What happens if you live miles away from the hospital?

[BlueButTrue]

I’m being induced soon and DS will be prem. I’m aware he will most likely been in NICU/SCU for a good while.

If I’m discharged myself, how do I keep coming back? It’s going to cost a fortune in travel and we physically can’t do it, DH has been hit hard financially recently due to his work situation.

What do we do? How do we afford to go and see him/go there and back every day?

I’m so worried

It’s not like we can walk there.

Hendricks... I tend to agree but then I've luckily never been in a position where I'm desperate for money with no options.

There's a lot of 'what ifs' OP, I think you're just going to have to play it by ear... as PPs have said you may both be discharged at the same time.

We're awed daily by the astonishing support that our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns – but we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster (emotionally or financially) than they can afford to spare.

OP, we're sorry to hear your DS might be in NICU. Wishing you all the best for the arrival of your little one [flower]

I'm sorry but there's no way you wouldn't be getting steroids at 35 weeks gestation. No way

Yes, way. I’ve been advised by the consultant that they’ve stopped doing this for inductions passed 34 weeks now as the advantages aren’t all that common. I have no idea how true this is (the advantages), but she gave me some statistics, not that I was really concentrating.

I’ve managed to put things back a few days but I’m in hospital now.

I’m petrified and DH has visited with my stuff and that’ll be it until I get induced. It’s all such bollocks, and I can’t believe I’m in this situation.

So so glad he isn’t so very tiny, or at least isn’t estimated to be as he’s above the 95th percentile.

I just want to be happy and home

I may complain about the attitudes of the NICU staff though. I’ve toured their ward and they haven’t helped me at all, nor has any of the consultants and PALS aren’t getting back to me and say they are looking into things .

Really though, has anyone left reduced movement and been okay? I’m confident I could keep an eye on him by nudging in the evenings or something, but only as a last resort of course

And apologies for repetitively using the word induce, by induce I mean bring baby out (via c section).

I’m aware this isn’t actually the correct terminology

Apologies re the steroids thing, evidently it varies between centres. Presumably you've had dopplers etc done and they're happy with the blood flow so what's the rationale behind inducing you now, rather than waiting until 37 weeks? What other issue do they think the baby will have? On what basis do they think baby will need prolonged time in nicu? It doesn't sound like they've explained things very well to you. To be fair I didn't even get the offer of a nicu tour when I was told I was delivering at 35 weeks. At least you're in a safe place for now and presumably being monitored closely so try not to worry too much.

Do you want to describe your reduce movements situation?

Is it less than 10 movements a day or whatever the standard threshold is now?

welsh That’s no problem, in my head steroids seem more sensible but that isn’t this hospitals policy unfortunately.

With reduced movement, they say the monitors and all the scans in the world are only ever a guide and Mum feeling movement is what they go by above all else, no matter how healthy is HB sounds on the monitor.

I suffer from a bit of a nasty medical condition that I won’t go into but the medication I take isn’t great for pregnancy by any means. They are confident there may well be a few added complications, especially being a bit earlier.

Honestly at 36 weeks, with a larger than average baby, if your medical team think you're best off having a section now, I'd go for it. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised and baby won't need nicu, and if they do it won't be for long.

lijkk I didn’t think there was a threshold really, since every organisation demands feral movement is so different for each baby and every pregnancy is different?

But, for me personally, 3 weeks ago (and since about 24 weeks), he was moving like a mad thing, multiple times a day. Very active baby.

Now I’m lucky to feel him a handful of times at most.

Last week I was in monitoring for a few days as I hadn’t felt DS move in 48 hours, not once.

His CTG monitoring is coming back as normal but as my Midwife says, that’s only a glimpse. Movement tell the bigger picture.

Midwives always insist now that babies don’t move less towards the end of pregnancy so they don’t allow ‘Oh it’s just pregnancy coming to an end’ thing anymore.

Scans are okay too, although he doesn’t really move much on them, even when prodded.

Where do you live?
If you’re near me I’d drive you at least a couple of times a week.

Is there any option to get transferred to a small local community hospital post section? I don't know about you but we're pretty rural but I have to be in the main consultant led unit in our nearest city for birth (likely to be a section) due to complications last time. We are an hour's drive from the city hospital (goodness only knows how you'd do it by public transport - multiple hours/buses I guess). We're only about a 15 minute drive from the community hospital in a nearby large village (but they can't do sections or any "complex" births) and so the plan we have with my consultant and midwife is to have the section in the city and once little one and I are stable enough to transfer us both. There is less pressure on beds at the community hospital so the plan is we'll both stay there until little one is ok to come home. That will also make it much easier for DH and DD1 to pop in to visit. Might something like that be an option?

Bless you Venus, wouldn’t dream of asking anyone or begging within MN, hope I don’t come across this way!

If you happened to live incredibly near by some miracle AND drove near the hospital for work or something, I’m in Bedfordshire.

Prosecco I don’t believe so, the hospital I’m having DS at is are nearest, the other is about half hour further on than my current one.

I have a good mind rock up in my old London hospital. At least I know they don’t discharge mother in a sense of kicking her out if she has a sicky baby

My baby hardly ever moved. I was always in for monitoring. She came early all on her own at 34 weeks. She is absolutely fine now as a toddler. We stayed in hospital together for a week under special care rather than NICU before being discharged. No reason was ever found for the reduced movement or the spontaneous early labour. I hope it all goes well for you.

Huge Sorry for the worry that must’ve caused you

Hope you’re well settled at home by now.

And thank you too x

I’m sorry, that’s a few hours away from me :(

Venus no worries at all! So kind of you to try though

Argh, poor you, thought it was worth asking just in case. Good luck

(Also - I'd strongly recommend removing yourself from those Facebook groups, they sound awful - I had a bit of an experience with breastfeeding groups and judgy nonsense when I was struggling badly to feed DD1 and desperately expressing for her because she could not match, which some crappy people considered "not doing it properly/trying hard enough". Made me feel really miserable and low at a vulnerable time, if they are coming out with the utter codswallop you've mentioned they do not have valid or helpful points and you'd be better off out of it).

The reason they're not giving you an answer is because they don't know, my advise would be to try and not panic. You aren't going to be discharged yourself for a while so it may not even be an issue.

If it does become a problem then agree with your husband on assets that would be pawned to pay for taxis to the hospital.

I read the first part of the post this morning, is there a reason why your partner couldn't drive you?

You probably won't be in the NICU.

I kept going in for reduced movements and then my DD decided to make an appearance at 35+6 days. She was only on the 25th percentile and didn't need to be in the NICU.