Is it rude to turn up to hospital without phoning first ? (labour obv)

[Cheekychops84]

my first and 2 nd births were quick although my first was v traumatic as they said I'd jus made it ! So when in labour with my 2nd I didn't bother phoning as they always say if u can manage to talk on the phone then ur not in enough pain that's what they we'd with my first hence why I probably jus made it ! So I jus turned up the midwife on reception said I was very rude and how would I feel if someone just turned up at my house without informing me first !? I was 4 cm dilated so they sent me home then I came back an hour later as I was still in a lot of pain had dd about 2 hours later !
I'm now 38 weeks with dd3 and been having a but of cramping and back ache etc so false labour signs but when do I actually call in ? When im feeling I need pain relief as contractions hurt or when I am like 5 mins apart ? As I feel 5 mins apart doesn't give much time ? I have to get my mum over here first then get to hosp ? Hosp isn't an issue we live over the road but my mum would have to get a taxi to us first 10 min journey ?

Oh and then a taxi across to hosp as i am the only one who drives I no Its only accross the road but dnt think I shud walk or drive myself?

I wouldn't say it is rude, no. This time I would do the same as last time, or call and tell them you are coming in. No asking, just my name is cheeckychops I'm in labour and I'm coming in.

Get your mum to come earlier and sit with you at home until its time for you to go.

what an odd analogy she gave about how would you feel if someone just turned up at your house without calling first? - my friend just did that this afternoon and I made him a cuppa! It is not the same at all!

I would call them first, if you have time, just so they are expecting you and so you don't get any more narky comments. I guess it is courteous if you do have time to call so they can try to dissuade you from coming in

But, if you were in proper labour, on your own, unable to speak on the phone and were stressing about many other things, I don't think it would be rude to just turn up. Better that than have the baby on the bathroom floor.

Yes, it's advisable for you to phone first:

a) so they can collect your hospital notes from medical records
b) so they can make sure there is a room ready
c) so they can check that there are enough staff for you to safely deliver there (occasionally units close because there are too few staff/too many women in labour)

If you have a history of v fast labours then make sure they are aware of that when you phone in.

Yea she really upset me ! Especially as there was an illegal immigrant there with 2immigration officers in the bed next to me pretending to b in labour so they didn't send her on the next plane back and they said I was rude? I nearly cried as I was so embarrassed as other ppl could over hear :( I will call my mum as soon as I feel it may b time I just don't want it to b a false alarm ifswim but I'm sure as it's dd3 I will know for sure ! But had a false alarm last Monday I nearly called her at 1am and it all did down :(

You are not rude the women on reception was rude.

Please phone, it makes life a lot easier if we're expecting you, know what we anticipating dealing with, can prepare for your arrival, balance the workloa to accommodate you etc. I'd never say it was rude but it does get a bit irritating when folk just rock up and then expect to be seen immediately. Also and I'm not necessarily talking about you if everybody who thought they were in labour just turned up then hospitals would be overrun, often women just need someone to talk to them an reassure them that what they are experiencing in the early stages is normal which is much better done over the phone.

Did the rude receptionist divulge the woman's in the bed next to you immigration status as well?

Surely ringng the hospital before your mum would be the best idea anyway? Then you can chat with the midwife and decide whether it is worth getting your mum over?

Ok I will call up it's his they tend to fob u off on the phone! No the ladies immigration status was explained even tho I didn't actually care., by her male immigration officer who was sat at the end if the bed also staring at me y I was in pain ! Rather embarrassing and poorly controlled to b honest !

Also no doubt embarrassing for the lady who was also in custody !

I can't speak for anyone else but I would never actively discourage anyone I believed was in active labour/had a history of precipitous labour/was not coping at home from coming in, however a lot of women aren't in labour when they first make contact with the hospital.

Saying you were rude, sets you up for a negative impression/experience.

Regardless of whether you should, or shouldn't ring, expressing this in this way isn't on and is rude and confrontational.

Its not acceptable of staff.

Agreed.

Telling you that you were rude isn't on.

However you do need to ring, sometimes we're having to jiggle things around if we know there's someone coming in. You don't want to turn up and there not be a room!

Ring when you feel you need to and discuss with your comm m/w when that out=ght to be taking the speed of your last labours into account, etc. She might think you need to ring before they're 5 mins apart.

You weren't rude - she was. What would she do if someone didn't have easy access to a phone? "oh no, you failed to find a telephone while in pain so you don't get to be treated well..."

It's a labour ward, you were in labour. It is helpful to call ahead, but not mandatory. You do risk being turned away if the unit is closed, but that can be the case even if you did call.

I was given a real bollocking for asking if I could just go in. I wasn't coping with the pain, waters had broken and was feeling really shaky and panicky. I ended up apologising to the mw for daring to suggest I should go in. When I was allowed in after badgering them I was 10cm and hysterical

I would call so they know to get the room ready but don't ask, tell them you are on the way and hang up before they have chance to argue.

What a horrible and inappropriate thing for the woman at reception to say! Poor you! I would have burst into tears then and there! x

I did actually nearly cry and was really upset :'( I will phone in this time but like the point if not having access to a phone that could happen like if my network was down which it often is and we have no landline ! I agree it's courteous to call and I understand they need to prepare for me but because I was fobbed off first time it put me off ! Also that day a lady had her baby in the lift cause she was too told not to come in !

Whatever you do phone first! The other day a woman at my work just turned up and had to hang around in the corridor as there was no clean room for her. Luckily there was a dirty room which we cleaned quickly but it wasn't great for her to turn up and have to hang around waiting ten minutes until she could settle in to her room. Not rude to turn up without phoning but they will need a little bit of notice to get a room ready and make sure there is a midwife free for you.

When I phoned with my second they had time to ensure that on arrival I was met with a full birth pool in a dimly lit room with underwater lighting and gas and air set up.

Ben Do you mean they aren't in labour or just that they aren't x no. Of cm dilated?

Well they aren't in active labour I guess. Ie contracting regularly in length strength and frequency and >3cm dilated.

I phoned ahead because I was going to a very small MLU (they can only see 2-3 women at one time) and I knew they may not have be open. By the time I got there at 11.30am there was a pool ready and a clean room for me to go straight into.

I would ring ahead if possible - I imagine most labour wards like a little bit of advance notice.