What did you/will you do about other DC when you're in labour?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Interested in how people are manage looking after other DC when they go into labour.

Our nearest family (DHs parents) are a minimum 2 hours away. They're the only people who can really look after our 2yo for any length of time but it is a big ask for them to be ready at moments notice to come stay at our house possibly for days.

We've also got various friends locally who could babysit for a few hours in an emergency, including people who could come over in the middle of the night if needed but everyone has jobs so I don't know what we would do if everything kicks off in the middle of a working day.

I'm a bit worried that we'll end up having to take DS to the hospital and then me having to go it alone if everything kicks off quickly.

I guess you ask parents to come immediately and local friends/family to cover the gap until they do and just cross your fingers it's not at 5:30am!

I'm hoping for a c-section so easier to plan, but am lucky to have available local parents to help out.

I expect one or two of those friends would be able to duck out of work for a few hours in this situation with very little notice if they had explained things in advance to their managers, scope them out. And as for parents - it's fine to ask them to be ready to drop everything for this one unique situation. It isn't as though it happens every week or even every year :-)

I was induced last time so had plenty of notice so have no experience of how quickly things could progress. Hopefully I will get early signs so PIL have plenty of time to get ready.

5:30am would be ideal - it's not a crazy time to get people out of bed and all our local friends will be home! My fear is 11am on a weekday!

moggle PIL get easily flustered and anxious so although they would certainly be here for us I worry about having to tell them to 'be here NOW' - plus in practical terms they would probably have things they would have to sort for pets etc before they could just hop in the car and drive. Combine with bad traffic it could easily be 4 hours from getting the phonecall.

My PIL are like that too :-) though no pets. But evidently they were fab for my SIL when her DC2 arrived (her own parents live abroad). Things went quite quickly for her, and in the middle of the night, so their next door neighbours got woken to sit in their house for a couple of hours with their sleeping DD (5).
Definitely stick with the reliable friends then as first port of call. I'd be honoured to be asked by a friend, whenever it happened. We have a lodger who is lovely so I'm hoping if we have DC2 they may come in very handy as a stopgap til parents arrive!

DSS was 13 when DS was born. DH stayed at home with him while I went into hospital with my mum. DH visited the next day when DSS was at school.

Looked after them myself until nearly time to 'pop'. Then we had various people on standby for different times of day. Never grandparents as too far away and no real ability to manage a young family. Foster son (21), cleaner, nanny, friends and neighbours. Most people delighted to be involved.

I'm quite lucky, that my parents are literally just down the road, but I'm still flapping about it all.
I'm 36 weeks, so it's playing on my mind quite a bit.

Do we pluck 3yo DS out of bed in the early hours and drop him at theirs on my way to hospital, or ring my dad to come to ours (although, I'm a bit nervy about letting anyone other than DH and the professionals see me in labour!!)

With DS I got plenty of signs that he was on his way before the contractions properly ramped up, so I'm hoping the same will happen and we can just take him to theirs at a reasonable time.

My mum and dad drove 230 miles to be with them ... they arrived a few days before my due date!!!

My mum is 2 hours away also. Luckily I went into labour with Ds2 early one morning. Mum hopped on a train and we left to the hospital after she arrived which was fine. We also had local friends on standby but we did not need them. Good luck

My 2 eldest were with me till quite late on while i was in labour with dc3, had a 12hr labour and went in about 4hrs before i delivered but was back to back, dc 2 i was in and had her within 4hrs, thas the problem, you have got no time frame.

My mum will come round to ours. She likes to go for a few glasses of wine at the pub though so I've got a couple of friends on standby, just in case!

I was in a very similar situation except my nearest relatives were a flight away. My best pal at work was on standby and our manager understood that because I had no one close by she was my next of kin for such emergencies. I went into labour at noon and she left work immediately so mind my DS. Had DD 6 hours later so it was all a bit frantic. My DH stayed home with DS the next day then they came and collected me at around 5pm to go home. I was fine, second kid so I knew what I was doing. My friend wasn't asked to submit a form for leave for the 5 hours but technically could have been I suppose!

Good luck!

thas the problem, you have got no time frame

Yup that is the scary bit! DH himself is an hour away when he is at work.

Unfortunately our best friends who I'd have no hesitation in asking to leave work in an emergency are on holiday for a fortnight round my due date. Other friends have jobs that don't lend themselves to ducking out at a moment's notice.

I am on mat leave for 2 months before the new baby is due so might have to make it my mission to befriend a SAHM in that timeframe!