Is car seat necessary for newborn？

Why the hell would she need a car seat without a car?!
Ridiculous.
Bring baby home in a sling or whatever suits. Sling or buggy on bus is no problem at all. You only need a car seat for taxi or car.
Speaking from vast experience here. I don't drive.

Id get a buggy. There's usually a minimum weight for carriers, and depending on the type / you may not know how big your baby is when Born. You could also get a clueless midwife who thinks you're suffocating your baby in a wrap or something silly like that. Defiintly talk to the midwife are your next appointment. There shouldn't be any issues but this is Ireland!

For you, how practical is walking home withing a day or two of delivery?

I don't quite understand why you don't just have a pram or a buggy if you plan on walking home.
I don't have a car, but we got a car seat as baby is being driven home (i'm due in 6 days).
Car seat came with the pram we got so it was a non issue, I was told that we wouldn't be allowed leave the hospital without a car seat. No idea how strict they might be. Guess it depends on what hospital you're going to.
This is what it says on the Rotunda website

Travelling home with your baby

Leaving hospital with your new baby is one of the most exciting and scary parts of the whole pregnancy, birth and baby journey. You and your partner will remember your first night at home with your baby forever. If you are taking your baby home by car or taxi you must have an appropriate car seat. It is very dangerous and also illegal to travel without a properly fitted car seat.

You should buy your car seat well before your baby is due to be born. You and your partner should become very familiar with the seat and know how to fit it correctly and safely into a car. Babies up to 13 kgs (29 lbs) must be strapped into the seat, which must face the rear of the car – not the front. Never put a rear facing baby seat into the front passenger seat of the car where an airbag is fitted. If the airbag was ever activated, even in a small accident, the airbag could severely injure or even kill your baby. For further information on car safety, please check the website: www.rsa.ie

Coombe website is the same, if you are bringing baby home in a car, you need a car seat.


Bringing Baby Home

You and your baby could be discharged from hospital within 24 hours or up to the third day after birth the birth if you have had a normal delivery, or up to the fifth day if you have had a Caesarean section.

Before leaving the hospital you will be given a date for your baby to have a Guthrie test (metabolic screening) if this has not already been carried out. Your midwife or public health nurse may do this blood test or you may have to return to the hospital to have the test carried out.
CHILD SAFETY IN CARS

If you are travelling by car from the hospital, please make sure your car has been fitted with a rearward-facing baby seat. Children under the age of three years may not travel in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi) unless restrained in a child car seat.

Rearward-facing child car seats must never be used in the front passenger seat of cars with an active airbag.

The Road Safety Authority has a useful guide with information on correctly fitting a child car seat. Look up their website on www.rsa.ie and check out the Leaflets and Booklets section, or click on the quicklink on this page.

Victor made a good point.
If it's a C-section, walking any sort of distance would not be recommended.
Even many natural births and walking could be hard.
As mentioned above, you don't need a car seat if taking a taxi.
Might be your best bet.
Factor in our lovely Irish weather too! Could be snowing!

otwb1 wrote: »

After two babies I don't use the buggy. wraps all the way here (I'm not in the African plains, but I appreciate not having to wheel buggies everywhere, the ability to walk up and down steps and anywhere that's not tarmac/concrete!)

All power to you... You're already well prepared for post apocalyptic Ireland

When we brought our children home, no one checked that we had a car seat or how we were travelling. There was no big send off from anyone in the hospital, we packed up, wrapped up baby and left. We had a car seat and drove home. I was wrecked after my sections and no sleep so it wasn't anything special or a big memory.

I had a car seat when we left the hospital but nobody really cared. I definitely remember that drive home. First time outside hospital with baby was special for us.

If the baby is ever going in any car then get a car seat. It's illegal otherwise. And as for sitting on laps in a taxi. That's not fine. All you need is one accident.

I know your OK with wraps but I'd recommend a pram. Essential tool for getting the baby to sleep when all else fails, and all else will fail at some stage Car seat is very handy for that too, but obviously not if you don't have a car.

Seem like a lot of people are replying and giving you random advice you did not ask for.

So, to answer your question.
If you are not leaving the hospital in a car you DO NOT need a car seat.

Depending on the distance, yes, you may be sore, but you can always jump in a taxi and your partner can bring home the child, or you can just carry the child in your arms in a taxi (totally legal).

Whether or not you decide to buy a pram/buggy is something you can figure out for yourself, and you can always get it after the birth if you need to.

I just love that people think someone will be at the door of the hospital checking all babies are leaving in a car seat... hilarious.
You can carry it in your flipping handbag if you like.
To be fair I couldn't walk too far and defo not uphill for a few weeks so take that into account obviously but the people who get everything on the list to the letter are just mad.