How to get baby home from hospital?

[OverTheRainbows]

Do any carless people have experience of getting a baby home from hospital in a taxi, without supplying a car seat? Are there any firms that will provide one for you? Or any other suggestions? Thanks!

[Medusa]

Prob best to borrow a car seat. I have one you are welcome to use.

[Saffron]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1253645

[dildals]

Rye Minicabs provide a car seat if you ask at booking

[hoppermum]

Make sure you specify which type of car seat you want-we called a cab from Tommy's and the guy turned up with a toddler seat that he didn't even know how to fit-my husband had to take the cab home and drive all the way back with our own car seat to pick us up. Addison lee, keen group and airport direct are all firms i can recommend.

[Convex]

you can also take the baby in a black taxi in the pram.

[vch]

Just wanted to add that you can also carry the baby in a sling in a black cab.

[Cora]

We bought ours home on the bus in a slng.....a couple of people gave us 50p for good luck! X

[OverTheRainbows]

Thanks for all the tips, and thanks so much for the offer Medusa - funnily enough my next door neighbour just offered one yesterday. So that's one possibility to think about...though we are very bad at anything technical, even fitting seats in unfamiliar cars, I expect - so will have a weigh up of the other options, too...

[pilsbury]

You can take a "baby in arms" in a black cab or addy lee - we used this way to get our son home from hospital... Call up addy lee and they will advise you :)

[MichelleT]

Took my baby home in a cab in a sling. Kings were a bit weird about it initially, until I pointed out that I could always walk. Then they said it was up to me.

[Saffron]

MichelleT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Took my baby home in a cab in a sling. Kings were

> a bit weird about it initially, until I pointed

> out that I could always walk. Then they said it

> was up to me.

I often wondered about this, but in the end we never came to the circumstance where we needed it. Do you just thread the seatbelt under the sling (ie, seatbelt between you and Baby)? So presumably in event of a collision, the seatbelt holds you in place, and the sling holds baby in place over you?

[Lowlander]

Saffron Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> MichelleT Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Took my baby home in a cab in a sling. Kings

> were

> > a bit weird about it initially, until I pointed

> > out that I could always walk. Then they said it

> > was up to me.

>

>

> I often wondered about this, but in the end we

> never came to the circumstance where we needed it.

> Do you just thread the seatbelt under the sling

> (ie, seatbelt between you and Baby)? So

> presumably in event of a collision, the seatbelt

> holds you in place, and the sling holds baby in

> place over you?

Under the sling - if over and in an accident, you'll crush the poor thing to death with all your weight multiplied by the speed.

Personally in London with speeds less than 30mph I'm happy to carry the baby in the back of minicabs or black cabs with my arms. Perfectly legal until they are three years old.

[Saffron]

Hmm, interesting. Although depending on the sling design (assuming front-carry slings for newborns of course), there's potentially little to no head neck support in the event of a collision.

So a sling would not protect from whiplash the way a properly fitted carseat would. And whiplash can occur in adults in low speed collisions, though I don't know of any research looking at this in children. Presumably it's worse because of their relative lack of head/neck control?

[Giacomelli]

Hello,

We don't have a car either, but I bought a maxi cosi car seat second hand on the forum for about 20 quid. It fits on our buggy (for going abroad - hire car etc) and we use it every time we need to take a cab. Some taxi companies charge for a car seat. It has therefore been well worth the money. It also meant I didn't get any hassle from anyone on leaving the hospital

[Terresa]

Yes you are allowed to have a baby on the lap in taxi`s but if you prefer not to then there are taxi companies which also have car seats available. Or take the bus?

[wellington]

In a car it is not safe to have the seat belt around you and your baby or use a sling as the baby would be crushed in an accident.

Glad someone was able to lend you a seat.

[Gooders79]

Although sowe taxis can legally take you in the back I would only take this risk if there was no other choice. You know you are expecting a baby, make provision for this, borrow one, buy one whatever (I'd happily loan you one of ours...)

a carseat in many ways feels like part of the core equipment to me anyway... I've treated people who have been unrestrained in the back of taxis and even at low impact can suffer quite debilitating effects. It's too much of a risk for me with the most precious thing you've ever held so tiny and fragile...

[OverTheRainbows]

"You know you are expecting a baby, make provision for this" - yes, that is why I posted this question and am figuring out the best option.

"a carseat in many ways feels like part of the core equipment to me anyway" - I presume you have a car, then?

[Gooders79]

You're obviously cross with me, I offered an opinion and to lend you a seat an offer that still stands, take it or leave it, it was meant with the best intentions.