Hospital distance

[failingmammalian]

How far would be a reasonable distance to travel from home to hospital to have a baby? Am weighing up choice of hospital vs convenience (in the knowledge I may not come out of the local one in one piece. !)london were talking, of course..
Is 45 mins too long???

[CarefullyAirbrushedPotato]

I suppose it depends, I wouldn't try to travel very far since my labour is likely to be rather short. (i'm staying in my house anyway)
that said I'd go quite a long way to avoid Whipps or the Royal

[failingmammalian]

Whipps.... Exactly! Ughg. So it is as bad as they say?

[MrsStardust14]

I've literally just transferred from the a Royal London to Chelsea and Westminster and I can't even begin to tell you how different the level of care is. This transfer means I will go from a ten min journey to a 45 min journey at the earliest. It's more than likely that it will take longer due to the traffic going from east to west London but the midwife at C&W didn't seem too concerned and said a lot of women travel . I think we will head over as soon as my waters break or contractions start just to avoid getting stuck in traffic and will probably book into a hotel close to the hospital.

[guineapig1]

I would say that 45 mins should be fine but be prepared to go in earlier rather than hold out at home iyswim.
We are in a rural setting here and 45-50 mins drive though mostly quiet A and B roads from the nearest hospital. Nothing closer unless you fancy a home birth and even then you're a good 40 mins by blue light if it gets a bit fraught.

[Marnierose]

45 minutes should be fine with your first baby.

[hairypaws]

Mine was 40 mins away. First time was fine, second time not - we left it too late and I laboured fast, he arrived 10 mins after our arrival, I was crowning in the car.

[failingmammalian]

Yikes hairy paws! This would be no2 ....

[failingmammalian]

Thanks all for teplies

[squizita]

I am at a central London hospital but live out in zone 3 (different reason to you- my local is fine, but a world specialist in a pregnancy related medical issue I happen to have leads the team at Imperial!) ... as PP have said, have been advised just to get the taxi/lift in slightly earlier and advise them on the phone that I live in zone 3 (so they can put me somewhere quiet not send me home if I'm not dilated enough).
Think the big London hospitals are used to this.