# Leaving Hospital w/Baby in Carrier/Sling?



## Omi

As it says in the title, does anyone know about this or has anyone done this?

We live in a flat, dont own a car and frankly dont have a use for a car seat so do not want to buy one. However, there seems to be lots of conflicting advice online for whether you have to have a carseat or not etc etc. 

Ive got an infant carrier and i will get a sling as well and what we're thinking is to just wear the baby and take a taxi home from the hospital like that. Surely we can do that? 

And before anyone suggests it, we have no other option as live too far away to walk (or take public transport as have to change buses) but a taxi ride would be 15 minutes, 20 minutes tops. Also, have no option to borrow a carseat either.

So basically, anyone done this??? :)


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## k8y

when I had ds the lady opposite was going to do the same, but they wouldnt let her leave until she had a car seat.


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## sophxx

id check with your hospital at ours you werent aloud out if they didnt see the baby in a car seat. i dont think they would let you wear the sling they may let your partner but id check there policy


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## Rachel_C

If what you're asking is whether you'll be allowed to leave the hospital without a car seat, I have heard that some hospitals won't let you but I would like to see them try to stop somebody! There is no law that says babies must have a car seat and no law that says we must all travel by car. If somebody intended to walk home, would they really insist that the parents lug a heavy car seat with them? I doubt it. When we left the hospital, both times, they discharged us in my room and then we were just left alone and could leave when we wanted. They didn't check baby was in a car seat.

However, although I know the law says you can travel in a taxi without a car seat, I wouldn't ever do it. If you were going to travel without one, I don't even know which would be safer - to have baby in a carrier and risk them being crushed by your body in an accident, or have them on your knee and have them go flying in an accident. How do you plan to wear a seat belt yourself if you're wearing baby? I have just done a quick search and you can get new infant car seats for £30. Even if you only ever used it for that one journey and then threw it/gave it away, I think the £30 is worth it. Also bear in mind that babywearing is a skill and takes time to perfect. I've recently had my second baby and I still felt the need to practise around the house a bit before venturing out. The younger the baby, the more likely you are to find it a bit difficult too. Plus you may be feeling a little weaker than usual at first. You may have lost blood, or be sore (I found it quite difficult to get in and out of cars for a day or two, even when not holding/wearing a baby) and your sense of balance may be a little bit off because of the sudden weight distribution change. 

Sorry to be so down on the idea but I can't envision a way I would ever be satisfied if somebody wanted to do what you suggested with my child, so I wouldn't condone it for somebody else's child either.


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## Rachel_C

I would love to see how a hospital would enforce the 'no car seat, no leaving' rule though. What would they do? Tie you to the bed? You're not a prisoner there! The only way I can see they could do anything would be to call Social Services, but they can't do anything if you're not doing anything wrong!


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## freckleonear

Can your husband not bring the infant carrier with him when he comes to collect you and then use that for the taxi ride home? I have worn my daughter in a sling in a taxi before but there's no way I would want to do that with a newborn. As Rach said, babywearing is definitely a learning curve and with a tiny baby it would be fiddly to get your own seatbelt between you and the baby (it's very dangerous to have it going over baby as well).


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## deafgal

you probably end up wanting to hold your baby without a sling because of joy and happiness of his birth. I would still invest a car seat. even in taxi, a child need to be safe.

you may not drive but there's always someone who does (sister, grandma,etc) so I can see whyy they want to make sure every baby have their own carseat.


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## deafgal

Rachel_C said:


> I would love to see how a hospital would enforce the 'no car seat, no leaving' rule though. What would they do? Tie you to the bed? You're not a prisoner there! The only way I can see they could do anything would be to call Social Services, but they can't do anything if you're not doing anything wrong!

yeah pretty much. it's illegal in my state for a baby to ride in a car without a carseat. they will call the police. the only exceptional that don't require a carseat is the metro bus but you have to walk to the bus stop. (not sure about taxi).


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## Rachel_C

deafgal said:


> Rachel_C said:
> 
> 
> I would love to see how a hospital would enforce the 'no car seat, no leaving' rule though. What would they do? Tie you to the bed? You're not a prisoner there! The only way I can see they could do anything would be to call Social Services, but they can't do anything if you're not doing anything wrong!
> 
> yeah pretty much. it's illegal in my state for a baby to ride in a car without a carseat. they will call the police. the only exceptional that don't require a carseat is the metro bus but you have to walk to the bus stop. (not sure about taxi).Click to expand...

In the UK it is legal to have a child in a taxi or bus without a car seat, so the Police could do nothing.


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## Omi

So i guess the answer to my question is 'no' then, lol! No one has left hospital with baby in carrier or sling :)

I very much take the sling advice on board but the carrier ive got is fairly straightforward to use so i think for 15minutes that should be fine - even for a first use.

I'll see what pram we get and if it'll come with a car seat and also speak to my midwife when i see her on thursday. Still think its a bit silly though seeing as people carry babies on buses and have prams and small babies in cabs all the time (without carseats etc) :wacko:

Thanks guys! :hug: xxx


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## Eala

You could also check with local taxi firms. Some of them supply infant carseats if you specify when booking the cab that you need one :)


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## Omi

Thanks Eala (fellow Wegie, lol!)

I read online that many of them dont have infant seats though...just older baby ones... Bugger : ) Will see how i get on...might just have to get one although resent that i have to for one use only....booo :)


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## AmaryllisRed

^^^Ooh, I like that idea. 
I have heard that the law in the US is that you can't leave without a car seat. When ds was born, dh brought the car seat up to the room and buckled him in and the nurse actually followed us out to the car. 
I know of course that the law requires a baby have a car seat to ride in a car. 
If the law in the UK says that a baby doesn't need a seat to ride in a cab, then they shouldn't be able to require you to have one. 
However, isn't it much safer? Especially if you think baby will ride in a cab more than once throughout the first year. :shrug: 
Also, here in the US, the health dept will give you a free car seat if you go watch a video on car seat safety. IMO, that's totally worth it, if you can get a deal like that.


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## Arcanegirl

We dont have a car either and very rarely use a taxi, but id still have an infant carrier to use even in Hackneys and occasionally in friends cars.


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## mommyof3co

Here in the US it's legal to ride in a taxi without a car seat as well, but like others have said, I would never do it...even for a short ride. Even though you don't have a car I personally think having a car seat is very important in the event of an emergency. I would buy one to take the baby home and to have just in case you ever need it


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## rtracey80

i like you dont have use of a car and wondered about this at the time. We didnt want to buy a car seat just for the journey home. In the end we brought a travel system which came with a car seat which just strapped in with the seat belt. And when not in use in a car it can be used as a baby rocker


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## Rachel_C

rtracey80 said:


> And when not in use in a car it can be used as a baby rocker

They also make handy "can't be bothered putting the clean laundry away so I'll just stash it here" places :lol:.


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## binxyboo

Rachel_C said:


> rtracey80 said:
> 
> 
> And when not in use in a car it can be used as a baby rocker
> 
> They also make handy "can't be bothered putting the clean laundry away so I'll just stash it here" places :lol:.Click to expand...

nice cat beds too


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## Thumper

Why don't you go for a home birth :haha: Problem solved! ;)


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## Aunty E

I carried Teddy out wrapped in a blanket. And nobody said a word, and I had to sign out and everything as I was taking a baby. I fricking hate carrying the kids in car seats, it's so awkward.

Just pick up a second hand one or a really cheap one if you feel you really have to have one. I got my last two second hand, and they're so much cheaper.


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## AmaryllisRed

Not to be a stickler, but I think the thing about taxis being exempt in the States depends on the law in your state. 

So true about carrying babies in car seats. The baby is so much easier to carry by himself-- why add all the bulk and weight of a carseat?


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## discoclare

Aunty E said:


> I carried Teddy out wrapped in a blanket. And nobody said a word, and I had to sign out and everything as I was taking a baby. I fricking hate carrying the kids in car seats, it's so awkward.
> 
> Just pick up a second hand one or a really cheap one if you feel you really have to have one. I got my last two second hand, and they're so much cheaper.

I'm in London too and we don't have a car. We also left the hospital carrying Arianna in a blanket, the midwives were fine with it. We did put her in a car seat when we got to the carpark though as my dad had offered to drive me home from the hospital (I had a c section, originally we were thinking if I could walk for 5 mins that we would take the train home - it's only a 5 min train journey and a short walk at either end). Seeing as I couldn't walk far when I was discharged, my dad kindly offered us a lift (as long as it didn't clash with his golf game :dohh:).

OH's best mate and partner had their son in the same hospital as us about 2 months earlier. They also walked out with baby in a blanket (I'm not even sure whether they own a car seat). They had planned to walk home as they lived about 15 mins walk from the hospital, but as his gf had had a c section she needed a taxi. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my baby in a taxi without a car seat, but this is what they did.


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## Omi

Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated. I think the end result will be either getting one with the pram (included type deal) or get a used one, freecycle, Ebay etc or maybe Argos.

Also - im sure my cats would very much like an additional sleeping spot :haha:

:hug: xxx


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## Sam292

I carried ds out the hospital - They asked if we had a car seat and I said "yes its in the car", Couldnt understand why I would bring it in, it belongs in the car? Why carry a heavy seat around when I could just carry my tiny baby? :wacko:


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## patch2006uk

We live in the city centre and don't drive. We had originally planned to come home on the bus, but I ended up having an emergency c-section, so could just about hobble to the car park. My dad picked us up in the end, and we bought an infant car seat. My parents just keep it in their car, we've used it a few times, so it wasn't a total waste.

The hospital weren't bothered whether LO was in a car seat though. No-one checked.


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## deafgal

we didn't bring the carseat in the hospital either. the nurse checked when my husband picked me up fromthe front entrance of the hospital.


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## princessellie

I'm not keen on the idea of a tiny baby being in the sling tbh, LO will have no head support surely if the car crashes?

I have a car seat here that you can have for nothing if you arrange courier?

x


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## angiepie

Omi said:


> As it says in the title, does anyone know about this or has anyone done this?
> 
> We live in a flat, dont own a car and frankly dont have a use for a car seat so do not want to buy one. However, there seems to be lots of conflicting advice online for whether you have to have a carseat or not etc etc.
> 
> Ive got an infant carrier and i will get a sling as well and what we're thinking is to just wear the baby and take a taxi home from the hospital like that. Surely we can do that?
> 
> And before anyone suggests it, we have no other option as live too far away to walk (or take public transport as have to change buses) but a taxi ride would be 15 minutes, 20 minutes tops. Also, have no option to borrow a carseat either.
> 
> So basically, anyone done this??? :)

I don't know about there, but in Australia this is extremely illegal. If you were in an accident your baby would we a lot safer and less harmed in a rear facing capsule than strapped to you. I doubt a taxi driver will take you on as they don't want to be liable. Again, I don't know the rules for Glasgow, but in Sydney you can call for taxis that have car seats in them already. Or you could just rent a car seat/borrow for a day or week. I really wouldn't recommend wearing your baby in the car as it's also dangerous to you. Whereas buses are much less likely to crash and travel slower, so wearing your baby on there would be fine.

ETA: Just saw you said you can't borrow one. Look up a rental company? Or post an ad on like Gumtree or Freecycle?


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## Aunty E

Taxi drivers are normally fine. And I don't think it's possibleto rent car seats here ;)

But as the OP said, she should be able to find one on Gumtree or Freecycle. My local charity shop always has them in for some reason.


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## Rachel_C

Taxi drivers don't seem to care much as long as it's legal, which it is in the UK, as is travelling without a car seat in an emergency.


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## Kate&Lucas

I've taken Lucas in and out of taxis in the sling and have since he was diddy. I never found it 'too' difficult getting a seatbelt around us. Although we had a carseat there were times it just wasn't possible to lug it round all day.

That said, I don't think I could've done it straight after birth (mine didn't exactly go to plan) - though if your OH is on hand if there are any probs I don't see why it couldn't be an option. Not ideal, but an option. My maternity file stated we weren't allowed to leave without a carseat but no-one checked before we left whether we had one or not.


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## Bexxx

I had no idea it was legal to have a baby in the taxi and no car seat...Why is it different to any other car? Curious :flower:


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## freckleonear

Bexxx said:


> I had no idea it was legal to have a baby in the taxi and no car seat...Why is it different to any other car? Curious :flower:

Safety-wise it isn't any different, it's just for practicality I think.


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## patch2006uk

Bexxx said:


> I had no idea it was legal to have a baby in the taxi and no car seat...Why is it different to any other car? Curious :flower:

As I understand it, there's a distinction in the law between planned and unplanned journeys. If you have to get in a car in an emergency and you have a baby with you, they don't expect you to have the proper seat, as you weren't planning a journey. I assume that, in the law's eyes, all taxi journeys are unplanned.

I might be wrong, but that's the way it made sense to me. Otherwise, as you say, it'd be the same as any other car journey.


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## Wellington

I took my second home just in a Bjorn carrier thingy... but then I was walking home! (Lived in London at the time - hospital just around the corner).
To be honest, I was kind of hoping someone would kick up a fuss... but noone did!


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## lisaf

I think they get strict about it in the US for liability reasons... making you put the baby in the seat to carry it out offers some protection if you drop the baby.
Ditto for getting strict on making you have one when you leave regardless of what the laws are. I can just see some stupid person suing because 'nobody told them' how dangerous it was blah blah blah


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## HellBunny

We don't drive so my bro was picking us up, the carseat was already in the car and i carrier J to the car, they didn't check or anything xx


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## missmayhem

you can indeed rent car seats, avis etc offer it, as do a lot of baby shops


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