How far are you from your delivery hospital?

mooncusp22

As I have mentioned on here before...DH & I are moving the last week of Feb. Having to move, change everything from cable to doctors has been a bit daunting! We are moving to a tiny tiny town. There is 1 ob/gyn there and I called the hospital today and found out that there is no neonatal care. I come from a family of doctors that want to make sure I have the best care around (and I am a high risk pregnancy) . Anyway, I asked the small hospital "what is something went wrong that needed immediate attention for myself or baby?" and they said they put you in an ambulance and speed you to the nearest large town.

So, I told DH this and we agreed to just set up our doctors and hospital in the larger area. It is 37miles from our house. I am used to having everything at my fingertips living in cities so this seems really far to me. Will it be ok?

MapleLeafMama

25 minutes in traffic from our hospital.

KatieGummow

10 minutes with lights and traffic from our garage to the maternity ward entrance.  I would have traveled a little further to go to the hospital I will deliver at.  For you, I think it should be fine... I am sure that they are very well versed in emergency situations.   Do you know how long it would take in the ambulance?

cjpell0

No traffic, 25 minutes. Rush hour, at least an hour.

Jennpjc414

30 minutes with no traffic, but if it is rush hour time, would definitely be over an hour or two!

Rrrrrachel

I think it's fine. I'm 30 minutes away.

LittleLady77

I would absolutely go with the hospital 37 miles away if you are high risk. We have a facility really close to us and we are opting to go to the one further away because they have a better NICU and we are high risk as well. The further one for us is 25 min in no traffic and 45 in bad California traffic (assuming no accidents)

thomas930

I live in a rural area and the hospital I'm delivering at is an hour drive from my house.

sking72

My hospital is Minimum 45 minutes away, and i think that's being generous. It's probably closer to an hour.

DemoDoll

I think you will be just fine.

My hospital is 7 miles away (from both my house and work) and 10 minutes with no traffic...25 minutes with traffic.

snmetz7

it is 5 mins from my house and about 45 mins from work.

Relish1025

20-30 minutes max to our hospital, with several local ones on the way.

beautifulstr13

A little over an hour away. The closest hospital to us is 30 minutes away but they don't deliver babies.

spano41

I work at my hospital which is awesome if I go into labor while at work.  It's also only 15min from my house normally or 30 min in rush hour.  I would definitely go to a bigger hospital though over a small one.  If the time comes and you are going to give birth in the car or something, you can always just go to the closer one.

avidkeo

I live in a small rural area - the hospital is about 20 mins away from home. But the hospital I am delivering at is only primary care, meaning its just the midwives and GP's (it's standard practice here in NZ to have GP's who have extra training in obstetrics). I can only delivery at the hospital as long as no complications arise. If there are complications, I have to go to the main center hospital, which is a 2hr drive away, or if its really bad a 20 minute helicopter flight.

They have things very well set up where there are strict guidelines to follow. For example, if my waters break, and I don't to into labor within 48 hrs, I have to go to the big hospital. If I fail to dilate approx 1cm per hr then I go to the big hospital, that sort of thing. If I have to be induced or anything beyond just needing pethidine or gas, off I go (I am really really hoping to avoid going to the big hospital)

They also cannot do a delivery before 36 weeks.

I would suggest discussing things with the hospital, and find out their guidelines. I am someone who likes as much information as possible and knowing the above makes me feel much more comfortable. 

Brigie029

Any chance that you could choose a different practice and deliver in a bigger hospital from the get go?

joyfullyfound

We're about 15-20 minutes away, depending on traffic. 

Cecilbear

It sounds smart to just opt for the larger town! That's what I would do too. We are changing practices this week (eek!) and the new hospital will be about 25 minutes with light traffic. My doula keeps telling me that for FTM, we have much more time than we think we do. So there's both a sobering and comforting thought for you  

ashcole28

My hospital is about 45 minutes away.

NavyMrsOT

20 mins without traffic. Could be over an hour with traffic. And coming from work? Probably over an hour with traffic

kseccomb17

Im about a block away from my hospital. So it will take me 2 minutes to get there. I would definitely go to one further away if I liked one better.

shawnsgirl06

1 1/2 hours if the road isn't snowy.  This is the closet hospital with labor and delivery (no NICU) the NICU is a 40 minute ambulance transfer.  Living in a rural area all of my life this is part of my lifestyle heck I have to drive my kids 25 minutes to go to school and 45 minutes one way for a real grocery store.  You'll find that the emergency medical care will tend to be excellent and an air transfer is likely available in a true emergency. 

maelic

20 minutes in no traffic. Rush hour? Eeek, I don't even want to think about it. Closer to an hour, depending on how many bridges/tunnels are closed that particular day (thanks, Boston!).

Bluebird2318

30-40 minutes away, no NICU. The one with the NICU is more like 1.5 hours away. 

cfthoct292011

20 to 30 minutes...there usually is no traffic because we are surrounded by farm land so we take the back roads.

katiedidthat

The nearest hospital to us that delivers babies is 15 miles (1/2 an hour). I wouldn't deliver there unless it was an absolute emergency.  The next nearest hospital is over 20 miles away.  The hospital I'm delivering at is 40 miles and almost an hour.  Its just a fact of life living in a rural area or small town that you travel farther.  The town hospital here hasn't delivered babies since 1990 and uses life flight to move moms in labor from there to the hospital in the next county if they show up. 

mallyandryan

About 5 from home. 20 from work.

ambarnett1

20-30 mins for my L&D with a NICU. I think even though your high risk, 37 miles isn't too bad. Plus you can speed and get there quicker if something is really wrong.

amhah09

I think you'll be fine. We live in a small town with no OB or even a hospital. The nearest hospital with OB services is like...20 minutes away? But I see my midwife 45 minutes-1 hr away and she's right across from the hospital I'll be delivering (and delivered my two previous babies).

Mustardseed2007

We're another one that traffic makes a huge difference. 20 minutes in no traffic. In traffic 45 minutes. In rush hour, 1 hour.

RocksInTheWater

We are less than 10 minutes to the hospital from our house and about 30 min from my work.

I would go to the larger hospital if I were you. You should be fine being 37 miles away.

sweetpeace13

No traffic 15 minutes, 25 with traffic

Rogue237

2 miles. We're in Ann Arbor and delivering at u of m hospital.

sdo_082989

Our closest hospital doesn't deliver babies so we have a little over an hour drive. The nearest hospital with a NICU is over 2 hours.

rtv3

My hospital is right between work and home, about 10 min from either. But if I go too early (before 37wks), I'll go straight to the big hospital downtown, which is about 30 min away. Hopefully, that won't be an issue though

RebeccaY1

I'm about a 5 minute drive from the hospital.  They have a NICU there, but since I'm no-risk I don't think I'll need it.  I plan to labour at home for as long as possible since I live so close.

CurlieWhirlie

About 10 minutes from work, and 30 minutes from home — both with no traffic. With traffic, it could easily take 30 minutes from work or an hour from home.

sweetmelissa0707

I'm about an hour from the hospital that I will deliver at, there are ones that are closer, but they aren't that great. I'm hoping to not hit any traffic/ bad weather.

Luckie519

I'd say about 15 minutes.

sambrownmac10

I'm 5 min away from my hospital, but if I gain too much and get over 240lbs I will have to go to one that's 45-50 min away.

SeattleMomma

15 minutes away