.

But I would also see if you can get the overland train into town. E.g. Thameslink goes to Kings X and Farringdon from South London.

If you don't mind saying what journey you want to do I could try to suggest the best way....

Sorry bit of a nerd when it comes to public transport...!

fluffles · 21/02/2009 19:47

avoid the rushour and use buses if possible - you'll be fine.

outside of the rushour there aren't any big crushes - and if there does seem to be a holdup because of stuck or late trains then because you're not trying to get to work you don't have to push through it, just get out and have a coffee and go back in twenty mins later.

funnypeculiar · 21/02/2009 19:49

With a sling it's a complete doddle - ime people are not always great about helping out, so personally I'd avoid it with a buggy. And absolutely only ever travel at non-peak times.
BUT if you don't feel ready for it, then don't - I agree that the dirt is a bit terrifying when you have a lo. And she is only 6 weeks yet - there's plenty of time

DogMa · 21/02/2009 19:49

Oh listen - we took our children on the underground when they were both babies and hands up, I crapped myself! It felt even more intimidating than normal. Totally irrational but there you go!

Some of the steps were a pita with the pram as well.

Wait until you've grown steel balls would be my advice!