Leaving hospital without car-seat....

[Dacdevdhi]

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

@ivfbeenbusy I know lots of parents who don't have cars, where were you getting "99%" from?

Not everyone has a someone to offer a lift right now anyway, y'know given the pandemic you're banging on about where the rules say not car share 🤦‍♀️

It's no more risky using public transport with baby cuddled up against you in a sling than it is to jump in a car with someone who isn't part of your household.

Stick to social distancing and it's about as safe as anything else right now.

It’s not uncommon for parents living in central London or near the maternity hospital to walk home. We did with DT’s. They were two weeks old when they left hospital and we had a lovely 20 minute walk through the park home. We have a car and car seats but wasn’t worth using the car for such a short journey.
No one prevented us leaving the hospital or challenged us as to where the car seats were.

OP just ring the hospital or talk to your midwife explain your situation and see what they say.

Not everyone in the country has access to a car, not everyone in the country has money for expensive taxis. Therefore not everyone has a need for a car seat.

In my local hospital they want parents travelling by CAR to bring the car seats up to make sure the newborn was secured correctly as doing so wrong when the baby is so young can be very dangerous, not just in terms of accidents but with breathing too if the newborn is too scrunched up.

They advised mothers didn't carry the baby out in arms or in a carrier again in case the newborn had trouble breathing as wasn't positioned properly or in case the mother became unwell, even an easy birth takes its toll on the body.

People taking public transport were recommended to use the rain cover to limit exposure to germs, which would seem a sensible approach for the OP to take at the moment.

Everyone has horror story's, some happened and some things just seem worse than they are when you are tired and emotional and been through birth.

The only definitive answer will come from your local health care workers. Good luck with the birth OP.

I really don't think 99% of parents have a car. I don't know many single parents who can afford to run one!

I'd rather not specify the hospital, but all 4 hospitals I mentioned are different areas and trusts, but none in London. I don't have much London experience at all.

[quote ivfbeenbusy]@ReadySteadyBed

Yeah not like we are in a pandemic or anything! Where people are advised to stay home and travel only when necessary???? 🤔[/quote]
Meaning that there are fewer people than usual on public transport, making it safer for those making necessary journeys. The risks of public transport also apply to taxis.

I’ve just booked up a few of the hospitals near me and their websites say that if you are travelling home by car you will need a car seat (no one is disputing that) but there is nothing saying that mother and baby can’t leave if using a different form of transport or are walking.

Too much scaremongering by some posters.

I'm sure you will be able to leave if you argue the point and are fit to - it's your 3rd so hopefully straightforward birth for you but I wouldn't have been able to do anything other than shuffle to a car after either of my births (one csection, one instrumental with some deep tearing) so may be worth having a car seat you can borrow in case of any emergency need for a taxi xxx

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

OP just ring the hospital or talk to your midwife explain your situation and see what they say.

Not everyone in the country has access to a car, not everyone in the country has money for expensive taxis. Therefore not everyone has a need for a car seat.

In my local hospital they want parents travelling by CAR to bring the car seats up to make sure the newborn was secured correctly as doing so wrong when the baby is so young can be very dangerous, not just in terms of accidents but with breathing too if the newborn is too scrunched up.

They advised mothers didn't carry the baby out in arms or in a carrier again in case the newborn had trouble breathing as wasn't positioned properly or in case the mother became unwell, even an easy birth takes its toll on the body.

People taking public transport were recommended to use the rain cover to limit exposure to germs, which would seem a sensible approach for the OP to take at the moment.

Everyone has horror story's, some happened and some things just seem worse than they are when you are tired and emotional and been through birth.

The only definitive answer will come from your local health care workers. Good luck with the birth OP.

Thank you

I'm not due till beginning of March, but have a MW appt this month on the 22nd, so will ask then. But thought to ask on here while it popped up otherwise I'd probably wont remember asking MW, I blame baby brain.

I don't know anyone that drives or has a new born that I could borrow a car seat from. But if I do land up having a c-section then I'd have to figure something out

Also my thought was yeah there is how many people on a train but how many people would of got in the cab/taxi before me.

Thanks again

Out of interest like @Parker231 I just looked up my trust (we live central to three different ones!) and all say if travelling home by car a car seat is needed but that’s it.

No ‘midwives must watch you put baby in seat and seat in car’ etc

Also, i didn’t even get discharged? I just left and said by on the way out, a midwife lifted her head and said bye. Think I could have cartwheeled down the corridor with my son tied to my calves and no one would have cared!

@AurorasGingerbreadHouse

It has happened to two people I know. Maybe because they were quite young and working class and didn't know the law?

What would being a young mother or from a working class background have anything to do with not following or knowing the law/rules?

Are only older mothers or middle/upper class people intelligent enough to know these things?

@readyforroundtwo

No. I think sometimes professionals feel more able to bully them, though