How to get to hospital when in labour?

[Homeinwales]

I’m wondering if anyone can give me some advice, I’m a first time mum and I’m 35 weeks pregnant. Me and my partner were going to go to the FMU which would take us no longer than 20-30 minutes to get too however my consultant and midwife has encouraged me to go to a hospital. Our local hospital where the FMU is, closed down their maternity units so the closest hospital is about 15 miles or so. Me and my partner don’t drive my parents live hundreds of miles away and the only people who drive in my partners family is his mum and sister. Our relationship with his mum is strained and his sister has a child of her own. How do we get to the hospital when I go into labour? The taxi service here is hit and miss. Sometimes you can’t get a taxi at all and when you do it’s extortionate. Looking at about £30-£40 to get to the hospital that’s not including my partner having to make his way back home after the birth to get the car seat and making his way back to the hospital and then us and the baby getting back home. On public transport it’s about an hour and a half from where we live and again after a certain time all public transport goes off and the timings are spotty sometimes waiting an hour for a bus. I have no idea what to do because In taxi fairs it’s gonna cost us almost £120 and it’s just money we can’t afford to pull out

@waltershite22 myself and my partner had a plan to get to the local hospital as it was close by and my whole pregnancy my midwife’s have told us we could go to the freestanding unit. It was only last week we were told we couldn’t go and would have to make arrangements to go to a hospital which is miles away from where we lived and we’ve been back and forth this entire week tryin to figure out how to get there and back. My partner was going to learn to drive after me as he works 12-14 hours a day to compensate for me not currently working. When I went back to work he was going to reduce his hours back to his usual shifts where he would have the time to learn to drive

Is there an actual reason you can’t birth either at home or in the midwife led birth unit? If you needed to transfer then for medical reasons you’d obviously get an ambulance.

It's not really helpful to say to a 35 week pregnant woman that she needs to learn to drive! Op, long term yes that's the right thing to do - we live rurally and there's no chance I'd have managed not driving in winter with my newborn.

Anyhoos. I would recommend you ask three or four friends to be on standby, and do it soon; both mine were early so you are right to start planning. My go-to person who was due to look after the eldest on the night I went into labour was 1.5hrs away so we had to have a backup. Find several friends to have on standby, have your bag packed, plenty towels for in the car, and you'll be fine.

Have none of you heard of the backlog in driving lessons and driving tests atm? You would be very lucky to get on an intensive course so I would rule out learning to drive for the near future.

I would try talking to the midwife again and if not, be prepared for a taxi ride with the car seat. Best of luck OP

@HippeePrincess ive been having serial scans due to low birth weight however she has went up two percintiles during the scans. Both midwife and consultant have said that the baby could be born with respiratory distress and the freestanding unit wasn’t equips to deal with that and that was the reason they said to go to hospital but everyone on my care seems to be so back and forth I don’t know where I stand

When I was pregnant I was also worried about this and I lived about 10 mins drive away from hospital but my baby was footling breach so emergency situation really if I would go into labour and I was called to call ambulance immediately.
I got nothing to say really, only I know how you feel.
can you parent maybe come if they drive and stay and give lifts?

Exactly! The baby's due soon, plus it sounds as if they can't afford a car.
Isn't it terrible that a pregnant woman is in this situation?

@Panickingnow one of my parents is disabled and the other his full time carer and neither drive. They’ve told me they are unable to come down to see the baby so we are planning a trip next year up there so they can see the baby

Can you ask around neighbours? I'm sure someone would be happy to help (plus I hope it's only on MN people don't open the door!)

OP I really don't think this was mean, I think it's good advice. Of course there is room for a car seat when you give birth, and if not the midwives will have to find a place for it. You might have to be quite firm about not being sent home though when you turn up - I was sent home the first time (because I wasn't being loud) and was only admitted when I was 9cm. I wish I'd kicked up more of a fuss; you might have to be very clear that you don't have a viable way to get back and forth between home and the hospital several times.

@Maireas me and my partner would have been in a better situation if we hadn’t had to move while I was 6 months pregnant and then loosing my job and falling out with my MIL we are just trying the best we can with the situation we are currently in. We know it won’t be like this forever but at the moment we are just trying to make do

Policy at a lot of hospitals due to limited space. Certainly can't imagine where it would have gone in my post natal ward- barely enough room to walk round the bed. However if you turn up with it I can't imagine what they could do about it

Hi OP. The 'dont bring a car seat' rule will be general advice to everyone. When I went for a tour of the maternity hospital for my first baby three years ago the midwife doing the tour told everyone to leave most bags in the car when arriving in labour. I pointed out we wouldn't have a car in the car park to leave bags in as we didn't own one, and was told that obviously in that case we could bring all bags in with us. I know it's a different hospital but I can't believe they would be idiots about this given your circumstances!

Agree about the unhelpful posts, some people seem to relish kicking people when they're down, including completely impractical suggestions 🙄

@Homeinwales I wasn't being mean I was trying to reassure you that nobody is going to make you take your car seat away. I am trying to save you time and money.

Absolutely - ask your neighbours. I remember a few years ago a neighbour who was pregnant asked for a lift to hospital. She was with her Mum and neither could drive. She saw my car in the drive. I was very happy to help!

@KateRusby it was her other comment that was being mean saying if I could afford a taxi I can’t afford to have a child without knowing the full story. Me and my partner were in an ideal position to have this baby when I fell pregnant however over the past few months a lot has happened and it’s put us in a less favourable position than we once were. We had a home set up two incomes someone who could take us to and from hospital but now we just don’t

Yes, circumstances change.
The best advice is to try to ask around for a lift, even for one of the journeys. Your husband can visit and bring the seat on the bus if he needs to.

What an unnecessary and ridiculous comment. Not wanting to spend a lot of money on a taxi has nothing to do with being able to afford to be a parent.

Hi OP, it sounds like you’re managing what has been a stressful pregnancy really well. I completely understand how anxiety provoking these things feel before they happen (getting to the hospital was one of my biggest concerns!) however, it all works out - so try not to worry. I would

1. consider if anyone local can be on call (could you even offer them the equivalent money of a taxi if you’re worried about the taxi not turning up)
2. ring the local taxi firms / pop in and explain - they may have a solution
3. talk to your midwife again - explain and see what they say. It sounds like they’re being cautious and some discussion around the issue may help.

with regards to the car seat / getting home etc all that will sort itself out! It just feels v anxiety provoking before it happens.

good luck with it all!

x

I think even if you push for the midwife unit and are allowed I would have a plan for what if you need to go to the hospital in the end. After all you could call the midwife unit on the day and they are full, something might happen in the last couple of weeks and the plan has to change. I had a sudden incredibly high spike in blood pressure at 36+6 found at a routine community appointment and was told to get to the hospital without delay: an emergency c-section was performed that night.

@Homeinwales again I wasn't being mean just pointing out that the cost taxi is an absolutely tiny amount compared to the cost of raising a child. It's a necessary cost that you just have to absorb and think oh well that's frustrating spending that money but it's a cost of being a parent.

Take your car seat and get a taxi or call an ambulance...

That is what they are there for! They would be more than happy to deliver you and your child safely. Rather than listen to the odd balls telling you it not a taxi service. Your not going to a bloody night club, your having a baby with no means of getting to a hospital. It's a life threatening situation as any woman will tell you all sort of things go wrong in labour!

The midwives are telling you to go to hospital for a reason. As soon as labour starts get a cab and take your car seat and stay there. You'll be fine

I feel like you are overthinking this allot. Just budget for that one taxi to the hosp taking the baby seat with you. You can get a bus home when discharged.

Except the cost of a taxi isn't a tiny amount if you have no money. You were definitely rude to the op, and she's right - you have no idea of how the situation she's in came about.

I think asking a neighbour is a good idea too, I would be more than happy to do this for a new neighbour