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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Driving to hospital

31 replies

ShadowSummer · 30/08/2013 16:19

I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant with DC2, and the subject of getting to hospital has started to come up in conversation with DH.

DH keeps suggesting that once I go into labour, I should drive myself to hospital and then he'll meet me there, as this way I'll get to hospital faster and there'll be less need for him to worry about DC2 being born in a lay-by or suchlike.

I can't help feeling that me driving myself to hospital when I'm actually in labour and having contractions is a pretty bad idea and potentially dangerous, and have tried saying this to DH, but he doesn't seem to get why I think that I shouldn't drive myself.

I'm not being daft to think that driving in labour is a bad idea, am I?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

craftycottontail · 30/08/2013 16:24

Erm no!! He's being a bit of an idiot. Can you still fit behind the wheel? I'm short and couldn't reach the pedals by the end, not to mention the fuzzy brain and intense labour pain!

nancerama · 30/08/2013 16:32

You're having DC2! Surely he remembers your first labour? He's nuts.

DH remembers my first labour, and refuses to have any more DC!

meditrina · 30/08/2013 16:36

You absolutely must not drive in labour, as there is no predicting when a contraction will come nor how strong it will be. And believe me, you cannot drive safely when one hits.

Even a minor prang can delay you significantly. If you come off the road, I shudder to think what harm you could do to nearby pedestrians.

Leopoldina · 30/08/2013 16:39

I did that. Wasn't really thinking straight. was actually quite fine but the wheels really came off the wagon at the hospital front desk so it was lucky timing (and I forgot to take my bag with me). But yes. It's a stupid idea. Get a taxi.

bubblesausage · 30/08/2013 16:40

Is he for real?! No way could I have driven whilst in labour, contractions were way too strong by the time we were on the way to hospital. Don't do it!

OneLittleToddleTerror · 30/08/2013 16:41

Are you in the UK? Which hospital admits you before your labour is well established?

nextphase · 30/08/2013 16:41

DO NOT drive yourself to the hospital in labour.
If DH wants you to get yourself there yourself, you will need a taxi at minimum.

MikeLitoris · 30/08/2013 16:42

I did it with dd1 BUT I wasnt having contractions. My waters had gone (mec stained) and exp had been drinking. I knew I just had to get there. Wouldnt have done it had I been thinking straight.

UnicornsNotRiddenByGrownUps · 30/08/2013 16:43

A friend on her first pregnancy thinks she's going to do this. But as iv not had kids I couldn't possibly comment can't wait to see what actually happens!

TheSlug · 30/08/2013 16:43

I've been thinking about this (although am only 22+2 so a little premature!) and what if I go into labour at work? My H and I work in opposite directions of home, me approx 30 minutes away and him approx 10 mins. hospital is closer to his work! Do I make my own way home and expect him to meet me there before we head to hospital together?

I am going on mat leave 2 weeks before baby is due so hopefully none of this will come into play anyway :)

Original poster

ShadowSummer · 30/08/2013 16:45

Glad to hear that I'm not being daft to argue with this idea of DH's!

I will stand my ground and tell him I'm getting a lift from someone else or a taxi if things kick off while he's not there.

nancerama - DH missed DS's birth entirely, as I went into labour 6 weeks early when DH was at the other end of the country on a work course. DH didn't manage to make it home until after the birth. So he may well be blissfully ignorant about labour despite having sat through plenty of episodes of One Born Every Minute with me

OP posts:

eurochick · 30/08/2013 16:45

It's a stupid idea. And if you have a prang there is a good chance that your insurers will deny liability as you were in no fit state to drive.

slug for most women labour lasts hours or even days. It is not like in the films where there needs to be a made crazy dash!

RememberingMyPFEs · 30/08/2013 16:45

You will have plenty of time between going into labour and needing to be in hospital. By the time you need to be in hospital there is NO WAY you can drive.
Ridiculous idea.

InTheRedCorner · 30/08/2013 16:46

No don't drive yourself!

I wasn't fit to run my own bath let alone drive a car!

badguider · 30/08/2013 16:48

If you can drive then its almost guaranteed you've gone too early and will be sent home again.

CreatureRetorts · 30/08/2013 16:48

Take him along to your next midwife appointment. Get him to ask if this is sensible.

I went into established labour very quickly with dc2. Your second labour is likely to be faster. Is he thinking you'll go into labour when he's at work? If there are signs of early labour he stays at home or comes home. The hospital will ask you to ring in anyway and ask about contractions etc, they don't just bring you in at the first twinge!

TheSlug · 30/08/2013 16:51

haha- in my mind my waters just break and I need to leave work!

BigBoobiedBertha · 30/08/2013 16:54

How far are we talking about him having to drive here? Not that it makes that much difference I don't think you should be driving yourself.

If he is worried about DC being born in a lay-by, ask him what he thinks would happen if you go unaccompanied and the labour really speeds up? You could end up giving birth in a layby by yourself which has got to be worse and far scarier than him being with you.

With my first, I threatened DH with driving my car to the hospital when his bloody car wouldn't start and he spend 15 minutes faffing about trying to start it. I was in established but relatively early labour (4cm when I got to hospital). I had 2 contractions on the short drive there and I was glad I didn't drive in the end. I would have had to pull over twice and it might not have been safe or convenient to do so.

With my 2nd, I didn't even attempt to get in the car when the contractions sped up very quickly and he was born at home. That could happen to you. Especially with second and subsequent children, things can move very much faster than with the first. it would be really silly to drive yourself. Get a taxi if you must but surely DH should be there with you rather than some taxi driver? I would get DH home asap personally.

ivykaty44 · 30/08/2013 16:54

spit out my tea thinking about me getting stuck between sliding doors as I couldn't move on the way to hospital in labour - can you imagine if I had been driving and froze at the steering wheel.....

I have a mate who went into labour a day before her due date her husband said it was impossible for her to be in labour as the baby wasn't due till the next day and refused to take her to the hospital as the nurses would thnk he was being silly and it would be embarrassing...

never underestimate the daftness of some people

BigBoobiedBertha · 30/08/2013 16:58

Blimey IvyKaty - did her DH not go to antenatal classes? How dumb do you have to be to think that babies arrive on due dates? Had he not heard of premature babies either?

- mind boggles at some people.

LostInWales · 30/08/2013 16:59

There was a horrible story in the press just before DS1 was born about a woman who had crashed and died trying to drive herself to hospital in labour, it made me scared to go anywhere in the car at all when I got near my due date. No, no, NO driving in labour people. It was back in 1999 just to reassert my old gimmer credentials.

Original poster

ShadowSummer · 30/08/2013 16:59

DH's workplace is about 30 - 60 mins drive from our house depending on traffic.

The hospital is about 20 mins drive from our house if there's no traffic, but can take at least twice as long in rush hour as it's on the other side of town.

I think DH is concerned that DC2 might turn up super fast.

OP posts:

NomNomDePlum · 30/08/2013 17:04

i've seen one of these threads before, and somebody claimed to have known of someone who had crashed the car and died while trying to drive to the hospital. now, i don't know if that was true or not, but i could certainly see how it could happen - in my last labour, i had painful contractions i could just about manage, and then it suddenly ramped up - i would have crashed a car if i'd been driving. sorry to shout, but DO NOT drive. there are taxis, there are helpful neighbours, there are unexpected home births - all less dangerous. obviously, there are also partners who can take their heads out of their arses and make arrangements to actually help you.

Pachacuti · 30/08/2013 17:04

As a rule of thumb, if you are able to drive yourself then it is way too early to be heading to hospital.

I remember at our antenatal classes they told us not to drive ourselves. We all looked and and laughed, but the midwife said "Well, you'd think it'd be obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of women we get trying it..."

ivykaty44 · 30/08/2013 17:07

did her DH not go to antenatal classes?

what would he need to go to them classes for... there for the woman folk you know

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