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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 hospital?

29 replies

JennyC80 · 29/06/2013 15:27

Hello,
I've been told that taxi might refuse to take me to hospital should I go into labour... I don't have any family around where I live and my boyfriends family are not too keen driving me either in case I make a mess in their cars (mildly offended I am... Must say...). My partner doesn't drive. Hospital is 20 min away but more than hour if to go by bus... So is it ok if I drive to hospitals myself? Baby is due in couple of weeks so I really need to know my options... Worried... X

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

gamerchick · 29/06/2013 15:31

Good god no! Please don't drive if you're in labour.

I got a taxi and sat on a big cushion in case my waters broke. It might be worth ringing about.

gamerchick · 29/06/2013 15:33

Or maybe a family member can drive your car for you. It's not expensive to stick somebody temporary on your insurance.

Badgerwife · 29/06/2013 15:36

Blimey no no no no no! (sorry, that's probably more nos than necessary) but as you'll find out when you get there, it just won't work. You're not supposed to go to hospital until contractions are about 4-6 minutes apart and believe me, you will not be able to drive, you're more likely to crash your car when it happens. All your focus will be on managing the contractions when they come.

I don't see why you would make a mess in your relatives' cars, and I would be very offended if that was the reason they can't take you. They are being very unreasonable if they are your only option. You can always buy some maternity mats like these but most people's waters don't break until later on, and trickle rather than gush. That's hardly the most important consideration.

Do you have any friends close by who could be on standby to drive you when the time comes?

sleepyhead · 29/06/2013 15:36

No! You absolutely can't.

Phone and ask the taxi company. Personally, I had no trouble getting one to take me when I was in labour.

flubba · 29/06/2013 15:37

Ambulance. Definitely your option if things happen quickly.

Rosa · 29/06/2013 15:37

Agree once the contractions start the last thing you can do is concentrate on driving .

Shellywelly1973 · 29/06/2013 15:40

If you go in early enough you should b ok to drive but its far from ideal.

Who would drive back from the hospital? You might not be up to driving.

I would go for a taxi but not tell them i was in labour!

Good luck!

TimothyClaypoleLover · 29/06/2013 15:43

When my waters went with DC1 I was able to drive myself to hospital as contractions were so mild that I didn't realise I was having them. So unless you drive yourself to hospital really early before contractions get going I would not risk it. But to be honest you don't really want to get to the hospital early as they will try and send you home again or you will just waste hours being there when you could be comfy at home.

Call an ambulance if there is really no-one else to drive you.

rockybalboa · 29/06/2013 15:46

No!! Get some of those disposable changing mat/bed mat things and sit on one in the taxi. And do NOT get on a bus for an hour!!

DeathMetalMum · 29/06/2013 15:47

I went in a taxi for dc1. Took one of the bed mats to sit on in the taxi just in case.

Salbertina · 29/06/2013 15:50

If it came to it, depending on how advanced yr labour is, you could dial 999- we were advised to so so by mws as i was already in established labour so they didn't want me in a car. Agree, no bus-ride or driving yourself!

WhyIRayLiotta · 29/06/2013 16:02

I drove myself in when my waters broke a couple of weeks early. It was just after midnight on New Year's Eve so no chance of a taxi and DP was drunk

But I was sent home again as I wasn't in established labour. There's no way I could've driven mysel in the next day when I was in labour!

WitchOfEndor · 29/06/2013 16:06

I would check with a few local taxi firms to see what they say. I certainly wouldn't be happy on a bus for an hour, it was all I could do to cope for 25 minutes in the car whilst hissing at DH to drive faster. And you don't need to be tackling a long walk from the bus stop to the labour ward.

I would book DH some driving lessons too

HardlyMotherTheresa · 29/06/2013 16:12

Please don't call out an ambulance at a cost of £200 to the taxpayer and possibly diverting them from a real emergency - you KNOW you are having a baby, so plan for it (as you are quite sensibly doing). They are not maternataxis flubba although if you go into labour unexpectedly and have no choice then clearly they would be appropriate.

No, you can't drive. I agree about putting a neighbour/friend on your insurance temporarily - it's easy and not expensive. I would be very upset at your boyfriend's family putting their precious car cleaning ahead of your imperative need to get to hospital when in labour. What are the generally like towards you? What does your boyfriend think?

LittleDirewolfBitJoffrey · 29/06/2013 16:16

When I went into labour with DD my waters broke first, just like in the movies. I sat on a folded up towel and DH drove me the 30 minute journey. I was leaking pretty steadily and even so I didn't even dampen my seat, just the towel. I would strongly suggest you either make enquiries with local taxi firms to their policies or sort something out with your family and friends. Don't drive yourself!

WeAreEternal · 29/06/2013 16:20

You can not drive, trust me.
That is what I planned to do but it's just not realistic, even with mild contractions.

I would also not advise public transport, it isn't reliable enough, or particularly nice.

Ring around a few taxi firms, you will be able to make a deal with one. I signed a form and agreed that if I made a mess I would pay £50 to have the car cleaned which they were fine with.

Sizzlesthedog · 29/06/2013 16:20

If you sit on a maternity mat and or old bath towels, can't see how you will make a mess in boyfriends parents car. This is their grandchild you are carrying, will they be this "helpful" when the baby is born?

Please don't try to drive in labour.

Thurlow · 29/06/2013 16:27

No! Definitely not. I got a taxi 3 times in labour (there, back, and there again, it was such fun...) and they didn't bat an eyelid even though it was obvious that I was in labour. Just take some towels to sit on if you're worried. I wouldn't even ask them first, we didn't - shame on any taxi driver who won't take a woman in labour to the hospital.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 29/06/2013 16:30

If you're in London, Black cabs are obliged to take you I think.

Original poster

JennyC80 · 29/06/2013 17:02

Thank you everyone! I'll get on a phone to cabs and find out... Will get maternity mat too just in case :)
As for my boyfriends family: they are dark horses really and think things like labour, breast feeding or anything else really that not 100% sterile are disgusting... My bf is not so bad really but him and his mum r close and she is so dominant so he wouldn't dare to stand up to her even for a sake of his child... Let alone me... Oh well... :)

OP posts:

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 29/06/2013 17:05

Breastfeeding is sterile...

Good luck OP, sounds like you might have your work cut out if your partner is going to back his mother over you!

teenagetantrums · 29/06/2013 17:07

Our taxi firm would have taken us, but they said they would charge for car cleaning if my waters broke over seat, in the end I walked it was only a 30mins and I didn't want to be sitting down, walking helped the pain.

minkembernard · 29/06/2013 17:11

i bet his mother will be less worried about it all when she swoops into the hospital to cluck over her grandchild wonder how she got to the hospital...

i agree with the above get a taxi or phone a friend.

Original poster

JennyC80 · 29/06/2013 19:29

Just phoned local cab and they really have no problems driving me to hospital :) so good news here :) x

OP posts:

MrsHuxtable · 30/06/2013 18:04

We also went by taxi. Just asked them beforehand.

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