Going into labour 25 miles from hospital

[EmmaKateLouise]

I live approx 25 miles (about 30-40 mins) from my hospital and am very worried about not getting there in time! Does anyone else have/had this problem and how did or how are you dealing with it?!

This is my second pregnancy (my first I lived a couple of miles from hospital) but I am sooo worried about it. I am only 21 weeks at the moment, so have plenty of time to worry some more!
My husband works near the hospital, but will I be able to drive myself there if needs be?! Anyone else done this?

Feel really silly about this, but am very worried, even though with my last labour I started on the Friday and she was born on Sunday afternoon, but you never know, it could be much quicker this time!!

you will probably have plenty of time

don't worry about driving yourself there, if it all gets too much too quick just call for an ambulance

This happened to me, we live 45 mins away, I was told I couldn't give birth at the local hosp as I had complications with my first, which was a real shame as it was a lovely hosp, and only 10 mins away.

Anyway, I did make it, only just but nevertheless ,made it - DD was born 30 minutes later. Talk to you midwife about how worried you are.

I live 33 miles away - we've done it in 30 minutes before in an emergency - but honestly you will have more problems going in too soon than too late. Esp as last time seems to have taken a while. Best thing is, work out two routes and remember worst case scenario it'll take you an hour to get there.

You can always call the police btw and they will escort you if you find yourself trapped in traffic on the road (know someone who did that!)

Would be a little worried about calling an ambulance around where we are... even the local council didn't know where our village was when we contacted them, and it's rarely listed on any map!

Am probably just a silly worry-bug, but I don't even like the idea of giving birth at home in case of complictions, never mind in the back seat of a car!!

Might have a word with the midwife next time I see her though, just to put my mind at rest.

Haha! Rather like the idea of a police escort! But yes, two routes is a good idea and I'm sure my rally-driver-wanna-be husband can get us there in 10 mins if he puts his mind to it!!

Yes I had this problem last time. For my first I was less than 5 mins from hospital, with my second I was an hours drive. I fretted about it too. I knew I could not drive myself to the hospital, and living in a remote area, getting an ambulance would not be very quick.

Have to say that when the time came, I was two weeks early and my dh and nearest neighbours went out for the evening. So I gave strict instructions for dh to monitor his phone at all times, but to enjoy the evening as it might be his last night out for a while. The inevitable happened, I started contractions about an hour after they left, I did all the normal things of bath to slow things down, relaxing and waiting. When the contractions started to get closer together and a bit more regular I rang..... only to find his mobile out of range !!!. I kept ringing in the hope that it was temporary. (turned out it was switched off!!!) So I am in a remote house with 15month old asleep in cot, with no neighbours nearby and totally unable to get myself to the hospital!!!!

Well eventually by the time they got home, my dh had been drinking so could not drive, one of my neighbours then had to look after my ds, while the other drove us the hour long journey to the hospital, fortunately my contractions had got stuck at 5 mins apart. Got examined at the hospital only to be told I was not in established labour, ho-hum. All the worry for nothing. However what did happen was that I kept having contractions on and off for the next three days so the doctors would not let me out of hospital as they said it was too far to go. Eventually I knew I was in labour for real (had a job convincing the midwives!) and when they examined me I was just 3cm, called my dh who immediately drove to the hospital and an hour later duly arrived as head was crowning.

Sorry I have waffled on with my story here but just wanted to let you know that your worries are not unfounded but that things do have a habit often of working themselves out.

I am now pg with no.3 and decided rather than the hourlong journey in labour, I am hoping to have a homebirth, makes me much more relaxed about it all. I know my midwife can be with me in about 15 mins max, and that she has reassured me that any problmes that arise she will know it time if I need to transfer to hospital, that the journey will not be a problem as she would be will me with all the things necessary if we did not make it to the hospital on time. But hopefully all will go smoothly at home anyway.

Had you considered a homebirth? Have you got any relatives/friends who can come stay with you in the couple of weeks before the baby is due? You will not be able to drive yourself if you are in labour so this is the important factor to calculate, ambulance or other person able to drive you to the hospital?

definitely talk to your midwife and explore your options - if only to put your mind at rest. you are worrying - therefore you need to address or allay your worries, iyswim. without wanting to alarm you seconds do tend to come faster (I speak from experience - dd2 born at home delivered by dh!) so I think you are wise - and certainly not silly - to think about it all now. could you look at a doula or independent midwife to come to your house? agree with the idea of friends coming to stay. line up neighbours to drive you if needs be. but don;t worry about calling an amublance - the council might not know where you live but ambulances tend to be more on the ball! if you do call one call a neighbour and ask them to stand in the road/on the corner/somewhere obvious to flag them down. make sure dh has read all the right bits in the childbirth books. at the end of the day I am sure you will be fine - whatever happens - but do talk it through with as many people as possible - then you can feel relaxed about it and enjoy your pregnancy

Thank you so much for your reply Rainbowdays! It is a ray of sunshine! I feel much better knowing someone else had the same problem as what I am worrying about and that it all worked out fine in the end.

I don't like the idea of a home birth, personally, but that's just me, but we do have some really good neighbours and even if they are out and my husband is at work he can still be home and have me back at the hospital in just over an hour.

I suppose I am worrying unnecessarily, but you can't help it in our condition, can you?! It does help a lot to hear other peoples stories, though. Thanks x

Hi EmmaKateLouise, I can understand your concerns and wonder if you have considered a Domino Delivery if they offer it in your area?

I had a slow first labour but a very fast second labour - even though we lived near the hospital I was 10cm dilated by the time we got there.

With dc3 I was worried about not getting to the hospital in time as we had moved area and were about 30 min drive away from the local hospital.

At that time I didn't feel quite ready for a homebirth but where I lived at the time offered a Domino delivery scheme. This is basically where the midwife comes to your house to assess you during labour, accompanies you to hospital (though you both go in your own cars), delivers your baby in hospital and then, all being well, accompanies you back home after a few hours that same day. I felt it offered a sort of middle ground between a home and hospital birth; she could assess me and advise when to (and if I had time to) go to hospital and if things were too quick at least a midwife would be with me and could deliver the baby (they drop off a home birthing pack at your house in advance just in case).

It also had the advantage of giving you continuity with the one midwife with you all the time which was really nice. The midwife came from the community midwife team so you get to meet them in advance which was a chnage for me. In my two previous hospital births I'd never met the midwives who delivered the babies and couldn't have picked them out of an identity parade afterwards!

It worked out really well for me, though as it happened my labour wasn't quite as quick as my second, and I got to hospital at about 6-7cms dilated and still had an hour or so to go before delivery.

Unfortunately they don't offer this service in every area. My Domino delivery was 6 years ago now and I think even the areas that did offer it are now cutting back.

With dc4 we'd moved back to where dc2 was born and they don't offer Domino deliveries here. But this time, I did feel ready for a homebirth - partly I think because I was so near the hospital and knew they could get me there really quickly if anything went wrong. Thankfully everything went well, I had a quick 3 hour labour and all in all it was a fantastic experience.

Hope it all goes well for you.x

The Domino delivery sounds just about perfect for me. Just watch, I bet it's not available in my area! I did find it very confusing in my first labour about knowing when to go into hospital. Especially as it was my first, all I could think was "pain, pain, it's going to arrive any minute"! and after rushing to hospital (we did ring first, mind) we got sent home after a night in a very nice early labour room! I don't want to be send home 25 miles.
Am hoping that when labour finally starts I will remember the pain (that's a bad thing surely?!) and realise when it's getting near, so be able to judge when to get myself to hospital.
x

EmmaKateLouise - I also live in a village unlisted on most maps, but AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A POSTCODE the ambulance and police can find you. But just in case, you can look up the map reference and write it down next to the phone for them!

Emmakatelouise- do couriers( not royal mail) find you ok? Do satnav friends find your house? If they struggle to find you, ambulances MAY (only MAY) have trouble getting to you- more common with brand new houses! Your neighbours may have info to help with this too? And midwife might know also.
If it is an issue, write down clear instructions ready to be read out over the phone (kept by the phone, clearly labelled, in case someone who doesn't live with you has to read them out!). If, nearer your time, this becomes a huge worry, you can ring the ambulance central control (obviously not 999, but should be in phonebook/yell.com) for your area and make sure they can find you. Much easier and safer to be sure ahead of time. Actually, just looked mine up and they have a website with phone numbers, so hopefully your area must do as well.

My friend had to call ambulance when 2 yr old DD fell and knocked herself unconscious for sev. minutes (DD fine almost straight away, I hasten to add) and lives in 2 yr old house in West Yorkshire. Built up area but slightly rural, ambulance took over 30 mins to find house as satnav didn't help. Her husband got there before ambulance and his work further away than ambulance base- though I'm sure he did the land speed record getting a phone call like that.
Domino scheme sounds fabulous, but not offered locally here. Our community midwives are supportive of home births though.
Good luck and well done for trying to find solutions so early on!
mumofk

Also if you have a mobile phone signal they can find you from there. Yeah okay I got lost once and fell over

I know what you mean we live 25 miles from our hospital and with dd2 we had to get there in rush hour traffic and contend with road works. Do a few practice laps to find the quickest route and also consider the traffic at certain times of the day.

You will be fine, if things get to the pushing part call an ambulance.