Car seat for newborn

loulou41

I have been told I will need a car seat for a newborn baby. My friend who is due in a few months has not got a car and I have offered to bring her back from the hospital after the baby is born. She told me to my surprise that the baby will need to be in car seat, that's the law. How do I go about it if she provides me with a car seat, how do I fit it in my car? In my days, we used to drill them in the back seat. Thanks

osian

There should be instructions with the car seat on how to fit it. If she's borrowed one, perhaps there will be instructions online if you know the make and model.

The infant style car seats are fairly easy to put in and out of the car and should take minutes at the most. Perhaps you and/or your friend can practice before the baby is born.

milliebear00001

The seat should come with instructions! They are fairly simple to fit, but I would say definitely try it in your car before you arrive to collect her. Not all seats fit all cars safely and some are 'Isofix' (which 'clip' into a special connector built into some cars). Others are not Isofix, and just use the seatbelt to fix in place.

Is she planning to buy a car seat even though she doesn't have a car?

Gillyx

If she doesn't have a car, most hospitals will rent you a car seat for a small deposit and payment. You can belt them in fairly easily and they will normally come out of the hospital to do it for you, if you really aren't sure.

Beckyy

The ones I've used are secured using the seat belt. They can be a little fiddly sometimes, but they should come with instructions.

No holes will need to be drilled

Sagaris

Ring your local council and see if they offer a free fitting service, several of them do, they will check it fits your car and show you how to fit it too.

heretolearn_2

Why were you surprised? What had you been planning on doing with the baby? Shove it in the glove compartment? :rotfl: No, sorry, it's nice of you to help out your mate and if it's the first baby in your set of friends I suppose you might not know.

for future reference every child or baby you have in your car needs to be in an age appropriate restraint, so that's a babies car seat, a toddlers car seat or a booster cushion/older child seat (some seats are adaptable to different ages). Right up to the age of 12 years old or a height of 135cm, whichever comes first, then they use an adult seat belt. this is the law now and you can get fined for not complying, as well as risking the child.

bigmomma051204

Just to clarify - your friend will most likely have a carrycot style of car seat..... http://www.mothercare.com/Silver-Cross-Ventura-S-Baby-Car-Seat---Graphic/300613,default,pd.html?cm_sp=ProductFeatures-_-Category%2520landing-_-Silver%2520Cross%2520Ventura%2520S%2520Baby%2520Car%2520Seat%2520-%2520Graphic

that type of thing.... they simpy go onto the cars seat (facing the rear of the car) and then u feed the seatbelt under the handle and through some form of "clip"..... then into the seatbelt "clicker" (sorry couldnt think what these are actually CALLED lol!)
You might find u need to push down with ur hand in the seat itself (not with baby in it at the time lol) and pull the belt taut once clipped in as they can sometimes feel a bit loose... just do this until the seat itself feels secure and doesnt move around easily.

HTH

onlyroz

I thought that for one-off journeys you didn't need a car seat?

VikkiiKawaii

onlyroz wrote: »

I thought that for one-off journeys you didn't need a car seat?

You definitely need one to take the baby home from hospital - they won't let you out without one!

onlyroz

VikkiiKawaii wrote: »

You definitely need one to take the baby home from hospital - they won't let you out without one!

What if you were catching the bus home?