Really? Does this happen often?

OrangeSmoke · April 2010

As I was walking into the hospital yesterday to finish my level II scan, I noticed a car parked out front with a bunch of people surrounding it and a stretcher.

Turns out a woman had her baby on her way to the hospital in the backseat of her car. OMG!!! This is now giving me nightmares, esp since we are about an hour and half away from my hospital (I picked for it's level IV NICU since we are having twins).

Does anyone know what are the odds of that happening???

PlainandTall · April 2010

I have a friend who had a very precipitous labor and she was living in a city in Germany at the time... she ran outside to the taxi stand and tried to get a taxi to take her to the hospital- but the cab driver panicked and didn't want to take her- in the time delay - she had the baby right then and there on the sidewalk!! To make matters worse- the story wound up on the front page of the city newspaper!

I don't know how often that happens- but it happened to someone I know.

New_MrsP · April 2010

My aunt had a baby in the ambulance on the way to the hospital (but she lived over an hour away) and I believe one of my other aunts had a baby in the hospital hallway on a stretcher while waiting to go to her room.

Perhaps I should move closer to the hospital.

mrs.kapow · April 2010

My friend had her third in the backseat of her mom's minivan.

I would talk to your doc about whether you need to go sooner than the normal recommended separation/length of contractions. Given your distance from the hospital, I probably would, but I'd be paranoid.

PrincessJesci · April 2010

My former babysitter had her first in the car. She made the papers, too.

Gummybear · April 2010

My neighbor started crowning in the car....I think they got into the hospital just in time

OrangeSmoke · April 2010

mrs.kapow:

My friend had her third in the backseat of her mom's minivan.

I would talk to your doc about whether you need to go sooner than the normal recommended separation/length of contractions. Given your distance from the hospital, I probably would, but I'd be paranoid.

I told DH last night we are getting in the car at the first contraction. I rather sit in the hospital and wait than deliver two babies in the backseat my car.

618mom22boys · April 2010

That is why I am glad I live 2 mins from the hospital.

EASwimmer · April 2010

When we went in for our NT scan, a women had her baby in the hallway at the hospital. No joke. Crazy. I live a hour away too.

ReneeDerek04 · April 2010

It doesn't happen as often as it would seem, though it certainly does happen. I asked in my EMT course how often my instructor has seen things like this, and she replied "About 5 times in my career" - she has been a Paramedic for 25 years. She has only delivered one baby in the ambulance, two were delivered in the ER shortly after being brought in, one was delivered at home in the bathroom, and the last one was delivered in the parking lot while in the parent's car. In every case, the baby was at least the 3rd child for the parents and the Mother was known to have very short labors with her previous births.

I asked the same thing while on my ER rotations, and only one of the doctors in the ER said he had delivered a baby outside of L&D, and he was in practice for 15 years.

monkiem · April 2010

OrangeSmoke:

As I was walking into the hospital yesterday to finish my level II scan, I noticed a car parked out front with a bunch of people surrounding it and a stretcher.

Turns out a woman had her baby on her way to the hospital in the backseat of her car. OMG!!! This is now giving me nightmares, esp since we are about an hour and half away from my hospital (I picked for it's level IV NICU since we are having twins).

Does anyone know what are the odds of that happening???

I notice you live in NY!...where are you delivering?

OrangeSmoke · April 2010

monkiem:
OrangeSmoke:

As I was walking into the hospital yesterday to finish my level II scan, I noticed a car parked out front with a bunch of people surrounding it and a stretcher.

Turns out a woman had her baby on her way to the hospital in the backseat of her car. OMG!!! This is now giving me nightmares, esp since we are about an hour and half away from my hospital (I picked for it's level IV NICU since we are having twins).

Does anyone know what are the odds of that happening???

I notice you live in NY!...where are you delivering?

We used to live in the city (upper east side) and all my doctors are still up there - so I'm planning on delivering at Cornell. My OB is there and they have one of the best NICUs in the country (for our potentially premie twins)

We've since moved out to NJ - so about 45 min without traffic; an hour and half with. We actually live 15 min away from the best NICU in central NJ, so I guess if I'm progressing quickly, I can just go and crash there???

monkiem · April 2010

OrangeSmoke:
monkiem:
OrangeSmoke:

As I was walking into the hospital yesterday to finish my level II scan, I noticed a car parked out front with a bunch of people surrounding it and a stretcher.

Turns out a woman had her baby on her way to the hospital in the backseat of her car. OMG!!! This is now giving me nightmares, esp since we are about an hour and half away from my hospital (I picked for it's level IV NICU since we are having twins).

Does anyone know what are the odds of that happening???

I notice you live in NY!...where are you delivering?

We used to live in the city (upper east side) and all my doctors are still up there - so I'm planning on delivering at Cornell. My OB is there and they have one of the best NICUs in the country (for our potentially premie twins)

We've since moved out to NJ - so about 45 min without traffic; an hour and half with. We actually live 15 min away from the best NICU in central NJ, so I guess if I'm progressing quickly, I can just go and crash there???

Good question - you should ask your OB that! I know that in CT, doctors are generally only affiliated with one hospital and cannot deliver at any other...I asked my OB about that since we're delivering at Danbury Hospital and live about 45 minutes away from Danbury...but I love my OB, and I love Danbury Hospital! I don't really trust anything in our area, anyway. LOL

pnwmama11 · April 2010

That almost happened to my Mother when she had me. I was her 3rd child and she dilates really quickly. She was ready to push when they finally arrived at the Hospital after a day of shopping!

I'm about an hour away from the hospital, I figure when I start contracting we can just drive down that way & start walking. That way we are close if things progress quickly

aldyn · April 2010

While I was in L&D, DH and I could hear some commotion, we heard one scream followed by a loud, loud scream. We later learned that the woman had the baby within 5 minutes of getting to the hospital.

So yeah, if traffic had been worse, she would have been delivering in her car. I'd hate to clean that up!