Car Seats - Leaving Hospital

[MoseSchrute]

Hello, We’re thinking of getting the i-Spin 360 - Joie Baby car seat, partly because if have back problems so don’t want to be lifting and twisting with a standard carrier and the I spin is suitable to up 4 years. However this type of seat doesn’t lift in and out of the car at all, it just stays in the car. This is fine except I was wondering if the midwives would be fine with the us just carrying/putting baby in buggy until we reach the car. I’ve got a midwife appt soon where I plan to ask but I assume a hospital midwife might just turn round on the day and say ‘nope’. I need to see the seat. Any opinions would be great

• if have back problems is meant to be ‘I’

Personally I’d get one you can lift in and out for newborn stage. It was a godsend with my first born as he often fell asleep in the car and then we could just take the seat out and he’d keep sleeping. Plus it attached to the buggy.

Up to you though. Not sure about your hospitals policy. They might just ask if you have a car seat where you can confirm that you do but it’s in the car.

Personally I’d get one you can lift in and out for newborn stage. It was a godsend with my first born as he often fell asleep in the car and then we could just take the seat out and he’d keep sleeping. Plus it attached to the buggy.
Whereas I had one that lifted out and attached to the buggy and it never left the car other than the first trip from hospital ward to car and on the rare occasion we were using a different car. It was pointless for us getting it and we would have been better with the Joie 360 from day one.

OP it is the norm that babies leave the ward in a car seat but it is not required. You might get questioned about it but there is no reason you can't leave the ward with your baby in a buggy or a sling or in your arms.

Thank you @CurryandSnuggle @DappledThings I’m beginning to find baby purchases like car seats a bit of a minefield

Ours was same kind of seat, and the midwife discharging us wanted him securely in a buggy/carrycot - ie they weren't happy about us just carrying him downstairs to the car park in our arms - but she was very used to the car seats that wouldn't lift out

I gave birth in covid and my husband was banished from the ward 2 hours after delivery, not even allowed back in the building. I took her out to the car in the wheely cot they have in your room with a midwife accompanying me. Then transferred her into the car seat under mw watchful eye. Maybe they'd let you do that?

But agree with pp - car seat that comes in and out is an ABSOLUTE godsend!

I had my baby 4 days ago. Night shift midwife tried to say it was a legal requirement for a car seat. However day shift happily let us leave with baby in a sling.

They can’t stop you leaving once you’ve been discharged

They cannot let you or not. It is your baby.

You may want to consider one that lifts in and out for your convenience but you may want to make that judgement after birth.

I used a fixed car seat, they made a fuss (years ago) but had to let us leave as they cannot legally stop you. For dd2 I walked home as lived 15 mins away, they kicked up a fuss about that too

I believe that is old advise, say if you lived in central London you may not own a car and would use public transport. So would just take a buggy in. The spin car seats are great, will save ur back, plus baby's shouldn't be left in cat seats for long periods of time. If baby falls asleep in the car I just lift him out and either have cuddles once inside or pop him in the swing or what Eva ur using for down stairs naps.
Had last baby in April and the midwife's didn't care what we took him out in, our first did have to have a car seat challenge but he was in the nicu

We walked home from the hospital with our DS in a sling - London, we lived about 4 streets away. No one asked about the car seat!

I've got that seat, purchased 4 years ago for the birth of DC1. I'm now using it for DC2.

I loved it, never got annoyed that I couldn't lift it out of the car in the 4 years DC1 was in it.

DC2 was born last week by EMCS. I left the hospital 24hrs later carrying her and no one said a word. They'd have been welcome to come out to the car to check if they wanted to, but no one asked!

I have back problems and we are going for the maxi cosi coral. It sizzles on the base. And it has a soft inner insert so you can pull that out instead of the whole car seat and its much lighter. Have a look at that.

The joie is a great seat we have 2 of them

Local hospital just requires they are carried out securely - so car seat buggy sling or the fishbowl crib.

In fact MW told me they were sick of being asked if car seat was set up correctly etc as they are not car seat experts.

They can’t ‘not let you’ it’s your baby.

No problem at all. Most people have these fixed car seats now as they’re much better.
I’ve brought 3 DC home in these seats. You just tell the midwife and carry baby out of the hospital. Good luck.

They'll be totally fine. They'll most likely want someone other than you carrying the baby to the car as you can be weak after birth.

I have joie 360, had it for my first too and it is an absolute godsend. So so much better for my back. Also since baby isn't supposed to stay in the car seat after your journey has ended it cuts the temptation to leave them sleeping in it

I had a birth-4 seat and carried both mine out to the car. With eldest I had to wheel him in the hospital cot until the end of the maternity ward (where their responsibility ends), then carried him after we'd been checked out. With second (different hospital) I just walked out with her in my arms and one one questioned it. It was the weekend and everyone was too busy to pay much attention, let alone check carseats, we just called at the midwife station on the way out to tell them we were off, and got little more then a wave.

We have one just like that and are due next week I discussed with my midwife last week and she said it's absolutely fine. She said they ask people to carry baby out in a car seat because of the risk you may trip/collide with someone etc whilst carrying baby out in your arms. She said bringing baby out to the car in a pram or sling is absolutely fine. It's not an actual rule that you need to bring a car seat into the hospital just a safe way of getting them to the car.