Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I were planning to get home from the hospital by Uber since we don’t have a car. Now we’re weighing a bunch of different options- trying to time a car rental, Zipcar membership, borrowing a friend’s car, etc. Hospital is within walking distance for appointments (2.5 mi) but not right after birth. We’re also thinking of how to get to first pediatrician appointments. Appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences!

How are you planning to get to the hospital while in labor?

I’d just rent a car for a few weeks so I could install the car seat and not have to worry about it.

My grandmother walked to the hospital when she was in labor with my dad. Really sped thing up, apparently.

Anonymous wrote:Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I were planning to get home from the hospital by Uber since we don’t have a car. Now we’re weighing a bunch of different options- trying to time a car rental, Zipcar membership, borrowing a friend’s car, etc. Hospital is within walking distance for appointments (2.5 mi) but not right after birth. We’re also thinking of how to get to first pediatrician appointments. Appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences!

How are you planning to get to the hospital while in labor?

I’d just rent a car for a few weeks so I could install the car seat and not have to worry about it.

You may want easy access to a car in the first few months. I'd recommend Free2Move (it's a car sharing service).

You rent by the minute, half hour, or hour. It's not that terribly difficult to set up a carseat in the back seat (just takes a minute or two).

If that won't work, maybe sign up for the trip to the hospital, then rent a car for a week or two so you don't have to sanitize every time. (I usually do an alcohol wipe down of the doors, handles, steering wheel, gearstick, seatbelts, and dash controls each time.)

Assuming that you have reasonably easy parking, rental car for a month--pick it up and get it all clean and set up a week before your due date. Keep for the first few weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My husband rented a car to get our son and I home from the hospital. Yours might want to disinfect surfaces before you get in.

How did you work the timing? Did you rent from starting before delivery, or did he somehow manage to go get one while you were still in the hospital? We like the idea of renting, but seems like trying to time it would be difficult. Maybe starting from a week prior to the due date would work?

Seriously, there is no need to do that.

You can almost always call or use one of the websites and rent a car for immediate pickup at national airport. Especially now without business travelers.

My car has broken down and I've literally gone online and requested a car, taken an uber to National, and picked up a rental in an hour.

It's even faster if you have Hertz Gold where you don't stand in line.

I feel like people are given canned advice not connected to the post. The issue, as I read it, is given the concerns of COVID, what is the best way to get home.
Best would be a friend’s car - either they pick you up or you borrow it completely.
Second would be rental. You can pre-wipe surfaces and no confined space with someone who comes in contact with lots of people. You will be at the hospital for at least 24 hours. Most likely 48 (insurance pays midnight to midnight for two days from birth day unless complications or C section). So once baby is born, DH can call around and see who has cars.
Third would be DH carries baby home for 2.5 miles in car seat / stroller and you take a cab with a mask on.
Last would be Uber / taxi for me. Too much contact with other people for my comfort.

Do you have no friends who could help? I would absolutely volunteer my car to a friend who needed it in this situation. I'd even install the carseat too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How were you going to use an Uber even before COVID? I can’t imagine having to install a car seat in an Uber in that situation. Sounds awful.

You can request Ubers that come pre-equipped with car seats. Takes a bit longer to get one, but they're around.

those are forward facing and for much older children. I wouldn't even put my 2 yr old in one. Pretty much every infant bucket can be installed w/o a base, it just takes a minute to figure it out especially when it's a car you are not familiar with and if you are not used to getting the car seat belt tight enough, etc. I would just rent a car for a month and then you'll have it to get to the hospital, have your DH visit you, bring you both home & then your first appts. That way you can install the base right before or when you are in the hospital.