Car seat questions

[Penguinita]

I'm hoping you lovely ladies can help a clueless first time mum-to-be.

(1) When should I start keeping the car seat in the car "just in case"? (I'm currently 35 weeks)

(2) Which side is it best to put it to keep an eye on baby when driving? Behind the passenger or driver?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

We never kept ours in the car las time and won't this time either as only a 10 min drve from hospital so OH can just come back and get it when we need it.
I believe drivers side is supposed to be safer in case of an accident you'd instinctively turn to try and get away from the brunt yourself however our car seat didn't fit behind drivers side when OH was driving!

I have never bothered with a 'just in case' car seat. Unless you are travelling a long distance from home or live a long way from hospital, I don't see the point.

Even if things kicked off so suddenly you couldn't go home first and went straight to hospital (unlikely), your partner/family will almost certainly go home at some point before you are discharged. DH did even though I was only in about 15 hours post natally, as he wasn't allowed on the ward during non-visiting hours. A far more likely scenario is things starting, you go home and pick everything up and head to the hospital.

Statistically, I believe passenger rearside is safest. Also easiest to see.

Clearly - See I have heard the opposite, that the way side accidents tend to happen (pulling onto roundabouts, out of junctions, etc) mean that the most likely combination of damage is front of one car and driver side of the other.

We're getting our isofix fitted when I get to 35 weeks, after a full valet. We have chosen to put it behind the passanger seat as my OH has his seat far back to drive.

I'd just put the car seat on whichever side will be easiest to get it out when you are at home! Ours started behind the driver's side and moved to behind the passenger seat when we moved house.

If you have another baby they'll just go in the other space anyway; it's not like you weigh up which child you love the least who gets the less safe side, is it?

We put ours behind the driver so the passenger can reach the baby (and as DC1 has got bigger, reach the stuff he drops/throws into the footwell). We'll shift them round so DC2 is behind the driver for the same reason.

Halfords fitted ours on the passenger side because it is the pavement side.

You don't always park on that side of the road though (and where I live, that means non-accessible hedge side) so I suspect we will end up switching it, but we'll see.