Is it legal to refuse the part where a nurse has to carry your baby to your car?

[Wildflower]

This kind of upset me last time, they told me that I had to let a nurse or employee carry my newborn out of the birth center room to our car, like to verify that the baby had gone to the right family, or maybe to mkae sure had a car seat or some such? But it made me feel bad, I was so weepy and emotional post partum and didn't want strangers holding my baby. Maybe if I can't refuse it I'll just get up and leave and not let them. We're in CA--anyone know about this law, or is it even a law, maybe was just a local policy...?

Thanks!

[NaomiMcC]

I have NEVER heard of that!!! How bizarre...

[ledzepplon]

This is not CA law. When our kids were born, a hospital staff person had to accompany us out of the hospital to make sure we had a carseat for the baby and that we put the baby in said seat before driving away. That part may be the law or just a hospital policy, I'm not sure. But we didn't let them hold our baby!

[Sassenach280]

Originally Posted by ledzepplon

This is not CA law. When our kids were born, a hospital staff person had to accompany us out of the hospital to make sure we had a carseat for the baby and that we put the baby in said seat before driving away. That part may be the law or just a hospital policy, I'm not sure. But we didn't let them hold our baby!

I'm in California, too and I agree that this is not California law. When both my kids were born, a hospital staff person wheeled me to our car while I held my baby in my arms.

[pacificbliss]

We had to bring the car seat in, put the baby in it and then I held the baby in the seat while a nurse wheeled me out. They wouldn't let me walk but that was it.

[AoifesMom]

nope, not a law in CA.

[Ironica]

http://www.boondock.org/photos/2004/DSC00338.JPG

That's me sitting in the wheelchair while my husband pulled the car up to the Patient Discharge area at UCLA Westwood Hospital in Los Angeles, California in July 2004. Donovan was in the Maya Wrap the ENTIRE time.

You can ask them why they have that policy, and if they try to tell you it's a law, ask them for a citation and when it went into effect. They'll probably be completely unable to tell you, or if they do, it will be a law about making sure you have a carseat or making sure you don't drop the baby on the way out. (That's why mom and baby have to be in a wheelchair at UCLA... if we fell over, they'd be liable :-P).

[northwoods1995]

Weird. When I had both of my kids a nurse did accompany us to the car to check the installation of our carseat but I carried the baby both times (oh and I walked too--no wheelchair or anything).

[Marlet]

nak

we had to bring in our carseat with dd1, show we knew how to get her in, and then a nurse came out with us to make sure it was installed/fastened correctly.

[momto l&a]

I have refused the wheel chair.

Went in after the birth of my first to get stitched up.
They had a chair for to go out in and I just point blank told them I can walk just fine thank you. End of story.

[christifav]

My 1st was a hospital birth and the staff made us put our baby in the car seat up in the mother-baby ward. Not all infant carseats are designed to be infant carriers as well, so this policy pissed me off. If g_d forbid I have another hospital birth, you bet that baby will be in a wrap until we get to the car. If they want to verify that we use a car seat,, fine, but they will have to come down to the car to do that.

Oh, and I walked while I carried my newborn in the infant carrier/car seat.

[zjande]

I've had 3 babies in CA. The 1st was 16 yrs ago & they carried the baby out & watched me install the car seat & everything. But the 2nd & the 3rd, both many years later, they just had me bring the car seat into the hospital & put the baby in it, then I walked out while the baby's dad carried the seat. No nurse was involved those times. I just assumed it was some old thing they used to do, like enemas during labor. I guess you can just call your hospital & ask!

[mama_y_sol]

When our kids were born, a hospital staff person had to accompany us out of the hospital to make sure we had a carseat for the baby and that we put the baby in said seat before driving away. That part may be the law or just a hospital policy, I'm not sure.

This was my experience with dd, we had the nurse accompany us to the car to check that we had a carseat for dd. I think you are totally in the right to feel the way you do about a nurse carrying your baby. I would definetly refuse...

[Lizzie9984]

I've heard that here in FL they can't release the baby unless they're in a car seat. I don't know if that's an actual LAW or not, but it still freakin' makes me mad---We don't own a car, and didn't plan on getting a car seat right away anyway, as we take the city bus and planned on just getting a good stroller for outings. Now, we're trying to find a car seat just incase someone gets a case of the a** about the car seat issue....
Does anyone actually know if that's the case down here? Do we have to have a car seat to have the baby discharged??? It's the most asinine thing I've ever heard, but considering it's FL, I wouldn't doubt it if it's true.

[onlyboys]

I don't think they can refuse to let your baby go home if you're taking the bus. We never had an infant carseat, just a convertible one, and no one watched us put our children in them, so I don't know how they would know we even had one. It isn't law that you have to buy a carseat, just that you use one if you get into a car. I'd not worry about it at all.

I do want to know where you live that public transportation is so nice! Here in Central Florida, the buses are scant and unreliable.

[Lizzie9984]

I'm in west central FL on the water, and I've got to admit, the public bus system here has improved BIG TIME over the last 6 or 7 years, more routes, better timed schedules, better buses, lol. My county's slowly transitioning to hybrid buses, and rebuilding a few major transfer stations at the same time. It's come a long way, and I think that has something to do with the passenger number skyrocketing steadily (more $$ coming in)

[onlyboys]

That is lovely! I wish they would here! But I don't think enough people use it for it to be useful, you know?

I'm in the Lakeland area, are you close? And if you need some care providers names, let me know!

[Lizzie9984]

I'm in the far south Tampa Bay area, which would technically be close, but not very---Still a bit of a distance

[Ackray]

Where I work, we HAVE to walk the patient to their car and make sure that the car seat is properly installed before they can go. You would be amazed at how many people do this completely wrong. I usually let the dad or another family member carry the baby in it's carseat. We rarely have babies who don't have bucket seats. We ask that the parents bring the bucket seat up to maternity on the day of discharge. The nurse makes sure that the seat is properly put together and that the straps are at the right level. We secure the baby in the seat while teaching the parents how to do it. Like I said we HAVE to bring the patient to the car. I've worked in med/surge here too and we HAD to bring those patients to their cars at discharge too. I usually don't let the mom carry the baby but I usually don't carry the baby either. Oh and we hardly ever wheel the mom out in a wheelchair, if she can't walk, maybe she shouldn't be going home.

[onlyboys]

Originally Posted by Ackray

Where I work, we HAVE to walk the patient to their car and make sure that the car seat is properly installed before they can go. You would be amazed at how many people do this completely wrong. I usually let the dad or another family member carry the baby in it's carseat. We rarely have babies who don't have bucket seats. We ask that the parents bring the bucket seat up to maternity on the day of discharge. The nurse makes sure that the seat is properly put together and that the straps are at the right level. We secure the baby in the seat while teaching the parents how to do it. Like I said we HAVE to bring the patient to the car. I've worked in med/surge here too and we HAD to bring those patients to their cars at discharge too. I usually don't let the mom carry the baby but I usually don't carry the baby either. Oh and we hardly ever wheel the mom out in a wheelchair, if she can't walk, maybe she shouldn't be going home.

Stephanie, what would happen if the mother was riding public transportation home? How would you handle that?