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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.....

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

FairhairedandFrustrated · 15/05/2010 23:16

I'm 100% sure you're not the first and won't be the last woman to deliver a child in this hospital.... other people do it every day & I'm sure they're not in this dilemma.

When's the baby due?

I give birth to dd on Christmas eve, we arrived at lunch time & the car park was chocka block! DH parked the car, got me to lean on his arm and we hobbled to the main door where I got a wheelchair.

It would never ever enter my head to call an ambulance! What a shocking and disgraceful waste of resources!

Whoever it was said their MW told them it's be OK to call one - I'm shocked at that tbh, an ambulance should only be called in an emergency, giving birth usually isn't an emergency and most women have time to get to hospital - apart from those genuine emergencies when the baby comes too quick on the bathroom floor etc - and even then the ambulance operators will give advice on the phone before deciding whether or not to dispatch an emergency vehicle.

thisisyesterday · 15/05/2010 23:22

msjayjay, it's fine to call an ambulance if you are bleeding or your waters go early or the baby is actually coming right now....

it's totally unnecessary if you are just in labour and can get there in a taxi, i don't care what your midwife says!

being in labour is not life-threatening. if it was we'd all be ringing ambulances wouldn't we?

msjayjay · 15/05/2010 23:32

I wasn't saying call an ambulence if you can go by any other means but explaining that you can call one if needs be. labour can (I am only saying can) be life threatening to Mum or baby and yes sometimes an ambulence is needed. maybe I should have also said you get the ambulence through the maternity unit not through 999.

Sorry but I have had the sorrow and pain of losing a child and if I think an ambulence is needed i will call the maternity unit as i am sure any sensible person would.

SecretSlattern · 16/05/2010 00:21

OP sounds full of excuses actually.

You won't be the first and certainly not the last woman to give birth at that hospital.

Save for a taxi, enlist the help of friends/family whatever.

There is no need to call an ambulance.

nicm · 16/05/2010 00:41

the hospital i had ds at has no parking at the door to maternity hospital, but they have a small bay that you can drop off at and then go and park. you also get a voucher for free parking from the midwive in the delivery suite. maybe check if this is an option at your hospital? a taxi could work out cheaper as dp was at the hospital for over 24 hours!

OhExpletive · 16/05/2010 07:58

When I was pregnant with DS and awaiting my planned section, he was breech and if my waters had broken there was a risk of cord prolapse. We're around 50 minutes from the hospital (38 miles). I was advised that if my waters broke I was to get in the back seat on all fours and DP was to drive fast.

Nobody ever said anything about ambulances then. And AFAIK cord prolapse is extremely serious. I guess just leaving immediately would be a whole lot faster than going by ambulance anyway.

This whole thread is a bit mystifying really.

TeaOneSugar · 16/05/2010 08:07

I don't think anyone has suggested you shouldn't call an ambulance in an emergency situation, or even if you are concerned and need someone to check you out.

What isn't appropriate is calling an ambulance as an alternative to a taxi, or to avoid walking from the car park.

BustleInYourHedgerow · 16/05/2010 08:09

Get a taxi. I did.We don't have a car and live about 20 minutes walk from the hospital.

Lulumaam · 16/05/2010 08:17

yes, obviously, if there is a problem , and an ambulance is needed , then call one.. of course there are times in labour when an ambulance is needed. but not as an alternative to a taxi

Imarriedafrog · 16/05/2010 08:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ADuckCalledBill · 16/05/2010 08:28

Gawd what a load of unsympathetic harridans on mnet yesterday Clearly you have concerns about calling an ambulance otherwise you wouldn't have asked. If you haven't already done it, Lulumamas advice is the best, speak to the hospital for advice and go from there. Good luck

msjayjay · 16/05/2010 08:37

Well after a nights sleep I dont think I explained myself I wasn't telling the op to get an ambulance. What I suggest is she contact the department and see what the dropping of policy is, even go and stand outside and see what other people are doing.

The op has a worry here we all have a couple in pregnancy and each one may seem just as silly to another person so there is no need to attack and belittle someones worry.

I spoke about getting an ambulance as I dont think people should think they cannot get one if they need. Some responses on here make it sound like its a crime to get one and that certainly is not the case.

I thought mumsnet was meant to be freindly and good for advise but I am changing my mind all I have seen here is people not trying to understand other people and being very high and mighty. People should respect we all have diffferent lives and experiences, square pegs and all that.

rubyslippers · 16/05/2010 08:40

the OP should get an ambulance for an emergency - say a cord prolapse or if she has been advised to by the MW

it is not a crime to call an ambulance in an emergency

not being able to park a car is not an emergency and i agree with that

Lulumaam is 100% right - call the ward and get their advice

busymum05 · 16/05/2010 08:47

sounds like you should of had a home birth...seriously dont worry about things like how ur going to get there, hundreds of babies would of been born in the same hospital and i bet none of them had an ambulance ride.

Lulumaam · 16/05/2010 08:49

the OP did have some good advice last night, someone even got a map of the hospital to point out where they could be droppped off etc

there were lots of suggestsions, many of which were discousnted by the OP, but good suggestions nonetheless

i understand the OPs concerns, i really do, and i made what i thought were sensible suggestions, but calling an ambulance becuase you dont want your DH to miss out on any of your labour or because you can; afford a taxi are not good reasons.

the best course of action which has been suggested multiple times is to call the AN or delivery suite and ask a MW who will give her the correct advice.

i am sure 1000s of women deliver there and they don;t get ambulances

if the OP has an obstetric emergecny, then 999 is the way to go for sure

dublinmom · 16/05/2010 08:51

We all have plenty to worry about in pregnancy and sometimes worrying about an insignificant thing (like parking) can take your mind off the significant things (like the pain of labour, or the baby being ok).

So she asked a question and people have given their advice -- I think saving up for a taxi is a godd idea, then your DH can stay with you.

And the back to back labour isn't definitely going to happen again. I had it with DS and it was awful, but not with DD.

Best of luck with everything. You'll do great.

MumNWLondon · 16/05/2010 09:16

I imagine if you arrive in advanced labour your DH will be able to pull up somewhere and get a midwife to come out to meet you while he parks. He should be able to drive up to where the ambulances go. A taxi might be better because then he can accompany you...If you are not in very advanced labour a 10 minute walk would be fine.

re: ambulance - if its an emergency then you can call one - eg i was told this time, Dc3(due to nature of DC2's birth) when i called up in labour that if my waters went I was to call ambulance and not to get DH to drive me.

Skegness · 16/05/2010 09:27

Are you miles and miles away from the hospital, beccas? I'm a couple of miles away and got a minicab when in labour with my daughter. It wasn't very expensive- about a fiver, irrc. Perhaps you could ring round a few minicab firms and see what it'd be likely to cost.

LuluF · 16/05/2010 09:31

and sometimes you can agree a price for a taxi beforehand, too. I know it's a bit tricky as you can't really tell when you'll need it.

grapeandlemon · 16/05/2010 09:41

What an odd thread - OP is not listening to advice nor answering any questions put to her.

Trillian42 · 16/05/2010 11:55

I agree grapeandlemon - that's why I thought it was a bit fishy.

There is a general consensus - either save for a taxi, get husband to drop off and then park (could call ahead so that someone was waiting outside with a wheelchair) or in the case of emergency, call an ambulance.

Ambulances are not free taxis however.

girlsyearapart · 17/05/2010 07:23

also check to see if they give out labour parking permits.

Didn't use one either time but if you're in proper labour they will give you a permit at our hospital so you don't have to worry about your birth partner missing the important stuff to top up the car parking.

cory · 17/05/2010 08:45

If the OP is charged for calling an ambulance- as can happen- then it's going to be a hell of a lot more expensive than calling a taxi. Calling an ambulance to save money seems to me like a bad, bad idea.

Skegness · 17/05/2010 09:09

I'd be quite surprised if someone was charged for calling an ambulance to take them to hospital while in labour. It's hardly on the same level of crapness as those who call an ambulance to get their banana peeled or because their child has a grazed knee. That said, a minicab style taxi would be a better non-emergency early labour option.

VoilaAnotherGimlet · 17/05/2010 14:03

Slight tangent - has anyone ever had a problem finding a taxi willing to take a labouring woman? - (sorry if it's a silly q, it's my first and I'm wondering how driver feels about having waters all over the back...)

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