How are you planning to leave the hospital with your baby

Check with your hospital on their policies about car seats. I’m pretty sure you have to have a car seat to take baby home .. even if it’s not yours… maybe a friend or a family member but I think it’s essential x

You need to consider what you're going to do if you can't walk the 15mins home. I think that would apply to most ppl who had just given birth 🙈 unless you get your partner to walk back and you jump in a taxi? You can't carry a newborn baby in your arms in a taxi

I had this dilemma with my first. I did live quite a way from the hospital, but thought surely I could take him home on the bus in his moses basket?! Ended up going very over due and he had an operation at a different hospital so ended up with mum having to pick us up with sister's car seat 🙃 I'd ask as other's have advised. I think it's crazy there's no proviso for people who don't drive, especially in cities where they're trying to reduce it!

So the hospital cannot refuse you to leave - it’s a hospital, not a prison! If you choose to walk home with baby in a pram or baby wrap, I’m sure they will ask that you are escorted by someone (partner, family member etc.) and ensure you feel safe walking that distance, depending on your birth. I’m not a driver, thankfully my partner is, otherwise I’d be getting the train! Haha they might heavily advise you to get a car seat for no good reason, but ultimately cannot withhold your baby if you don’t have a car seat. Some local taxi ranks to me have car seats to use sometimes, might be worth giving some ranks a call… However it’s not a requirement for children under 3 to wear seatbelts or use a carseat in taxis. Hope this helps! https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

We ordered a black cab and would definitely recommend it as they are more reliable than uber and can fit a pram. We ended up using a car seat but our initial plan was to bring the pram as you can place it in the cab without taking apart. I personally couldn’t walk after birth and we had quite a few bags with us so I wouldn’t recommend walking unless you are really well.

There’s no legal means for leaving a hospital in the UK. We don’t have a car and actually just took TfL home. They ask how you get home but you don’t need a car seat if you do not have a car, the only people who can enforce that are police if you are in a car without one. St Thomas’ mums get the bus home! I took the bus and then the tube home 3 days after my section, just pushed the pram out the hospital xx

Also, whilst not ideal but perfectly legal, a uk licensed cab (like a hackney) doesn’t require you to use a car seat for emergency journeys like say going home from hospital. I’ve had to jump in a black cab with a newborn and I just wore her. It’s perfectly legal in the uk to just put your pram into a Hackney for a quick journey home xx

@Sarah I would literally have a 5min drive, so I guess I could do that. I’ll check with the hospital next time. Or I could also take the bus home. Thank you all for your advice!

I'll be honest. I tore during labour on the 21st and my lack of mobility shocked me. 15 minutes seems like nothing but I had to be wheel chaired to the post natal ward and crossing the ward to the toilet and getting out of the bed was a serious effort. I'm now nearly 2 weeks PP and can now walk longer than 15 minutes on a good day! They asked how we were getting home and asked to see the car seat when I told them my partner was driving us home. I wouldn't however rely on walking because that 15 minutes would have taken me over an hour in my state, with a pram too. No thanks!

If you don't have a car bring a car seat and take a cab / Uber home

@Bethan yes - my thoughts too. I had a 3rd degree tear and on my 2nd day after when i was leaving, my husband had to wheelchair me through the hospital - that was too far

@Katie oh god yeah mine was a few membranes from being 3rd degree and "complex" in the words of the midwives and doctors who helped stitch me up and honestly the walk through the hospital and to the car made me want to cry. Such a slow drive home because every bump on the road was hell. I feel ya! No joke! 😵

This is a side note: after reading these comments .. I’m not sure which recovery is worse a c-section or vaginal 😭🙈 I had an emergency c-section but hoping for vaginal this time round 🙏🏾

@Divine I'll let you know - I'm having a c section this time 😅 kind of expecting similar (had to have surgery which took an hour after my natural delivery)

@Katie oh yes please! X