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For me i would be looking at a 40 minute drive to the hospital & OBGYN i want. We used to live in a smaller surrounding city of the large city we now live in. I'm hoping we can move back to the smaller city before we have kids.
The hospital/office is 20 miles from me, I live in the country so I don't really have a choice.
Right now my appointments are monthly. I'm not too worried about the drive to the hospital, we won't be traveling far if at all the month before my due date (my kiddo came a month early and we were in a completely different state). Our drive is all highway and can be done in 15 minutes.
We live about 4 miles from our hospital/OB. Google Maps claims it only should take 12 minutes, but it's more like 20 on a good day. 40 on a really bad one. If I am at work I am over an hour away.
I live and work in the city and my midwife's office is in the building next door to where I work (lucky me!). The hospital/birth center is 4 blocks from my office (ultrasounds are scheduled at the hospital) and about 10 minutes drive from our house. So all is very convenient for me.
As for appointments, from about 8 weeks until 28 weeks, you can expect to visit with your OB/Gyn or midwife once every 4 weeks. From 28 weeks to 36ish weeks you will visit once every two weeks. From 36 weeks to 40 weeks and beyond you will visit once a week. This does not count additional visits like ultrasounds, bloodwork, and other tests, which are sometimes not located at your OB/Gyn's office or coordinated with your regular visits. (I found this out after I was pregnant. It's kind of annoying, but typical of the particular "system" my healthcare is in.) Having all of this within walking distance of my work is probably the best thing for my schedule. It makes it easier to schedule appointments for the early hours or at lunchtime.
Another word of advice is that even if you like your OB/Gyn prior to becoming pregnant, things change. I found this out the hard way. I had a fantastic OB/Gyn and was thrilled that this "Dr Huxtable"-like doctor would be my OB for my first child. Only to find out that just before I became pregnant he retired from the OB side of the practice. I met with a different OB/Gyn in the same practice. The appointment was a mess! I was apparently supposed to meet with some "OB Coordinator" whom I never ended up meeting, the receptionist/appointment schedulers were rude, no one seemed to have their act together, and it was nothing like what I expected of my first appointment. So, I switched to a midwife practice and couldn't be happier! All I'm saying is that what may work well for you before you're pregnant may not be what works for you once you are pregnant.
There's a great podcast called Pregtastic (google it or look it up on iTunes) where you can learn all sorts of stuff about how much time you have before you need to be at the hospital (typically, you have plenty of time--hours!), birth stories, what gear to get, how to budget, etc. etc.
We live pretty close to the OB and hospital, which has been pretty nice. It's only a few miles so a bit less than a 10 minute drive.
In the beginning I had a few appointments, one was a meeting with a nurse to exchange info, then an ultrasound, then a drs appointment, so there were like 3 in a 3 week period but that's partly because something got confused with scheduling, after that it was once a month until the last trimester, which has been once every two weeks until the last month when it's once a month. I think that schedule is fairly typical for OBs.
The one thing that might be annoying with a big driving distance is that for most of the appointments I'm literally in there about 5 minutes (besides waiting/pee in a cup time). The nurse takes weight and bp then dr comes in measures the tummy, listens to the heart beat, asks if I'm bleeding or falling apart, then goes OK see you soon. So unless somethings wrong or it's ultrasound time the appointments are really quite short.
I'm about 40 minutes from mine, but hoping to move so we'll be 20 minutes. I don't mind being so far since I love my doctor and want to deliver at that hospital, so it's worth it. So far I've been going once a month, but soon will switch to twice a month and then weekly. I'm not too worried about going into labor, since they want you to stay home for the beginning of it anyway. I'll just go earlier then I would have if I lived closer.
It's about a 25-30 minute drive for me. But that's on a good day without traffic...
I live about 40 miles from my OB. Currently I am making the trip about every 5 weeks. I live in a rural town, with a tiny hospital thats not very hi-tech. Its very worth it to me to be comfortable with my doctor and have a hospital that provides excellent care.
My clinic is affiliated with the hospital right across the street. Both are about 6 miles away from my house (although all side streets, so no going more than 40 mph) but about 25-30 miles from where I work. And my work drive is all freeway, but it gets backed up BAD in the afternoons. If I go into labor while I'm at home, great. If I go into labor between 3-4 pm when I'm at work, I am in such trouble.
My OBGYN/Hospital is a mile up the road from my home. But it is about 50 min from my work! Lets hope I dont go into labor at work!
Google Map says 12.4 miles/22 minutes. Which I think is inaccurate since I have never made it there in less that 1/2 hr in the 9 years I have been going there.
My midwife and hospital are about 30-40 minutes away. At first I was seeing an ob/gyn that was a little closer - about 20-30 mins - but quickly decided that the large, busy, everyone-is-just-a-number atmosphere that that practice offered was just not for me. So I decided to switch to a midwife that was a little farther away. So far, the peace of mind that I will have the time I need with my provider and will (hopefully) get the birthing experience I want is worth the extra driving :)
My OB/GYN is approx. 100 miles away and an 1 hr 1/2 drive from my home.
The nearest hospital that delivers babies is 1 hour from my home.
However, the one I am going to is a better doctor than the one that is closer. I also go to school up there every other day (yes, I drive 100 miles to and 100 miles from school every other day), and my mother-in-law lives up there, so as it gets closer, the plan is for me to move up there and stay with her.
I really do love my doctor. I feel super at ease with her and she is really nice, so I think it's worth the extra effort.
OBGYN:
From work: Less than a mile, 5 minute drive.
From home: 5 miles, 15 minute drive.
Hospital: Right across the street from my doctor's office.
This is a major reason I picked my doctor once I found out I was pregnant - there are just too many visits to have to drive a long way - plus I don't miss out on much work going to and from. I like that if I decide to work up until my due date, I'm right next to the hospital.
For me, the hospital is about 20 minutes away from home and an hour from work. It's been okay for now, but I'm going to start going to the hospital twice a week until I deliver in about four weeks. That will suck.
When I lived with my parents, the nearest hospital was about 20-30min away from us. The only hospital I'd have considered using to give birth was 45 minutes away, but worth it to me because they were connected to Children's by a tunnel and if there was any possibility of a problem, the NICU team would be at the delivery. :)
Now, I live about 10 minutes from the local hospital. I work there, so if I go into labor at work, I will just have to call DH and tell him to get his butt up there. :)
We went every month until I was 32 weeks (I think?! somewhere in there) and then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then every week until baby is born.
We live about 20 minutes from the hospital/OBGYN office.
I totally lucked out, because our town only has 4 practicing ob/gyns, and one hospital within 40 miles. I live 5 minutes from my doctor, and maybe 7-10 from the hospital (and that's with 35 mph speed limits). It would suck to have to be in the surrounding towns and have to drive 30+ minutes just to see the doctor or get to the hospital. Though if you have some choice in your area, and the difference is minimal (10-15 minutes) I'd go with the hospital you like over what's closest. Labor likely doesn't progress so fast you can't spare a few minutes.
Thank you ladies!!! You've all been wonderful. I believe my thinking is along the lines as the bee's that said they'd drive a little further for better care. I'm just thinking since I'm a little bit older than a average new mommy would be - I'm going to need a good doctor that deals with this and if I have to have a c-section, ect - I want to be in the right place. I do have hospitals in my area, but I've never had good experiences in the past with them. I know if I were to go in labor in rush hour, I will be in trouble because it's tough to get into the downtown area during that time! I think it will be about 30 mins to the OB/GYN, I really think we'll go that route to have peace of mind.
Thanks again - you've all been so much help as always!!!
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Ladies-
I was wondering if you could help me. I don't know if we are going to have children naturally or by adoption or any at all in our future. But right now, I do want to seek out a new OB/GYN so if we are ever ready, I've already established a relationship with her. I do not have any children, so this is all new to me. The hospital that I really like is in a downtown location and I am in the suburbs (probably 15-20 miles?). How many appointments/how often do you have to see the OB/GYN during pregnancy? I know last month becomes weekly? What about the drive to the hospitial in labor? Am I going to be too far? How far do you drive? I realize every situation is different, but I just wanted to hear some input on what you're doing/did.
I appreciate your help!