Should I take the car or bus to hospital?

[ConfusedInCroydon]

Have name changed since this post gives away my location.

I'm due in a few days, and am planning to give birth at Croydon University Hospital/Mayday, which is a bit of a trek from where I live in Coulsdon. Neither DH or I drive, and so far I have been travelling to the hospital by the number 60 bus, which is not far from my house and stops very close to the main entrance of the hospital (takes about an hour).

My mum is driving down to look after DD, so I think it was just assumed that she would also drive us to the hospital, when/if it all kicks off. But I was thinking about it last night and it occurred to me that it might just be easier to get the bus, so that we don't have to worry about disturbing DD or about having to figure out the best route to the hospital. Also the bus will very possibly be faster than driving. And it will certainly be cheaper than a taxi.

Only downsides I can see are that it won't drop me directly outside the labour ward, and that I might get a few funny looks. Also, I'm not sure what time the 60 runs until, but in that case we may take a taxi.

I suppose we could also take the train, then taxi frim E Croydon, but that will mean changing and much more walking around, while the bus takes us directly to the hospital.

WWYD?

Hmm! Plan for all eventualities. My labours were fast, and an hour journey on a bumpy bus would have likely led to the delivery being on the no. 60 if I had chosen that method, but every labour is different so you should check time tables and plan routes but also be ready to request a lift in the car or even be prepared to call an ambulance if you think you won't last the journey! Have you thought about a home birth?

I used to live in Purley so know the area
This is the time to get a taxi or forewarn a good friend who would get up in the night for you .
Don't think you'd want to give birth on the bus or train!
Good luck
And if I still lived there I'd take you

Ambulance best bet if labour comes on v quickly

Taxi, you do not want to be on a bus in labour.

In all honesty I would get a lift, you will be in a lot of pain and I would much prefer the privacy of being in a car with someone I know. SO if it was the middle of the night I would expect you would wait until the last minute to disturb DD and thus she would most likely fall straight back asleep in the car anyway so not really disturbing her?

I live really near the hospital and even the short car journey was quite painful during contractions, I think get a taxi or a lift if you can so you can groan in comfort without worrying about funny looks!

You aren't going to want to go to hospital until your contractions are very strong/close together. I wouldn't fancy being on a bus while experiencing 3 strong contractions in every 10 minutes! The taxi ride was bad enough.

One night's broken sleep for DD won't harm her, and she will prob just fall asleep again in the car, as nc060 says.

I agree with thescience .....it was bad enough going by car with my DH driving the 8 mins it took, no way could I go by bus.

Honestly, an hour on a bus by the time your labour is sufficiently established is unlikely to be a pleasant experience. It could also make you very, very tense and slow or stall your labour.

Different if you are going in for an induction or a planned section or something.

Your first labour must have been very easy if you're contemplating going on the bus!
Personally I would not have risked spending an hour on a bus with strangers all around me whilst I moaned, groaned and shouted abuse
Neither would I have been particularly keen on my waters breaking on the bus if I could avoid it.
Plan the route with your Mum - practice run too, and don't worry about DD. She will catch up on any sleep she might lose.
I would have thought the bus will stop running at about 10.30 - 11 anyway.
I would also have a friend/neighbour on standby in case baby decides to come before your Mum does.

Definitely get a taxi. It will be uncomfortable going over bumps and things, much better to be in a comfortable seat than perched in a bus, with other passengers giving you weird looks as you try not to groan.

Also so many things can happen on a bus - it might suddenly throw everyone off and make you wait for the next bus, someone might refuse to pay and the driver then refuse to move until the transport police arrive, there might be heavy traffic and the bus will just wait in it, whereas a taxi could turn around and find an alternative route to the hospital.

Wow, thanks everyone for all your responses. Lots of food for thought.

Starting to think the bus might not be a great idea.

My first labour wasn't easy but it was slow... I was having contractions for 3-4 days, (false labour, probably), and it only kicked off after a sweep, only to then stall again, resulting in induction via drip. When you've had contractions sitting on a stool in o'neils having lunch, having them on a bus doesn't seem all that bad. ;)

But if course its a mistake to assume second labour will be the same as the first.

Have friends who live nearby who have offered to help, but it feels a bit cheeky to ask them after my mum is down.

Anyway thanks for all your responses. A taxi may be the best bet, or possibly the friends could give us a lift depending on what time it all kicks off. We'll play it by ear.

I still think the bus will be less stressful than being driven by my mum, but I appreciative the reasons why it may not be such a great idea.

The kind of early labour contractions that you can eat lunch through will not be the same type of contractions you'll be having in active labour

The sort of contractions where you can eat lunch will be likely to result in the labour ward advising you not to come in yet. They will be waiting for something a lot more intense than that.

Yes agree with everyone else! My first labour was v. slow and so second time round I was prepared for another 36 hours. At 6.30pm I was reading ds his bedtime story; by 7pm I was having contractions every minute and the midwife told me to 'come in right now' :-) dd was born at 10pm and I would not have liked to be in public for any of that time!

I think taxi - they will be familiar with the route and you won't have to stress about your mum getting lost in the middle of the night on the way home.
If it is the middle of the night, do you have friends or a neighbour who will pop in and babysit DD while your Mum takes you in?

I'd also book a black cab. Far more room if you need to kneel on the floor and lean over the seat or just move/shift around generally. Plenty of space to throw in a bag too.

I had a csection after 2 days and spent my early labour pootling around town too. No 2 was much faster and went into 3 mins apart within 2 hours.

Sorry, coming back to this now I'm not on my phone.

The sort of labour you are describing is not unlike my first. I was actually in a lot of pain by the time I went to hospital, but I had days of the sort of contraction where you could grimace through it on the bus/in a restaurant. The thing is, if you go in in that kind of situation, it is basically akin to going in for an induction (which I mentioned in my previous post might be doable on the bus).

If you are going in because you are labouring spontaneously, you are likely to be having intense contractions quite close together. You may also not be sure how quickly the baby will arrive and an hour is a long time! If you had epidural when you had the drip (as I did with my first), you may never have actually experienced the kind of contraction they will be expecting you to cope with you travelling during.

I would definitely agree with those saying taxi, assuming it is financially viable.

It might be worth putting this on the Croydon Local Site: local.mumsnet.com/Talk/croydon/local-active

Good luck!