Had anyone ever had such a quick labour they haven't had time to sort childcare?

[TimeyWimeyStuff]

Just curious really - Pretty much as the title says. I'm trying to work out our arrangements for baby due in Feb. We already have a two year old and our nearest relatives who have offered to drop everything and come at any time are one and three quarter hours' drive from our home. I expect that with the average labour, this would be fine, and that we could have someone here before I had to go to hospital. But I have heard of some really quick labours, so just wondered if anyone had found themselves without childcare and perhaps been forced to take a child with them/handed over in a hospital car park or something like that. Or is that very rare?

This is on my mind because we had a scare the other week and had to lift DD from her bed and take her to the labour ward where I went for monitoring. Once I was admitted, it was fairly simple for DH to take her home, but he couldn't do that if I was in labour and I needed him there as my birth partner.

We are not close to many people locally, so I need to start now if I am going to look for a local care arrangement for the middle of the night or weekend (any time when nursery is closed, really). I'm considering offering to pay one of the nursery staff to be on call (or maybe a couple of them, on a rota). I'd feel bad asking local friends who I don't know that well, who have their own children to deal with. Also it's surely best if someone comes and sleeps in our house so DD does not have to be moved?!

Hope some of you are willing to share experiences,
Thanks

Not all subsequent labours are quicker!

If the worst came to the worst then of course your husband would be looking after your DD and you would give birth without him.. As worst case scenarios go, it's unfortunate but its not the end of the world.

I hate the thought of having to leave my children in an emergency and was repeatedly worried during my last pregnancy as I had recurrent bleeding in late pregnancy which required me to go into hospital each time it happened (depending on how heavy the bleeding I had to get in ASAP). I just had to hope I was with someone who could look after DD at the time - and to be honest the worry of it was worse than the reality most times.

I am now pg with Number 3 and we are about to re-locate so we will be a long way away from anyone we know..... My default position is that DH will prioritise the children and I will need to cope by myself in the hospital (can get a taxi there or ambulance worst case). It won't probably apply in labour as I will have a C/S so assuming we can arrange child care for that, but if I have bleeding again (likely on the basis of having had it in both previous pregnancies), or any premature complications that will be my plan.

Not ideal but the more children you have the more that divide and conquer becomes inevitable I suppose, so different to pregnancy number 1 where I barely went to the midwife without DH present!!! ...