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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Would you call an Ambulance?

109 replies

beccas · 15/05/2010 19:49

Just discovered the hospital has NO parking anywhere near delivery suite, nor can you drive up to it at all. The car park is a 10 minute walk to delivery suite - as if you want to walk through the hospital whilst having contractions!
So thinking of calling an ambulance to get to hospital, sending DH in car!

All thoughts please - every single one.....

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Original poster

beccas · 15/05/2010 20:36

Thanks all
happy to accept all the horrified No's!
Just don't want to spend my whole labour in hospital and want to stay home as long as poss. This is what has led to my concern that I will be in very established labour by the time we go.
To be honest, I am more stressed about the cost of taxi or parking ticket than labour itself! We can't even afford the carpark prices as it is!
And of course, I am not using that as a reason for ambulance, we know we have to accept that.
I want to be with DH at all times, its his experience too...

OP posts:

lal123 · 15/05/2010 20:38

well - I could be really blunt and ask if you can't afford the car parking charges how the hell are you going to afford a baby? But that would be judgemental and silly and so I wouldn't do it....

Kathyjelly · 15/05/2010 20:38

Just get hubby to stop by the ambulance bay and drop you off before going to park.. What can they do, turn you away?

thisisyesterday · 15/05/2010 20:38

then why not consider another home birht?

in our local hospital if you put a note on the windscreen saying "delivery suite" you don't have to pay parking
that's something else you could ask them about?

herbietea · 15/05/2010 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

beccas · 15/05/2010 20:40

like the label idea - but this is a private public partnership hosp - they clamp!

Not allowed home birth, last one too complicated.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 15/05/2010 20:41

still worth asking, they may make concessions for people giving birth

make a list of questions you need to ask and maybe phone them on monday and see what they say:?

nunnie · 15/05/2010 20:43

Do you have another appointment before your due date with a midwife. They will have been asked this question before I am sure, and will be armed and ready with the answer.

TeaOneSugar · 15/05/2010 20:44

Haven't read the whole thread but I'm sure you aren't the first woman to give birth at your hosptial, so there must be options, like a drop off zone.

An ambulance would be a shameful use of NHS resources.

lal123 · 15/05/2010 20:46

Our midwife unit has free 2 hour parking right outside it. I'd been in at lunchtime for about an hour and told to go home, and then returned at teatime when labour was well established. DP moved car within 2 hours - but we'd still gotten a blessed ticket.

I appealed it - they apologised. BUT - a couple of months later I got a letter from a debt collection place re my fine, called them and explained it had been cancelled - they apologised. Then got another letter saying they were taking me to court for it. I told them to go ahead, that I had a letter cancelling the ticket. They asked me to send them a copy - I asked why on earth I should waste postage? and that they should check their records. They told me if I didn't I would be taken to court and that court would find against me for wasting court's I told them to go ahead.

Then I chickened out and called the NHS Manager in charge of the parking contract (I work in local NHS and know him) and he sorted it out for me.

NHS Parking is a nightmare!!

nunnie · 15/05/2010 20:50

Maybe so lal123 but the question here is to avoid a parking nightmare would you call an ambulance?

Lulumaam · 15/05/2010 20:51

have you called the hospital yet for definitive advice?

it might be DHs experience too, but missing a few minutes of labour so he can park is not oging to be terrible

i have also suggested you get famiyl /friends on standby to drop you both off.....

JFly · 15/05/2010 20:53

No need to panic until you actually speak to the delivery unit. My hospital had a policy of allowing drop off at main entrance with 5 minutes grace (who knows how they police that). DH dropped me and doula off and he went and parked in car park. Hospital also charged £5 flat rate parking while there for birth of baby. This is in central London. IF car park was full, we would have had to find street parking. But at night not really an issue of cost.

As far as a crowded car park is concerned, there will be less of a queue/more spaces at night (and don't most women labour/deliver at night?).

I understand not wanting to walk far to the delivery suite, but if you can arrange for another person to come with you to help you walk, then you will be able to make it. I had back to back contractions and had no time to rest. We just did it VERY slowly. But I needed the support of my doula, literally!

Original poster

beccas · 15/05/2010 20:53

thanks lulumaam, am going to call hosp on mon.
Sadly, no family to assist.

OP posts:

lal123 · 15/05/2010 20:54

nunnie - no I wouldn't? and wouldn't call them to act as free taxi service

nunnie · 15/05/2010 20:55

I agree though NHS parking is a nightmare here too.

Lulumaam · 15/05/2010 20:56

you can call the hospital now, there will be MWs there.

msjayjay · 15/05/2010 22:42

To bibbitybobbityhat and those saying don't call an amubulence

I am a single mum to be with no friends and family around me. I have been told by my midwife that I can call an ambulence when in labour. I was happy to call a taxi and I do have some volunteer doula help but if it comes to it to first phone the maternity unit and get an ambulence. Yes if you can get there by another means do this but please don't tell anyone not to get an ambulence I am sure when in labour the mum to be will know what is needed.

I wouldn't spend your pregnancy worrying about getting to the hospital what will happen will happen and I am sure it will work out fine.

thisisyesterday · 15/05/2010 22:48

msjayjay, i think your midwife is giving bad advice actually

you can be charged for calling an ambulance out when you are in labour if it is deemed unnecessary (ie, you/baby were not at risk and could hafve waited for a taxi)
so, call one by all means, but be aware that you could face a big bill afterwards!

anyway, whatever you decide to do, if you DO call one, please don't ring 999 just call the hospital!

Sidge · 15/05/2010 22:52

It costs the NHS about a hundred pounds to send out an ambulance to someone, and that's before they do anything to you.

Very expensive taxi service isn't it?

seashore · 15/05/2010 22:53

I really think that is a waste of ambulance time.

I had the same situation with dd and I was surprised that I wasn't offered a wheelchair, I just had to get up there to where delivery was buried deep within the hospital.

Just ask for a wheelchair.

On the plus side walking is a perfectly good thing to do whilst in labour.

msjayjay · 15/05/2010 22:56

thisisyesterday

My midwife isn't giving bad advise I checked. I am aware its a NHS resource and at the time as I said I have a volunteer doula and seeing how I am will think about a taxi, but to totally say no you can not get an ambulence is wrong. I didn't even ask the midwife she told me and I was surprised.

As it goes I may have a sweep so will (may) be prepared.

The thing here is not to worry about it through the pregnancy and not to be scared of calling an ambulence if you need to. I would hate somebody to be in trouble and it be life threatening to baby or mother because they are scared of calling an ambulence.

Missus84 · 15/05/2010 22:58

Sounds like your best bet is to save for a taxi (it'll save you car park charges anyway), get dropped off at the main entrance - and if when you're there you find you really can't walk you can ask for a wheelchair.

lou4791 · 15/05/2010 23:01

There must be a better way. Call the maternity reception to check what others do. Please don't call an ambulance unless there is a real emergency. Normal labour is not an emergency.

seashore · 15/05/2010 23:03

Hadn't read the whole thread here, but just saw Thisisyesterday's first post about getting dh to drop you off at the door and then he goes to park. Seems lik ethe obvious thing to do to me.

Or if you don't want to be without him for a min get a friend/neighbour to drive you both there. That's what we did with our 1st birth.

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