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Original poster

Would you go to a hospital that's 1-2 hours away from you? Antenatal & Childbirth

31 replies

EasterBunny7 · 05/07/2022 20:25

Hello. A hypothetical for me at the moment but I have had bad experiences with the local hospital and other hospitals close don't have great CQC ratings. Is it unrealistic to consider hospitals that are 1-2 hours away from me? I imagine I could deal with the journey during the pregnancy for check ups, but am I dreaming if I think I could make it that far for childbirth?

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ChaiTea20 · 05/07/2022 20:27

No, my ten minute journey was agony enough!! I wouldn't choose to do a journey that long unless I really had to.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/07/2022 20:28

No.

Cantanka · 05/07/2022 20:30

No. Hopefully this wouldn’t happen but if you had complications you might have to go for a lot of appointments. I had to go in every other day for monitoring in my third trimester. Plus you’d have to drive the newborn 2 hours back which isn’t ideal for them to be in the car that long when they’re brand new.

Overthebow · 05/07/2022 20:31

No. I had a very fast labour and the ten minute journey to hospital was too stressful. I would have given birth on the side of the road if it had been an hour journey.

mummyh2016 · 05/07/2022 20:32

In my first pregnancy maybe, I didn't give birth until 14 hours after I'd arrived to hospital in what I thought was established labour.
After my 2nd pregnancy definitely not. From the moment I knew I was in labour to giving birth was only 3 hours, I was at hospital only an hour before delivering and DH thought I was going to give birth in the car. Would not have been able to cope with a long journey.

Orangesare · 05/07/2022 20:33

I had a 40 minute journey to the nearest and it was awful.
if you were going to be induced or have a cs it would be fine

Lockdownmummy · 05/07/2022 20:34

You'd need an understanding employer to basically take a whole day for routine appts.

I also would have given birth in the car both times so it's a no from me!

Littlebirdyouaresosweet · 05/07/2022 20:34

I did. It was suggested I 'followed' a specialist consultant I had had previously.. No issues although with 1 ds I was there 20 mins before he was born after an hour in an ambulance...

pastabest · 05/07/2022 20:35

I live in a rural area and both of my nearest proper hospitals are 1 hour away in opposite directions.

luckily we have the option of two good midwife led birthing units about 30 mins away and really good home birth provisions

I wouldn't recommend a home birth if it's your first but have you looked into if there are any MLUs you could access, they often operate separately even if they are attached to a hospital.

the 30 min journey to the MLU in active Labour with DC2 who continues to be the least patient child in the world is not something I would wish on any other woman if they had a choice.

EllieRosesMammy · 05/07/2022 20:35

It depends. Is this your first baby or have you had any before? The reason I ask is because I'm due my 3rd now and considering a hospital an hour away from me, also due to bad experiences with the hospital I had my first two at.

If its not your first baby and you've had to previously be induced with others, there's a chance you might need to be induced with this one, in which case go for it! Inductions in my experience take ages and I could of easily made the hour journey to the other hospital.

But its your first or you've had children before and the labour came on very fast and progressed quickly I'd reccomend a hospital closer to home 😁 x

BungleandGeorge · 05/07/2022 20:36

I’m not sure a hospital 2 hours away would take you on due to the safety risk. How many miles away is it? I’ve heard of some people staying with relatives around labour time so they can turn up to a different hospital. Prior to labour nobody told me how painful travelling whilst in established labour is, and no pain relief. That would put me off

Wouldloveanother · 05/07/2022 20:38

I wouldn’t. There’s a good enough chance in any pregnancy that it can go suddenly from low to higher risk - so you might well end up needing to go for extra scans and appointments, not to mention the risk in any pregnancy of reduced
movement - the last thing you will feel like when you need that urgent reassurance is such a long drive. Then there’s the risk of a fast labour etc. Just not worth it in my opinion!

NewYorkLassie · 05/07/2022 20:38

I also wouldn’t want to travel back that far after a c section.

KerryO87x · 05/07/2022 20:40

No - only cause you might labour quick like me and not make it ( I was in labour from start to finish for 3.5 hours with my first)

motogirl · 05/07/2022 20:41

No, but a friend gave birth 500km away, this however was at the request of her medical team and they were given a flat to stay in 2 weeks prior to her due date (Scottish island)

HorribleHerstory · 05/07/2022 20:42

I had negative experiences with a local hospital too so I didn’t go there for pregnancy and birth, aside from scans. I had the rest of my care in clinic, late antenatal appointments at home and gave birth at home.

I would not have made it to even the closest hospital in the end and would have given birth in a taxi so I’m glad I didn’t try

if you are worried about a specific hospital perhaps there are other options for giving birth. Ask around for recent experiences, look into independent midwives, birth centres etc or other supportive people?

JazzyBBG · 05/07/2022 20:46

No. It's not Shrewsbury is it?! Can you make it to Wolverhampton?

BobbinHood · 05/07/2022 20:47

No. Apart from anything else I wouldn’t want to drive 2 hours home with a newborn.

Original poster
EasterBunny7 · 05/07/2022 20:47

Wow, thanks for the quick responses from everyone. A resounding no then! Back to my research of choosing the best local one out of the mediocre bunch, then.

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Starseeking · 05/07/2022 22:00

No. DC2 would have been born towards the end of a long drive as from start of first contraction to giving birth was just under 2 hours Confused

puddingandsun · 05/07/2022 22:06

I did. It was a high risk pregnancy from the start and I had an elective c section. I moved address even further away during the pregnancy but it all worked out absolutely fine and knowing that I was being seen by such a great consultant helped so much with my anxiety.

MiniMoosey · 05/07/2022 22:09

My first pregnancy, my nearest hospital was 45 minutes away and I had to go there every day for 7 hour monitoring for 2 weeks with pre eclampsia as they didn’t have enough beds to keep me in. I didn’t drive at the time either! Eventually a bed came free and they kept me in but it was 2 weeks of hell. 10 hour days with crippling spd and having to get the train if no one was available to take me. Second baby, hospital 10 minutes away and way way easier.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/07/2022 22:30

No. I was in hospital for several days which each child. Manageable for DH with the hospital 15 mins away; less so when it’s a 2 hr drive away ! What if your baby is kept in for sometime - weeks Or months? 4 hr round trip to the hospital is not feasible.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/07/2022 22:37

With my first, the closest hospital was just over an hour away. On the day, there had been a massive accident on the motorway, and it took over two hours.

Two hours of not being able to walk around, cramped in a car, no medical professionals or pain relief. Its not fun. Really slowed down labour.

Then there's the logistics of visitors, and getting the baby home. I was in hospital for 5 days. The drive home with stitches was even worse than the drive in labour.

I had my second at home.

Original poster
EasterBunny7 · 06/07/2022 09:09

Thank you all for responding. Almost unanimously a no. The real experience of women has been very helpful to me. Back to the drawing board.

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