Page 2 | Leaving hospital without car-seat....

Dacdevdhi · 2020-12-12T12:08:06+00:00

Hello all I'm currently pregnant with my 3rd, and with the 1st two I took a taxi home, and had them in a car seat. This time round I wish to take the 3rd home in a baby carrier and get train back. As not only will it be quicker, its also a hell of a lot cheaper than a taxi/cab. Would it be possible to do that, as don't want to have to get a car seat I won't be using again, as I don't drive. Will be coming from St Mary's - Paddington Thanks

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Sweettea1 · 12/12/2020 15:23

You really want to get a train not long after giving birth I was only in hospital 6 hours after having my dd no way would I want to take the train home so soon after birth.

AnnaSW1 · 12/12/2020 15:24

I'm in London and we just walked out of the ward with the baby as did everyone else

FatGirlShrinking · 12/12/2020 15:24

No one signed me out or anything, nurse said 'yeah sure' when I asked if I was ok to leave. I chucked all my stuff in my bag, called a taxi, put baby in the car seat then carried the car seat while dragging my rolling case and trying to prop doors open with my elbows.

No one would have noticed if I'd been dribbling DD down the corridor like a basketball and no one asked how I intended to get home.

VettiyaIruken · 12/12/2020 15:29

What law is this? What legislation covers holding a woman against her will until she buys a car seat?

Hospital rules are neither here nor there. Do they intend to physically restrain someone? Call the police? Have them arrested?

I'm very interested to learn about these powers hospitals apparently have.

CarriesFlower82 · 12/12/2020 15:30

I would still get a car seat in case you need a back up plan. Births aren't all the same and things can be difficult. You have no way of knowing if you will feel well enough or capable to get on public transport!

ThanksItHasPockets · 12/12/2020 15:31

@ivfbeenbusy

When I say rules I means hospital rules otherwise I would have said "law"......my hospital and all the ones in the same trust have the same policy and said that parents can't just carry a baby out. I live in a very large city

I also had some online NCT type classes (for twins which I'm having) and this was also reiterated again this week

Carrying twins in a tandem carry is pretty advanced so I can understand why this was discouraged but there is really no reason why a baby cannot be securely carried in an ergonomic carrier.

anascrecca · 12/12/2020 15:35

We weren't allowed to carry our baby out and my husband had to go and get the car seat. I think the best thing is to ask your community midwife. I wonder if they don't allow slings as the mother may still be shaky and tired from the birth. A sling on Dad might be ok though.

TrashPanda · 12/12/2020 15:37

I carried my second and third out of the hospital. 1st was in a car seat as we had an infant one and my mum picked us up. Other two we had an erf seat in the car already, nobody asked to see it. Second I literally carried inside my dressing gown and third was in a stretchy wrap. DP walked down from the ward with me and then left me in the entrance area to bring the car round.

ivfbeenbusy · 12/12/2020 15:39

@ThanksItHasPockets

The hospital policy in my city regarding babies in car seats/prams applies to singletons - I was on the delivery suite and ward for a few days due to a scare last week and the policy was repeated everywhere

DappledThings · 12/12/2020 15:41

We weren't allowed to carry our baby out and my husband had to go and get the car seat.
In what way not allowed? Did they stand over you and take the baby out of your arms? Threaten to call security or the police or social services?

They might strongly suggest that a car seat is preferred but I don't see how a hospital can demand you have one.

peboh · 12/12/2020 15:46

Where my daughter was born we had to have a car seat, or a pushchair if we're taking public transport before they've sign the discharge papers.
They don't like you to carry baby out incase of any kind of accident, because if it's on hospital premises they are liable.

Meepmeeep · 12/12/2020 15:57

I got my discharge notes then not one member of hospital staff gave a flying fuck how we left - nobody asked about our car seat. After I was discharged we were left to leave at our own leisure - this was the same for our whole ward as it seemed that all 4 of us were discharged at the same time. This was only last year.

AliMonkey · 12/12/2020 16:04

Those saying “they can’t stop you taking your baby however you want” aren’t quite right. Technically they can’t stop you leaving but can stop you taking your baby if they believe they at risk. That shouldn’t apply to someone taking their baby by pram or carrier if walking or using public transport but could apply if they believed you were going to take your baby in a car with no car seat. So it’s understandable that they question you but certainly in a big city they must be used to people not driving so not needing car seat.

NaturalStudy · 12/12/2020 16:20

How do they stop you taking your baby? Physically remove it from you? Call the police? In any event no one is talking about taking a baby in a car without a car seat, they are talking about carrying your baby in a sling.

anascrecca · 12/12/2020 16:36

I'm not sure what they would have done but they said we can't let you leave without a car seat so we just did it

WankPuffins · 12/12/2020 16:40

I had my second at St. Mary's 6 years ago.

I had an argument with a midwife as I was leaving. Our car seat is one of the 0-7 year ones that stays in the car. She did say I couldn't leave without one and that Dh had to bring the huge one up and carry the baby out in it. He was parked on a main road and it would have been stupid and dangerous.

A second midwife agreed with her.

I nabbed a doctor who rolled her eyes and told them no to be daft and let me on my way.

It really pissed me off.

ivfbeenbusy · 12/12/2020 17:01

@anascrecca

I'm not sure what they would have done but they said we can't let you leave without a car seat so we just did it

I'd imagine a comment would have made its way to the health visitors to question you when they come to visit after the birth as to why you left hospital against advice of how to carry the baby

Superscientist · 12/12/2020 17:12

When we were discharged we were told to gather our things and leave in our own time. So when we actually left no one knew how we were taking the baby out. Our car seat has a fixed isofix so doesn't come out of the car easily. We left with her is a sling. As we left various staff we walked passed offered well wishes and no one commented on the lack of cat seat. This was in August.

Opticabbage · 12/12/2020 17:33

It's amazing how much power people give away to NHS staff. If I wanted to carry my baby out of the ward, I would do so. Having to explain to a health visitor why I did so would not be difficult.

mooncakes · 12/12/2020 17:55

@AliMonkey

Those saying “they can’t stop you taking your baby however you want” aren’t quite right. Technically they can’t stop you leaving but can stop you taking your baby if they believe they at risk. That shouldn’t apply to someone taking their baby by pram or carrier if walking or using public transport but could apply if they believed you were going to take your baby in a car with no car seat. So it’s understandable that they question you but certainly in a big city they must be used to people not driving so not needing car seat.

Hospital staff can't stop you. They can call the police if they believe the baby is at immediate risk. They could go to court for a court order if they wanted to keep the baby more long term.

Crappyfridays7 · 12/12/2020 18:14

I wouldn’t buy one just in case either, it’s madness lugging them about especially after having a baby then what you’ve to carry baby all the way home in it? Sling will be fine, their policy falls down in your case op especially in big cities like London where a lot of people don’t need to drive. Speak to your midwife at appointment and clarify things.
They could be admitted to my paeds ward a week later and we don’t insist on car seats for discharge no papers need signed either we just let them know they can go home and they merrily run out of the door in case we try to keep them longer 😂

mumsyandtiredzz · 12/12/2020 18:21

@ivfbeenbusy

Nope - I was told there are new rules in place. Babies are only allowed to leave in a car seat or suitable pram

No carrying or slings allowed

How can a hospital possibly enforce rules like that? It’s not breaking any rules so they literally have no authority to dictate anything like that. Healthcare staff aren’t ‘in charge’ of new parents and don’t have that sort of power. They can contact the police if you do anything illegal, but taking a baby home in a sling is perfectly legal.

mumsyandtiredzz · 12/12/2020 18:23

Sorry meant to say not breaking any law

Respectabitch · 12/12/2020 18:38

Hospital staff can't stop you. They can call the police if they believe the baby is at immediate risk.
They could go to court for a court order if they wanted to keep the baby more long term.

And they absolutely wouldn't fucking bother, because they'd recognise that it would be a huge overreaction and way more trouble than it's worth. The most any clinician is going to do is note it with the HV.

AnneLovesGilbert · 12/12/2020 18:44

I don’t know why people are so sure the hospital can’t stop you taking the baby without a car seat. I saw exactly that when I had mine last year. The other woman being discharged at the same time was stopped trying to leave as she didn’t have a car seat and was carrying her baby in her arms. Not in London or anywhere near public transport, but we were made to show DD strapped into her car seat on the ward and the other couple were not allowed to leave. It’s not a myth because you haven’t seen it happen.