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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Parking/antenatal/SPD

20 replies

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 13:55

Am currently sar in my car waiting for antenatal to send me a porter as there was no parking anywhere near and facing a walk 400m+uphill/steps to clinic against the wind on crutches seemed impossible. I've now been waiting 25 mins & wondering how other hospitals work parking and why they would put antenatal nowhere near a car park ( except for the 5 spaces outside which are always full)

Usually I could have just about managed this but ended up on space furthest away from antenatal and the wind has scuppered me. There wasn't anyone to bring me today and a taxi would be £20+ each way

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FioFio · 15/09/2010 13:57

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Original poster

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 14:03

You can have it

No idea how disabled people cope as there is no pavements between here & there or the other car park & antenatal.

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buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 15:30

I had this problem. And it was even further to my physio! Some of the parking attendants were lovely and let me park in the disabled spaces (I think they took pity on me with my crutches in February snow...). If it helps, vent loudly when you get in there - they might just take notice...

Original poster

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 17:42

Disabled spaces were all full( and no nearer!) I'm going to speak to PALS as all they can offer is park on double yellows/laybys/anywhere and they'll tell parking BUT if I park on double yellows I'm in the way on ambulances. Woman came in after me on crutches too & she had got parked outside but knew it was by luck.

Oh & after 40 mins no one appeared to help me & I phoned again & the receptionist saved me a space that had just emptied.

I asked what disabled (as in permanently disabled) people do and they just lookedblank.

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buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 19:24

Oh it's so frustrating isn't it?

We went to an aquarium when I had just got my crutches where we watched a shark show in an auditorium where the seats were all ramped. I managed to creep my way up some stairs to some empty chairs and asked if anyone was sitting there. This fat old lady said yes, she was saving them for her family. (Who all turned out to be fat selfish people) So a fella who was on his own with his 3 kids said no problem, he'd stand provided I didn't mind his 3 young children sitting with me! It was a real insight into what disabled people face from members of the 'caring' public!

BTW, nothing against fat people generally (carrying rather a lot of extra myself) but they were right lard-arses! And it was the selfishness which really got to me.

DH couldn't even intervene for me - he was so angry he was frightened to open his mouth...

Original poster

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 19:55

I keep getting tutted at by old ladies in town when I sit on benches. Too far for me now but couple of weeks ago dh would shop while I went bench to bench!

Car parking is really making me stressed. Only places I go ( home , kids school, hospital) are v difficult to get parked

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buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 20:30

When I asked at school they said I could park in staff car park for the duration provided I was there early and left late so that they could shut the gates. I felt 10 extra mins sitting in the car was worth it! It might be worth explaining your problem to them.

Mind you, I then had to put up with the dirty looks from other parents as parking within school grounds is strictly verboten...

Original poster

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 20:51

They don't have a staff car park, its in the middle of a residential area with on street parking for all. Head has offered to put me in touch with parents who may help or for me to phone the school & tell staff to tell dd2 where I'm parked so she can make her own way to me.dd1 walks home with friends some days so trying to juggle after school clubs with friends walking to make it so I don't have 2 pick ups!

OP posts:

buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 21:07

Oh, I think I have just realised how very lucky I was! Perhaps find a parent with connections in the construction industry and pilfer borrow a couple of cones. Get a mate who gets there early to put them nearest to the school gates?

How many weeks have you got left? I was induced at 38 wks as I couldn't hack it any more. Mind you ds was breech til 37 wks when he was turned manually, and it was a little less painful after that.

buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 21:08

In fact, DH has plenty of cones in his office. We're in Staffs. You're welcome to some if you're local.

Original poster

nymphadora · 15/09/2010 21:30

Going for a section in 3 weeks, will be only just 38 weeks.

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buttonmoon78 · 15/09/2010 21:39

Excellent - not long now then. Are you taking any meds for it? I was using codeine & sleeping tablets at the end but had to come off the night ones 3 days before ds was born to ensure nothing was in his system.

Felt like a hardcore junkie doing that but before I had the drugs I was like this deranged loonie that kept crying and screaming at random things. Couldn't sleep at all, cried all night! All in all, a nice balanced woman.

After ds was born (not by cs tho) I was up within the hour, walking (!) without crutches (!!) to have a bath (!!! - hadn't been able to get into or out of a bath for about 4 months) Was back to normal within a couple of weeks.

DoNotFeedMeBiscuits · 15/09/2010 21:43

I work in a hospital, and I can't park in the car park - not because there are no spaces, but because the maximum stay is 4 hours. It's free to park, but you can't stay longer than that. There are lots of empty staff permit spaces, but you can't get one unless you are permanently based at that hospital (which most doctors bar consultants aren't) AND have to go to different hospitals for clinical commitments several times a week. In order to park all day, I have to park at the other side of a big park in a dodgy bit of the city which is a 10 minute walk across or a 15 minute walk around (pre pregnancy and development of pelvic pain).

My current solution is having to move my car to a different bit of the car park at lunchtime, and hope the car park people don't notice. Not ideal. Really hoping my minor pelvic pain doesn't get as bad as yours

The plus side is that for patients and visitors the parking is really quite good, just not so good if your doctor/nurse has been mugged walking across the park trying to get to the clinic to see you!

1Catherine1 · 15/09/2010 22:44

Having only visited my hospital in the early hours of the morning before last Monday I was surprised when I drove around all the patient parking at the Hospital for a good half an hour looking for a parking space. I was having a mega stress out since I was convinced I was going to miss my scan. I ended up parking in the "pick up and drop off only - 20 minute max stay" zone and sending my OH out to move the car 20 minutes later. Luckily for us I didn't have my scan until 40 minutes after my appointment time so my DP didn't miss a thing :)

Original poster

nymphadora · 16/09/2010 05:17

Donotfeedmebiscuits- get it put in your pg risk assessement! Lucky patients with free parking though. Ours is charged & in 2 hour blocks so if clinics run over you often need to put more money on.

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buttonmoon78 · 16/09/2010 07:29

Ours is charged but the first initial block is 4 hrs! Great if you know you're in for the long haul but not so great if you're nipping in for a quick appointment!

And you have to take a small mortgage out each time

Original poster

nymphadora · 16/09/2010 08:26

Used to be £1.50 for 4 hours now £1.50 for 2

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DoNotFeedMeBiscuits · 16/09/2010 15:48

pregnancy risk assessment - are you having a laugh?! It was hard enough finding someone who would sign off my Mat Leave forms as everything is supposed to be done by a Line Manager, and no-one seems to know who that is!

Original poster

nymphadora · 16/09/2010 16:26

But if you have long to go it may be worth making a fuss?

I wish I had tbh I agreed the basic one at the start & when I returned from sick it needed changing but no one bothered. If they had I would have been spared 3 flights of stairs which was increasing the SPD. By the time I got a response I only had 1 1/2 days left.

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Original poster

nymphadora · 20/09/2010 17:28

Spoken to PALS and have now been passed to local PALS. They have agreed disabled access isn't good enough and will look into it.

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