Getting to/from from the hospital

[starrysimon]

Me and DH are a bit stuck with how we get to and from the hospital in a few weeks time for the birth. We live about 30 minute walk (15/20 if not heavily pg) from the hospital but it’s up a massive hill! It really doesn’t seem fun to walk up whilst in labour and creates a dangerous situation of me possibly giving birth on the roadside (fast delivery with first baby, barely made it there with her). We’d also have to walk back pushing baby in a pram. Won’t be fun to walk back either, especially if I end up having a c-section for whatever reason.

Relatives and public transport obviously isn’t an option. Planned for my DM to take us before the lockdown/isolation was put in place. I’m thinking about discussing it at my next consultant appointment next week. Would it be unreasonable to ask for patient transport if there is any available? There’s no other way other than walking.

Spoke to my health visitor about it during my phone check this morning and she recommended an ambulance considering the dangerously rapid circumstances of my first birth. She said there is a much higher risk of spreading the virus if we attend via someone from a different household (especially if they aren’t isolating) or a taxi that isn’t being sanitised properly. She also said I would definitely have to get an ambulance if DH hadn’t been isolating with me or started displaying symptoms as he won’t be able to be present. She ended with the fact that since I’m 5 mins drive from the hospital and also not too far from the depot then it won’t cause much inconvenience if they are under strain, will be a quick drop off and isn’t an inconvenience anyway as baby’s life could be at risk with extremely fast labour. Women wouldn’t usually get an ambulance unless extremely necessary (no other means of travel) or they had given birth at home spontaneously but HV said it’s unforeseen circumstances.

I think the ‘get over yourself’ comment was hideously uncalled for and quite venomous. It’s not like I’m expecting ‘special treatment’ because I’m pregnant. Our lives will be at risk if I walk to the hospital whilst in labour. My baby will suffer serious complications, and possibly death, if I don’t make it to the hospital in time due to the nature of my first birth. I’m not the 30 hours of contractions type and have my own individual circumstances. I bet it’s easy to sit there and type ‘get over yourself’ when you’re sat at home, probably not close to giving birth right now and with easy access to a vehicle. It’s incredibly scary to give birth during this pandemic enough, never mind when you don’t know how you’ll even get the medical assistance you need. Very cruel and you must live a miserable life. I will be surprised if this labour and birth lasts longer than 2 hours. Thank god for my HV as I’ve been going out of my mind! I hope this helps others that have fast labours

(You’re unlikely to get an ambulance if it’s a normal, slow labour)

An ambulance? I thought these were for emergencies.

I dont get why your partner cant drop you off then come back on foot?

Tell me you actually have a car? Calling an ambulance cos you dont have a car would just be unreasonable AF.

So you think it's safer travelling in an ambulance than getting a taxi?
Stop being such a diva. Thousands of babies are born every day in the UK, if they all called 999 for an ambulance the NHS would come to a standstill. Sorry to be blunt but people would die. We're in the middle of a global pandemic and you think it's acceptable to call an ambulance because you don't want to get a taxi? It's ridiculous and if your midwife is telling patients to call ambulances in non emergency situations she needs to be reported.

OP, my sister is in labour as we speak. I had a frantic and phone call this morning (she’s 3 weeks early!) and am now at her house looking after my niece. Households are not supposed to be mixing. But what else do we do? Send her to give birth alone? How horrible would that be? I’ve not been anywhere (bar one trip to the supermarket) for 11 days. I’m the lowest risk option.

Who’s honestly the lower risk here, taxi or your DM? Most likely your DM, especially if you and DM are following the rules of social distancing and isolation. And if not completely you both need to now. She can take you, and this will minimise the risk. You’re going to be in a hospital, the risk is higher in there than it is sharing the car for a short space of time. This will count as essential travel

As a midwife, I think your HV is in the wrong. Homebirth services are being cancelled as ambulances services are unable to guarantee response times. The ambulance service are under enormous strain and you will not be made a priority case, even with your history. Obviously if you are pushing a baby out on the kitchen floor, you will get a quick response time but otherwise, you’ll need to organise your mum as transport.

I don't believe your HV said all that. She didn't say - it won’t cause much inconvenience if they are under strain, will be a quick drop off and isn’t an inconvenience anyway - because that's quite simply bollocks. They'll still have time consuming (and unnecessary) paperwork to do for your ambulance trip, they don't just nip into the nearest house, swoop that patient up and then shove them in through the hospital doors and on to the next person. Even if you're daft enough to think this, I'm bloody sure your HV isn't.

Be sensible, stop being a drama queen. Get your mum to drive you, sit in the back.

Out of all your possible solutions the least likely to have had a covid patient is your dm’s car.

Ambulance times are likely to be a lot higher with cleaning/ppe/physical checks for the patient before moving forward etc.

Would your dm be able to isolate for the last few weeks leading up to birth?

I think it’s terrible to plan to use an ambulance. They are there for emergencies, not a replacement taxi service. They have to be sanitised afterwards as well so it won’t be a quick drop off and I’m amazed your health visitor said it would be.

Could you not borrow your Mum’s car and get temporary insurance cover? If not I think your Mum taking you is a viable alternative. It’s no different to using patient transport as you initially suggested.

Borrow your Mum’s car for your partner to take you in.

Who the fuck doesnt have their own car when they are having a baby...you're not 12 ffs...grow up

@gypsywater what are you on about? Plenty of people have children and don’t own a car. I think it’s you that needs to grow up!

Do ypuanlready have a child? If yes who will be looking after them?

IWho the fuck doesnt have their own car when they are having a baby...you're not 12 ffs...grow up

Literally hundreds of thousands of people across the U.K.

Is this your second child? Who is looking after the baby?

Also, my 2 hr labour was followed by a 12hr labour for the next child, so don’t assume it will be the same/quicker - it might well be but it might not be, & I felt really disheartened when labour went on & on past the 2hr mark!

Could your mum have her car disinfected and ready to go and when the time comes she just comes round to pick you up, drops you off and goes.

Safer than a taxi as she'll have it clean, you're not risk a birth out in the street but you can all keep your distance.

I agree you should not be relying on an ambulance. Have your DM go out as little as possible in the run up and use her.

I had 3 very fast labours OP (DD1 was 2hrs start to finish, DD2 was 1hr 10 mins, the twins were 35 minutes). I would not have dreamed about calling an ambulance, and this wasn't during a pandemic.

I understand that it's scary, but with precipitous labours, even a 20 minute wait for the next available ambulance (quite reasonable) could put your baby at risk. How quickly can your DM get to you? And could your DH get insured on her car for the final few weeks and drive it instead of her? It costs very little to do this.

@TeddyIsaHe I'm not the one who would be calling a fucking ambulance to take me to hospital

I work for the ambulance service, labour in itself is not a life threatening situation and you won't get one on a quick response unless the head is out or you're high risk. And at the moment, even on a high response you could be waiting hours. Be sensitively and don't put any more unnecessary pressure on the service. Get a taxi or ask a family member. You are more likely to catch covid from an ambulance and the crew that will definitely have transported positive patients than a taxi!

OP ignore the ignorant fucks who think you're being a diva or a drama queen, you're a woman about to give birth in extremely scary circumstances. I know the midwife has said an ambulance but your mum could still be an option? I had a elcs last tues - my pil came down the night before, fil drove us to the hosp while mil looked after DS1. I came out next day, fil picked us up, and they went home as soon as they could the next day. I think that comes under 'to help a vulnerable person'.

As an aside i do wonder why non drivers need to 'grow up' - is giving a fuck about the environment childish or something?

I'd be wary about relying on an ambulance at the moment OP. Even life-threatening emergencies are having to wait hours for an ambulance at the moment. I think we will be at peak infection rate in about 2-3 weeks.

You said you're worried about germs in a taxi but who do you think will have been in an ambulance!!

Could you hire a car for the short-term? Borrow a car? Or maybe consider a homebirth if your labours are so quick?

I will more than likely end up giving birth before I can even get out the door so an ambulance would be the only option. I honestly don’t think I’d make it to the hospital regardless of the transport I take. Like I said it’s not normal circumstances and is quite high risk. I’d understand being berated if I had normal, slow labours but they’re so fast and spontaneous that it becomes dangerous! HV said they will send anyone that is available I.e. a paramedic. We aren’t ‘non drivers’, we recently sold our car to provide our children with a nice, safe home and now we can not afford another. Especially since DH has no work because of the lockdown and I’m obviously not working either.

Posters need to remember that I’m not just a ‘pregnant woman wanting free transport’. It’s a high risk, consultant led pregnancy (pre-eclampsia risk) and there is a 90% chance I will birth at home alone anyway due to the speed. I would not be able to get a taxi or a lift if this happens as baby will still be attached by cord. If I also gave birth on the roadside whilst walking up to the hospital I would need assistance sent for the same reason

Home births have been cancelled because of the virus but it’s highly likely it will happen anyway

Please do not call an ambulance or patient transport.

We used ZipCar last year. Is that an option where you are? Otherwise, family or neighbours (the exceptional circumstances trump social distancing rules).