Leaving with my baby?

[joflores]

So myself and my OH have brought a britax dualfix car seat, ( it's fixed in to the car and to the ISOfix base ).

I've been told that you must take a car seat up to the ward to be able to leave with baby ... How can I do this ?
Will the MW come down to my car to check ? Can I push her in her pram out the ward ?

It wouldn't be safe to carry her in the car seat as it's not designed for that, anyone else have this dilemma ?

Just tell them it's a fixed car seat! Honestly, they cannot stop you leaving with the baby, they just don't want you to drop her on the stairs (particularly if you get a dizzy spell, which is common). Why doesn't your partner just bring a sling to the ward and carry the baby?

I wouldn't take a pram onto the ward if you can help it - not much space.

I've asked my midwife this exact question (we've also got the Britax), she said that under no circumstances would they let me leave without a carry car seat. She said I either had to buy one or borrow one.

I guess they couldn't actually physically stop you leaving with your baby, but we didn't want the hassle of an argument with them. Luckily we can borrow one of a friend for the journey.

With my eldest, a midwife carried him out to the car and put him in, but this was after I specifically said we were leaving by my FIL's car and that he had bought a car seat and my partner said that FIL was waiting outside for us. So, at least ten years ago, they would go out.

With my youngest two, I was handed discharge papers and walked out carrying them out in a sling and no one said a word. We returned home by public transport with them and don't own a car or a car seat.

"I've asked my midwife this exact question (we've also got the Britax), she said that under no circumstances would they let me leave without a carry car seat. She said I either had to buy one or borrow one."

Your midwife is trying to scare you into doing what she wants. They have absolutely no legal right to prevent you leaving the hospital without a car seat. Especially if you've said that there is one fitted into the car (and, I suppose, been nice if they ask to look) as there is no child protection issue.

I absolutely hate any HCP using the word 'allowed'.

Yeah I agree. What if you always used public transport? That's just bizarre.

Personally I'd bring the pushchair up. It's not actually that comfy carrying a baby car seat. Makes you all lopsided.

Tell them it's fixed....my mw came down to car to see dd safe and ready to go.

Didyou - Not sure all wards will let you bring the buggy into the ward because of space issues. Agree car seats are a PITA to carry though.

On our ward just for collecting it was allowed. Might have changed though?

I'd go for the sling then!

I heard it was a myth, but maybe in some areas they make a fuss about it. Certainly when we left with DS 6 weeks ago no one checked to make sure that we weren't taking him away riding on a donkey. As penguins said, they have no right to detain your child unless there is a serious child protection issue, and they can only stop you going home if you are sectioned under the mental health act wish I'd known this before they told me I wasn't allowed to leave their awful ward.

I'm with penguin, they can't stop you leaving, absolutely no powers to do so. If they ask you say 'car seat is fixed in the car, we are carrying baby out, you are welcome to walk to the car with us to say good bye'. End of conversation.

I walked home.
I live a ten min walk from the hospital, and we don't have a car. No one on the ward asked how we were getting home, and no one cared that we'd brought a pram in.

Lettice - See the one about me I did know, and put to good use. We told the that we were going, and suddenly "you have to stay in overnight" turned into "would you mind waiting whilst I get a paed to sign off on your baby". Home that night. I don't think I have ever loved my DH more than when he reminded me of that one.

We have a fixed car seat, a midwife has never accompanied me to the car and I have left the hospital ward carrying all three of my children (sections with all three).

Ah Penguin I was also kept in for box ticking reasons when I desperately wanted to go home, it won't be happening again if I have another. [humpth]

I have the dualfix too, they asked if I had a car seat and I just told them it was fixed in car. They let us walk out precariously carrying a 12 hour baby at half 10 at night, no bother.

I had a fixed car seat for ds and the midwife insisted she had to carry him to the car. No one ever said we needed a car seat that could be carried.

Just meet someone at the ward with a pram or sling etc when your leaving, it will be fine.

DH brought the pram up and we left with DC in it as we also have a fixed car seat. No questions asked.

Honestly, midwives aren't allowed to insist in carrying your baby, or inspecting your car seat, or any of these other ridiculous rules.
You can sign yourself and your baby out against medical advice if you insist (not advisable though really) but inspecting your transport methods isn't a medical issue. Nobody is allowed to insist on anything, where is the legal remit for this? It don't exist.

No one asked, or gave a shit - much like the rest of my time in that dump. I think I'd have been a bit if a midwife had implied that at 34 years old, I needed to be supervised putting my baby in her car seat.
Probably depends on your hospital. I didn't say goodbye to a single one of those fucking bitches anyone, so perhaps that's why I didn't get patronised about my travel arrangements.

with my eldest I had the car seat ready by my bed for 3 days (long story,I was in for 10 days), my best friend (now my partner) carried him out in it as I physically couldn't.

with my youngest, the seat was in the car and I carried him out wrapped in his blanket. then went back in, to hand their alarm tag back which was on his ankle and I managed to slip off him despite it being supposedly needing to be cut off and having set off no alarms leaving the ward as it was supposed to. No-one checked, they just asked "how are you getting home?" ("my best friend is fetching us") and "do you have a car seat?" ("yes, my friend fitted it in his car the night before I came in to have the baby") and that was it!

Need to buy a new one now, though... had the old one smashed and disposed of as I found out it was dangerous.