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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Original poster

Therareotherbooks · 07/03/2019 16:36

I have SPD and cannot walk 1/4 of a mile unfortunately, whether in labour or not. Hence me having to call a taxi from the roadside to do the small journey to the hospital door for my antenatal appointments when DH was at work and couldn’t take me.

I know it will work itself out and I’m probably worrying about nothing, but I’m a planner and like to have considere all eventualities!

I’m going out for the day tomorrow somewhere 2 hours away and have already got my contingency in mind for if I need the hospital!

OP posts:

Rtmhwales · 07/03/2019 16:37

@VanGoghsDog Your math is a bit out? Even at 4mph a 1/4 mile would be fifteen minutes? No.. you'd walk four miles per hour. One mile for every quarter hour. So it's either a five minute walk at 3mph or just under a 4 minute walk at 4mph.

I had to walk longer through the actual hospitable after being dropped off at A&E instead of maternity. It was a long walk with contractions every 2-3 minutes and my waters leaking all over the floor, trousers soaking wet and my shoes squeaking. I'd somehow thought they'd send me in a wheelchair, but nope. They just pointed the way and I walked probably 1/3 of a mile to the next department solo and in pain. It's doable.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 07/03/2019 16:37

Its not like on the TV where u turn up and someone is waiting on you and you get taken in and put in a bed and there's midwives all around you !

With both of mine I rang up to say I was in labour, I showed up at the hospital and went straight to delivery room and had at least one midwife with me from then on.

DH parked in drop off zone, got me settled and then went home so no parking problem. When he came back after baby 1 was born it was £1 per hour for the car park so he parked half a mile away and walked in. Baby 2 was born on Sunday so parking was free, but it cost him a couple of quid to come and pick us up on the Monday.

butteryellow · 07/03/2019 16:38

it takes the average person 20 minutes to walk 1 mile.

Yes, but, she'll be heavily pregnant and in labour....

at 40 weeks, the 20 minute walk to hospital took me 45 minutes - and I wasn't even in labour.

Once I was in labour it took me 10 minutes to walk to the end of the corridor and back (whilst gripping the stand my drip was on)..

For fucks sake, can we try a little bit of empathy here!

AnxietyDream · 07/03/2019 16:40

The hospital I had my first at had spots outside the maternity ward for women in labour. They wouldn't let you turn up til your contractions were only a few minutes apart, so no room where you waited around for assessment. Parking in the main car park there often involved driving round for 45mins + waiting for a spot to open, so would not have been ideal. No way we could have afforded a taxi (not everyone lives near the hospital!), and whoever suggested public transport must be having a laugh - I'd have had to wait 8 hours til the following morning and spent 2 hours on buses - baby was born before then! (If it was a weekend we wouldn't be able to get there at all!).

Current hospital does not have labour spots, but parking is not so ridiculous (it's never taken more than 20mins to find a spot, then ten minutes walk to maternity), so I doubt they need them.

kaytee87 · 07/03/2019 16:41

Yes, but, she'll be heavily pregnant and in labour...

My response was to someone else saying it takes 15 minutes to walk 1/4 of a mile.
My original post asked the op why she'd called a taxi for a 5 minute walk.

I didn't suggest she walk it whilst in labour

thedisorganisedmum · 07/03/2019 16:42

why should the OP need to walk anyway? Husband drops her off as close as main entrance as possible, go park the car and come back. It's not really a big deal is it?

And if the OP is literally in the middle of pushing baby out, husband parks the car with warning light, rush into hospital and ask for help there.

Again, not a massive deal.

Original poster

Therareotherbooks · 07/03/2019 16:42

Yes public transport is a definite no-go! We live fairly rurally and our two local hospitals have had their maternity units closed in recent years leaving us 30 miles away from the nearest one.

OP posts:

kaytee87 · 07/03/2019 16:43

My original post btw

Do you have SPD or something? 1/4 of a mile is only a 5 minute walk. Just wondering why you called a taxi. I can mind my own business of course

Byebyefriend · 07/03/2019 16:45

Dc2 arrived minutes after we arrived in hospital. Dh abandoned the car in the drop off zone. About 30 minutes after dd arrived dh remembered the car the midwives rang the parking company and told them not to give him a ticket. He moved the car after I’d been moved to the ward as the midwife told him not to worry about it before. Was the middle of the night though so carparks we’re pretty empty, if he’d of parked the car he would of missed the birth.

Buddytheelf85 · 07/03/2019 16:45

At our maternity unit tour they told us to keep a sign in the glove box saying ‘woman in labour’ and if we can’t park when the time comes, to park in the ambulance bay (which is really big btw, you wouldn’t be blocking the ambulances) and put the sign on the dashboard. Then your partner can move the car later when there are more spaces.

VelvetPineapple · 07/03/2019 16:46

Ours has designated parking for women who are actually in labour. You can park there for up to 24 hours but they ask you to move your car as soon as you can to make the space available for other arrivals.

PolarBearDisguisedAsAPenguin · 07/03/2019 16:48

Have you spoken to your hospital about it? Some hospitals are quite agreeable to people parking right outside and leaving a sign saying “in labour, will be back to park soon” and it’s not an issue. Obviously that still means your DH has to go and park the car before long but if you are in established labour and really can’t wait for your DH to park 1/4 mile away and run in, it could be a possibility for you.

When I had DD2, DH dropped me off and went away to park. He caught up with me long before I even reached the lifts because I was so close to labour and walking so slowly.

Don’t forget that even the busiest hospital car parks tend to be quiet late evening/nighttime and that is when most babies are born.

GoodbyeBlueMonday · 07/03/2019 16:48

The midwives at our hospital told us to put a note saying "Wife in labour, will come back to move" and we did that. I worked at the hospital at the time and was slightly obsessive about this issue too. It was fine. He took me up, (I was 9cms and contracting in the lift) and I sent him off to move it. Then made him move it again as he parked somewhere notorious for tickets and I had had gas and air at that point and was still obsessing over parking. You will be fine.

Original poster

Therareotherbooks · 07/03/2019 16:49

@kaytee87 yes I have SPD and therefore an unfortunately unable to walk 1/4 of a mile, even on my crutches. It would have been more like 1/2 I would imagine from car to actual antenatal department once i’de also walked through the hospital grounds and corridors.

OP posts:

U2HasTheEdge · 07/03/2019 16:49

YABU he can drop you off. You will fine without him for a bit. You are worrying about nothing. As worrier myself I know how easily it is to make a big deal out of something that really isn't worth worrying about

cuppycakey · 07/03/2019 16:49

But OP won't have to walk anywhere will she?

He DH is going to drop her off and then park the car..........no need for all this drama.

PuppyMonkey · 07/03/2019 16:49

With DD2, I went into Labour the evening before Good Friday. This was at a notoriously tricky hospital for parking (Nottingham QMC) and DP drove straight to the main entrance expecting to drop me off at the door, then catch up with me when he’d found a proper parking spot (about five hours later no doubt). But the security guard there told him as it was a bank holiday the next day, he was okay to park in a prime spot right next to the front door all weekend.

DP was going on about what a stroke of luck this was the entire labour, the smug git. I’m sure it’s his best memory of the whole experience.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 07/03/2019 16:50

OP won’t need to walk!

Her husband might possibly but he will not be 40+ weeks pregnant and in labour. I expect he might even jog what with his child about to arrive and all that

spugzbunny · 07/03/2019 16:52

There will be a drop off point somewhere that you can park in for 20-30 mins while you get taken to the ward. It's also most likely that you'll go in to labour at night.

crosstalk · 07/03/2019 16:54

OP You're a planner and at least you're thinking about it. Why don't you ask your midwives what the best thing to do would be? Especially since a lot of taxi firms are not keen on women giving birth in their cabs ...

kaytee87 · 07/03/2019 16:55

No one has suggested op walk whilst in labour.

I asked if op had spd and that's why she hadn't walked to her appointment. She confirmed that she does indeed have spd.

anniehm · 07/03/2019 17:11

It varies from hospital to hospital but they all have drop off zones so the easiest thing is get someone to drop you both off - saves worrying about parking charges as it could be a long time. A taxi is another good option - sort out a price in advance and have two numbers available. My neighbour went super eco friendly and took the bus, sounds crazy but it stops across the road and outside the hospital, every 15 mins in the daytime and takes 10 mins.

SausageMashandOnionGravy · 07/03/2019 17:13

Just get dropped off right outside like every other pregnant woman does, I mean unless you wait until the head it coming before you decide to go to hospital the chances are your husband will have time to park. He can jog back if you feel “pushy” , first babies don’t usually fly out in 10 minutes flat.

Jebuschristchocolatebar · 07/03/2019 17:17

The hospital I gave birth in has no parking at all. City centre location and you have to find on street parking. Most people pray for a Sunday or late night birth so there is a chance of a space. I took the train to all my anti natal appointments

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