what do you do with the older DC's if you have no-one to come over and get them when in labour ?

[inbetweener]

Now i'm 31+5 with dc3 the thought of labour is getting closer. My mum and dad have booked a holiday the week before I am due and are not back til I am 41 weeks. if they are away when I go into labour I have no-one who can come over at short notice, ie the middle of the night when these things tend to happen.
As its my third I dont want to hang about. Has anyone ever taken their dc's with them to the hospital to wait while some one else can get to me and collect them ? i think thats going to have to be my emergency course of action ?
I have 2 dd's aged 7 and 8 who arent silly and I think will be ok. I am concious I dont want to scarew them witless though

Oh and my in-laws are a no go sadly. FIL works nights and MIL is registered disabled with gout and the idea of her moving fast is sadly laughable. I could get her to do the collection from hosital but it would take a good hour and a half to get herself ready.

Hi inbetweener, can you discuss this with your midwife? She may be able to help even if it's just to reassure you that it is fine to take your DD's into hospital (or not). Do you have a trusted babysitter that you can call on at short notice (I know it will cost but what option do you have?)

Personally I think it is quite selfish of your parents to have booked this holiday (unless they booked it way before you fell pg that is). I am sorry you are in this situation and sorry that I couldn't have given better advice, but didn't want to read and run.

Is your partner about, or are you on your own? If your partner is present, he can care for the other children - he can drop you off at the hospital. It's not ideal - but sometimes it happens (it did to me - on the one night my sister wasn't available in the month around my due date).

Yes I had to take my 2 DS along with me to hosp when I went into labour with DS3. Of course it had to be the middle of the night too!

My friend who was my birth partner dragged her partner to the hosp & he kindly kept an eye on DSs in the waiting room until GPs arrived.

Am not counting on DP being here this time either so I will be dropping them off at in laws (none of them drive) on way to the hospital.

And I thought I was the only one whose parents booked to go abroad around my due date?
If you have a partner, could you leave dcs with him/her or do you really want your partner at the birth?
I think some hospitals limit how many can be at the birth, but at the same time in an emergency, if you show up en famille, what are they going to do?
It depends a lot on what kind of birth you have.. if calm etc, I don't see a problems with dcs being there.. but if any issues, they might find it very scarey..
I know my friend in Scotland had her husband and toddler son at her birth..
Any chance of finding a good babysitter now to get familiarised with the children and be prepared to come over on a paying basis??

Don't mean to scaremonger but I would advise against keeping kids with you in labour. If you have complications the hospital can't accommodate kids too & who would look after them? A dear friend of mine was let down by her ex husband who failed to collect the kids from visiting her when she was ill in hospital & she was told that if no one could collect them by nightime social services would be contacted to provide accommodation for them.

Am sure it won't come to this for you I just wanted to let you know it's not really an option if you are considering it. Hope you get sorted I appreciate it is one more worry you could do without x

I asked friends

NB my friend was alone with her kids not with any other adult present.

Do you have any friends nearby who could take your DDs? A friend of mine had me and other friends on a rota while pregnant with her 3rd. We just said when we could/couldn't look after her DDs.

Could you have the baby at home?

I do have a DH and think it will be him who watches them at hospital until we can get someone to come and collect them. We were having a think about it again last night and think we have come up with a few emergency people for different outcomes lol.

Thanks for your help