Leaving hospital when I don't own a car - the car seat law

[schroedingersdodo]

I've been hammered by MWs and in the antenatal classes that I NEED to leave hospital after birth with my baby in a car seat. However, I don't own a car and I don't want to buy a car seat!

I keep thinking that it is not feasible that everybody in London has a car or pays for cabs to leave the hospital. So, it sounds a bit ludicrous to demand a car seat from every single new parent (seriously, I'm sure some people go home by public transport?).

It's a 0.9-mile drive from the hospital to my house that will take 4 minutes (according to Google maps), and although I'd be happy to hire a cab with a car seat, I've heard that usually they turn up with seats inadequate for newborns.

I'm trying to find out what exactly is written in the law, but all I could find was this: www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm#under3

"Exceptions to the rules

In limited circumstances, children can travel without the correct child restraint.

1. In a licensed taxi or licensed private hire vehicle. If the correct child restraint is not available then, in the rear seat only, children under 3 may travel unrestrained. Children aged 3 years and over must use an adult seat belt."

Does anyone know where I can get the complete text of the law? It appears to me that in this case the law allows me to take my baby in the carrycot in a taxi?

BTW, I'm still not sure what to do, and I definitely don't want to travel with him on my lap (I'm not doing anything risky, no need to worry!). I really don't want to buy a seat as I rarely use cars and my flat is tiny! If this whole things gets too annoying I might end up walking him the 0.7 miles home! (not that I want to do that...)

BTW(2), I'm having the baby at the Royal Free (London NW3), so advice from anyone with a similar experience or who knows a taxi company with decent car seats in the area will be most welcome!

I get a cab for you and get your DH to walk home with the pushchair or a sling. But the hospital will probably prefer a pushchair!

Our hospital hires out car seats - you could look into that

norks, how exactly do they enforce that? They cannot legally stop you leaving and it is not up to them to tell you what mode of transport you choose. Also, why are you more likely to have a PPH walking or on public transport? And is that going to make the slightest bit of difference to the outcome?

Well, the whole point of my initial rant was that I was feeling bullied into buying something I don't need/want!

Now I feel I have some options, at least, which makes it seems less bad

I'll check with the hospital about hiring it, but I believe if they had this service they would have mentioned it in the antenatal class, when I explained my situation...

LittleSilver, apparently they can't refuse to let you out the hospital - but from some stories I've heard, they really bully you into the car seat thing, saying they won't let you out!

Would you like to borrow our baby car seat? My Lo has just moved into the bigger chair. It is in good nick and never involved in an accidnet or the like. I work at the Royal Free.

My aunty got the bus home with her baby in her arms, however Stokke prams aren't cheap and I'd say if you can spend £650 on a pram to keep the baby in the style and comfort it's going to become accustomed to, for the sake of £25 in argos you could use your nectar points to buy a car seat for one journey and you never know it might come in handy.

I also wonder how they enforce such "rules" what about when you use a car seat that stays in the car, they accompany you to the car to check??

tbh in your position I would say just buy a cheap one, you can always sell it on/give it away in the future if you dont end up using it. space wise they dont take up that much room, surely you have a wardrobe it can go in/on top of, or a cuboard, or as someone else said under a table...

IMHO, you need a car seat. I don't drive but use the train to visit family and friends with a taxi ride at the end. Also, if baby is ill out of GP surgery hours, you may need to get a cab to a walk in centre.

I found the Jane Matrix seat brilliant, as it's a carseat and flat carrycot in one so saved space and on long journies DC lies flat when not actually in the car.

I agree with those who say a car seat might be useful even if you don't own a car.

However, there's no way I'd buy one just to placate the staff at the hospital!!! They have no right to tell you how to travel...and I certainly wouldn't be bullied by them!

I would not buy a carseat instead of a bouncer. Bouncy seats are much more comfortable than car seats. Neither of my daughters was happy sitting in the car seat for more than a couple of minutes, if even that.

A car seat is not an acceptible substitute for a bouncy chair. Something to do with the posture it puts the babys back into. Not suitable for any extended period.

Don't think a bouncer is too wonderful either but at least they're a bit less restricted in it

Is this actually a law? I always though it was hospital legislation but no actually enforceable. The hospital staff can not legally stop you leaving they don't have that sor of power.

You only need a car seat if you are actually going home in a car!

You are allowed to walk home, you know.

You don't have to put the baby in a carseat if you are using a taxi, and of course the hospital cannot really stop you leaving just because you don't have a carseat. But you might still want to consider buying one.

We don't have a car (although we live outside London, and the hospital is 13 miles away so I wasn't contemplating walking home).

We have bought a car seat (for our first baby - due in May) partly because I didn't want to be fretting about getting a taxi home with the baby. But also because once I started totting up the number of times when we might use it (like taxi trips to hospital/walk-in centres when the baby is poorly, when friends and family come to visit and want to take us out or when we go down to London to stay with family who have cars) it seemed like having one might actually be pretty handy, even if it is unlikely to see much day-to-day use.

We've been very lucky and friends have passed on their old Quinny Buzz to us, so we bought a Maxi-Cosi carseat that will fit in it. If you haven't bought your pram/pushchair yet then getting a chassis that is compatible with a carseat might be something you want to consider, since you could then pop the kid in it if heading out on the train and enjoy the potential to take a taxi-ride or get a lift from friends at the other end.

In addition if you plan to have more than one kid the car seat will see further use in the future, and since you are highly unlikely to have a crash with it you can also pass it on to friends or family once you have completed your family. So you won't just be buying a piece of junk to make the hospital happy and then leaving it on a shelf.

We live in a small townhouse with very little storage space and we also live right behind the hospital where I'll be delivering. Neither of us drive.

We've still bought a carseat, mainly for the reasons that VeronicaCake has already listed. The carseat will be living on top of our wardrobe.

PardonMyClench many thanks, that would be great! How do I get in contact with you? (still not used to MN system)

About the bouncer, I'm not buying one anyway, so it wouldn't be a substitute. I know babies can't stay in a car seat for too long, so it would be only for short periods (like for ex having a shower).

The comments here are almost convincing me to buy a car seat to use in taxis and rides with friends! But if I'm going to use it that much, then maybe it would be wiser to do as Walnut8 and go for a reasonably good one (and not the super-cheap I had in mind). But then, alas, it's more money to spend!

(my plan when I got pregnant was to buy as few stuff as possible, but apparently that's more difficult than I thought!).

So I think the best option at the moment would be to borrow it (if I can), and then postpone the purchase.

Many thanks you all, you definitely helped a lot.

Have you ever heard of taking a chance? Caution to the wind?

Just put the baby in your lap in a a licensed taxi.

Have you ever heard of taking a chance? Caution to the wind?

Not many people feel like throwing caution to the wind when it comes to their baby's or children's safety in a car, especially if they aren't even driving it.

I'm sure most of the time, most people who throw caution in the wind don't die. Otherwise we would be living in a nearly empty planet

However, a few times very bad things happen and, surprise surprise, it's impossible to know when it will be. That's why some people decide to be cautious all the time. I guess a very bad thing happening just ONCE is bad enough, but well, some people may disagree

Strap it to the roof rack - after all nothing will probably happen it's only a new born who's life isn't worth the paltry price of a car seat.

For fecks sake why would anyone take the risk?

I remember as a child all my siblings coming home on the tube, I clearly remember the trips when Dad and I collected mum and the carrycot from UCH. I was a bit scared of the tube and hated it. When the triplets were born I remember picking them up one by one as they were allowed home on different days/ weeks.

Dont know if your due a maternity leave gift?? get chatting and drop some well placed hints about how lovely a car seat would be and so useful even though you dont have a car, people are often unsure what new parents will want or need so you could well be doing them a favour!! Try this with family and friends also (maybe straight out blunt to them?) a couple of them will probably think its a great idea and get it for you as a joint pressie