If I move out of the area shortly before my due date, will they make me change hospitals?

[PixieCake]

Advice please if anyone knows about this!

Have just sold our house and looks like we will be moving out of the area a few weeks before my due date.

I really want to stay at the hospital I am booked with but am worried that if I tell them I have moved they will say I will have to transfer to a local hospital.

The journey in to my booked hospital would be about an hour, so I'm not too worried about that. But I'm not sure what happens about:

a) aftercare (could I be transfered to a local team for the midwife visits?
b) calling the hospital about when to come in when labour starts (If I say it will take me an hour to get in will they say I am too far away? and if they try to send me home for a bit it won't be worth going)

If I confess about the move will they make me change hospitals?

Thanks x

Hi Pixie

You are supposed to be able to choose any hospital you wish to give birth at, most people choose one of the nearest for obvious reasons. However, if you want to continue with your chosen hospital, that should be fine. They will transfer your after care to local midwife team as your current one wouldn't be able to travel that far.

As far as calling ahead goes, obv its more tricky as alot can happen for some people in an hour (for most of us it doesn't, but still). They couldn't really send you home either as that would be an hour journey there and then back again. They can advise over the phone, buts is never an exact science, specially if its your first so they probably won't like it but if its what you want then they will have to go with it.

Good luck!

Ok, this happens all the time. You can stay with the hospital you have booked with for delivery if thats what you want. They won't chuck you off the books. In possible labour, just explain your travelling time when you call in. However, you will not be admitted just for convenience. I used to work at St Thomas' where some women had long travelling times. If they weren't in established labour, I would send them for a walk along the Thames.They either come back in 2 hrs, contracting well or gone home doing not much.

If that would no longer be convenient, then you can rebook at a nearer unit. Find out about it and see if you would find it ok. To transfer, call the antenatal clinic at the new unit, speak to the mw in charge and say you need to transfer due to house move and that you are over 30 weeks. You shouldn't need a GP letter or anything like that.

Post natally, you will receive care from the community mws wherever you are. If you went to your mum 200 miles away, the mws there would come and see you. The comm mws are notified (fax usually) by the delivery unit of a woman coming into there area.

I moved house on my due date, registered with new GP the day of the move

didn't tell the hospital, told them when I was in labour and they sent my notes on to the community team in my new area

it was no problem, just meant that it was a new face that did the visits after the birth, but the same happened first time round anyway due to holidays so it really was a none issue

I stayed with my old hospital for labour (was intending to change but went in to labour v shortly after the move).

Problems:

1. Red book - the one they gave me in the hospital was apparently totally different to the ones they used in the new area and everybody made a VERY DRAMATIC FUSS about it all the time.

1. Newborn hearing test: area 1 where I gave birth do it at home, area 2 where I now live did it in the hospital straight away. So DC1 never got a newborn hearing test.

1. Area 1 faxed area 2 community midwives to notify them of my existence. Apparently nobody got the memo as a midwife didn't turn up until day 13.

What I find amusing now is as a new mum why I gave a shit about everyone's red book views, why I didn't know they were supposed to do a hearing test and why I didn't make more of an effort to chase the midwives (to be fair, I did ring them a couple of times).

No they won't make you change. I have been in this position too and it worked out ok (I ended up with ELCS though so no worries about journey in).

Others have given you good advice but I would check with your GP / PCT in your new area what team of community midwives you will come under. No-one came out to me for a while after discharge because the hospital I delivered at had faxed the wrong team!