40 minute car journey to hospital - any tips for labouring on the move?

[lemoncurdcupcake]

Full term with baby #3. Last two were born at home. We used to live 10 minutes from the hospital/birth centre.

Hoping for a home birth again but we've moved to a more rural area with reduced midwife capacity so am mentally preparing myself that a hospital stay is more likely (esp with the school holidays!) Unfortunately this is a minimum 40 minutes journey along windy, pot hole filled country lanes.

The idea of sitting upright through what is likely to be several surges doesn't thrill me. 😭 I usually walk/keep upright throughout, or sometimes on all fours with a ball.

I've heard nothing but horror stories about labouring in a car and I'm feeling increasingly anxious about the possibility. Largely because of the discomfort and distance but also DH is fabulous when all is calm, not so much if I am visibly in pain or panicking. Then he tends to panic 🤦🏼‍♀️

Anyone have any tips, tricks or words of encouragement please? Is there anything I can do to prepare/make the car more manageable?

If it does happen to you, it did to me on a roundabout on the way to hospital, leave the cord well alone until you arrive. Don't sit on it and squash it.

I had well over an hour drive to the hospital (though thankfully on decent roads) and I was worrying too, about figuring out when would be right to go in and how to time it so I travel before the pains got too bad but not so early they send me home, but luckily it started with my waters breaking so when I called they told me to come in. I did have contractions during the journey but they were manageable with breathing and focusing on the road in front of me. I remember it was snowing and watching the snow falling in the dark while in a car was kind of hypnotic. I wasn't even 2cm dilated when I arrived but they knew how far I'd come so they weren't sending me home again.

Ive done car journeys with labouring women twice. Ive been the woman, once. None of uscould sit, we all kneeled facing backwards in the back seat.

My friend started feeling the urge to push when we were on our way, she laid in the backseat on her side almost in a fetal position and that took away some of the intensity. She was fully dilated when we arrived but stopped contracting for a good hour on our arrival. Then it all started up again.

@Chamallo oh gosh poor you! This is the same hospital where I've been for all my scans (more than the regular) and vaccines etc so we're very familiar with the route. Also just got a new car which is higher off the ground with much more leg room and I'm so thankful for that. Would not trust DH to not make a crazy decision to try a different route on the day on impulse though. He did the the other day when we were travelling somewhere and PGP had me in tears. Questioned wtf he was doing and he sheepishly mumbled he'd been meaning to trial that route for a while but did in hindsight realise now probably wasn't the best moment as our journey suddenly took 18 minutes longer 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Lexibletheflexible I've heard this can happen. Labour ebbs and flows anyway but the changing environment etc must be mega disruptive!

Also really enjoying your username 😁

Agree with the tens machine. I used it with my first in hospital and it did nothing, but in the car when I was contracting with my second it was actually helpful - I think feeling like I was slightly able to help the situation when it felt a bit out of control!
Put towels under you just incase your waters break.
Play some music that you can sing along to in the car - I had a 2000’s playlist going which distracted me a bit whilst I sang along.
I did basically all of my labour in the car (about 25 mins drive) and gave birth 15 mins after getting to hospital.
It wasn’t a comfortable journey - I kind of hovered above the seat and wish I’d been in the back where I could have laid down a bit more.
But the music and tens machine definitely helped to get me in the zone and sort of tune out the fact that I was in the car!

Ok well you answered my question, I don't think I was daft to ask what conversation you had had with your medical professionals concerning your birth.

TENS machine or a birth comb, an eye mask so you can stay chilled and in your space can be helpful. I would probably set off sooner then you think, 3rd babies have a way of surprising you! My 3rd arrived 20m after my contractions started 😳 I was being induced but still, took us all by surprise!

I had mine at home but I think I would have gone on all fours on the back seat if I had to go in.

If you go early enough labour will probably slow down though anyway.

I booked a home birth instead tackling the drive. The midwives were speedy coming out all 4 times

I used to live in Cornwall, 30-40 minutes from the hospital, on a good day. We were advised to NEVER attempt to travel to hospital by car if labour started at the weekend between the beginning of May and the end of September, but to call an ambulance. If the worst happened, the paramedics would pull over to the side of the A38 and deliver the baby. I can only suggest that you share your concerns with the hospital and arrange to head there as soon as labour starts.

Didn't mean to insinuate you were being daft at all! I was genuinely wondering if perhaps you would educate me into some options I hadn't thought of. My baby brain is strong right now. Thought if I listed my thoughts/plans so far you could then fill in a blank if I'd missed something :)

I never found it a problem. Just make sure dh avoids any speed humps, dunno what it is about those!

I love quite rurally and the hospital is a 40 minute drive on a good day (or night). Both my labours involved driving in late at night/early in the morning so not much traffic.

Keeping calm and relaxed is good. When contractions started at home I had a relaxing shower and got ready, bag was already packed. Tens machine on and relaxing music on in the car. Sometimes the transition into a different environment can slow labour down as your body tries to protect you. I kept the lights low where possible.

With my first they assessed me and wanted to send me home but I asked to be examined. The midwife exclaimed Oh you’re having a baby tonight! I was 6cm dilated and then was moved to a room. Both babies born at 8am/8:30am and then I was home that evening.

I’m not going to say it was my favourite trip into town but it wasn’t awful. The road was particularly bumpy when I went in with my first and I definitely felt that but it was manageable with just the tens machine.

Would you consider staying at home and calling out paramedics to be there just in case you needed to transfer if the midwives won’t come out?

Alternatively if you can afford a private midwife this would be a good option.