Perhaps a daft question but will ask anyway...

[20wedding19]

Hi all,
I am due on 21st Oct with my 1st baby. I've been discussing my maternity leave with my employer today.
I work max 25 hours a week and we have said that I will work up until 9 October with the idea that we can adjust should I struggle or if baby surprises us and comes early
I work in central London but live a 30 min train commute from London Bridge.
My question is that if baby does come early and I'm still working in central London will they take me to a local hospital there or will they take me to the hospital I am due to give birth in?
I suppose it does depend on some variables so understand that no one can give me a definitive answer but thought I would throw it out there.
Thank you x

I think youd normally get some warning that baby is about to come as pre-labour can be some time. So you should have plenty of time to get home as it's very unlikely (especially with first) that it would just be like WHAM baby's here!

If it puts your mind at rest could you have a backup plan of someone coming to get you if you do 'suddenly' go into labour?

Thank you - we live in a road where I know I can knock on anyone door (even at 2 am!) If we need to dash to the hospital (I drive, DH doesn't) so yes, it seems wise to have a plan incase I do go into labour at work too.
As with others who are pregnant at this time I am getting a little anxious with the lack of antenatal classes (all cancelled in my area) but you are right, I'm sure I will get some signs before I go into full blown labour

Hi, I was similar - work in Central but live in zone 6 out of Waterloo. Literally tens of thousands of people will have this issue every year.

I did end up giving birth before my mat leave started but it was overnight on a Saturday at 36 weeks. You'll almost definitely have time to get back to your local hospital if you do go into labour before you've finished work - I had a "quick" first labour at 7 hours ish and I was at home for 5 of those, so ample time to get home if I'd have been somewhere. You might want to look at getting an Uber rather than waiting for a train etc but that depends on frequency of trains, time of day etc but even if it is quick, it's unlikely to be QUICK and panic stations like you see in films etc. The only time it would be like that is if something major happened and they felt it was necessary to deliver baby really quickly via c section, and you'd already know that something was wrong as you'd be at hospital anyway.

Given the current covid situation, is it possible for you to request to work from home from about 35 weeks onwards? Although this obviously depends on what job you do as to whether it's viable! My work place (1000s of staff) have said those of us who can will be wfh until the end of the year at least, so you wouldn't be unusual.

In terms of signs, I had very little noticeable warning. I went about my day as normal, putting up furniture, cooking dinner, went for a walk etc. In hindsight I had some period esque pains and found my mucus plug had gone overnight when I woke up on the Saturday but I phoned the hospital and they said it could be weeks before anything else happened, so I just went about my day and assumed that the period pains were my body gearing up for labour in a few weeks time rather than anything immediate.

Good to hear other people's experiences

Am currently 33 weeks pregnant and did antenatal classes over Zoom - you could see if that’s available? I thought it was really good

@HelloViroids - I'll look into that, thank you!

I worked in central London but my hospital was in Kingston . If there is an emergency/fast labour , any hospital will take you . You will likely have more than enough time to get to your own hospital though . I grew up in rural Canada and so many of my friends and family live hours from a hospital . Imagine the stress of that 😬

P.s my waters broke in the middle of the night at 37 weeks. I was meant to be going to work that day.

First babies tend to take many hours to arrive so you'd have time to get home stay at home and Labour and then go in xx

I'm still working in central London will they take me to a local hospital there or will they take me to the hospital I am due to give birth in?

Who are ‘they’ !? I know that before I got pregnant, I had this vague idea of waters suddenly breaking and then rushing to hospital in an ambulance whilst panting heavily, but it isn’t like that in real life!

@Letthemysterybe - yup I do mean paramedics. Last year I was working at a different job where my colleagues waters broke at her desk and I had to go to hospital with her in the ambulance before her partner arrived so I guess logically I know it doesn't happen often, this is my experience.
@MichelleOR84 - food for thought about living rurally - puts it in perspective.
Thanks for the reassuring posts x