Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

Can you just show up at a hospital?!

11 replies

Dovahkiin · 10/06/2014 10:54

Hi,

I'll be moving back to the UK in a couple of weeks when I'll be 30 weeks, and moving into my new home at 37 weeks. I've set up an appointment with a midwife and looked into the birthing options in my new hometown but I'll be staying with my BIL an hour's drive away between 30 and 37 weeks. If anything kicked off while I'm with BIL, is it a matter of just going to the nearest maternity unit and hoping for the best or do you need to be pre-registered with them? And can you be registered with more than one delivery unit? Sorry if these are stupid questions...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Canus · 10/06/2014 10:57

You can just turn up at any (NHS) hospital.

When you book in with a midwife, they will ask which hospital you prefer, but if you go into labour miles away just go to the nearest maternity unit.

Just take your notes with you.

meditrina · 10/06/2014 11:00

Yes, if you have to then just turn up.

It is better if you can get into the UK system (anywhere) first simply so someone has reviewed your overseas maternity notes and aligned them with what NHS would expect to see (saves fuss on the day, IYSWIM).

Being booked with one NHS hospital, but turning up in labour at another happens quite frequently, and isn't a problem as long as you have your notes with you (if you don't they will want to treat you as high risk because they do not one that you are not).

MrsPear · 10/06/2014 11:01

Well with ds1 I was visiting a friend and went into labour at 29 weeks and just called 118 to locate nearest hospital! They admitted me and were wonderful! But do keep your notes with you - I got a telling off for not having them. A dear friend went on two trains and then drove back in our car with them!

Original poster

Dovahkiin · 10/06/2014 11:52

Thank you for setting my mind at ease! Yes, I've been watching OBEM and see the women rocking up with their enormous files. I have a teeny Korean one about the size of a passport...

OP posts:

Canus · 10/06/2014 14:04

Oh don't worry.

My notes were a few pages of A4, and two of those were devoted to the work of fiction otherwise known as my birth plan

Graciescotland · 10/06/2014 14:14

I came back to the UK having lived on three continents, notes were a bit mixed, whilst pregnant at 37.5 weeks. Got to see a midwife straight away at local surgery and got notes on the day. I was induced on due date for other reasons but it was all very straight forward.

whatsagoodusername · 16/06/2014 10:11

Yep. One of my friends moved to the UK around 34 weeks (I think) and had been here a week. She was going to register with the GP, midwife, hospital, etc. Except her DS decided to come at the end of their first week in the UK. They'd only been in their house 24 hours! They hadn't even located their hospital yet.

I was absolutely determined that I was not giving birth in a hospital. I had opted for a midwife-led unit. All great until they decided while I was in labour (they said I wasn't) that I was too high risk for them and wouldn't admit me. I then had to go to the hospital I hadn't even looked around. We just turned up. All was fine.

Original poster

Dovahkiin · 16/06/2014 12:31

whatsagoodusername - that is NOT a comforting story :)

OP posts:

whatsagoodusername · 16/06/2014 12:56

No, I suppose not... But it did work out well for them, DS was fine, friend was fine! Just a bit shocked. They may have stayed a few extra days at the hospital, but there were no problems.

Marnierose · 21/06/2014 00:09

Always phone first so they know you are on your way

privitandpetunias · 21/06/2014 22:22

I turned at hospital to have my third with no warning, no notes, no change of clothes, no baby stuff. It was fine although the receptionist did berate me for not phoning ahead. I had gone it to labour quite suddenly two weeks before my due date at soft play with my kids, had not been able to get hold of DH for ages and was literally about to drop as I arrived. The midwives were lovely about it though.

Flip