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Original poster

What is wrong with carrying newborn out of hospital ?

109 replies

mumfor1sttime · 17/07/2005 21:35

Sorry for weird question - but wondered if the hospital you had your baby were as weird as mine. Was told we could only leave the hospital with our newborn in a car seat. The car seat we have is age 0-3yrs with no handle so didnt think there was any point in using it, so my dh carried ds out of maternity ward.

A grumpy and rude midwife had a go at us and said she would take ds down stairs for us in his crib! (those glass container things)so had the embarrasment of her escorting us to car.

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kama · 17/07/2005 22:25

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Nemo1977 · 17/07/2005 22:28

RTKM i agree i didnt actually think it that odd that they carried ds to the door and it didnt bother me. Will be happy for them to do it again with DB.

edodgy · 17/07/2005 22:33

I think the point of a carseat is that most people do take their baby home by car or cab. The escorting thing is simply because you and the baby are still under the hospital's charge until you exit the hospital doors therefore if you were to collapse or fall it would be classed as their responsibility.

sparklymieow · 17/07/2005 22:33

I had to have a car seat with DS, but when I had DD1 I had just moved here, about 2 minutes walk from the hospital so she came home in a pram, as did DD2.

RTKangaMummy · 17/07/2005 22:44

Also isn't it rather "nice" {in " " cos DS says his teacher tells them to use other words, but I can't think of any atm} that they come to the door to say goodbye

Rather than you just walking out without anybody noticing that you were there IYSWIM

bubblerock · 17/07/2005 22:53

It was the same with mine and car seats leaving hospital but I was allowed to carry them around the ward. I guess at least you know that if a random person tried to walk out with a baby they would be stopped for not having a car seat.

Eugenious · 17/07/2005 23:05

it's Big brother again

Linnet · 17/07/2005 23:09

With dd1 I was told not to carry her around the wards she had to be wheeled around in her goldfish bowl. When we were leaving she was in her car seat and the nursery nurse carried the car seat down the stairs for us and put her in the car.

With dd2 we put her in the car seat and left. Had already said goodbye to the midwife about 15 minutes earlier on the ward, she wasn't anywhere to be seen when we actually left. We then went downstairs by ourselves and waited in the reception area on our friends picking us up.

SenoraPostrophe · 17/07/2005 23:09

in spain you can carry a baby out of hospital, but you nearly drop her because so many old women try to stroke her head.

I think it's a good policy.

hunkermunker · 17/07/2005 23:09

We had a carseat for DS, but nobody saw us off. They couldn't have been less interested in our departure had they tried!

Flum · 17/07/2005 23:14

Frizbee how is that the law when you can get on a bus with kids rattling around in pushchairs and the tube and in cabs......

spidermama · 17/07/2005 23:15

I would tell that grumpy old cow where she could stick it. Sorry, but that is outrageous. How dare she?

Flum · 17/07/2005 23:16

I just bunged dd in my holdall in the space where the nappies had been. They didn't even notice I didn't have a baby on me when I left.

Pixiefish · 17/07/2005 23:43

i was 'told off' for changing dd's nappy on the bed as well. Told I 'had' to do it in the plastic cot- incase she fell off the bed !!

MamaMaiasaura · 17/07/2005 23:48

flum - are you joking?

Flum · 17/07/2005 23:50

erm, yes a bit.

MamaMaiasaura · 17/07/2005 23:51

phew ..

Skribble · 17/07/2005 23:52

At our hospital you have to carry them out in car seat or midwife carries to car. Our seat was a big one already fixed in.

It is a security safe guard (as wel as H&S no doubt). They explained that when monitoring cameras they will stop anyone carrying a baby on their own out with the maternity wards. I liked being waved off by the caring midwife who seemed happy to see baby strapped in safely.

MarsLady · 18/07/2005 00:03

Just had a quick read. One of the auxilaries at the hospital used to come and whisk DT1 away every day (we were there for almost 2 weeks). She used to tell me that I needed my rest and that it was too difficult to concentrate on 2 babies lol. She had just fallen in love with her and wanted to hold her for as long as possible.

She used to hand out lunches with DT1 tucked safely onto her chest. She was a wonderful woman.

Because I had the twins and I had had babies before they pretty much left me alone in hospital and I would wander up and down with the DTs as I saw fit.

I do remember with the others a midwife having to take the babes down to the car. In fact we had 2 escort me and my bfriend to her car. We just wanted to get out of there. BF had to stop the car cos she was too amazed that we were driving with newborn twins. lol

eidsvold · 18/07/2005 04:32

In the UK - they escorted us out and made sure we had a car seat etc for dd1 in the car - SCBU nurse wheeled dd1 down and then carried her to the car - we were just so glad to get her home after three weeks in icu and SCBU I would not have cared who took her out as long as I got her home.

Here in Aus - they told me I could go home the next morning - midwife came and saw me first thing - then dh pushed dd1 in the buggy with all the bags and I walked out carrying dd2. No one escorted us to the car. No-one checked that we had a car seat... no one even thought me walking to the car park a few days post caesar carrying dd2 was a problem.....

bobbybob · 18/07/2005 05:06

Dh was not just allowed but encouraged to take bob (in a front pack as it happens but probably not essential) to the hospital canteen so I could have some rest. Midwife said it was me in hospital not him.

Pacing up and down was discouraged, but largely because it disrupts other people and is tiring for a woman who has just given birth.

Ds didn't go in his glass box once in 3 days.

Very cool hospital.

highlander · 18/07/2005 07:02

In Vancouver I wasn't allowed to go outside my room carrying DS; he had to be in his fishbowl. In my room I could pretty much do what I wanted, including co-sleeping, nappy changes etc etc.

When we left, the midwife checked the car seat was adjusted properly. They didn't seem to fussed that, depsite a CS, I left with a rucksack on my back and carrying loads of bags!

RedZuleika · 18/07/2005 09:18

Hulababy - I don't understand what you mean by your comment: "It isn't law though. A child restraint only has to be used if one is present in the car. I wish it was law that all children in a car had to have car seats, but sadly, in the UK, it is not. There are no laws for public transport at all."

I've just received a brochure from Britax which outlines the legal position in the UK in terms of the driver's responsibility for passenger belts / restraints. Under 3 years of age, an appropriate child restraint must be used. Between 3 and 11 and under 1.5m in height, an appropriate child restraint must be used if available - if not, an adult seatbelt must be worn. A 12 - 13 year old or a child greater than 1.5m in height must wear an adult seat-belt.

Are you referring to the band between 3 and 11, when it is not a legal necessity to own a car seat? I can't myself see how a 4 year old, for instance, can be adequately protected by an adult seat belt. The greatest surprise for me, however, was that the definition of 'adulthood' in this context starts at 14 - when a seat belt must be worn by law, but it is no longer the responsibility of the driver to ensure that this is carried out.

Hulababy · 18/07/2005 09:29

Honestly, in the UK there is no law that says a car restrain must be used, only that if one is available it must be used.

Cars - Children under 3 years old

If carried in the front seat, an appropriate child restraint MUST be used (the adult seat belt is not sufficient). Children under 3 years old may not travel in the front unless they are in a child restraint.

If carried in the rear seat, an appropriate child restraint MUST be used, IF AVAILABLE.

If an appropriate restraint is fitted in the front of the car, but not the rear, children under 3 years old MUST sit in the front and use that restraint. Remember, you could move the restraint from the front to the rear if you wish. Rearward-facing seats are designed to be used in the rear as well as the front. You should always put a rearward-facing baby seat in the rear if is a front passenger airbag fitted.

Cars - Children Aged 3-11 years (and under 1.5 metres tall)

If carried in the front seat, an appropriate child restraint MUST be worn IF AVAILABLE.
If not, an adult seat belt MUST be worn.

If carried in the rear seat, an appropriate child restraint MUST be worn IF AVAILABLE.
If not, an adult seat belt MUST be worn IF AVAILABLE.

If an appropriate restraint or seat belt is fitted in the front of the car, but not in the rear, children between 3 to 11 years old and under 1.5 metres tall MUST use that restraint or seat belt. (Remember, you could move the restraint from the front to the rear if you wish).

There are from a site with Government and ROSPA guidelines and legal requirements on:

Here

piglit · 18/07/2005 09:32

I wish we had an escort when we left hosp with ds! I remember walking along the corridor of the hospital clutching him for dear life and getting to the top of the stairs and panicking! I turned to dh and cried "I can't carry him down stairs - he's too precious. I might fall or drop him" (I was very wobbly after c-section and was having a very hormonal day 3). Dh went to take him and I said "Nooooo - you might drop him too(!)" so we had to wander around the hospital until we found the lift. TBH the offer of a midwife escort would have been very welcome!

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