Leaving hospital with no car seat?

[Martiniolives]

My midwife has advised the hospital may not let me leave without one. But we don't even drive let alone own a car. We were assuming we'd be able to leave and take baby in bassinet pram on the bus or a taxi (the kind where the whole pram can be wheeled in and locked in place). It's a 10 minute drive if that. Obviously I explained this to my midwife but she still advised I should get one so that we are okay'd to leave ASAP. This seems crazy surely they cant hold us hostage.

Has anyone tried to leave without baby in a car seat? Did they make a big fuss?
Do we really need to spend hundreds on one to never even use it bar a taxi home from the hospital? It's not even something people will buy off us second hand...

Plenty do in London, do t worry about it, but might be best to say you are taking the bus rather than a taxi as they can't question it

I walked home with DD in her pram, admittedly the normal 7 minute journey took me 30 mins and I wished I'd got a taxi for myself, but it seemed ludicrous for such a short journey

They can’t stop you leaving without a car seat, but for goodness-sake don’t take your new born child in any car, taxi or not, without a car seat. Locking the wheels of a pram in a taxi doesn’t equal safe.

I would personally get a decent supportive car seat to have incase of emergencies .

We had one but it was a big swivel one fixed into the car. No-one asked us about it, if we had one, or if they could see it. I agree that saying you're getting the bus is less likely to get you challenged.

On the other hand one of the midwives tried to stop us leaving because I was in a wheelchair carrying my DD whilst DH pushed me and she "didn't think that was allowed". Well what else do you want us to do - leave the baby here without a parent whilst DH takes me to the car, or have DH take the baby to the car, then leave her there whilst he comes back for me?! In the end I just said we were leaving unless they were actually going to stop us!

Much as they might claim they can stop you leaving, I doubt in reality the can actually enforce it.

Well you don't need to spend hundreds. Have you already brought your pushchair? The complete travel systems aren't much more expensive depending on what you want

We used ours lots, in personal experience, especially once he was interested enough in seeing around and the bassinet was too flat. The car seat felt better than just a buggy as he was higher so he could see us better. And if the weather suddenly changed or there was an emergency etc we had a car seat for a taxi. Are you sure you'll only ever walk or catch the bus for the next year?

Re the legalities, I actually don't know. I suppose ultimately you can self discharge but I wouldn't want to be taking a new born baby, along with post partum bleeding, on the bus. And round here at least you certainly couldn't guarantee to get a black cab style taxi on demand

I wheeled mine out in the pram. It’s very normal in London hospitals for people to take a cab and just push the pram straight into it, or get the bus, or even walk depending on how close you are. We actually had a car and a newborn seat but it was one of the fixed convertible ones so doesn’t lift out, not that the midwives asked!

You don’t need a car seat to leave hospital. Loads of people, especially in London, don’t own cars.

I’d also ignore the advice to buy a car seat “in case of emergencies” - you won’t be using a car in an emergency if you don’t have a car! My kids are 3.5 and 1.5 and we don’t own a car seat.

We got the bus - no car seat

You cannot take a newborn in a taxi without a car seat 😵‍💫

Taxis where I am don't provide car seats, not sure if it's the same everywhere else in the UK

We don't drive and weren't asked about a car seat when leaving the hospital. We weren't going to get one but ended up getting a basic cheap one from Asda so a relative could collect us since I ended up with a C-section but it was useful a couple of times after that for longer taxi journeys/trips with relatives. But I can't imagine they could insist or that they would notice they don't come with you off of the ward.

I gave birth in a central London hospital twice (UCLH) and the hospital absolutely checked we have a car seat before they would let us out. That was over 5 years ago though. Can you borrow one from a friend/neighbour/acquaintance for the trip home? Do you have eg a neighbourhood what's app group where you could ask if anyone can lend one?

Interesting! Mine were also both UCLH but more recently, and car seat was not mandatory.

Maxi cosi car seats fit onto a frame. Others can too. I preferred them in a taxi. Your wife may not be able to walk far or lift anything.

You wouldn't get a taxi in an emergency?

Not newborn but we've taken a pram in a black cab and secured the brakes. They're strapped into their own seats

Legally you can.

The hospital really cannot physically stop you leaving .

Yes I suppose that's very true. It would be good to have one in case of emergencies or the need to take taxi anywhere.

Also, I have hinted there's both options to my midwife (so whatever she deems safest will happen), but most like husband will take babe home on bus or walk with them whereas I will taxi it (too many potholes/ quite a long walk) as I don't feel great about them being in a taxi either. Although saying that I am sure a bus is no better!

The hospital can't stop you leaving and if the baby is on your lap in the back seat of the taxi, they don't need a car seat.

https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

I don’t think so. If it was a true emergency, I’d call an ambulance. If I wanted to get there as quickly as possible, I’d get the tube. I suppose if it was the middle of the night and not quite an ambulance situation then I’d take the baby in a taxi in a sling or pram.

I definitely wouldn’t want to try and use a car seat for the first time ever in that situation, as I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be installing it very safely!

Obviously OP should definitely buy a car seat if they want to or need to, but car seats are pretty expensive if you’re realistically never going to use one.

We are in London with no car and as pp have said, with DD2 noone cared how we left the hospital. Certainly no mandatory car seat.

However, DD1 was very poorly when she was born - NICU then special care. We had appointments every other day for about the first month after she came home. A car seat was invaluable for taxis whilst i was healing, as although legally you can wheel the pram into a black cab, I really didnt feel like it was the safest and didnt want to faff about with a poorly baby on the bus etc. You can get a maxi cosi cabriofix or britax baby safe core for around £100 normally and we def got our use out of it. So don't write off buying one completely.

Have you considered a Doona pram? This folds down into a car seat but is also a pram. If you haven’t already bought your bassinet pram it could be worth looking at if you’re really concerned that they won’t let you leave. I highly doubt that they will challenge you though if you insist on leaving, but I guess this would vary from one hospital to another

I had an relatively easy birth (although I did tear) but the thought of getting a bus home still very much recovering from the birth, loaded up with bags and with a brand new baby is awful. I can't imagine it would be a very pleasant experience. Each to their own

Our car seat is a swivel seat so we couldn't take it up to the ward.
We took my daughter off the ward in a sling and not a single person asked us about car seats /how we were getting home or anything like that. This was 2020