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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

TO Call an ambulance in labour?

164 replies

1997r2017 · 14/10/2017 21:55

So I’m 39 weeks today and we don’t have a car. For the past week I have had pain all down my leg, my midwife said I can take cocodamol occasionally so I did but it didn’t really help with the pain.

Today I rang the hospital explained to the midwife there, and was told to go in. So I went in and the senior/head midwife just laughed in my face saying ‘what do you want morphine?’ Obviously not, just preferably a stronger dose or codeine or anything that would help, I was very upset as that is why I called up beforehand .. she didn’t check me or anything. However this hospital isn’t my local hospital as I moved during pregnancy.

On Monday I will be going to my GP to ask to transfer, although I understand this may be late, so my question is if I call am abulance in labour will I be allowed to go to the local maternity unit.. I have had a low risk pregnancy so there is nothing to ‘plan’ about the birth and I can provide blood group info etc.

To help this make sense I have really bad anxiety battle anciety hospitals/ medical professionals and the thought of this midwife being on duty when I’m not in labour has had me crying all day etc ..

OP posts:
Cleanermaidcook · 14/10/2017 22:17

You are being very unreasonable and selfish - ambulances are for life saving emergencies, if you call one you are stopping it from potentially saving someone's life!
Also it's not dial a ride, it won't take you where you tell it to go it will take you to the nearest appropriate hospital.

Palegreenstars · 14/10/2017 22:18

I swapped hospitals 3 weeks before my due date for various reasons but this was made easier because both were in the same area so I didn't have to redo blood work. It was definitely the right decision for us but it meant all my notes hadn't been transferred and they didn't have the results of a final scan to confirm all was well so they presumed I was more high risk than I was so I ended up having extra monitoring.

Obviously don't abuse the ambulance service though whatever you decide.

SecretLifeOfSam · 14/10/2017 22:20

I suggest you watch there series 'ambulance' (bbc1 I think) whilst you are waiting for Labour to come on, and educate yourself on the strain the emergency services are under.

Ohwell14 · 14/10/2017 22:20

So you want an ambulance in the hope that it will take you somewhere else? I remember asking this when I first got pregnant as I had no clue as to whether you were meant to ring an ambulance. I got absolutely slaughtered (obviously). But your not asking out of curiosity, your trying to use the ambulance service to your own advantage.
I'm pretty sure a taxi will take you to wherever you ask them to. You don't need to wait until your 10cm dialated before you get a taxi.

Fossie · 14/10/2017 22:21

Comments are a bit harsh tonight. OP do you have a partner or close family for support?

BlurryFace · 14/10/2017 22:21

Ambulances are for if the baby's pretty much there already. I walked to the hospital (we lived close obviously) with DS1. With DS2 I got a taxi and sat on one of those puppy piss pad thingies from Boots in case my waters went. The driver didn't care and took my case to reception for me as DH was taking DS1 to his nan's.

KingIrving · 14/10/2017 22:21

DS2 was a precipitous birth and as I was walking down the stairs during labour to go to our car I felt his head between my legs and so we called an ambulance (main hospital is 20 min drive away, local doesn't do birth) . Paramedic was totally panicked and hysterical and for half the trip repeated "why didn't you call earlier" "why didn't you call earlier" "why didn't you call earlier" again and again. And when I lost my waters she lost the plot, and started throwing folded sheets at me. She was begging please don't push, we are 11 minutes away, 7 min away, all the time she was on the phone with a midwife.
I wasn't really listening to her.

Call the ambulance if you need it, otherwise you had months to organise transport.

Lunde · 14/10/2017 22:22

I can see you feel a bit upset with the reaction of this midwife but it seems to be a huge overeaction - not to mention potential risk attempting to using an ambulance as a stunt to avoid the whole hospital.

I get you are upset but leg pain/numbness are very common in later pregnancy caused by the position and weight of the baby and is not really considered an emergency by medical staff unless there are other major symptoms. I ended up in a wheelchair with severe sdb/leg pain and numbness from week 32 and all they said was "only 8 weeks to go".

PonderLand · 14/10/2017 22:22

I gave birth in a different hospital to what I was meant to. Original ward was full so they just told me to go to the diff one, no one really seemed phased or like it was a big deal to 'swap'.

When do you next see your midwife? Mention it to her and I'm sure she can advise you what to do. I'd also be apprehensive about it if I'd had a bad experience not long before.

Wellandtrulyoutnumbered · 14/10/2017 22:24

An ambulance will take you to the main maternity hospital. Not a birth centre etc.

You need a taxi

Belleoftheball8 · 14/10/2017 22:24

My dm once called an ambulance when she was pregnant the only difference was she was 7 months and was bleeding heavy she almost died and lost the baby. Ambulances are for those situations not because you want to leave it longer and go to a hospital further away. By using that ambulance you could be taking away someone's genuine need for it.

Neverknowing · 14/10/2017 22:26

Don't ambulance's charge you £400 if you call them unnecessarily? Is that just a myth?
I wouldn't be calling an ambulance op, idk whether it's true but the midwife at my hospital told me her husband almost died of a heart attack and the ambulance driver told her it was because they were attending to a woman in normal labour. I'm pretty sure they'd just send a midwife to your house and do a home birth if you went into labour at home?
Idk either way I'd just change your hospital if you're uncomfortable.

londonrach · 14/10/2017 22:27

Op you dont get choice of where you go if you call an ambulance. Do what most people do arrange your own transport. Yes if baby at risk etc call an ambulance.

FlakeBook · 14/10/2017 22:27

Ignore the harsh responses, OP.

What I would do is ask for a visit from your community midwife and talk this through. Hopefully she is someone you trust? Make a plan together that you feel happy with.

I'm sorry you were treated so nastily at the hospital.

BlurryFace · 14/10/2017 22:29

Also, here an ambulance will cost you £££ if you haven't taken out insurance, maybe you would think about it differently if it weren't free. In fact you definitely would, I've known people go without and put off all sorts of things because our doctors aren't free. When you're in labour, you really won't care that the midwife was a bit snide. You'll be high on drugs and pain.

Witsender · 14/10/2017 22:30

Depends, I was instructed to call an ambulance when I was in labour because waters had gone and pushing had started. (I hadn't held on too long btw, I went from.first contraction to this stage in about 15 mins.) I'm assuming because if the baby was going to appear they wanted a paramedic to be there? As it was, he did appear explosively in the ambulance not.long after the paramedic managed to get me.into it, and good job they did as I had a massive PPH.

However with a normal labour it wouldn't really occur to me.

putdownyourphone · 14/10/2017 22:30

You sound like maybe you need a plan - have you done any ante natal classes? These are the sort of questions they would run through with you. Also, you usually have to choose a hospital beforehand, not when you go into labour.

GreenTulips · 14/10/2017 22:31

OP is just asking 'I am signed up to hospital A but want to live to hospital B - IF between now and urgent labour WILL an ambulance IF NEEDED have to take me to A?'

OP no they won't - they take you to the nearest hospital that had a labour ward and a bed -

I think you are over thinking the birth and trying to find things to worry about

Concentrate on you and Baby - where when or how is unimportant

catbas · 14/10/2017 22:31

Have you thought of trying the Portland? 😬

NoCryLilSoftSoft · 14/10/2017 22:31

Shock at this OP!!

divadee · 14/10/2017 22:32

Wow at what you would csl l an ambulance for OP!! No no no.

I had a home birth and lost 6.5 pints of blood and they said they were calling an ambulance. I begged them not to and told them DH would drive me in as there were sicker people than me. They obviously disagreed and it was a massive emergency as I nearly died but I still felt embarrassed that an ambulance came out to us.

Please do not use them as a taxi service. Someone who was having a heart attack or a baby who is in distress may need that ambulance and because you want to play the system you would deprive them of that ambulance.

Bubblebubblepop · 14/10/2017 22:32

Oh dear OP. I don't think anyone understands where the ambulance comes into it. You can change hospitals whenever you like! But you don't need any ambulance to get there?

Witsender · 14/10/2017 22:32

However I changed hospitals at 38wks with no issue whatever, and I'm glad I did.

Rachie1973 · 14/10/2017 22:33

Its a massive waste of resources. I understand you moved, but you could have been sorting this out since you moved.

One midwife is someone you're unlikely to ever see again.

QuackDuckQuack · 14/10/2017 22:33

Just call the place you want to give birth at and ask them if you can turn up even if your transfer paperwork might be in transit. They may be able to put your mind at rest.

Then take a taxi when it comes to it.