To expect to be able to park at the hospital when in labour?

[Therareotherbooks]

Last few antenatal appointments there hasn’t been a single car parking space on hospital site. The nearest on street spot I managed to find was 1/4 mile away and I had to call a taxi from the road side to drive me to the hospital doors.

I am now terrified about what will happen when I’m in labour. Obviously my DH will be with me so can drop me off but if he then has to go and park miles away I could be on my own for ages.

AIBU to expect there to be some designated car parking for women in labour?!

At our local hospital during clinic hours you’ll not have a hope in hell and there’s nowhere near to park as it’s in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. But there is a drop off point and then you have to circle the 5 car parks to lie in wait for a coveted space....

What I don't quite understand is why, when clinics run two hours behind, patients are charged for those hours.

Every hospital has terrible parking. For patients and employees. Totally understand that it is frustrating But hospitals cannot really decide who needs parking more. Excluding ambulance zones.

I can also imagine it's a nightmare for those in work or school having to justify to their boss or headbthe need for an additional hour to drive round the carpark looking for a space on top of "reasonable" time off for an appointment.

Our hospital has around 6 spaces outside for people in labour or picking up new mums with baby.

Unfortunately the whole hospital never has any spaces so selfish people going for scans and routine things park there anyway as they are not monitored

Why can’t you walk 1/4 mile? You’re not ill

What a stupid comment. Not all women in active labour can walk at all let alone 1/4 mile.

Why can’t you walk 1/4 mile? You’re not ill

No one would say this to a non-pregnant person on crutches

In my day pregnant women worked down the pit until they gave birth. Then they just strapped the baby to their backs and carried on mining coal.

I gave birth while running the London Marathon but I'm not the OP who has explained seventy million times that she has SPD and cannot walk. People need to have a bit more empathy - especially on a fucking parenting forum

I had SPD and couldn't walk when I gave birth both times. First time was OK as I'd hired a wheelchair. Second time I was going to call the wheelchair firm in the morning when I realised it had got worse due to being in labour.

We got to hospital at 9am. No spaces, even disabled ones. And it was snowing. DP gave up and parked on top of some grass separating the car park from the road. A security guard came over and initially didn't believe him saying "my wife's in labour", until he got me out and my waters ran into a flowerbed. The two of them helped me into the building and we found a wheelchair, and DP was asked to move the car when he had a moment.

In retrospect, a cab would have been a better idea. I used lots of local minicabs when pregnant and the drivers were always very excited and hoping I'd go into labour in their cab - apparently they kept towels and bin bags in the car!

My husband had to drop me off and I (literally) crawled in whilst he went to the NCP

YANBU to be anxious about waiting for a babysitter for your older child, but really don’t sweat it about the parking. DH had to leave me for 10 minutes when I was in labour with DS1, to go and get our bags that we’d left in the car. I didn’t even notice tbh.

I had a rapid labour with DS2 (I was induced so parking/childcare wasn’t an issue because we knew in advance) and DH probably wouldn’t have made the birth if he had to drop me off but as long as YOU make it to the hospital in time then that’s the main thing.

I actually had the most difficult time with this when I had a miscarriage. There was nowhere to park at the hospital so DH had to drop me off. I miscarried about 15 minutes after I got there (about 5 minutes after DH got there). Good job I did get there in time because I hemorrhaged and needed medical treatment. If you get to hospital in labor with a full term baby then people realise why you’re clutching your stomach in extreme pain. You’ll probably get offers of help. The experience of walking through a hospital to the gynaecology ward, on my own, in pain and bleeding but with no bump to show for it, and the looks I got, has never left me.

So to cut a long story short, people arrive at hospital with all sorts of medical emergencies. But actually being in labour is not that quick or urgent as many of those emergencies.

DP is a Doctor (who facilitates many deliveries) and he often can’t get parked at the hospital as the staff parking is roughly 1 spot to every 10 on shift staff members.

How about they fix that first? As I’m not sure what use ‘designated’ parking would be for you if there isn’t a Doctor/midwife/nurse there to help you!

You'll be fine without him for 10 minutes. Men are useless during childbirth anyway, haven't you ever watch OBEM

Ugh, the misogyny on this post is appalling - obviously a lot of people have got very blase about how lucky we are to live in a country where giving birth safely is the norm.. BUT that doesn't mean it's no big deal and we should show care and compassion towards women in labour - not act like they're hysterical wusses for asking a totally valid question.

DP is a Doctor (who facilitates many deliveries) and he often can’t get parked at the hospital as the staff parking is roughly 1 spot to every 10 on shift staff members.

How about they fix that first? As I’m not sure what use ‘designated’ parking would be for you if there isn’t a Doctor/midwife/nurse there to help you!

Luckily your DP isn’t in labour on his way to work and why should people be able to park where they work? Have you not seen the thousands of commuters who cope perfectly well with the tube? Presumably those who work in the hospital are an awful lot healthier and more able than a lot of those needing to attend.

@juliainthedeepwater It's not misogyny at all. Very few women in labour arrive at hospital unable to walk - most are actually encouraged to walk around. If you do arrive so far gone you can't walk you can normally be dropped outside maternity while whoever drives you worries about parking. It's incredibly odd to think that women in labour should somehow have priority overly patients who might be elderly single mothers struggling with sick children, people with broken ankles people with all kinds of other issues that might make it impossible for them to walk far. (Ideally there'd be enough parking for everyone but since there isn't women in labour can't be a priority when lots of them can waddle along fine).

sorry there should be a coma between elderly and single mothers (although I guess being an elderly single mother might be more diffiult still!).

Oh dear !! When I was in labour, there wasn’t a bed for me, let along a car park space !!!! 😩

You are right juliain the misogyny on this thread is awful. So many posters being sarcastic and judgemental at the op totally missing the fact she has SPD and can't walk. Fuck off the lot of you! This is supposed to be a forum supporting women not kicking them for daring to complain.

@juliainthedeepwater @MerryInthechelseahotel @karala
I'm so glad there's other sane supportive non arseholes on this thread. I'm due in 5 weeks and the thought of being away from my husband for even 10 mins of that time makes me feel anxious. I am lucky enough not to have SPD but I do have a huge baby inside me who's head has been fully engaged in my pelvis for weeks now, sometimes I can walk for miles, others I am crying in pain and discomfort and I'm not even in bloody labour. All of you's who have trekked up Kilimanjaro whilst in active labour or given birth after a quick refreshing jog to the labour ward can get to fuck.

Luckily your DP isn’t in labour on his way to work and why should people be able to park where they work? Have you not seen the thousands of commuters who cope perfectly well with the tube? Presumably those who work in the hospital are an awful lot healthier and more able than a lot of those needing to attend

I'm guessing you live in the South and are blessed with multiple different public transport options.

Most of us in the North aren't so fortunate.

It's incredibly odd to think that women in labour should somehow have priority overly patients who might be elderly single mothers struggling with sick children, people with broken ankles people with all kinds of other issues that might make it impossible for them to walk far. (Ideally there'd be enough parking for everyone but since there isn't women in labour can't be a priority when lots of them can waddle along fine).

Someone with a broken ankle can be just dropped off at A and E. That's not always the case in labour. If DH had dropped me off and come back later he would have missed the birth. I agree that someone with a sick child should also have priority but that isn't the usual situation. They can give one or two spaces to women in active labour. The disabled already (quite rightly) have designated parking in hospitals so they wouldn't lose out on this policy and the majority of other people can plan their trips to the hospital so that they have time to park or use public transport if necessary.

Me and my wife are expecting our first child later this year. we are hoping to be at st Mary’s in Paddington or the Whittington. I called both maternity units and was astounded to discover that neither hospital has any parking at all! St Mary’s has approx 5 baud I was told for the whole hospital. Surely this needs to change!

The hospital I had my DD’s in was exactly the same. They told me if there were no spaces when I went into labour, just to park the car outside the entrance of the hospital (in the staff car park) and if we got a ticket, just to appeal it and explain I was in labour.

We did have to park the car in the staff car park and did get a ticket but the appeal went on our favour and we didn’t have to pay the fine.