Hospital

[EllaSW]

How far is too far to be from the hospital at which you plan to give birth?

I think it's all relative to where you live. I'm a 10 minute drive from mine, someone I know lived on a small island and had to get two ferries and a substantial drive (but they travelled to stay on the mainland two weeks before their due date).

Can you give a bit more context to your question? Are you considering a hospital which isn't the closest to you?

As above, not everyone has a choice! If you are city based consider traffic patterns at the worst times of day as well as mileage. Unfortunately many women are over an hour away in rural areas, even a plane ride/boat away potentially

I live half an hour from mine but takes an hour in rush hour traffic which is when my second decided to come... would not recommend trying to travel an hour or so in labour unless you have no closer choice which some people don't if you live more rurally. My first labour started at a different time of day and that was much more doable travelling half an hour.

It is as PP said dependent on what your choices are.

I was half an hour from my hospital with dd1 and ds, though I think Dh drove faster than normal. We lived on an island with a hospital in the main town.

With dd2 I had complications that meant she might have needed SCBU, so at 36 weeks I was flown over to the mainland with a midwife escort and Dh and the other dc got the ferry and joined us there. I stayed in hospital until I was induced at 36+6, they got a holiday let to stay in (it was out of the tourist season).

There was a bump in the road (still there) with the first 2 that we went over too fast and both times it triggered a contraction! Even now I’m expecting it!!