Should I stay nearly 1 hour away from my mat hospital for the night?

[feelingratheroverwhelmed]

I'll be 39 weeks on Sunday. I've had a couple of false alarms where I've spent one-two nights in the ward over the last couple of weeks. I'm also booked in for an ELCS next week and don't want to consider a VBAC.

We're having a little party for my DS tomorrow at my MIL's who lives about 45 mins away. It's late afternoon (after his nap). We don't really have the room here, my mum lives close to them and it just suits the family best. But, I'm trying to decide what to do after. DH really wants to stay over so we can spend more time with the family, his mum can help with DS etc. His mum has pointed out the new maternity unit down the road.

But;

The unit is no good for me as it's a MLU, so I don;t think the even do epidurals, they certainly won't do csections. That would be at the big general hospital about 20 mins away. Not that far, but I don;t know the hospital, and thinking of every scenario, if the baby had to go to SCBU, they'd be in a hospital nearly an hour away from my house.

I'm not sleeping well at all at the moment. All my pains seem to happen at night, which often sees me wandering round the house in the early hours, and on a couple of occasions, taking myself off to hospital. I have the comfiest bed ever, but even that is no good for me at the moment!

I know that DH is going to spend this evening trying to persuade me to stay over at his mums. I know that his mum will think I'm being overdramatic if I say I want to be close to my local hospital.

Also, it could be a good thing in that if I do need to go to hospital tomorrow night DH can drive me to MY hospital, and DS would be happily looked after at Granny's house. But it is nearly 1 hour away.

What to do??????

Who would be looking after your DS otherwise?

I think an hour will be fine. We're 45 mins from our hospital when we're at home and that was fine. As long as you have your notes with you and your DH can drive you then it should be ok. If things progressed very quickly you could always go to the MLU and be transferred.

Having said all that, there would have been nothing on this earth that would have persuaded me to stay they night at MILs house at 39 weeks pg.

Can't you just drive back later on the same day?

If we're at home DH would need to stay here, I'd get a cab, and he'd join me once MIL got here to look after DS. So it'd still be MIL, she'd just have to do the drive at whatever time aything happens.

I still can't decide! I've told DH that if we do stay he can't drink (usually we'd go out in the eve) and he already seems to have worked this out. 45 mins really isn't that far, is it? But I just know I'd be so much more comfortable here...

If you feel more comfortable at home, stay at home. It's that easy Tbh. Xx

We live an hour away from our hospital so I would say it would be fine, if it is something you are comfortable with :)

Just remembered I started this thread. Thought I should update for future searchers.
I did stay at MILS's that night, and did indeed go into labour! Thankfully it progressed pretty slowly so I stayed there for as long as I could just to make sure it wasn't yet another false alarm, then we made our way to our hospital. There was plenty of time to spare, I was only 3cm when they examined me but as I was due for an elcs they decided to do it that night.
So, all was good and I now have a lovely new DS.

Congratulations! Glad it all worked out. :)