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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Can I drive myself to the hospital in labour?

32 replies

AllThreeWays · 13/10/2011 06:20

Last birth was 20yrs ago, so a very distant memory.
DP does not drive and hospital is only 5 minutes away. So has anyone driven themselves? DP is insisting it is dangerous, but I wasn't planning on driving if in the third stage or anything silly like that. If it came to it I would call an ambulance.
Am I living in fairy land thinking I can drive if contractions are around 5 minutes apart

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TanteRose · 13/10/2011 06:23

get a taxi - surely no need to call an ambulance

good luck

Original poster

AllThreeWays · 13/10/2011 06:25

i know it is silly, but the idea of being in labour in front of a taxi driver makes me very uncomfortable.

OP posts:

peggyblackett · 13/10/2011 06:25

Hello no. There is no way I could drive myself.

Grab a taxi.

KatAndKit · 13/10/2011 06:27

Of course it is dangerous! Phone a taxi or get family/friend/neighbour to give you a lift.

peggyblackett · 13/10/2011 06:27

Hell, not hello.

Better to be slightly embarassed than to cause an accident. Please try and plan (can a friend take you?), rather than take an ambulance. You could be depriving someone of an ambulance who really needs it.

Bunbaker · 13/10/2011 06:28

Get a taxi and tell your partner it is high time he learned to drive!

KatAndKit · 13/10/2011 06:30

Also, if heaven forbid you did have an accident, you might invalidate your insurance and be in serious trouble for deliberately driving when not able to remain in full control of the vehicle.

Original poster

AllThreeWays · 13/10/2011 06:36

Ok, point taken :) not going to be possible by the sounds of it. Have family who could help but are 20 minutes away. Hope the labour isn't too fast.
Bunbaker I completely agree, am actually quite annoyed at him as I asked him to learn when I found out I was expecting

OP posts:

CitizenOscar · 13/10/2011 06:42

I got a taxi and it was fine. Depends how your labour is going but I think in my case the driver could barely tell - I just breathed through the contractions - not sure how cos when I got to hospital I was in loads of pain but I guess I was worried enough about not freaking out the driver that I could keep my whimpering under wraps!

mumblejumble · 13/10/2011 09:18

Get a taxi, most cab drivers are actually very understanding of a woman in labour.

Ooopsadaisy · 13/10/2011 09:26

I know plenty who have but it depends on the labour itself.

If the labour starts very quickly with contractions very close together then you mustn't even try it.

I had a very quick labour with DD and really struggled to get down the stairs. I should have stayed there and had a home birth - she was born only 20 minutes later. DP was home and I was holding her in all the way to the hospital in rush hour traffic.

Have a cab number in your phone, keep your phone charged and money for the cab by the door. Cabbies have seen it all before.

SkaterGrrrrl · 13/10/2011 13:25

Labout tends to get rid of most inhibitionms IIRC.

I took a taxi in labour twice (first time a false alarm) and cabbies could not have been nicer.

mpops · 14/10/2011 21:46

Me and DH jumped on the bus and I breathed through contractions. If I was at a later stage I'd have jumped in a taxi and not cared who heard me!

Make sure you give a few cab firms a call to make sure they offer the service (a couple in our area said they wouldn't accept the responsibility, so it was good to have planned in advance), and make sure both you and your DP keep their numbers on quick dial.

Good luck!

griphook · 15/10/2011 21:15

I drove in labour, my contractions were in the wrong place if that makes sense, and wanted the hospital to check me over, so didn't know that I was in labour, had to stop once. I wouldn't recommend it at all, and wouldn't do it again. Also had to pain loads of money in parking fees.

Greenwing · 15/10/2011 22:39

Driving could be possible if enough time between contractions and safe to pull over if one arrived. My sil drove herself to hospital quite late on.
However, parking and sorting out the parking ticket could be a step too far!

Phone an ambulance - that's what I did, on my doctor's advice.

NotJustClassic · 15/10/2011 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

AllThreeWays · 15/10/2011 22:48

That's what I thought greenwing. I think the decision will have to be made at the time, could easily pull over on the way, have backup if necessary.
Will update when it's all over, 40+1 today

OP posts:

Original poster

AllThreeWays · 15/10/2011 22:50

Yes I could walk, but would take 20 mins at least, could be the best option if I set out early as it would certainly help things along

OP posts:

Withwoman · 16/10/2011 14:29

It really isn't appropriate to be calling an ambulance to take you to hospital unless you are pushing, or bleeding heavily.

Taxi or a kindly friend or neighbour is the way to go.

oranges · 16/10/2011 14:31

Walk! if you are not fit to to walk 20 mins, you certainly can't drive for 5 mins

pinkytheshrinky · 16/10/2011 14:39

I am not sure you would be insured to drive

SurprisEs · 16/10/2011 14:43

I got a taxi to the hospital.I don't drive neither does DH but I would've still got a cab either way.

I was too busy concentrating on the birth of my child to worry about the driver to be honest.

greenzebra · 17/10/2011 13:33

My DH doesnt drive and Im always on at him for the above reason. But I think next time around (dad took us last time) I would deffinitly get a taxi next time.

I did read a post on here once of a woman who did in deed drive herself to the hospital and then when she got there booked herself in put all her stuff in the room and went and moved the car to the long stay car park! Dont know how she did it. I couldnt and not because of the pain, because mine is a fast labour and pain doesnt come till very near the end but I am sick in the run up so couldnt drive because of that.

Get a taxi it will be something for him to talk about, something different in his boring driving day.

emsyj · 17/10/2011 14:18

I couldn't sit down by the time we went to hospital. I went on all fours in the back seat .

It might be quite nice to walk if you are the sort who likes to be mobile in labour. I would have gladly done a 20 minute walk in preference to a 20 minute car journey - it was the worst bit of my (otherwise pretty comfortable) labour not being able to move around.

But yes, get a cab if you don't fancy the walk.

Merlioness · 17/10/2011 14:48

Not too long ago a woman in the UK was driving herself in labour to hospital, had an accident and died. Only about 2-3 weeks ago, so I wouldn't

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