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Original poster

Ambulance and Labour

33 replies

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 20/07/2009 20:28

Would you/did you call an ambulance if you are/were in labour? Of course I do not mean for medical emergencies where it was life or death, but for normal labour?

I ask because I had not even considered it, unless of course I went into labour very early/quickly and no time to go in car with no medical backup.

DH and I were talking the other day when we talked about what hosp to give birth in, and he said, it does not really matter if it is 45 mins away as the ambulance can take you there. I said I did not think you could/should call an ambulance for labour, and he was gobsmacked. He considered labour an emergency and I argued it was not. A straighfoward labour requires some planning and part of that planning is getting to the hospital. He said, what if he was not here, I said I would ask a friend to take me. He said I should call an ambulance.

I sort of think it is treating them like a taxi service! WDYT?

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rubyslippers · 20/07/2009 20:30

if there was an issue and i felt terribly unwell or went into labour on my own i would call an ambulance

that is what they are there for

BUT i wouldn't call if everything was going to plan - Dh drove me to the hospital with DS and whislt it was uncomfortable it was fine

Original poster
PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 20/07/2009 20:32

ruby - that is what I mean - if there is a medical reason for an ambulance, of course.

DH drove me last time, and we never even had the discussion. I did not even think about an ambulance. It was not required. I don't even think he mentioned it that time!

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TheProvincialLady · 20/07/2009 20:38

We don't have a car and so with DS1 I caught a taxi. Three times (I didn't have triplets, just a couple of false starts). Ambulance never crossed my mind.

Original poster
PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 20/07/2009 20:40

provinciallady I said that to DH, that if no-one was around and I was stuck I would get a taxi. I guess we never discussed it last time as hosp was close and we were talkng about a hosp further away so he was probably thinking, less time, further distance so just hop in an ambulance !

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LuluMaman · 20/07/2009 20:40

an ambulance should only be called if there is going to be a baby born before you could get to hospital, or if there is some emergecny

it is not just for getting you to the hospital in labour

there have been a few threads on the using of taxis for getting you to the hospital, if oyu don;t have a car or anyone to drive you

if your hospital is 45 mins away, might be best to go sooner than you would do if it was 10 minutes away, but the distance itself does not need an ambualnce

i thikn an ambulance crew would be a bit ticked off to get a 999 call to take a normally labouring woman to hospital

Ceebee74 · 20/07/2009 20:41

Hi Pav

Absolutely not - that is not what ambulances are for. If it is a matter of life or death, yes - but not for a routine journey into hospital whilst in labour. I am afraid that is treating them as nothing more than a taxi service

If you use them for that, you could well be keeping them away from someone who is in a life and death situation and does need their skills.

snickersnack · 20/07/2009 20:41

I would only call an ambulance if it was an emergency - heavy bleeding, baby's arrival imminent. Otherwise, no - get a taxi, get someone to drive you. I think they would be unimpressed with a call out to a routine labour.

StarlightMcKenzie · 20/07/2009 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

CMOTdibbler · 20/07/2009 20:44

Ambulances are only for genuine emergencies. No way for a normal labour, unless you'll give birth in the car otherwise.

When I went into labour at 35 weeks and had no one to take me in, I called someone from work - so great was my urge to avoid being in an ambulance. Fortunatly he was fab, and has dined out on the story ever since

Original poster
PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 20/07/2009 20:48

Oh good. I am glad I am not going mad then! I was sitting here thinking 'do people call ambulances then?' as he seemed so insistent I could and should call one if he was not around?!!

Don't panic, I won't get an ambulance to save petrol or anything, if there are complications I would, but not for convenience. Just wanted to see how other people viewed it!

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IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 20/07/2009 20:54

In some areas though the ambulance is the norm.
Where I used to live, 22 miles from the hospital, little to no taxi service through the night and no transport of your own the labour suite routinely sent out ambulance to you it was the norm and done because the labour suite for this hospital (next hospital woth labour suite 120 miles away)covered such a vast area with little or no public transport.
With dd I got an ambulance with ds had my praents living close by this time so they took me and no need for labour suite to call one out.

smellen · 20/07/2009 20:55

Well, I called an ambulance ... but only because DS's head was poking out and wouldn't budge!!

Have you got friends or neighbours you can ask to be "on call" for you?

worley · 20/07/2009 21:06

i wouldnt have thought about calling an ambulance, but at the time ds2 was due, there were very bad traffic jams in our town (bridge was broken to cross the harbour, had major backed up ques to get over the other bridge through town, peak season in holiday seaside town) so the midwife told me, if i was in labour and couldnt get through traffic then i had to call an ambulance to get through traffic. im not sure i would have dared though!, i didnt have to as was induced early at hospital so all was ok.

i have to say though that calling an ambulance whilst in labour is probably not as frowned on as the reasons some ambulances are called for.

ExtraFancy · 20/07/2009 21:09

The labour ward sent an ambulance (and the community midwife) to my house when I was in labour! In fairness I had gone from 1cm to 6cm in about 10 minutes...

Noonki · 20/07/2009 21:12

My DH is a paramedic -

He says you should ONLY call in an emergency as you might be taking an ambulance away from someone that actually needs one.

swissmiss · 20/07/2009 21:14

It'd never crossed my mind to call an ambulance. However, when in labour with DC3 and I called the delivery suite to let them know I was on my way in, the m/w told me that if things suddenly sped up and DH wasn't back here in time to take me (he was at work about 15 miles away, and I hadn't yet called him ) I was to call her back straight away and she'd send an ambulance, even though I wasn't going to my nearest maternity unit.

Olihan · 20/07/2009 21:19

I wouldn't, unless things were progressing very quickly and I was getting urges to push. When I was pg with ds2 (having had a 3 hour labour with dd) the mw told me that if I got to the point at homw where I needed to push then I should call an ambulance. It's easier and safer for an ambulance to pick you up from home than try and find you enroute, apparently.

I guess it depends how quickly things progress as well. I was having contractions that were 2-3 mins apart about three quarters of an hour into my labour with ds2 (I'd only had about 8 contractions, too). We were only a 10 minute drive from the hospital so we went in the car but if we were any further away I think I would have considered calling an ambulance. DS2 was born under an hour after we got there so it would have been a bit tight if the journey had been as long as yours will be.

What was your first labour like?

Tommy · 20/07/2009 21:24

we were told at ante-natal classes that an ambulance is useful if the birth is imminent as they can help with an emergency home delivery if necessary - not just for normal labour

ChasingSquirrels · 20/07/2009 21:26

tbh I thought dh was overdoing it when he called an ambulance after ds2 had been born (v quick BBA). I would have just waited for the midwife myself.

trixymalixy · 20/07/2009 21:36

No ambulances are for emergencies, not a taxi service.

Original poster
PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 20/07/2009 21:56

Oh no I am not concerned about getting to the hospital at all, I have plenty of options that do not include an ambulance, I was just interested in others perspectives on it, as it had never even entered into the equation.

I think if the baby's head was poking out and not budging, I might though smellen

My last labour was fine, 18 hours, I stayed at home as long as I could, DH drove me and my best friend/doula, and we went back for the ipod stereo as I did not want to labour without my music. Plenty of time!

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BlackLetterDay · 20/07/2009 23:21

I dunno tbh, when I was in labour with dd I phoned the delivery suite and was asked if I wanted an ambulance, although it was stressed that I would have to make my own way home if not in established labour must be the norm at that hospital.

Had an elcs with ds so not an issue, with this baby if I did happen to go into labour before section I think I would request an ambulance, maybe not call 999 but ask delivery suite to send one. We don't drive or have anyone to take us and I would be likely travelling alone, and after 2 sections and a fair distance to the hospital, depending on the situation I don't think I would feel good about the taxi option.

BlackLetterDay · 20/07/2009 23:22

Oh forgot to mention I didn't take the ambulance with dd, just got a taxi, but lived much closer to the hospital then.

Rolf · 21/07/2009 00:02

I wouldn't plan on using an ambulance unless there was a good reason for doing so. If you can get yourself, safely, to the hospital, then you should do so.

We've had to dial 999 for 2 of our babies (the other 2 were induced!). The first time it was because I went v quickly from bearable contractions to needing to push. We knew we wouldn't make it to the hospital without a blue light.

The second time, my MW actually advised me to dial 999 as I have fast labours and there was a real chance that I wouldn't make it to hospital, or that DH would end up doing the delivery in the back of the car. As things turned out, there wasn't time even for that and the baby was born on my bathroom floor.

Linnet · 21/07/2009 00:04

I went to hospital in a taxi both times I was in labour.

But the midwife did say that it was ok to call an ambulance while in labour but if it turned out to be a false alarm you would be charged for the use of the ambulance.