Post # 1
Member
284 posts
Helper bee
So the city I am in only offer two midwifery clinics, one is not accepting patients and the other has put me on a wait list, but two of the midwives will be on maternity when I am due. There is one that is right across the street from where I work but they do not deliver at the hospital near where I live so it would be about a 30-40 minute drive once I go into labour.
i have booked an appointment with my family doctor but her hours are really bad and I can’t get in for a week (I am impatient).
The midwifery clinic close to my work sounds awesome and they are accepting patients for my delivery month…I am just not sure if that will be too far.
i have heard bad things about the delivery doctors at the hospital near my house Sao I really do not want to deliver there unless I have a midwife?
ugh…why is this Soo hard.
so anyways, how far would be too far between home and hospital?
Post # 3
Member
6884 posts
Busy Beekeeper
It all depends on how fast you go really. For myself the hospital I chose to go is not that far from our house. Maybe a 20 minute drive give or take stop lights. However I was over 100 miles away when I went into labor (preterm wise) I drove back 100 miles while having contractions and when pulled into our garage my husband found me hunched over between our cars and asked me what was wrong. All I said is we need to go to the hospital now and he freaked out..
I ended up giving birth about 6 hours later…
Post # 4
Member
9129 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: November 2013 - St. Augustine Beach, FL
@jfair: I don’t think it’s unreasonable to drive up to an hour for a good hospital and/or provider so 30-45 minutes doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. More than an hour and I would be a little nervous about getting there in time if there are complications.
Post # 5
Member
284 posts
Helper bee
@beachbride1216: thank you. I huess 30 minutes isn’t too bad. The program looks great and I can literaly walk across the street to go there from work which will make appointments easier!
@Sassygrn: oh wow, that makes my 15-20km drive nothing. Especially if I go into labour before mat leave then I am right across the street!
Post # 6
Member
7308 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: October 2011 - Bed & Breakfast
The closest hospitals to my home are a 40 minute drive. The birth center I prefer to deliver at is an hour and 15 minute drive. But if we go with IVF and end up with multiples I would not be allowed to deliver at the birth center, so I would choose the closest hospital with a top tier NICU, which happens to be about a 45 minute drive.
Post # 7
Member
2608 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: May 2014 - Madison, WI
My parents drove an hour/60 miles when I was born, though from what I hear my Dad did the drive in well under an hour. They were living in Coventry, UK at the time and I was born in Oxford, UK which is where my mom had started seeing a doctor before they moved. Plus as silly as it might seem my mom (American) wanted me to be born in a city that people here in the US would be familiar with… I think anything more than an hour though would be too far.
Post # 8
Member
2557 posts
Sugar bee
I probably wouldn’t want to drive more that 30 minutes tbh. Luckily most everything in my city is 20 minutes away, unless it’s rush hour. The hospital that I usually go to (and will likely go to when I deliver) is only about 10-15 minutes away from my apartment.
Post # 9
Member
284 posts
Helper bee
Thank you ladies! I think I am going to go with the midwives by my work! It seems like they will be the best fit!
Post # 10
Member
3080 posts
Sugar bee
I’m 30 minutes from my hospital, which I chose because my doctor delivers there and I love my doctor. I think 30 minutes is more than enough time for the vast majority of first time deliveries. That said, there’s another hospital a few minutes from my house, and if it’s a true emergency I can always go there.
Post # 11
Member
284 posts
Helper bee
@kate02121: ya now that I have thought about it, it really isn’t that bad…and like you I can go to the other hospital if it is an emergency!
i just called and booked my first appointment for Monday!! I’m really excited 🙂
Post # 12
Member
11735 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@jfair: It would depend on a few things:
1. what traffic is like typically getting there and
2. what time of year it is. Nothing would be worse then being 30 minutes away in a snow storm! We just had a big snow storm and being 37 weeks, I took comfort in the fact our hospital is less than a mile away and if my husband had to pull me there on a sled, he could! lol.
I don’t think 30 minutes is horrible though. Not ideal for me, but certainly not out of the ordinary and I would consider it if that was where my doctor delivered.
Post # 13
Member
284 posts
Helper bee
@MrsWBS: I live in bc, canada and we only get about a total of 5 days of snow a year…if that haha! But my due date is October…I just found out on Saturday!!! So won’t have to worry about that. As for traffic, I drive out here everyday and have no issues with bad traffic so unless there are extraordinary circumstances I shouldn’t have to worry about that either 🙂 but if there is an emergency, I can always go to the other hospital which is still at least 15-20 minutes away anyways!
37 weeks…You are Soo close now! How exciting!!!
Post # 14
Member
273 posts
Helper bee
I would think 30 minutes is reasonable. I live probably 45 minutes from my house to the hospital I will be delivering. But we have very little in the way of traffic…
Post # 15
Member
7481 posts
Busy Beekeeper
We only have one hospital, it’s 15 minutes away. Otherwise, I’d have to travel 1.5 hrs.
Post # 16
Member
11735 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@jfair: Congrats! You should be good to go. The worst part will probably be the longer car ride while you’re having contractions!