Can you drive to hospital yourself when you go into labour?

[HPonEverything]

I'm obviously in a thread-starting mood today!

I'm due early October but my DH is going away for a week in mid September and will be a 5 to 6 hour drive away. All our family(ies) live the same 5 to 6 hour distance so there is really nobody who could be around 'just in case'. We live in a rural place and the hospital is at least 30mins away.

My neighbour is very lovely, we've spoken to him and he will take me if he's around, but he works nights and sometimes in the day (long distance trucker) so may not be there.

In the unlikely event that my baby comes early (it's my first, and I'm told they're normally late if anything), would I be able to drive myself to hospital or is this a complete no-no? What are the practicalities of doing this, e.g. what's the earliest or latest I could go without them having a go at me for being too early, or the baby popping out while I'm stuck at traffic lights?

I hate the idea of wasting NHS/paramedic's time and have never called 999 so I'm not sure if it would be reasonable to call an ambulance in this situation or if they'd be mad at me for not getting myself there.

Oh yes walking's fine, but my parents lived in the middle of nowhere and this was before mobile phones. My Dad didn't go with her either. He drove himself there later. Madness.

ShowofHands your mum sounds like mine... my mum fell and dislocated her fingers, but just snapped them back into place. She's proper hardcore!

Yup, sounds a lot like my Mum. The cupboard (containing all of the glass/china) fell off the wall onto my Mum's head, breaking her nose, shoulder and causing severe bruising and cuts. She washed herself down with TCbloodyP and carried on clearing up. My Dad came home and found her dripping blood on the floor as she swept up and took her straight to A&E. And I distinctly remember her discharging herself from hospital 5hrs post hysterectomy and driving for 5hrs across the country to go to a funeral. She didn't tell anybody either. Like I said, not normal.

Well according to my mother you can......... I didn't and couldn't have though!

just call an ambulance, you will be in prem labour and may need medical support anyway.

I would agree that you should speak to your MW..you won't be the first mum to be who has had trouble with transport and they will have all kinds of plans and schemes to get you safely where you need to be.

Plus it will give you a boat load of reassurance that you won't be stranded in the middle of nowhere in your hour of need, and you will know what you need to do.

A