Carseat V Capsule

[MummyDuck]

I recently read somewhere that it is road regulations to have a capsule fitted to your car before leaving the hospital. If you do not have one the hospital can fit one for you for a fee and hire charge.

I bought a carseat that can lay down for newborns before turning it to face forward for toddlers. Is this sufficient or do I still need to use a capsule and if so for how long??

TIA

[feeb]

It is regulation to have a car seat or capsule that is suitable for a newborn and be rear facing but does not have to be a capsule.

I dont know of any hopsitals who will hire and fit them, they will ask you before you leave do you have one but it is your repsonsibility to ensure baby is safe when you have answered and said yes you do.

If people do not have a carseat or capsule they can legally travel in back seat of a TAXI holding the baby. (scary i know as they are crazy drivers)

[Pandora]

what you have is sufficient.
I have not heard of hospitals hiring or fitting them, but they can ususally be hired through the council/MCH

[Arimeh]

We hired a capsule for DS when he was born and the ambos put that in when we picked it up from them. We did that cos we didn't have a car seat already, and thought the capsule was a good idea. But we didn't really have the problem of him sleeping in it and just getting the whole of the capsule out (which is why they are good idea.. )
We aren't hiring one for this bub - just getting DS a new seat, and using his old one for the new bub - but facing around the othe way of course!!!!!

[Visitor7]

Like the others have said, as long as you have either a capsule or car seat fitted prior to bub arriving.

[Beach Mama]

We had a rear facing car seat that is suitable for a newborn and it was fine for our bub. With no#2 we are going to hire a capsule, simply for the ease of being able to bring them in and out of the car with minimal disruption and we don't have to wake them up, plus Izzy can use her seat for a bit longer.
It really is personal choice and as the other posters have mentioned as long as you have a rear facing seat/capsule you will be fine. I would get it fitted before you go to hospital though and don't rely on getting it done once bub is here because what if they are busy or booked out, you don't want to be waiting around to take bub home because of that.
Good luck!

[~*Niadalla*~]

We had a rear facing seat but decided on a capsule while DS was little. I felt it was alot safer for him.. just seemed a bit more stable. I had it fitted a few weeks before DS was born, and we only just stopped using it 1 month ago at 7 months. It was great, as we could load/unload DS in teh house, bring him in from the car without waking him. I will def hire a capsule for the next bub. DS is still rear facing in his car seat

[Astrid]

I must be the odd one, but I when DD was rear facing I did not have any issues with getting her out of the car seat when sleeping. I found she would just go back to sleep either in the pram, sling or once inside. When she was older though and forward facing it was a different. So this next bub is going into the convertible car seat as well.

[MummyDuck]

Thanks everyone. We are going to give the car seat a go first seeing as we already have 2 LOL.