Hospital won't let baby leave unless in car seat?

[Chimerah]

Been reading on various other threads how hospitals won't let you leave hospital with baby unless they're in a car seat?

We have not purchased a carry car seat, only one that's 0-4 and always stays in the car.

Will they really not let me carry the baby out of the hospital? Or will they want to come with us to car to check?!

[Artandco]

It's a hospital not a prison

We also has extended rear facing car seats. We also live in London where many have no car. Hospital 15 min walk from our home.

Dh walked home with baby in sling both times. I took taki with bags. We just said the above that car seat was a fixed rear facing and they happily waved us off

[Artandco]

*taxi

[BoredHouseWifee]

When my cousin had 1 of hers she wasn't allowed. She had to buy a car seat just for the journey home. It's because they prefer you to get in a car home instead of using public transport when you've just been through labour & baby is just born. People sell the group 0 car seats for like a tenner on sites. Maybe just pick one up cheap for the ride home

[nuttymango]

When I had both of my children they came out to the car to see the car seat.

[Fairuza]

They can ask to see the baby in a car seat, but they can't insist or stop you leaving - you aren't a prisoner.

You can get into a taxi with the baby in your arms if you want, it's completely legal.

If you have a fixed car seat in your car they can come to the car and check.

If they think you are doing something illegal, they can call the police, but the hospital can't detain you.

[Chimerah]

I don't mind them checking just wondered if this was the norm! They will have to come to car to check though...

Seems like every hospital is different. I'll ask the midwife what their policy is. My hospital is the Rosie in Cambridge which is a long way from where I live so travelling by car is a necessity.

And for those who asked, yes it is a rear facing car seat.

[Frazzled2207]

My hospital wasn't bothered.

If yours is, then I'm sure mw will come out to the car with you. It's fairly common though for babies to leave on foot/in a taxi/on a bus so it's a ridiculous "rule" tbh.

[AveEldon]

Never been checked but I'm in London and I would assume the MWs are too busy
With child 2 we left without the discharge papers being signed as it was taking too long

[NicknameUsed]

They bother in Barnsley and Sheffield.

[LittleCroxley]

Just tell them you plan to have the baby flown home by a flock of white doves.

The reality is that they can't prevent you from leaving the hospital - you have a car seat, so they would be pretty stupid to call the police - I'm sure they have better things to do.

[MumOnACornishFarm]

But will they be rear facing white doves??

[LittleCroxley]

Absolutely!

[Flisspaps]

When we left with DS we had a bit of a hoo-ha as did the woman in the bed next to me. She lived on the estate opposite so wanted to walk. The MW told her she 'wasn't allowed' so she arranged for her Dad to drive 20 miles to her house, pick up the car seat, pay for hospital parking and then drive her across the road to her house. She told me this when he was already on his way down, she was fucking raging when I told her they couldn't prevent her leaving on foot.

This conversation came about as we wanted to register DS in the hospital's register office so it was all done and dusted. DH and I both wanted to be present.

The MW insisted we couldn't take DS out ourselves, they had to carry him out to the car (past the register office) and make sure he was in properly. She suggested we leave DS on the ward, register him and then pop back. Not a chance was I leaving my newborn on a busy, understaffed ward.

I was getting quite agitated as I knew they couldn't legally hold us on the ward but we needed them to take the tag off DS's leg and physically let us out.

DH pointed out that if they watched us put him in the car, we'd then take the seat out and carry him back in to go to the register office anyway. She said that's what would have to happen and then took another couple of hours to sort my discharge paperwork.

Eventually a HCA came with us, she walked to the entrance and then handed us DS with a smile and then went back to the ward. It's such a bloody waste of staff who are already run off their feet - once you're discharged and off the ward, then you're no longer their responsibility.

[Flisspaps]

Bored advice generally is not to buy second hand car seats as you don't know if they've been damaged.

Why should someone spend even £10 on something they don't need or want anyway, just to suit a hospital 'rule' that's unenforceable?

[Gillywestinghaus]

We couldn't get our discharge papers signed without them seeing the carseats. Three kids, three times, at The Portland, in London.

[Whataboutwhathuh]

I had a section and pushed baby out in the pram as the hospital is being renovated and it was a very long walk. They couldn't have cared less. Just got the "see you in two years!" As I did after my first. Two years before. This was eight months ago.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

I've had car seats both times but no one has ever even given it so much as a glance. In fact with my first we were nervous and asked a midwife to check baby was strapped in properly... She tutted, said she was busy and she was sure it was fine. That was in Bath.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

That was 2.5 years ago.

[WhereTheFuckIsMyCunt]

There is no way a hospital could be sued for anything happening if a parent chose to take their child home not in a car seat. The parents are competent adults who are responsible for their own decisions including stupid and even illegal ones. Midwives in general have no training regarding car seat law or how to fit them. Certainly don't where I work.

[WhereTheFuckIsMyCunt]

On the other hand if a midwife strapped a baby in incorrectly and there was an accident and the baby was hurt then the hospital could be sued.

[ToadsforJustice]

You don't need permission to leave the hospital with your baby. You don't need to be discharged. You don't need any discharge papers. You can just pick your baby up and walk out. You are not a prisoner.

[herecomesthsun]

I wonder whether there is some issue here to do with the hospital's liability were there to be an accident?

[WaxyBean]

This is why we donated our old car seat to the local hostel holding asylum seekers - the car seat is only used in taxis bringing newborns home from hospital.

[MumOnACornishFarm]

Gilly I don't think the Portland is very represenrative of the norm though.

[Blackpoollassy]

Sounds like policies are different depending on the Trust/Health Board.
In my Trust, the lady in the bay opposite me didn't own a car and was walking home and they had to borrow a car seat to be discharged.
Worth calling and checking.