To think sister shouldn't have DC2 in a hospital an hour away?

[alwaysreallytired]

My sister lives in Brisbane, Australia. Her 2nd baby is due in three weeks and I've just found out that they're planning on having their baby in a hospital an hour from their home, in Brisbane CBD. They have chosen this hospital over a nearer one, as they can have the baby's cord blood collected there, but not at the nearer hospital. She says that they have the kit to collect the cord blood and that her husband could do it anyway, so I don't understand why they can't just go to their nearest hospital and then just get her husband or a midwife to do it there.

I'm really worried that my sister might end up having the baby en-route and the baby or mother needing immediate medical attention. What if the baby needs help breathing? What if my sister has a haemorrhage?

I think my sister may be putting both her baby and herself at unnecessary risk by not going to their closest hospital. Am I being unreasonable to think this?

[mrsbungle]

I live in a city. 2 big maternity hospitals about 6 miles from me but can easily take up to an hour in rush hour.

[LaLaGabby]

Your sister is lucky to have someone who knows so much better than her healthcare professionals around to tell her what to do.

[KaraStarbuckThrace]

Off the top of my head I can think of 3 friends who live in rural north Yorkshire who live an up to an hour away from their nearest maternity unit.
They all made it to the hospital in time, although one was a close call
I'd imagine in places such as highlands that it would be very likely many people live more than an hour away.
YABU and as others have said it really isn't any of your business.

[GlaikitHasHerFizzBack]

Btw I live 5 minutes from the local maternity unit. One of my antenatal mums gave birth in the car. Travelling time has little to do with it and all to do with knowing when to make the call to go. My friend was put off going in by the MWs because she was a first timer so obviously didn't know what she was talking about!

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

If you're still reading - I understand that you're just worried. She's a long way away from you, she's your sister and you love her, her being an hour away from the hospital seems scary - But - deep breath. Things will be fine. xx

[TiredFeet]

40 minutes on a clear run to our nearest hospital (and we're only semi rural). In rush hour it would take significantly longer than an hour

[alwaysreallytired]

I think it's probably evident that I don't live up north and that I don't have much knowledge about that part of the country. I've always lived in the south west and have never been more than 30 mins from a hospital. I have found it interesting to learn that so many of you are so far away from a hospital. Yes, I know many maternity units are closing. The maternity unit where DS1 was born has now closed.

My sister isn't donating cord blood. She's paying to have it saved for private use, if needed one day.

I am perhaps overly concerned about her birth, as I needed immediate medical attention after the birth of my DS1. I also had a severe haemorrhage a week after his birth and again was lucky to be close to a hospital.

[DontmindifIdo]

Well, as I asked earlier, were any of your labours less than an hour from first contraction? I guess it's not a problem for most woman because most woman still have several hours of labour after getting to the hospital so an extra 30 minutes in the car rather than the hospital is no big deal. She'll probably miss out on feeling she can labour at home, but that's her choice. Very very few woman have a baby with an hour outside of TV Soap-land (where nearly every baby is born with first contraction at the start of the programme and baby arrived by the end of it, they never have someone who takes the whole of a week omnibus to get the baby out).

Given your history, I can see why you are worried, however, in your case of the severe haemorrhage a week later, surely in an emergancy she'd just be taken to the nearest hospital regardless of where she gave birth.

[FryOneFatManic]

I live in Leicestershire. While there is a local MW led unit 10 mins down the road in town, it's only for low risk births. I was high risk so had to travel to Leicester General, about 40-45 mins away but a good hour at least during the rush hour.

I wasn't able to donate cord blood, they weren't able to collect then. They did ask if I would donate the cord itself to be used by doctors to practise giving injections into the cord to improve their skills. I was happy for this to happen.

[MidniteScribbler]

I know it's hard with her being so far away from you, but really, she'll be fine. Brisbane is a major capital city, and the two big hospitals in the CBD are excellent. If she's going to the Mater, it's fantastic, hs an excellent reputation and has recently been rebuilt and is state of the art. I myself was born there over 30 years ago. Also, if things progress unusually quickly, everyone who is resident in Queensland is automatically covered for full ambulance transport, and any of the hospitals in the suburbs are good. I've was recently treated at the PA hospital ( a public hospital) and cannot believe how good they were).

Remember also that whilst an hour may seem a lot to you, to most Aussies, it's nothing at all. My UK friends really don't understand how I can drive from Melbourne to Sydney in a day, but we'll regularly do it for a weekend trip and think nothing of it. I currently live in a regional area, two hours from Melbourne, but we'll go there for lunch. Our perspective of distance is really quite different.

[sweetmelissa]

Another here who lives (in this country) over an hour away from a hospital.

[Skinidin]

Yes, I live on Skye and nearest hospital that deals with obstetrics is Broadford, over an hour from us.

Any high risk births would be dealt with at the Raigmore, three hours away. Most high risk mums have to stay in for several days around the approaching birth.

[LittleBairn]

How very high and mighty of you to believe you are more concerned with your sisters baby than she is, no one wants a better outcome than your sister and her DP/DH.

[jamdonut]

There was a maternity unit 10 minutes WALK from me. That is now closed and the nearest units 30 mins (decent weather and not in holiday time) and 50 minutes (also decent weather and no holiday traffic) Good job I'm not planning on being pregnant again. I'm in East Yorkshire.

[LeChatRouge]

Look, don't panic. If you have had issues with yours, you are naturally more anxious, that's ok.

It will go one of three ways:

1. She will go into labour, progress at a normal rate, gradually increasing contractions, phone the unit of choice and they will tell her to make her way in. She will arrive an hour or so later, give birth some time after that and do the cord thing if she chooses.
   

1. She will go into labour, progress very quickly, not be able to stand the pain, rush to the nearest hospital and give birth there.
   

1. She will progress really quickly, call an ambulance/midwives and give birth at home!
   

All been done before, all will have the same outcome....a new healthy baby.

[lljkk]

Bacton, or Mundesley. With a little extra traffic and trouble finding somewhere to park, 1 hour no problem to achieve to reach the N&N or the JPH.

How do you think people in other countries cope? Could be 2+ hours from hospital easily in the USA, you just learn to plan for it.

I wanted to donate cordblood too but couldn't because I chose a home birth instead (oh well).

[alwaysreallytired]

DontmindifIdo - No, neither of my labours were that quick, but some do end up giving birth in cars!

[alwaysreallytired]

OK, looks like I should stop worrying. I guess the chances are, everything will be fine.

[alwaysreallytired]

LeChatRouge - you're right.

[sarahtigh]

nearest out of hours GP / minor injuries unit 18 miles oe 30 minutes on good day there is a maternity unit there but only for low risk pregnancies as ECS would require an ambulance,

nearest other maternity 38 miles 50 mins at very quickest 90 minutes in rush hour this is also nearest A&E , ( if bridge shut like it is in high winds add another 30 minutes) it would also be nearest A&E for people who live 30 miles further away than we do

there are lots of people north of Glasgow/edinburgh that will be 2 hours away from A&E, that is why they use air ambulances because would take too long to drive

places like campbeltown are 140 miles from glasgow by road but less than 30 miles as crow flies

[Pandemoniaa]

Where do you live to be an hour away from a hospital??

In the populous South East of England. You can easily be an hour away from both the nearest maternity units if travelling at peak times.

An hour, in Australia, is the equivalent of popping to the corner shop. My cousins routinely travel for 3 hours to access services in their nearest city.

[TiredFeet]

I live in the SE of England too, in a built up area between two large cities. Still well over an hour away at rush hour (which is really rush 2.5 hours nw...)

[DontmindifIdo]

OP - yes, but this is her second, I don't know anyone who had a "15 minute labour" with the second when they had a long labour the first time round. She'll have discussed this with her midwives, if they thought she was a risk of a short labour they'd be talking her into going to the nearer one, or even talking about home births.

Honestly, over the space of an average labour, an extra 30 mintues is nothing. (tries not to think about the 27hours of hell until DS turns up and lies to myself this time round it'll be done in a couple of hours)

[Roseformeplease]

Over an hour from here to a very small hospital where I had my 2nd child after an uncomplicated first delivery at the main hospital in Inverness for my 1st - 3 hours away. Many a child has been born in a lay by on the side of Loch Ness. (I have always wondered, in that case, if you are allowed to put "insert name of tiny village, hamlet or remote area" on a passport. )

If you travel in labour you can call the midwives who go in the ambulance with you. Luckily, we had time so it was the car all the way for me. However, for a January birth, the midwives are on high alert in case of bad weather. Certainly spices up labour when you nearly hit a stag in the middle of the night.