Do you need a car seat to bring the baby home

[sandy78]

Unsure on this as everyone I ask has a mixed response.

how are you gonna bring the baby home?

If you are going in a private car then yes
Personally I would for a taxi too.

If you dont have a car and are going to get a lift ask as friend to borrow a seat too

There has been a thread on this very recently - am sure you will find everything you need to know here

I think so. They told us in John Lewis that if you get a taxi home, which we prob will, then there are ones you can call from the hospital which have car seats already.

No one can stop you from going home without one but if you are planning to go home in a car the law (and common sense) says you need one. If you are going home in a taxi, it seems a reasonable thing to do to borrow one even if it is a short journey. Although you do not need one by law, taxi drivers can be erratic drivers in my experience, and you cannot control the behaviour of other road users.
I have only had one couple who went home in their car without a car seat and I must say I felt quite upset at their attitude.

Legally you have to if you are travelling in a private car, if you are using a taxi then you do not (legally) have to iirc but probably a good idea anyway (given the way ime some taxi drivers drive....)

Yes you do. It's illegal not to, so unless you want to get prosecuted if pulled over by a traffic officer you need to get one.
You'll be buying one anyway so I don't see your problem

If you're going in a private car, yes.
If you're going in a taxi, its a good idea (even if you can get them to bring one you don't know what will have happened to it).
If you're walking or going on public transport, no.

You don't need a car seat to take the baby out of the hospital, although if you have an infant carrier that's fairly easy to get in an out of the car and isn't too heavy it can save a lot of arguments as many PCT's have a policy that comes over as you "can't" leave with the baby unless they're in a car seat...

When I had ds2 7 years ago, the post natal ward wouldn't let us leave unless he was in either a car seat or pram. They were adamant that they wouldn't let me carry him to the car in case I slipped and dropped him. Dh had to go to the car, take the seat out and fetch it in, then a nurse carried ds2 in the seat to the car and watched us strap it in.

On the one hand I thought the world had gone mad, but on the other hand, having seen some of the numpties that pass as parents, I don't blame the staff one bit. It's a blanket policy designed to protect vulnerable babies from idiotic parents who think it's OK to dangle babies over their shoulders then drive off holding baby on their lap on the front seat. Which is what I saw a new-ish mother do with her tiny baby only last week (pub car park, though, not hospital).

So it's probably best to check the hospital's individual policy on that one. Although I can't see how anyone could actually stop you from walking out in whatever fashion you choose.

thanks all.... this forum is very helpful