Anyone else taken existing children to hospital during labour?

[CarrieLouise25]

Sounds odd, and it's early days yet, but we don't have anyone to look after our children when the time comes.

My close friend moved away last year, and neither myself or my husband have any family.

Can you take your children along to the hospital? Is there a waiting area or something available for them?

I don't want to get a sitter in or someone we don't know. Eldest is 13, also have a 5 year old. Don't want to leave them at home either.

I will be asking the midwife when I see her, but booking in appt not until 12 weeks, and I just want to know if anyone else has had the same problem?

Thank you x

Thank you Yukky, lovely to hear x

If you need to go to hospital for birth I'd go alone - the midwives will look after you, you won't be the first woman in this situation! Definitely don't take your children whilst in labour.

One of my colleagues had this when recently arrived in the UK. Social services arranged respite carer for her older dd while she had planned c section. I expect your mw will consider that you have plenty of time to come up with a better plan than that though.
Good luck making friends.

I had two homebirths with my DSs. The first was long, 19 hours, and the second about 5. The midwives were great and DS1, who was two at the time, slept through DS2's birth, waking to find he had a baby brother.

I did do a lot of prep with him about "all the noises mummy might might to tell us the baby is ready to be born" so you if he heard anything he'd have probably joined in with animal noises of his own. I roared like a lion, humphed like a camel, mooed like a cow, and chattered like a monkey.

Talk with your midwife. It might be an option worth thinking about.

Thanks Homebird8, I'm building a lovely list of questions for the midwife already! x

Ha ha yes I prepped DD1 too. We even watched OBEM and she mimicked the noises for a while after I told her that the ladies were happy and but had to shout as it helped the baby come out. I was apprehensive as didn't want to scare her, but she really didn't seem too bothered.

Good luck! X

You have to find someone who can be on standby even if you have a home birth. Or accept that if you do end up being transferred to hospital, DP will not be able to come with you.

You have several months to get to know the mums at school. I would do this for someone I don't know well if they had no other family support.