Would you call an Ambulance?

[beccas]

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.....

Access to our hospital is via A & E only at night, so OH dropped me at door where I sat in wheelchair and was wheeled up to delivery while he parked the car. My contractions where so close together couldn't have walked, but didn't need to.

Re ambulance: I think there are situations when being in labour CAN be an emergency. But just to get dropped off closer wouldn't be one of those situations.

VoilaAnotherGimlet I've often wondered the same thing myself (having been refused entry to a taxi for eating a pretzel!!). Maybe if you take a plastic sheet with you? I don't know - worth ringing to see if they have a policy beforehand.

Yeah don't call an ambulance - you could cost someone their life for the sake of a few pounds. If you can't afford a taxi, can you really afford a child?

VoilaAnotherGimlet we had trouble - a couple of firms said they wouldn't do it, but I think if we'd just called them and they'd turned up to find me in labour they'd have to be pretty heartless to just drive away again....

Lulu - glad it isn't just me! Robyn I was thinking just springing it on them might be a better tactic too. Perhaps I'll start a new thread to see if anyone's tried this!

I was refused a taxi in labour - turned up in person to the cab firm, they took one look at me and said sorry love, we've got nothing! Not that I'm saying that's a good enough reason to call an ambulance (I did not, btw).

An extract from the birth to five book....(last page if anyone is interested). If you can't afford it you can get help.

HELP WITH HOSPITAL FARES
Who gets it?
If your family gets income-based JSA, Income
Support, you can get a refund for fares to and
from the hospital (including visits for antenatal
care). This can cover normal public transport
fares, estimated petrol costs and taxi fares if there
is no alternative. You may also be entitled to
help if your family has a low income or if you
are getting tax credits (check your tax credits
letter to see if this applies to you).
How do I claim?
If you are claiming one of the benefits
mentioned above, you can claim at the hospital
at the time of your visit by showing proof that
you get the benefit. Alternatively, you can claim
within three months of your visit by filling in
form HC5 which you can get from the hospital
or the Jobcentre Plus.
If your income is low, you must first fill in form
HC1, which you can get from your doctor,
hospital or Jobcentre Plus.

I have to say I have some sympathy as one of the reasons I'm considering a homebirth is because getting to the hospital & parking is a nightmare.

The hospital is 30 miles away, along a hugely busy section of the M4. In the past, it has taken me over 2 hours to get there if there is an accident in rush hour. It takes 45 minutes even if there's no traffic issues at all.

And at this hospital (Royal Berks), there is one car park for patients & visitors with only 2 floors of parking that is not staff parking. It's also really badly laid out - I've had to wait for an hour to park before. And I've checked and there isn't any maternity ward parking at all.

So although we could risk the drive (giving birth on the hard shoulder of the M4 when stuck in traffic could actually turn into an emergency pretty easily!) and DH could drop me off, I then might not see him for an hour while he parked. Probably sounds petty to you experienced Mums, but I really hate this hospital anyway (so many bad experiences) so the thought of being there, in labour, without DH, after a long and stressful drive, terrfies me!

For the OP - If you can get a taxi and getting to the hospital isn't the issue, then that sounds like a good option. You might just have to have your OH dropping you off as a standby if you go into labour in the middle of the night and can't get a taxi that will take a labouring woman!

I totally sympathise japhrimel. I've had 2 homebirths as, although we live 10 minutes from the hospital, my DH doesn't drive, and getting to it is a problem.

It is a huge stress - trying to plan for something and having no idea when it's going to happen.