Parents without cars: did you buy car seats?

[Wuffleflump]

Currently pregnant. We can do all our regular travel by walking, cycling or public transport. At a pinch, could pre-book a taxi with car seats.

I'm loath to spend money on car seats only for them to see occasional use. Also, given we don't have a car to store them in, it's more space taken up in our flat. I think I'd rather avoid the journeys that need travel by private car, at least until the kids are older.

Parents who don't have a car: did you survive without car seats, or did you find you needed them for occasional use? (I'm aware of the regulations around requirements for car seats, hence why I'd rather just avoid private car travel).

Ah the good old mumsnet myth that hospitals can detain parents 🤣🤣🤣

Utter codwallop

We got a car seat OP - used it a lot in taxis and friends cars. I learnt to drive when second baby came along though!

I am in Scotland and yes they clearly said they would not discharge me unless the car seat was brought to the ward. Now maybe if we had a pram and were leaving by bus they would have thought that would have been okay but they knew we were leaving by car and stated they had to see the car seat. My husband asked to bring the car round to the midwife unit so they could see the seat in the car and they said no to that too and I had to trot off to fetch the seat.

It isn't a myth as I am not making it up. Now maybe they don't have a legal right but they obviously do feel they have to ensure the safety of the newborn and causing a row on a ward is hardly sensible.

am in Scotland and yes they clearly said they would not discharge me unless the car seat was brought to the ward.

They can say what they like. They still have no legal power to keep you. Even in Scotland.

It isn't a myth as I am not making it up. Now maybe they don't have a legal right but they obviously do feel they have to ensure the safety of the newborn and causing a row on a ward is hardly sensible.

Of course it's a myth. You said it yourself. They have no legal right.

@Merryhobnobs they can say what like but they have absolutely ZERO power to prevent you leaving with your baby. Honestly society would be a much better place if ppl questioned things more actively...

I was told by the healty visitor we could leave hospital without DS in a car seat but we'd have to sign something to say we'd left without a car seat

*health

@moita ah health visitors....

We carried both our babies out of the hospital and wasn't asked about a car seat or checked. We were taking them to a car with a car seat in it. It's a good job we didn't have to take the seat to the ward as it's not one the small ones with a handle. It's a big one that stays in the car and lasts for years.
Can't offer much advise on the question as we have a car but guess a small cheap infant seat would be good for the first year or so then see how you get on.

I've got 3 kids, no car and no car seats. I bought a cheap seat to get them home from the hospital after they were born and that's the only time it's been used.

The older two (8 and 6) get in taxis occasionally and do so without a seat. It's only ever for short journeys so I'm comfortable with that.

Actually, I'm wrong, my middle child didn't leave the hospital in a car seat. He was pushed home in the pram as we only lived a 10 minute walk away

We got one in a travel system for dgd, she used it 4 times, including her trip home from the hospital. We haven't got one for her now, she's 3 and once she grew out of the baby carrier we didn't bother. I'm thinking of getting one of those boosters in a backpack types, for when we really really need one, but even that probably won't be used. We do have very good public transport here though, which probably helps.

We don't own a car but have found having a seat v helpful. Bought a baby one that was part our pram system and then when DD got too big for that we got a cheap one for £25 that should last until she no longer needs one.

Taxis where I live never have seats and they are how we get to our Urgent Care Centre anytime our DD is ill. Legally they can sit on you lap on a taxi but I'm not comfortable with this so have always taken out own seat. We've also occasionally used it in friend's cars.

The one that came with the travel system was useful when my DD was no longer happy lying flat in a pram but couldn't hold herself up enough to be ready for it to be turned into a pushchair. We used the car seat on the pram wheels for a couple of months whilst we were in between these two stages.

You could buy a pram system that includes one and if you find you never use it in a car you needn't buy the next size up.

Also, the midwives at the hospital I gave birth in were too busy to check if people left with car seats. You can go home by public transport or on foot if you're up to it, although I couldn't walk v far at the time (emcs).

We were also told we had to take the car seat to the ward, I thought it was because they didn't want me to walk with my newborn after a c-sec but maybe not. We also had to get a nurse/hca to check him in it after!? Then the bitch tipped it upside down with him in it but that's another story...

My son had an operation last month and on the discharge leaflet it said we couldn't use public transport on the way home (even in a pram) and it was one of the questions on a questionnaire they asked us on discharging as well.

My friends didn't have a car and they bought a car seat for use in the grandparents car who then picked them up from hospital. If you're prepared to travel by foot/bus/train all the time then I don't know why you'd get one. If you have family who will be very involved weekly/going for lunch/meals/the park/babysitting in the future etc then see if they'll want to have one in their car (you pay obviously), get one that lasts as long as possible. They're so bulky and awkward to store/carry around.