Advice - very long drive to hospital

[ArgyllFTM]

Hi everyone,

I live in rural Scotland, 36 weeks with my first and it’s a 3 hour drive to the hospital where I’ll be delivering (there’s a small community maternity unit 40 minutes away but it has no epidural availability and no obstetric cover).

Has anyone else been in this situation? What stage in labour did you leave for the hospital? The midwives here are used to this situation and give advice about calling in early and how to cope with labour in the car, but would love to hear some first hand experiences :)

Sorry, I only had to go 40 mins to hospital, but it is right next door to a big sporting venue, so we were told to keep an eye on the fixtures and set off early if there was a match. When I did go into labour, I was too early to be admitted, so rather than go home, DH and I went to see a film and went back afterwards.... then they took pity on me and admitted me. Is there a hotel or somewhere you could stay close to the hospital so that you can hang around if you are in early labour?

I'd be inclined to go very early and just hang around the hospital. Three hours in the car in established labour would be horrendous.

Alternatively, if you're suitable for the MLU, would you consider going there and then at least if you had to transfer it would be an in ambulance (with pain relief).

I'd be booking a hotel near from week 37! I can't travel three hours in a non pregnant state!

I had a short drive in the car in established labour and it was the worst part because sitting on a car was so uncomfortable. I would set off for hospital at your first contraction (my first labour was quick so don't expect it to take days necessarily mine was only 8 hours from first twinge to delivery.)

Leave early and see if there is anywhere you can kill time/ book a room near the hospital.

See if you can go to your relatively nearby unit at first to check it is established labour (it can be easily mistaken) and they can advise you to go straight away, go home or stay with them because you haven't got time!

That just doesn't seem very feasible to me, I gave birth within 4 hours and the 1 car journey was the worst hour of my life. I think it would be safer for you to go the midwife unit and be blue lighted to the main hospital if you require it. Being sat for 3 hours in a car could affect progression and will be extremely uncomfortable if you do progress quickly.

Another vote for the MLU. You will likely have a better birth experience too. Three hours in the car in labour sounds like utter hell. I couldn't bear to sit in the car and I wasn't even in established labour. Luckily I had a couple of minutes in the car, but it was still hell.

Alternatively I'd be investigating an Air BnB near the hospital!

I don’t see how staying near the hospital is going to work, you’d be there for weeks potentially. Although as you say, the midwives must be used to this? I agree travelling in labour is awful but I would probably leave as early as possible, getting labour confirmed as suggested above

Thanks for all the suggestions :) Planning to deliver at the CMU isn’t an option I’m comfortable with for reasons I won’t go into now (obviously if things move very quickly I won’t have much choice!). We also only have one ambulance here overnight and, having organised emergency transfers for non-maternity patients (major trauma etc), it takes longer than you might expect even if we call the helicopter out.

I’m thinking going early and risking being turned away is the best option as it sounds like car journeys in active labour are pretty awful. Apparently if the midwives tell me to go down and then I’m not in established labour we do get a bit of money towards a hotel room. We don’t know anyone in the city but I’ll start asking around to see if anyone has any contacts who could put us up if needs be!

(Btw I know this whole situation probably sounds mad to most of you but it’s just how it is here - most people do go to the city in labour especially for first deliveries. It’s just that I only know two people who’ve had babies here, one had a planned induction and one’s waters broke before labour so she just went down then. Never having been in labour I worry whether I’ll be able to be sure when it starts without leaving it too late!)

Travelling 3 hours just doesn't seem very safe to me either though, I know plenty of women who have given birth within 3 hours first time, it's not as unusual as people make out. And I didn't get any warning signs, I was not in Labour one minute, and then having painful regular contractions the next so I couldn't have got there very early. Will you have phone signal if something goes wrong on the car journey?

Would a planned induction be an option? If so that might be something to weigh up between that and potentially labouring in the car for 3 hours.

I think it would be difficult to be so restricted for so long.

Do you know if your mum had long or short labours?

I did find a TENS machine helpful when I laboured in the car.

I spent most of my first labour in the car - only 30 minutes away but was sent away at 2cm "not in labour" got home tried a bath, couldn't get comfortable, some blood coming, went back in and was 7 cm. Was very miserable! Also not easy for DH to concentrate driving...

2nd labour was induced for unrelated reasons but was a much better experience. If you really can't do MLU I'd push for an induction

Someone close to me just did this journey op. I'm guessing you are delivering in Inverness and have the journey down from Caithness?

My friend went down when in very early labour with her mum and partner and stayed in an air BnB apartment for 3 days before she was admitted in established labour. They won't admit you of your labour hasn't progressed enough. They did provide accommodation for dad after baby was delivered. I'm not sure what they would do if couldn't afford the air BnB, or a hotel while you wait. If you are in established labour before reaching Inverness they can send an ambulance. Most first babies are long labours so you should be okay.

Make sure to pack plenty of everything you might need for you and the baby.

She said the worst bit was the drive home after an emergency section.

My sister was in a similar situation, couple of hours drive in good weather but it was February. She booked into a hotel in case it snowed and she got cut off. If you can afford it, do that and be waited on for a few days!

I'm guessing Raigmore too? There is patient accommodation available there although they tend not to advertise the fact - it's called Kyle court.
Your midwife should be able to guide you with this but my understanding is that you can stay at Kyle court for some time (days/week or so) in the run up to your due date. There is a nominal fee ( it sure how much though).
I'm also remote and rural with Raigmore as our hospital, although a different direction to you I think!
Good luck!

I've done this once 😊 both short labours so got there just in time. 1st I was already there staying on ward for high blood pressure 2nd I traveled down in ambulance for a different reason which took about 6 hours total but went into labour half way down. If this is your 1st then its likely theyll just ask you to call early then you'll get checked by wick midwives. And theyll send you down if in established labour. You may be waiting for ambulance to take you down.

We're 40 minutes away from hospital here and both times in back labour those 40 ish minutes have seemed like hours. I just couldn't get comfortable sitting down. It made the 150 mile trip we had do the day after my emcs with dc2 look like a walk in the park.

I would really look into either going as soon as you have a twinge or booking something close at hand if possible.

It is an unusual situation, speak to your community midwives and agree a plan you're happy with, so you can feel confident. It may be that you set off really early, the hospital will need to understand your circumstances and admit you early if needed. Have everything packed and ready in car, with something to cover seat, water snacks and paracetamol in the car with you

Hi! Had a 2 hour drive with my one, I phoned labour ward and just went straight down ( my waters had broken) but just go down as soon as you start getting contractions if your worried you can always book into a nearby hotel while you wait if you get told to go back home? The hospital I was in had a place for us to wait nearby which was great. Don't panic! I just sat on a towel with a blanket over my legs as had to keep changing my pad as was leaking through them at some pace! Had a nighty on and put some leggings, spare clothes long cardigan to wear in, hubby just held blanket round me once at hospital car park while I sorted myself out a bit ( no one was in car park, but opening passenger door behind you etc can help) just anything to help make you feel comfy! You won't care by the time you get to the hospital anyway! And people saying to give birth at the local one wasn't an option for me either and glad I didn't as ended up having to have an emergency spinal! (Not worth the risk in my eyes) I just took lots of spare pads and clothes! And the towel did a cracking job! Good luck!!x

Thanks for all your input folks - thought I’d give you an update. I’m actually on the west coast delivering in Glasgow (I’m right at the far northern end of their catchment) but same kind of situation as Caithness.

My midwife agreed that I’m the sort of person who would sit at home going “this hurts but I’m probably just being a wimp” so like you guys she told me to call at the first hint of a contraction. They started out 4 minutes apart, I phoned and they told me to go straight down (the CMU is in the opposite direction so they didn’t want to check me first).

The drive was actually very manageable, I wasn’t in active labour when we arrived so was sent to the park for a few hours. Still 2cm when I went back and they were going to discharge us to a hotel but the midwife just had a feeling it would be a bad idea so let me stay on the unit for a couple of hours walking around and having a bath. Good thing she did - it turned into a precipitate labour, I went from 2cm to delivery in 2 1/2 hours! I ended up transferred to labour ward with decels, meconium and a suspected cord prolapse (it wasn’t) and had a pph and difficult year, so very glad I wasn’t in the CMU!

I’ll be seeing the consultant for a debrief and have been told “all options” will be on the table if I have another baby - which I’m taking to mean planned induction or section if I want, which I think I probably will!

Congratulations! Glad it all worked out ok

Congratulations

I was in Argyll for my first and had a similar drive and it was fine, useless info to you now like, lol