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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Stupid question alert! Bringing baby home from hospital

19 replies

mpops · 12/07/2011 12:01

This is going to sound ridiculous but it's a genuine n00b question: on all the essential-things-to-have lists there is a car seat for the baby which is required for bringing the baby home from the hospital. Fair enough if you have a car - but we don't, and we live a 10-minute walk up the road from the hospital. Will they let us take the baby home on foot (obviously I won't make it walk). And what should I use to do that?

Yes, yes, I'm to be asking this...

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CareyHunt · 12/07/2011 12:06

I know at my hospital they didn't let you take baby down the stairs until it was strapped into a car seat, and then a MW came to the car to check you could strap it in.

TBH, I would be more worried about whether you will be up to a 10 minute walk after having a baby? Could you not get a cab? Even if you don't have a car, you'll probably need a car seat to use in other people's cars sometimes. I don't think I'd want to walk that far so soon myself ( but maybe i'm a wimp!)

mrswarthog · 12/07/2011 12:06

Depends on how well you are & sometimes how rigid they are. You may not feel like a 10 min walk so a taxi or lift may be in order & you'll need a seat. Just ask your midwife or ring the hospital. Not a daft question BTW, perfectly sensible.

Marrow · 12/07/2011 12:08

Put baby in the pram You may not feel up to the walk though, depending on how the delivery went, so you may want to get a taxi and your partner could take baby home in the param.

JazzAnnNonMouse · 12/07/2011 12:11

perhaps you could get a travel system that has a car seat so that it ticks the box but actually you'll wheel it home not strap it in and drive it home?

KatyCustard · 12/07/2011 12:12

My sister in law took her baby home from Homerton Hospital in a silvercross pram - they do have a car but like you only lived a ten minute walk away.
However the baby had been in SCBU for about 3 weeks so she was more recovered from the birth than you may be.

Leenypies · 12/07/2011 12:20

We didn't own a car either, so we put our son in his Babybjorn and took him home on the bus. I had had a C-section and was fine with this.

Original poster

mpops · 12/07/2011 12:35

Thanks for not laughing at me. :) And many thanks for your answers! I suppose I should ask my MW what the policy is at my hospital. It seems mad to spend money on a car seat when we've got so much else to buy...

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eurochick · 12/07/2011 14:11

There was another thread on here reently about this. Maybe if you search for it some of the answers might be helpful?

One point a few people made was that it might be helpful to get a carseat anyway for taxi rides/trips out with relatives later on. It's something to think about.

Bartimaeus · 12/07/2011 14:16

What type of pram/pushchair have you got? I only ask because we've got one (Red Castle) with a detachable carrycot part to it which can be strapped into the car, and you can add a seatbelt in it for the baby...

So we're not buying a different carseat for a few months, as the baby will hardly travel in a car (max. once a month)

Original poster

mpops · 12/07/2011 14:33

Thanks for your answers!

Bartimaeus, we haven't got a pushchair yet, still thinking about what to buy so this might be the deciding factor. I was looking at travel systems just now but they're so expensive. I never thought not having a car would be such a hassle!

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nicolamumof3 · 12/07/2011 14:40

what marrow said.

Please don't buy a 'travel system' hate seeing tiny babies in carseats permanetnly slotted on a chassis when they would be safer and more comfortable in a lie flat pram. Depends of course on where you live if your're going to be using public transport. But yes either use pram or sling for home ward trip. Depends on birth and how you're feeling whether up for walk. But as marrow quite rightly pointed out your parent can bring baby home on foot and you can get a cab with bags etc?

EvelynBakerLang · 12/07/2011 14:46

What Leenypies said. I had a c-section and walked 10 minutes home from the hospital. DH pushed DD in the pram. No problem. It was a slow, slow walk, but not painful. The steep slope out of the hospital grounds was a bit much, but the rest was fine. And, as Marrow says, you can get a taxi by yourself if you don't feel well. Don't rush into a decision on pushchairs/travel systems/car seats just because of the journey home from hospital!

Cheria · 12/07/2011 14:56

at hospital being so meddling as to check you can fit your own carseat. Am aware that there are a lot of very stupid people on this earth but I would have been offended if they had come to the car to check we were doing it right.

There again, same thing for obligatory visits by health visitors. Help should be thre is you need it, not shoved down your throat.

Back to the subject, it may be a slow walk home but if they don't let you walk the baby home they are taking the whole weirdness thing a bit far.

Original poster

mpops · 12/07/2011 14:57

You're right, Evelyn. We were never going to go for a travel system as our plan was for a sling/carrier with a Maclaren Techno XT. I like the idea of dad taking the baby home in the pushchair or sling and possible taxi for me if I'm not up to it. Thanks for the valuable advice.

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HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 12/07/2011 14:57

While I couldn't have done a 10 min walk for about 2 weeks shortly after birth, there were plenty of 16 yr olds women who were positively bouncing around (slight exaggeration) after birth. Some hospitals and taxi firms have car seats to borrow. Also travel systems are a waste of money. Try Freecycle for a carseat if you get nowhere with the hospital/taxi. You may find you need one every so often anyway.

Original poster

mpops · 12/07/2011 15:00

Sorry, I meant to address nicola in my previous message. Got muddled up!

Cheria, just checked my maternity notes and there's a list from the hospital that says that a car seat is only necessary if you're taking the baby home in a car. So I think we're going to skip that. None of our friends have cars (we live in London so that's very common) and it's unlikely the baby will end up in cars much, if at all.

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wolfhound · 12/07/2011 15:02

I've never (3 babies, 2 hospitals) been asked how we're getting home, or if we have a car-seat - always just carried baby out in my arms. Of course you can push pram home. Madness to buy a seat you don't need. And if you don't feel up to walking, you can get a taxi and DH can push the pram home. I really don't think they can imprison you in the hospital!

Bartimaeus · 12/07/2011 15:07

Yeah I didn't want a travel system - waste of money imo (I'm in Paris so won't be traveling much by car either).

Red Castle is an umbrella pushchair (like Maclaren) where you can remove the hamac and add the carrycot bit for the first 6 or so months, turning it into a pram (baby lies flat, or can be slightly inclined if has reflux etc.)

Cheria · 12/07/2011 15:08

Phew. Sorry, I didn't mean to rant there but I have been hearing stories from a friend in the UK of a nightmare health visitor who just criticises everything she does.

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