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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Home births and Ambulance availability

182 replies

Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:27

I am due my last baby soon, about 6 weeks, although all of my others have come early so I wouldn't be surprised if it were 4 weeks.

I was planning a home birth and was quite excited about it (4th baby, easy natural labours except for dc1 vaccuum) but now I have seen that maybe as resources are stretched this may not be an option.

I was wondering, if I did have a home birth and needed an ambulance to transfer me to hospital, could I mot just drive in a car? I live about a minute drive from the hospital in heavy traffic, more like 10 minutes now the roads are so bare.
Is the ambulance for emergencies because they are equipt with whatever may be needed or is it just to get us to the hospital fast?
I have never needed an ambulance in labour so I dont know but factoring in calling for an ambulance and waiting for one, would it be so bad to take a car?

Just a thought- i wouldnt ask my midwife to bend the rules for me or anything although I would do anything to keep away from a hospital right now

OP posts:
londonrach · 30/03/2020 18:29

How old are you?

Original poster
Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:29

Im sorry not a minues drive, i live a 15 minute drive usually with lots of traffic.

I also havent booked a bed in the hospital as I wanted a home birth so i don't suppose anyone knows how that works either?

OP posts:
Original poster
Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:31

25, no health conditions and fit and healthy except the extra cake low risk. I didn't even need iron tablets for this one- I did for all the others but that was as far as it went.

OP posts:
GrumpyHoonMain · 30/03/2020 18:31

You would need an ambulance if your or your baby’s life was in danger, or if you needed urgent interventions your midwife couldn’t provide. All of these are time critical. Unless you live around the corner from a hospital a car journey wouldn’t cut it. Besides not sure how it works where you are but where I am if an ambulance can’t be arranged then a home birth doesn’t happen.

tilder · 30/03/2020 18:34

If she bent the rules would she be covered by the gmc (Or midwife equivalent)?

I don't blame you for wanting to avoid hospital right now. But I think the only person who can answer your question is your midwife.

tilder · 30/03/2020 18:36

*If the answer to the question is no, then I would say no to a homebirth.

Original poster
Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:38

@grumpyhoonmain
So they 'book' an ambulance before hand just in case? That makes sense.

Honestly just an idle thought.

So if you needed a csection or the baby/ mother would die could the ambulance team do that in the ambulance? Or would they stilsend you to hospital?

I would google it but I am already freaked myself out and even asking on mn is breaking the rules i dont want to accidentally click on real life horror stories

OP posts:
Original poster
Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:38

Gmc?

OP posts:
Fatted · 30/03/2020 18:39

You're assuming that you would be in a position to drive. I wouldn't OP.

OhClover · 30/03/2020 18:39

Who would drive you? I don’t think driving when you’re in labour is safe. Concentrating on the road during a contraction isn’t easy. And if you mean your DP, who would look after your 3 children?

I’m really sorry OP, I know it’s shit giving birth when choices are restricted (I’m due June) but if there’s an issue with ambulance availability I think your safest best it s hospital Flowers

OhClover · 30/03/2020 18:40

Also you don’t need to “book” a bed at hospital to give birth. You just call them when you’re in labour and they tell you whether to come in or not. Assuming you’re registered with a hospital, which you probably are if you’ve arranged a proposed home birth

DesLynamsMoustache · 30/03/2020 18:41

I think some trusts are stopping offering them so might be worth checking yours isn't one of them.

MadameBee · 30/03/2020 18:43

Sarah Jarvis was discussing this on Jeremy Vine today, might be worth seeing if the podcast is available.

opticaldelusion · 30/03/2020 18:44

This reply has been deleted

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Stuckandsadintheupsidedown · 30/03/2020 18:45

No you can't drive yourself. You could haemorrhage which would be very bad news indeed in moving traffic. Call your midwife :)

YenniferOfVengeberg · 30/03/2020 18:46

There are no ambulances 'booked' and no hospital beds booked. They would try and prioritise you obviously, but things are stretched, and will get worse.
Paramedics can't do c sections, only obstetricians.

Reginabambina · 30/03/2020 18:50

They wouldn’t be able to do a c-section in the ambulance but there are other life saving things that could do such as blood transfusion, cpr, oxygen etc. There’s also the question of how you’d get into your car in the first place - will there be someone there that could carry you into it or would you be relying on being able to stagger to it yourself?

BrooHaHa · 30/03/2020 18:51

If someone can drive you, you might actually be better off being driven by your partner than waiting for an ambulance to show up. If you're ten minutes away and the ambulance is dispatched from the hospital, that's twenty minutes to get you there as opposed to ten minutes to get there under your own steam. Pretty sure they can't do a c section in an ambulance, though they could probably try to resuscitate a baby. Or you. I think literally driving yourself would be a very bad idea.

MrsPatrickDempsey · 30/03/2020 18:52

Sorry but YABVU (and very uninformed about obstetric risk and emergency) if you think you can transfer in a car. The majority of reasons necessitating a transfer may be life or death for you or your baby.

RU562341 · 30/03/2020 18:52

I would speak to your midwife in the first instance. It's pretty useless asking on here as all regions or hospital trusts may do things differently.
Personally, if it was me, I would prefer to give birth at home at the moment and would not want to be anywhere near a hospital if I could help it. But of course, that is a personal choice that you have to make after discussing with your team.
Hope everything goes well whatever you decide!

GrumpyHoonMain · 30/03/2020 18:53

So if you needed a csection or the baby/ mother would die could the ambulance team do that in the ambulance? Or would they stilsend you to hospital?

I will probably out my location but whatever. Where I am mothers have died enroute to hospital because of this situation (hospital used to provide paramedic cars). That is why now they use ambulances. I believe it is now the case for all homebirths in the UK - a midwife isn’t insured to do one unless an ambulance can be booked. However there may be a possibility of a private ambulance it you book a private midwife.

lettersbyowl · 30/03/2020 18:53

I was planning a home birth too, but the trust will likely withdraw support for them (meaning they won't send a midwife and will tell you to go to hospital). Ambulances are one of the contributing factors for this as you couldn't guarantee one was available in time. I spent yesterday crying about the idea of going into hospital. My current plan is to labour at home as long as possible, and go in just to deliver and get discharged as soon as possible. So I'm still sticking to all my plans around exercising and relaxation practice to try to have as smooth a labour as possible, and my partner is prepared for the drive to hospital while I'm in labour!

IvinghoeBeacon · 30/03/2020 18:54

My home birth has been cancelled due to lack of paramedic support. I’m not overjoyed but just going to have to get over it.

Original poster
Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:55

We dont drive, it really was just an idle thought.
And natural births as in vaginal and unassisted...
What else do you call it? @opticaldelusion

OP posts:
JaneTheVirgin · 30/03/2020 18:56

I hope you don't mean driving yourself at all. That would be incredibly careless and probably illegal. Your midwife will not drive you.

You won't be guaranteed an ambulance but you would be priority if your need was urgent. It will just depend how many other priority cases there are. If it's just labor not progressing you could probably get someone to drive. If baby's HR drops dangerously or is born without breathing you're going to need an ambulance and just pray one is close and available.

It's not a choice I personally would make right now but I understand hospital is also not a great option.