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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

295 replies

Therareotherbooks · 07/03/2019 15:09

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?!

OP posts:
Alsohuman · 10/03/2019 22:16

Why would anyone expect parking spaces in central London? There’s a taxi round every corner.

rody111 · 11/03/2019 05:34

This reply has been deleted

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Dungeondragon15 · 11/03/2019 17:25

Why would anyone expect parking spaces in central London? There a taxi round every corner.

I don't know about London taxis but I know some taxis refuse to take a woman in labour to hospital. Funnily enough some are not keen on the idea of someone potentially giving birth in the car.

Hugtheduggee · 12/03/2019 09:47

Labour is prerry unique as far as hospital admission goes.

  • Most people that are in unscheduled excruciating pain can get an ambulance in, and therefore parking isn't an issue.
  • Most people attending hospital for other reasons have scheduled appointments, can leave extra time to find a convenient space etc. They can drop off the patient, park and come back for them. Its harder to do this against the clock of labour.
  • whilst the partner could go and park and return, his presence is against the clock (sometimes more so than others). Apart from the unexpected imminent death of a relative, this 'rush' isnt the norm for hospital visitors. It doesnt usually matter if it takes 10m to park or an hour.
  • people who are in constant pain (ie arthritis) although obviously in pain, would surely rarely be in quite as much pain as the process of childbirth. So if we are going on a pain basis then surely labouring women would be quite high up the priority list, given most people in absolute agony would be brought in by ambulance.
  • giving birth is unpredictable and many women are very anxious about it. Some will find it very difficult to be left alone (with medics) for an unspecified period, not knowing if her partner will miss the birth.

And I dont think people that have easy pregnancies understand how debilitating something like spd can be. I have it and I struggle to get to the bus stop at the end of my road. The idea of doing that, and getting a bus in whilst also in labour is preposterous.

Whilst parking isnt perfect at my local hospital, we do have a maternity car park, and some labouring women spaces. There isnt always room, so sometimes people have to the main car park, but overall its not too bad. There are some advantages to a sprawling site sometimes!

MontStMichel · 12/03/2019 10:13

We have a DD with a blue badge - it’s very rare we can get in a disabled space at most of the hospitals she has been to. Even before she got a blue badge, as a child with a life threatening condition, she had open access - ie we as parents could take her to the paediatric assessment unit at any time 24/7, just because we were worried about her.

My guess is that a lot of people attending hospital feel too ill or frail to walk far - my MIL is 92 and can’t walk far, although she has no obvious disability, but she is afraid of falling, having broken her wrist a few years ago. Two unconnected people told us they used blue badges for a relative with cancer, because they were too weak to walk from the ordinary spaces. Ditto, when DH was attending outpatients, with severe coronary artery disease, he felt like he was having a heart attack by the time he got to reception!

(And yes, DH missed the birth of middle DC so I do know what it’s like to be on my own in a very fast labour)

IrianOfW · 12/03/2019 10:20

Our hospital has two car parks at one end of the hospital. My dad is currently in hospital at the far end. My mum basically cannot go in on her own to see him as she cannot walk the distance from the car park to his ward. If someone takes her in she can be dropped off near the entrance to his ward and then the car can be parked. I am having to take her in every other day and I go in to see dad on my own the other days. It's cost me about £60 so far, just in parking fees. There is no solution to this that I can see. No more room on the site to build more car parks and the more and more buildings are needed.

SnuggyBuggy · 12/03/2019 10:21

I wonder if patient park and rides might be appropriate in some cases

Hugtheduggee · 12/03/2019 10:22

Perhaps patient parking and visitor parking is the way forward?

Or priority patient parking. If it was operational at peak times, they could have an attendant who lets them in on being shown the relevant documentation. Which could be a blue badge, maternity notes (though Im not sure how you'd weed out regular apppintments), and other departments could give out a one of pass for relevant appointments (so yes for cancer patients, the elderly, children etc) but no pass given for appointments where there is likely to be no/minimal effect on ability to walk.

All that is needed is a cordoned off section, an attendant and relevant appointment letters to say/not to say whether they are entitled to priority parking.

Sirzy · 12/03/2019 12:53

Irian - have you checked if the hospital have any sort of “frequent flier” pass? I pay £30 for three months parking at our local hospital which saves us a fortune in the long run

IrianOfW · 12/03/2019 12:57

Thanks sirzy - I wll look into it. I know they do one but I didn't think he'd be there so long.

Starlight456 · 12/03/2019 13:08

The issue is the lack of parking . My Ds has a hospital appointment last week . I took out of school to get him there an hour before appointment so we could queue for parking.

We queued for about 40 minutes in the end . There was not an option to drop him off as he was a child.

You cannot prioritise though . My Ds was in hospital once I went home but had to rush back as they wanted consent for something urgently.

So many other reasons .

Hopefully you don’t go into labour at peak times

Sirzy · 12/03/2019 13:41

Part of the problem too is because we all know parking is hard we get there early so then often end up taking a space for longer than needed in order to (very understandably!) make sure we can park.

So if ds has a 10am appointment I will aim to be at the hospital for 9.15 to make sure I get a parking space at some point in that time.

Then there is also the long wait for things like pharmacy when in there which add to parking time!

trendingorange · 12/03/2019 14:19

If it's your first baby you will probably be in labour for hours and hours possibly days so I would leave the car at home and get a cab.
Much cheaper and then your dh doesn't have to keep popping out skiving to feed the meter.
Take the car seat and get a cab home too.----

AlexaAmbidextra · 12/03/2019 14:21

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!

Dawood. Just where do you think that city centre hospitals could put car parks?

Alsohuman · 12/03/2019 14:27

That’s basically what I said only to be shouted down.

LondonJax · 12/03/2019 14:29

@Dawood - whose house or shop do you propose gets demolished to make way for a hospital car park?

Because I can't imagine there's a piece of land near either hospital that hasn't already been built on and, if there is, it's probably better used for wards or hospital theatres than a car park. People have managed at both hospitals for many many years (my friend at work gave birth at St. Mary's thirty years ago).

Dawood · 12/03/2019 14:38

I work for a healthcare company and go into central London hospitals. Majority of them have ample parking eg: guys, st thomas, NWLH. Just happens to be the two that we have chosen don’t. I just assumed that women going through labour would have some sort of arrangement.

IrianOfW · 12/03/2019 14:52

The 'some sort of arrangment' is that they get a lift to the hospital by the birth partner, other parent, friend etc, and get dropped at the maternity ward.

AlexaAmbidextra · 12/03/2019 19:13

Majority of them have ample parking eg: guys, st thomas, NWLH.

They really don’t. St Thomas’s has limited parking and Guys is blue badge only.

TaMereAPoilDevantPrisu · 13/03/2019 07:15

^If it's your first baby you will probably be in labour for hours and hours possibly days so I would leave the car at home and get a cab.
Much cheaper^

FFS read the thread. It's not her first baby, she has fast labours, and she can't get a cab where she lives.

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