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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Best way to get to an appointment

48 replies

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 16:50

I have a scan tomorrow. To walk to hospital would take me around 1,5 hours (we have chosen one that is not very local because of great care they provide). I don't really want to take a bus. All the scans so far have been normal and I am not in high risk group (additional scans were mainly because of the history of my first pregnancy. It's too late to cancel, but I am really anxious about going. We can't drive either (there is no parking facility and no off-street parking anywhere around, and my partner would have to stay with our elder one).

Taxi? Teleportation :)? Not going at all?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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n00bMaster69 · 30/03/2020 16:55

Can he not drive, drop you off then collect you?

SnuggyBuggy · 30/03/2020 16:56

I concur, he should drop off and collect.

bythehairsonmychinichinchin · 30/03/2020 16:58

there is no parking facility and no off-street parking anywhere around how do you plan to get there when you’re in labour if there’s no parking? How can a hospital have no parking??

Emerald89 · 30/03/2020 17:11

A hospital with no parking is crazy!

Can you partner bring you and your eldest in the car and the two of them wait for you? That is the safest option.

ShirleyPhallus · 30/03/2020 17:13

I am slightly sceptical that there is no parking there or anywhere around

What hospital is it?

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 17:14

@bythehairsonmychinichinchin For pickup, they have a 5 min parking thing where you literally drop someone off and leave, or pick up and drive off. No parking for patients as such, not sure if staff have any. My partner works from home and cant take time off, and even if, he cant be driving around in circles for 45-60 minutes with the toddler in the back seat and wait for the scan to finish. There is literally no parking around, all reserved for residents.

OP posts:

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 17:15

@ShirleyPhallus have given birth there before, believe me, no parking. When we had our first, we had a cab arranged for a particular time, partner run up with the car seat and we almost missed the cut off to pay a huge fine for overstaying.

OP posts:

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 17:18

@Emerald89 The issue is there is nowhere to wait, all the streets around are residents only, maybe there is somwhere but we don;t know the area that well, we purposedly picked this hospital because of care depsite not being most local. We checked last time if we can 'borrow' someones parking space for half a day when I was due via an app, but due to baby arriving early that did not work.

I realise this is unusual as most hospitals have some sort of parking facility, this one is surrounded by streets and buildings, inner city.

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bythehairsonmychinichinchin · 30/03/2020 17:22

Look at the hospitals website it will mention car parking. I honestly cannot believe there is no parking for patients, staff or visitors.

PleaseStopCrying · 30/03/2020 17:26

Hws going to have to drop you off and you get a taxi back or the other way around. Although I'm staggered theres a hospital with no parking big enough to have a maternity unit. Where do the staff park, what about those going to visit patients I'm beyond baffled that such a thing exists. It seems so impractical.

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 17:30

@bythehairsonmychinichinchin They have as I said a pass through/drop off lane, but if you overstay, tyou pay a massive fine. It is an issue, but nothing we can do about it. You don't have to believe me, it's true though.

@PleaseStopCrying We were a bit surprised too, but it was not a factor for us when chosing a hospital. There are numerous buses around and a train, so most people get on the ublic transport if they visit I suppose There may be a staff car park, but it would be unavailable for us.

OP posts:

OnlyJudyCanJudgeMe · 30/03/2020 17:35

Then you’ll need to get a taxi.

Persipan · 30/03/2020 17:53

Personally I would walk, but I will freely acknowledge that I walk a lot more than the average person and wouldn't really think anything of that distance. (I'm being induced on Friday and fully intend to walk there!)

If that (not unreasonably) doesn't appeal, then I think a taxi is probably your most sensible option.

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 17:57

@Persipan I LOVE walking, but it is a very long walk, and would have to go through a few popular high streets. Have not been out and about for ages, but apparently loads of people are around, so social distancing would not be easiest. May take a cab in the end.

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bythehairsonmychinichinchin · 30/03/2020 18:02

Have you looked on the hospitals website? It will tell you were the nearest parking is if there’s not an on-site one.

Nelbert19 · 30/03/2020 18:08

I’ve worked in a hospital with no parking before, they do exist (ridiculously!) Bristol Royal Infirmary to name one.

If he drops you off, he can stay in the car so he can move it if a resident needs their space/parking ticket person comes? Or he can just drive to the nearest supermarket/petrol station/McDonald’s and wait in the car there?

Nfblues · 30/03/2020 18:26

Ha, I immediately thought of Bristol too! But there is no such thing as no parking at all - I worked there and staff parked at a local car park. If it is Bristol let me know and I’ll tell you the best / cheapest car parks. They might cost an arm and a leg but for labour I would say it’s essential to be able to park there. For appointments and scans, you could potentially park somewhere fairly local and get the bus for 5mins in.

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 18:32

Not Bristol, but great to see there are at least two hospitals in the UK with hardly any parking.

Ours has a tiny visitors parking, but no idea if it will be free, and if it is not, we're done for. Anyways DP works and may not even be able to leave the house to drop me off.
The closest paring that would be available is some Waitrose one, which is dodgy as it's customers only and stil a 40 minute walk from the hospital...

OP posts:

playthestation · 30/03/2020 18:35

My partner works from home and cant take time off, and even if, he cant be driving around in circles for 45-60 minutes with the toddler in the back seat and wait for the scan to finish.

Yes, he can. He has a legal right to the time off. As for amusing a toddler for an hour or so, he can do that too.

bythehairsonmychinichinchin · 30/03/2020 18:36

I’ve just looked at Bristol (mainly out of curiosity) they have a small car park, but there’s public car parks and a shuttle bus that runs to and from the hospital. Perhaps there is a similar setup at the one your at OP. The hospitals website will mention car parking options.

If he parks in the local McDonald’s or supermarket car park tell him to check the parking rules as most have a limit on the time you can send there. I’ve just had £50 parking fine for staying too long at McDonald’s which must be a new thing as I’ve not seen it before...

bythehairsonmychinichinchin · 30/03/2020 18:42

Your partner has the right to time off work to come with you to 2 antenatal appointments. This time off is usually unpaid and is for a maximum of 6.5 hours for each appointment

www.acas.org.uk/your-maternity-leave-pay-and-other-rights/time-off-for-pregnancy-appointments

Original poster

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 30/03/2020 18:50

@bythehairsonmychinichinchin I know he can, but it's too short notice and he's expecting a big delivery tomorrow of important work stuff, so not really an option for tomorrow, would be possible if we planned better but only clocked in now the appointment is tomorrow as they usually are on Fridays.

The closest supermarket parking is 40 minutes walk as I said above according to the hospital website, so halfwaybetween where I live and the hospital, may as well walk all the way.

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playthestation · 30/03/2020 18:56

I get the feeling you don't want to go.

I0NA · 30/03/2020 18:57

How did you plan to attend scans when you chose that hospital in the first place ? I don’t see what’s changed.

How are you going to get there when you are in labour?

Nelbert19 · 30/03/2020 19:13

Oh yes, shuttle bus is a good shout PP - almost all hospitals have them. Not sure if that’s better than taxi from a CV19 point of view... 🤔

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