JusticeZero

Someone in the family has gotten pregnant, to our annoyance. What are the preferred options for carfree living with infants right now?

Machka 

Are you, your wife, and your daughter (guessing one of them is pregnant) car free now?

JusticeZero

Yes. Comfortable temperature, glass-flat topography, very bumpy roads. We use bike and bus.

I-Like-To-Bike

Evaluate any advice received by the amount of personal experience with this situation by the LCF "expert."

MikeRides

Why would the pregnancy have to be an annoyance?

If the mother only has to travel short local distances with the baby, what's wrong with just a standard baby carriage/stroller? For longer distances, is public transportation (buses, cabs, car shares) available? If there's an emergency, there's always ambulance services.

As for biking, I believe the infant won't be able to hold its head up on it's own until it's at least 6 months old, so a typical baby seat on the front or back of a bike is not an option.

t x

Ambulances are pretty cost prohibitive, I'd probably look into a car sharing service. We're car light and my wife definitely appreciated having the car in both the first trimester (she suffered from HG for pretty much the entirety of the first trimester, hospitalized multiple times) and the last month or so when she was just super uncomfortable. Public transport is a possibility after the kid is born but, personally, I did not relish putting my still-developing-an-immune-system, not-yet-vaccinated newborn in an enclosed space with a bunch of random people every time we had ped visit (which are frequent in the first couple months.)

From informal surveys I've taken of other cyclists it seems like 6 months to 1 year is about when people starting putting the kids on the bike. Parents that lean towards the 6 mos. end of the range strongly trend towards putting the kid in a car seat in a trailer. My daughter is currently 5.5 mos and that's likely the way we'll go as well.

wolfchild

I don't care what most LCF'ers have to say about this....If this happened to me I would purchase a small, used, fuel efficient car and keep it as a back up. I would still commute to work with a bike, and I would use a car for trips which involve carrying and infant., and I would let the wife/girlfriend use the car whenever she is going somewhere with a baby. The most practical thing to do in such situation is to get a car.

Roody

I would probably do the same, given where I live right now. There are many other locations where I would feel good about raising a completely carfree infant.

Hypno Toad

I have friends in the city (Minneapolis) that are car-free. They just welcomed their first child. They use buses, cabs and car-share when they can not walk.

Another care-free friend is a single mom with a 7 year old, she bikes nearly every where with a tandem-trailer. Others I know with older kids use cargo bikes.

There are lots of options for car-free living with children and there are lots of good examples out there.

*I am not car-free, I just have a lot of friends that are.

rumrunn6

congratulations on your family's miracle and future lifelong happiness

I-Like-To-Bike

What is the moral (not economic) significance of using a car-share motor vehicle rather than a personally owned motor vehicle for baby transportation, other than Bragging Points with the halo wearing clique of LCF?

Perhaps the better question is: why is the OP concerned? Is the pregnancy and associated mother/baby care requirement coming to a household without a motor vehicle?

Hypno Toad

The couple with the new born could afford a car but choose not to own one. It is 'economic', since cars are a money-drain, and a major pain to find parking... or pay for a parking space (more money). Therefore, car-share saves you money to use for other parts of life and car-share saves you money on a parking space... or time finding parking.

There are legit reasons to use car-share beyond the halo effect.

I-Like-To-Bike

I believe you about the economic benefits if the car share meets all the important transportation requirements associated with pregnancy and mother-baby care. Car-share could work for those parents interested in saving money when and if there are no significant health, peace of mind and convenience costs to such a decision. If there are such significant issues the parents need to consider how much "saving" car ownership money is worth to them.

Perhaps the OP will clarify if the desire for car-free status with an infant on the way is an economic necessity or based on some other rationale.

Hypno Toad

Good point. You are correct, not all cities have the same network of car-share services; additionally, not all cities have the same mass-transit options. And within any given city, access to mass-transit and car-share can vary greatly. Lots of variables.

2manybikes

Correct !!! I had a two year old and a new born at one time. The car is best especially in the cold weather, or extreme heat. The baby seats and kid trailer manufacturers list a minimum age somewhere. Bringing warm formula and the other support gear is usually more than one would think, unless you have done it, or seen it.
You need to have the gear to replace a diaper in any location at any time. Having a back seat in the car for the infant carrier (seat) is a must.

I had two in car seats in a two door sedan. Switched cars finally.

cooker

If you view the whole life cycle of a car as harmful, not just its use, but also including its manufacture and disposal, then using a car that is built for, shared with, and disposed of by multiple users, is less harmful than having one just built for you, even if you don't use it much. Thus the moral significance is that you have caused less harm.

I-Like-To-Bike

Good talking points while polishing one's LCF halo; perhaps not as useful, practical or even moral in the OP's situation when (or if) considering the welfare of mother and baby.

Roody

You have all your little fingers pointing, don't you?

ThermionicScott 

You should welcome (and keep us posted on) the challenge. Being car-free/light is simple when you're single or without kids, as many posters in this subforum are.

I-Like-To-Bike

Especially simple if the labels "car-free" and "car-light" are used as if they are virtually synonymous and interchangeable. And even more simple when "car-light" can encompass anybody who occasionally uses a bicycle or some other transit mode instead of an available car.

Roody

I wish JusticZero would post some particulars about the new baby's situation and the family's current carfree status. It would be nice to see some practical advice and information sent his way under what can be challenging times for any family.

I ride the bus at times, and that seems to be a practical transport for newborns. Previous threads supplied information that babies can be accommodated on the bike when they can hold their heads up. Some people said they took their babies on the bike at even a younger age. Most people I see carrying an infant on either bus or bike use a standard infant car seat. If using a taxi, I would inform them about the baby ahead of time, to make sure they send a cab that is compatible with your car seat. I would probably make arrangements with friends/relatives about supplying rides for the first few months of the child's existence, and throughout any heat waves or cold snaps thereafter.

I don't have any practical experience at schlepping babies--this is just info that I recall from previous threads on the topic or have observed on my own travels.

JusticeZero

Two poor student grandparents and a precariat single mother-to-be who doesn't have a drivers licence. Not the greatest financial situation. No relatives locally. All adding up to the "unfortunately".

I-Like-To-Bike

I assume mother-to-be is living with parents (grandparents to be) and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Do the (grand)parents currently have access to a motor vehicle?

JusticeZero

Nope. those things are stupidly spendy and completely unnecessary for day to day living. Also, every time I have to drive somewhere I feel like screaming at people afterward. How people put up with those is beyond me.

kickstart

It doesn't seem like they're "completely unessary" if the alternative isn't already self evident to you, sounds more like denial at this point, needs change, no big deal.