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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Did anyone travel to hospital in the back of the car on all-fours?

44 replies

BrilloSolar · 04/05/2021 20:02

I don't know if this is really random or not!

My first birth was a homebirth. Had some pains all day and at a few points during the day I had to stand up as they hurt so much more sitting down.

Full on contractions escalated very quickly in the evening: midwife had told me to try to sleep around 9pm, by 10pm I couldn't sit/ lie down as it was just too painful. Made it downstairs and onto all-fours as waters broke and midwife arrived 15 minutes later and by then I was absolutely desperate for gas and air!

Due day now and I just can't imagine the 50 minute drive to the hospital sitting down! (Not able to have a homebirth this time unfortunately). Hopefully, we'll be able to go in plenty of time, but if it's a quick labour (plus DC1's care to sort first) I'm really thinking I'll end up kneeling up on the seat or on the back seat. But it just seems so dangerous. But the pain sitting down last time was SO intense, I don't think I could do a 50 minute journey like that.

So am I insane, or has anyone else had to travel to hospital sprawled out on the back seat?!

OP posts:
CroydianSlip · 04/05/2021 20:03

I did that. I remember being stopped at traffic lights as a contraction hit and sort of clawing at the window, much to the car next to me surprise!

mrsbitaly · 04/05/2021 20:06

I really feel for you I couldn't imagine being that far from a hospital. Do you have the ability to rent somewhere for a couple of weeks that is closer to the hospital? What has your midwife said about you needing to travel so far and how to manage it?

CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 04/05/2021 20:10

I think do what you need to do when you're in labour. Could you set off to the hospital before labour gets so intense? The hospital will be understanding. I could sit down when I was on the way to hospital but went quite early on as the pain was so intense in my back and I needed something to help, hospital were really good and let me stay in even though I was only 3cm, I did labour really quick though after that

Twickerhun · 04/05/2021 20:21

I lay across the back seats of the car on my back that felt both safe ish (stable) and comfortable ish

trilbydoll · 04/05/2021 20:23

I think I was sort of on my side, sort of on all fours in the front seat, we had a 3 door car at the time so I'd never have got in or out of the back and DH insisted on me being strapped in. He drove so fast it wasn't very long Grin

jenn88 · 04/05/2021 20:32

I was in established labour on our car journey to hospital! I sat in passenger seat.... my toes were curling, I was pushing myself up off the seat!! I didn't even think to get on the back seat!!!!
I had laboured up until this point on all fours!
Do what makes you comfortable!!!

Thereoncewasababy · 04/05/2021 20:34

Yes I did, the midwife on the phone at the hospital said to go on all 4s in the car if I needed to when I called up and was asking about coming in. Had awful back labour and couldn't stay sat down when a contraction came

NameChange30 · 04/05/2021 20:36

Sorry for asking an obvious question but why not just have another home birth?!

A long car journey to the hospital while in established labour is my idea of hell! Much safer and more comfortable to stay at home and let the midwife come to you. They can bring gas and air.

GreenGordon · 04/05/2021 20:37

Yes. Journey took 40 minutes at 3 in the morning. Would have been more like 1.5 hours during the day.

Cleverpolly3 · 04/05/2021 20:39

If there are reasons you can’t have a home birth surely this needs to be managed more?

OverByYer · 04/05/2021 20:42

I was knelt on the front seat facing backwards. Crawled on my hands and knees into the hospital. Climbed on the bed, a few pushes and DS2 was born!

ShowOfHands · 04/05/2021 20:45

I had to transfer to hospital in labour. I'd been fully dilated for 5hrs and the baby was low. Lying down was so, so painful. They made me lie on my back in the ambulance and strapped me down for safety. It. Was. Agony. I went into shock and don't remember much else.

OpposableThumbs2 · 04/05/2021 20:49

I spent half the journey hanging from the grab handle.

IDidntFloatUpTheLaganInABubble · 04/05/2021 20:50

Yep and were stuck in traffic! DH spotted a police car about 3 cars in front of us and got out to ask for help. They put their lights on and cleared the way for us to local ambulance station where paramedics took over and rushed me in in an ambulance!

Got there 10 minutes before DD made an appearance. If they hadn't have been there she would have been born in the car in the traffic, was a Thursday evening rush hour!

8monthsinandcranky · 04/05/2021 20:52

I’m really worried about this. My first was an induction so drove to the hospital in relative comfort.

We live 30-45 mins from hospital (traffic dependant) and have to sort out DS being looked after (at least 45 mins for someone to get to our house to watch him) I’m getting serious anxiety as number 2 is due shortly

MollysMummy2010 · 04/05/2021 21:19

We had to get a taxi to (luckily very close) hospital as I am the driver. Also doing the on my feet arching thing. Taxi driver went quite fast and baby was here two hours later..

AmberRoseGold · 04/05/2021 21:22

Yep on all fours on back seat with DC1 patting my back from their car seat. No time to await babysitter so DH looked after her whilst I popped baby out minutes after arriving. Then they met DC2 straight away and DH moved the car off the double yellows (was 4am so not too annoying for people).

ChocOrange1 · 04/05/2021 22:25

I would be planning another home birth. If you labour quickly, its not unlikely that you'll end up giving birth in the car or on the side of the road which is far more dangerous. Or could you phone an ambulance if you really can't sit down?

Cleverpolly3 · 04/05/2021 22:44

@ChocOrange1

I would be planning another home birth. If you labour quickly, its not unlikely that you'll end up giving birth in the car or on the side of the road which is far more dangerous. Or could you phone an ambulance if you really can't sit down?
The OP has already stated she can’t have another home birth
Original poster
BrilloSolar · 04/05/2021 22:52

Thanks everyone. Is good to hear that some people were also unable to sit on the journey (Not good that you were in so much pain, just that I'm not totally weird in worrying about this part of the whole birth plan!)

I would 100% have another homebirth but I'm not in the UK any more and would not be at all comfortable with the set up here.

Hopefully I'll have some early signs and head for the hospital in plenty of time. Otherwise, I'll think about the safest way to be still strapped in but not sitting if the pain is unmanageable.

OP posts:
Original poster
BrilloSolar · 04/05/2021 23:01

@mrsbitaly It's actually pretty normal here to travel that far. I live 15 minutes outsidde a reasonably large town, but it's 15 to in-laws to drop off DC (or wait for them to get to us if it's night time), then 30 mins to the nearest maternity hospital from in-law's house. My plan is to get to in-laws ASAP at any sign of twinges so it will only be a 30 minute journey, but I'm also thinking about if things go from 0-100 very quickly without all the early warning cramps I got last time.

OP posts:
Original poster
BrilloSolar · 04/05/2021 23:03

Also definitely don't have to money to rent a second property unfortunately and wouldn't work with baby proofing for a toddler and getting him to nursery every day.

OP posts:
annlee3817 · 04/05/2021 23:04

Me 🙋

DH asked me what I was doing and told me I had to sit properly with the seatbelt on, I think I may have sworn at him and then knelt down behind the seats, it's how I gave birth too on all fours.

Original poster
BrilloSolar · 04/05/2021 23:07

@AmberRoseGold Sorry, that image of you being patted on the back made me laugh! Glad you made it!

OP posts:
somersetsinger · 04/05/2021 23:22

I managed to sit in the front with the help of a tens machine and heated seats on full. I was in transition for DD2 and it was a short journey. It was not fun.

I was too concerned about leaving DD1 to go in any earlier, but were I to do it again (never gonna happen), I would go in much earlier (either calling for childcare at the first hint of labour or taking the kids to hospital and getting DH to do the handover there).