Takng a Taxi when in labour - Edinburgh

[Rosie05]

Hi there, Just wondered if anyone had an experience of taking a taxi into hospital when in labour? If so - any issues at all, how long did you have to wait, and can you remember the name of the company? Looking for a couple of good bets as my due date is now only 5 days away! Thanks!

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck for the upcoming big day!
Sorry I'm nowhere near Edinburgh just wanted to offer my tips.
Call round different firms beforehand just to make an initial enquiry as to whether they'd tske a labouring woman to hospital, you can usually tell quite quickly from their tone whether it would be an issue or not!
Once you've got one sorted buy some Tena bedmats or similar and have one ready with an old towel and a plastic bowl ready with your hospital bag so you've got something to cover the seat with and a bowl handy in case of any waters breaking/sick mishaps.

Yes I fid. I called City cabs (228 1211) - the Hackney company when in labour on a sat night - about 11pm. Explained was in labour and they prioritised me. Driver was lovely albeit a bit scared!

Haha, yes! In Edinburgh (from Leith) and to the Royal Infirmary. Only problem I had was the cobblestones! Not much fun at all but not much that can be done about that.

By the time you're labouring enough to go in you probably won't give a shit about any embarrassing noises etc. Think a sick bowl is a great option.

Thanks both, great advice! I had phoned a couple of places and they seem fine with it. I guess being a city they probably experience labouring women without cars relatively frequently - we live pretty central so we have never needed to have a car. I've added City Cabs to my list now though, thanks :-) I just hope baby realises when rush hour is and has the sense to make a bit for freedom outside it! :-)

And yes, the sick bowl - hadn't thought of that! Looking forward to the experience even more now ... :-/ haha! DH has already acted on that advice and looked out the cleaning bucket.

Are you due soon Rosie05? Might bump into you at the Royal! I'm nearly 38weeks now.

Zsazsabinks - yep, due Saturday but in fact just been up for a cup of tea as seem to be starting with contractions. Great timing in the thread, must be mother's intuition kicking in ;-) Good luck with your birth!

Ooh exciting, I note your post was a couple of hours ago so hopefully you are well under way in hospital by now! Good luck

Oooh, good luck! x

Hello! me too - due on the 30th in the royal infirmary with no car! hope everything's going well . I asked my midwife about it because I was really freaking out about the whole thing - we live about 20 miles outside Edinburgh and she said that you can phone and ask for patient transport too. Good luck everyone! if I get there in the next couple of days I will be unable to stop myself from looking round for people who look like a Zsa Zsa and a Rosie!

Not Edinburgh, but London. Your far more organised than us, we just hailed a black cab off the street!

Due on the 12th Feb but hoping that it's a bit earlier as I feel horrific! Sickness, diarrhea, backache bluerghhhhhh, tired!

I'll be the one surrounded by about 25 other children (not really, this is only DC3!)

Take care and good luck! xx

Would be funny if we bump into each other, wwbuffydo! :-) Good luck with your labour! I'm currently getting a hands-on education in 'pre-labour' which I hadn't realised involves actual contractions. Contracted more and more regularly and intensely midnight 'til 5.30am and then it began to decrease again. Only getting 1 or so an hour now! Midwife says to call triage when they are every 2-3 minutes, 1 min long and have been that way for an hour. Pre-labour could last any amount of time! Also, I learned the Royal has been on divert today and the midwife emphasised the importance of calling ahead! All these January babies! :-) Hoping the taxi trip isn't a more expensive one out to St Johns - although it does get a good reputation.

It's in Livingston though! Husband commutes there and it takes him about 45 mins to drive in good traffic.

Pre-labour can be a looooong and drawn out thing! With my first it went on for days (four) and I wish someone had told me at the time to just not worry about timing stuff until they're unbearable and really quite close. On the plus side, once things did get going, pop went the waters and out came a baby! So all those contractions are probably doing something!

Good luck Rosie05!!

Aww that is not good! I have been really twingey with regular sore braxton hicks but they disappear to nothing and its driving me nuts! Just hang on in there and we will have our babies really soon I promise! Are they really turning people away? I was really worried about that but the midwife says it almost never happens? I had an appt today and she said i was about 2 5ths engaged but its my second baby so i dont know how good or bad that actually is.... My first was engaged for about 2 weeks! Anyway hope all of the contractions are finally coming to something for you- good luck everyone!

I understand how frustrating that can be but its just your body getting ready. Try and get as much rest as you can. Good Luck!

If you end up for some unforeseen reason going into labour in Norwich then ABC taxi's are pretty good about taking labouring women, in fact, one driver regaled me with the tale of having to go up to someones flat to help them down to the taxi, then taking her up to the ward, wish Id taken her name at the time so I could have specifically requested her if it was an option I needed!