Birth hospital: how far is too far?

[Wombleofwimbledon1984]

I’m 28 weeks’ pregnant and baby was diagnosed with 22q deletion two weeks ago. We were initially at our local hospital (Lewisham) but they were absolutely terrible for various reasons I won’t go into and we have moved to Kings

DH has been out of work but has just got an excellent new job and we will need to move to west London to minimise commute.

From there it would take me an hour at rush hour to get to Kings, or 45 minutes not at rush hour. Is this too long? There are other good hospitals there but Kings is great for Di George and for a (non life threatening) heart defect baby will have.

Any advice gratefully received...

Thanks

Ps I will probably be having a normal birth (not induced not caesarean) unless something else goes wrong in the next few months

Do you have to buy/sell in order to move? You're unlikely to be able to do that before your due date so it might me a moot question. Tbh I'd say the other half has to stick with a crap commute for a few months, and move after you've had the baby

No - we’d be renting out our owned place and renting somewhere new. His commute would be two hours each way which is a lot.

That doesn't sound too far for me (though London traffic can be unpredictable!).

My first was born at a hospital 15 miles from where we lived. That drive would have been up to an hour at worst traffic time and half hour in the middle of the night. Ended up going to hospital first time at night so took half hour (but baby didn't want to come out then so went home), and second time middle of the day so took about 45min. I can't say the second time around the travel was pleasant but I don't think the 15min difference mattered - I would have been uncomfortable wherever I was. What mattered the most for me was the hospital.

Hope that helps and good luck x

I live 1.15 hours from St Thomas which is where I’m having DC3. Have had the other two DC there too with the same distance because of complications. It’s always been fine and they always just say come in at the first twinges as you live further. Only time it was annoying was last DC was going head down then up all the time and so I used a private scanning service close to my house rather then schlep to London every time.

My hospital was about that distance. Going back and forth for appointments, especially at the end when they were once a week, was it annoying. But it’s doable and I would personally stick with the hospital that will provide the best care for the baby. I’m not sure about travelling in labour because I had a section but I’d discuss with your consultant and see what they recommend whether that’s coming in at the first sign of it starting or perhaps reconsidering an induction or ELCS.

Thanks both! That’s really reassuring. I can’t face transferring care again after all this. I’ll just have to cross my legs for an hour

Kings is absolutely amazing for pre-natal care and I’d really recommend staying there, however I’d probably change for actual delivery. I’ve had friends give birth there and at weekends it’s rather quiet and not been a great experience.

For me, being in a car for 45 mins or potentially 1.5 hours in rush hour while in labour would be a huge deal breaker! Do not underestimate how long it might take!

It’s also worth trying to see around the labour ward / MLU. At king’s I wasn’t able to look around the wards and that was really disappointing for me.

Lewisham hospital has actually got much better, I have a friend of a friend who is a midwife there and the MLU looks lovely. Avoid Croydon university hospital like the plague (which you might catch anyway from there)

What other hospitals are close by?

It's hard to say because every birth is different. If I had a 1 hour drive to the hospital, my baby would have been born in the car.

So hard to make a call! @ShirleyPhallus Lewisham was awful in our case - I’m going to submit a complaint when I feel up to it. We will be moving to East Sheen. I’ve heard great things about Queen Charlotte but it’s just a maternity hospital and I don’t think they’re that good for things like heart defects, but are excellent for straight forward births. I googled the postcode and St. George’s in tooting is also in the catchment area, though that’s bloody miles away.

I’m at St Thomas’ and live about 45 mins drive/ an hour on the train. Don’t think you are too far away. (I had dd1 at Lewisham and had an awful experience so don’t blame you for wanting to move from there!)

I was an hour from our hospital with both births as we live fairly rurally. Was absolutely fine- good luck!

I know St George’s are absolutely excellent for neonatal care (a friend had hers there at 28 weeks and they were brilliant). If that’s an option and closer to you then I’d really consider that with the prenatal care at Kings.

Sorry you’re in this position with this diagnosis, hope everything turns out well for you