impatience won

When Finn failed the car test (or as I look at it - the car test failed Finn) I immediately lost all adult coping skills and cried my eyes out in the middle of the nursery. The nurse who had been looking after him that day was so kind and comforted me assuring that many babies passed on their second try. Then the doctor arrived and we went into a more private area so he could talk to me about the test results.

He assured me over and over that the test had nothing to do with Finn's ability to do well at home, but only that he couldn't stay in a car seat for a long time at this age. He then said that even babies who do well on the test shouldn't be left unattended in a car seat or be allowed to sleep in them for a long time.

I asked him point blank if I could take the baby home on the subway. He kind of alluded that that's what he would do and again, assured me that in every other way Finn was healthy enough to go home.

After a relaxing meal of pizza and prosecco, TM and I decided that regardless of the results of the second test the next day that we were taking our baby home. By car or by pram, I was having my baby out of the hospital where he was at higher risk of infection. And indeed, when my son miserably failed the car seat test for a second time, I bundled him up in his pram and walked the 45 minutes home. Of course I stopped at every single intersection to make sure he was still breathing, but we are now all a nice happy unit at home.

TM and I are thrilled and have worked out a system where we both get enough sleep, the dog is protective of the baby, the older cat keeps her distance, and psycho cat was stalking the bassinet but now is not interested once she saw the contents.