dp staying sober from 37 weeks

[backonthewagon]

Did you make dp stay sober from 37 weeks so if needed he could drive you to the hospital?

I find it a little bit scary that people are drunk so often it's more likely they'll be drunk than sober on any given day.

It wouldn't even have occurred to me. But we only really drink if we go out, and dh didn't go out much in the last few weeks.

Dp and I couldn't drive when I was pregnant. So my mum was designated driver just in case. She didn't take a sip of alcohol from 35 weeks until I was induced. I never asked her to, she just did it off her own accord. Bless her

29redshoes what was your reason for choosing a taxi?

Most likely hospital parking charges backonthe wagon!

If you're in labour for a while they soon rack up..

I was in for two days. Imagine the parking fee!!!

37 weeks was Christmas day. He decided of his own accord to stop drinking after that, except for new years eve, and even then he only had one or two. New year's day we had friends round and he chose not to drink, which was good as my waters went that night.

back parking at our hospital is a total nightmare! V expensive and often no spaces. I'm not thrilled at the idea of getting a taxi to be honest, but it's the lesser of two evils.

36 weeks he went out to the pub and got drunk while I was at my mums. I pointed out if I'd gone into labour he would have missed it (I said I probably wouldn't have called him) do then he stayed sober until baby was born.

I didn't make him but I did need to point it out as it just wouldn't of occurred to him. He's not the best at planning ahead. I was induced in the end so no dash to the hospital required after all.

DH also had to go home every night during induction so we had to drive.

It's fair enough getting a taxi if your actually going in and back out, but staying in would be a nightmare!

Most hospitals do weekly tickets ours was £15 so equal to two days - most people are in overnight so it's worth it.

DH decided himself that he would not drink alcohol towards the end of my pregnancies.

With DD1 and DD2 it was c.4 weeks before due date.

No

Who are all these men who can't drive?!

No, but DH doesn't drink loads anyway. He's an adult, it's up to him what he drinks. I'm not going to police it!

So over Christmas/New Year (when I was 37, 38 weeks) he had a few but not so many that he was pissed.
We had countless other ways to get to the hospital though. And no suggestion DD was coming that early.

If she had arrived, he'd have been in a perfectly fit state to act as birth partner. Apart from perhaps on NYE, but I'm sure the situation would've sobered him up very quickly!

No, but he definitely didn't get drunk. And we knew we had to get a taxi anyway. The hospital has no parking so finding street parking nearby would have been a nightmare.

DH doesn't drink (neither do I) but if he did, I think he would have stopped of his own accord. We had blizzard conditions when I was due so he'd arranged access to a 4 wheel drive just in case. He was actually very responsible (not like him at all).

We were back and forth a bit when I had DS, firstly because my waters broke but I didn't have contractions, then because I had to be transferred to the bigger hospital. If DH had been unable to drive it would have been a total PITA.

The furthest along I got was barely past 37 weeks, so this question didn't come up.

But DH isn't much of a drinker. It's unusual for him to drink alcohol unless it's some sort of special occasion, so it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to ask him to stay sober.

No. I wouldn't have to ask.

I'd be disappointed if Dh was to go out with his mates when I needed him. But I wouldn't ban him from drinking or going out.

I was due mid Feb and DH stopped drinking after Christmas. It actually hadn't occurred to me that it might be a good idea until he said that's what he was going to do.

last time dh stayed under the limit from about 38 weeks, dd arrived at 40+4. we were always planning to drive because of distance from the hospital and because there are no parking charges here, so we don't have that hassle (good job because I was in labour for 2 days!)

this time, dh will be abroad for work until probably gone 38 weeks. I don't really see the point in stopping him drinking when he's out of the country!

No, but then drove myself as he had lunch with his dad who told him to have a second glass of wine, there was no way the baby was coming as I was only 38 weeks. Tbh it never crossed my mind really as especially with a first birth it's unlikely to be so quick that you would need to drive in. I was only in that situation as my waters broke first with meconium and had my first contraction as we pulled into the hospital an hour later and then every two minutes after that. Unless there is no other physical way of you getting to hospital, I wouldn't worry too much, but I might generally say that more than a few pints of an evening would be a bad idea (clearly would still not let him drive unless he was under the limit). However I was also fairly relaxed about the whole thing as he rarely drinks more than aforementioned three pints.

Neither us drive so we knew we were getting a cab but dp didn't really drink throughout either of my pregnancies. He isn't a big drinker generally and when he does it's mainly with me so, as his dining buddy was sober so was he!

I did, he may be a responsible adult, but I just wanted to mention it. He only drinks if he goes out at the weekend, so not often, he just kept his diary empty for the month before my due date.

I would expect dp not to drink for a while however if we had an event to go to wedding or something he could maybe have 2/3 and we could get a taxi though he most likely wouldn't bother.

This has got me thinking how I'm going to get to hospital now we have a car but the parking is so expensive!

My DH is virtually teetotal but I would expect no drinking beyond what is allowable to still drive after 37 weeks and until the baby's there. You don't need the added stress of trying to get a taxi/lift while in labour.

We got taxis with both ours, and I would highly recommend it if that's a viable option for you (we checked in advance with the taxi firm about 24-hour availability and whether they were happy to take women in labour).
There's no way I would be comfortable with dp driving when he's stressed out and distracted about me being in labour - not safe on roads.
Cost was less than hospital parking charges and we didn't need to faff around paying for parking.
Obviously I don't want him paralytic during the period when I'm likely to be in labour, but I have no problem with him having a few drinks.