Have to get taxi to hospital when in labour, am I over worrying? Advice appreciated!

[bytheMoonlight]

We don't have a car or anyone that can be relied on yo give us a lift to hospital when labour starts.

I'm due in two weeks and the closer it gets the more I'm worried about having to get a taxi. The things that worry me are:

1. Having to wait ages for a taxi (when they say they are five minutes away but in reality they turn up a lot later)

1. Having contractions in the taxi, what if the driver isnt happy about having me in his car?

1. Getting to hospital and then being sent home as I'm not far enough dilated. The thought of having to get a taxi home and then back again makes me want to cry now let alone at the time.

Are these relevant concerns or am I over worrying due to closeness of birth?

I got a taxi, he was great. I was nervous about it and probably went to the hospital a bit too early because of it, but I really wouldn't worry about it. As previous posters have said, they have seen much worse on a Saturday night!

Please don't even think about taking an ambulance unless you need it. In most normal labours, unless you've left it too late, an ambulance is just not required. Really, really it isn't.
If you explain you'll be arriving by cab the maternity unit is far less likely to make you go home and come back again - so that's one plus already.
We took a cab when I was labouring with DS and it was brilliant, in fact I think some of my friends whose hubbies drove them to the hospital had a much more negative experience travelling in as it was just them having to deal with the pain, no back up from their stressed other halfs who were trying to gun red lights etc.
We rang around the cab firms in advance after getting some recommendations from the NCT, told them the situation, the cab arrived in less than 5 minutes, was ever so patient while we loaded up all our stuff, including towels and a bucket as I suddenly felt sick, oh and the change jar because DH had forgotten to get the cab fare in advance (pretty much all the prep he had to do for the birth!).
The black cab was lovely and roomy, I found the pull down seats were perfect for leaning over and mooing. Plus the cabbie did a better job at negotiating rush hour traffic than DH would have. And he also waited patiently in the drop off point at the hospital while I leant on the front of his cab and moo'd during another contraction. Turns out he had four kids and as he put it by the time you're onto the fourth it's like going out for the shopping!
A much better experience than getting there in your own car and on the way home the cabbie was so gentle over speed bumps which was also much appreciated.
Sorry for the epic post but it was probably the most light-hearted part of my somewhat traumatic labour!

well chances are i may have to get a taxi too! as i dont drive i use a taxi fairly often and always use the same firm, i get a lot of the same drivers and i think they are on red alert waiting to take me to the hospital when the time comes haha! but look i wouldnt worry im sure you wont be the first woman in labour in their taxi and you wont be the last!

I hadn't even considered calling an ambulance to be an option.

It's good to hear such positive experiences of taxi rides whilst in labour and I can see the benefits like being dropped off right outside the maternity unit!

I will try not to worry so much!

Yes - the best bit is that you get dropped off at the front door and don't have to drive around and somewhere to park/money for parking whilst your DH panics, and turns the air blue with swearing!

You'll be fine in a taxi - good luck when the times comes!

I went 20 miles to hospital after waters had broken (and were still trickling. Taxi firm just asked me to sit on lots of towels. The driver was lovely and seemed quite pleased to be able to help.

I seem to remember the midwife talking about this when we had our tour of the hospital (it was a long time ago). I think they did recommend a local company too, so probably worth talking to your mw. I think it's up to you if you tell them you're in labour beforehand, would imagine they'll soon realise either way! Perhaps if you let them know they'll send a parent/some one who will be sympathetic.

We made lots of plans for taxi companies with my first, but I had a precipitous labour in the end! The midwife just happened to pop round 15 minutes after I went into one constant agonising contraction after my waters went unexpectedly at 36w6d (she was coming round to chat about a homebirth of all things, the timing was amazing) and she checked me and found I was 7cm gone - 20 minutes earlier I'd been calmly eating my dinner. I spluttered out that my antenatal teacher told me births like this only happened on EastEnders so I couldn't be in labour and it was just the curry from last night but no, apparently baby really was about to come out! As I was literally 6 hours before the cut-off of 37 weeks for a homebirth and she didn't have all her equipment in the car she rang for an ambulance.

One of my best friends is an ambulance dispatcher so I knew just what they all thought of maternataxis, so I spent most of the ambulance journey high on gas and air (I used the ambulance crew's entire cannister!) apologising profusely for bothering them and asking if they knew my friend!! They were totally fine and kept reassuring me this was one of the few times a taxi in labour was okay, in fact everyone expected me to deliver in the ambulance! We did make it to hospital though.

If you have precipitous labour, you'll know it, and nobody will mind you ringing an ambulance. Promise!! Otherwise a taxi is just fine and was what I was going to do..

As to question 3, if they don't think you're ready, doing lots of walking around the local area to get contractions going would be one way to kill the time rather than going home again!

I used a taxi (husband doesn't drive), and it was ok. Had to wait half an hour which gave me enough time to have a shower and pack my bag. I took a bin liner and a towel to sit on, just in case (waters were broken), and the driver was fine about it, and quite excited, as it was the first time she drove somebody to labour ward.

Moonlight the labour ward is really experienced at telling you when you might or might not need to go in. I take it you will be phoning them when you think you have started? They have a chat with you and can normally pretty well assess if you are ready to go in or not...
(It's to do with if you can speak in sentences and stuff like that).
So if you are on all fours and can't speak, phone an ambulance, if you are having little niggly pains every ten minutes, but don't want to be at home any more, phone the taxi.
And good luck.

I got a taxi in with my DH. TBH it was fine, quite nice that DH was able to give me a cuddle rather than concentrating on the road.

Honestly, don't worry about it. And don't call an ambulance unless you really need to. I went in by minicab, took rather longer than expected due to central London rush hour traffic jams, but in most labours you have time to kill!

Make sure you talk to a midwife before you set off, to reduce the chances of being sent home when you arrive. I DID arrive too early, but they kept me in - partly because of the transport situation.

"niggly pains every ten minutes" might want to wait a little longer! Our labour ward didn't want to know unless you were having 3 contractions lasting 40 seconds each within five minutes. TBF they may have thought I was being a wussy first timer as I'd only been in labour for an hour but Ds was born four hours later

I had to take a taxi to the hospital both times as Dh doesn't drive. We just called for a taxi, never mentioned that I was in labour and there were no problems.

We were told at our labour ward tour that when in labour we could call an ambulance if we wanted to but if we got to hospital and it turned out that you weren't actually in labour and had to be sent home you would be charged a fee for the ambulance.

Erm not one of our local taxi firms will take a woman in labour. They turn round and leave you with no way to get to hospital. And they do charge for 'misuse' of ambulances as well here. Am crapping bricks about just how the heck I'm meant to get to the hospital if it's at night when the buses aren't running, as neither me nor DP can drive. And as for the MW's being able to tell over the phone if you're in established labour...how would they have told with me with dc3 when I was holding a full conversation laughing and joking with DP until 2 contractions before DS2 was born? If They'd made me wait until I couldn't talk in full sentences to come in, he would have been born at home! I just thank my stars that I've had planned inductions with all my others and have been able to go in on the bus. Am petrified about it this time round, as we will have to wait up to an hour for MIL to get here by taxi to look after the other 3 dc's. My last labour was 5 hrs from 1st contraction to holding him in my arms!

I need a taxi to get me hospital when im in labour. Cant bear the thought though of me putting bags and two young children in the car and trying to keep calm but in pain as to not alarm everyone.

My hospital is 1 hour 15 mins away by car about 48 miles altogether! So a long time........so worried it will all go wrong ie water break, taxi man moaning, kids upset is not a good vision!

If you call for a taxi and it doesn't come for a bit, in most cases ok to wait. If there is any risk that the baby is coming (need to push) you call an ambulance.

DS2 is DC3, and I had a relatively quick labour with DS1(DC2) - he was born 1.5 hours after getting to hospital.

I was advised that if my waters went at home I was to call ambulance and DH not to drive me. In the event DH drove me and waters went in hospital - I went in even though I wasn't in established labour as midwife freaked me out saying it could be quicker that the last time. DS2 born with no voluntary pushing within a couple of minutes of waters going. Period of established labour was less than half an hour.