What to take babies home in?

[CrazyCatLady1993]

Hi

I have been told that you have to take a baby home from the hospital in a car seat and nothing else? And they won’t allow you take the baby home unless you carry them out in a car seat?

The car seats we have for our twins are fixed ones in the car and then we have Moses baskets or carrycots for the prams to take them home in? And then we were going to put them in the car seats? I thought this would be okay?

Am I wrong? First time parent here so not too sure!!

Thanks

We had also had a fixed car seat. The hospital seemed bemused by this, but they let us wheel our baby to the exit in his hospital cot, and a midwife had to come with us to check that he was going into a car seat.

I’ve read this a few times on MN that they want to make sure you have a car seat. I think it varies between hospitals though. Just invite them to the car park if they insist on checking.

I wouldn’t bother taking carrycots especially if you have twins. Get your OH to do one trip to the car with all your bags then carry them out on your arm (one each). I did this with DD2 as we had a non removable seat too.

What of you're not planning on driving? The hospital is a 10 min tube ride from home and DH is adamant that we'll just use a sling/carrier. Taking the car would mean an hours drive through horrific traffic.

This is fine, you can take them out in a pushchair too, it's just to stop opportunistic abduction.

I don't think anybody actually checked when we took DS1 home! It's certainly nothing to do with car safety as they don't give advice on whether they are buckled up properly.

Chaos I'd check that - not all carriers are really suitable from birth, especially if your baby is quite small. Particularly the more structured kind that men tend to prefer (you will almost definitely be too tender to think about wearing a carrier yourself a few days after birth).

I was paranoid about this too as I only had a fixed car seat. It's funny the things that suddenly consume your thoughts!

I explained to the midwife that I couldn't carry her out in a car seat. They said no to me using a Moses basket. They arranged instead for a member of staff to wheel her out in a hospital bedside cot to the car. Once they saw we had the car seat they were quite happy. Try not to put too much thought into it, I'm sure they see these situations all the time.

Basically, they want to make sure that the baby is going home safely. Explain the situation - a midwife may well come out to the car to check the babies are going in car seats.

They have protocol for this - they don't hold babies hostage if there is no car seat because the parents don't drive and are getting public transport.

Sounds like utter nonsense - as people have said not everyone drives to the hospital! I don’t remember anyone paying any attention when we were discharged with DS. Also, and I might be wrong here, but it’s YOUR BABY and your decision. You can do whatever you like!!! Hospital staff aren’t really in a position to tell you how you choose to carry your child to your own car?! What are they going to do? Follow you home and make sure you follow every guideline regarding child rearing?

Do whatever you think best for your baby...

DP brought the pram in and we took DD to the car in the pram. No one came to check we had a car seat

We were checked but i am sure they will help u out - they just didnt want us carrying DS out in our arms

Thanks everyone! It sounds like it will probably be okay but I have an antenatal class on Saturday so I will ask them then!

If you're not going home by car than I think you don't need a car seat, you can use a lie flat carrycot pram. But if you are going home by car, then yes you should have a car seat for safety reasons...if an accident we'd to happen, a car seat could save that babies life.