How far away will you be delivering?

moosegal · August 2012

We just moved about an hour away from my OB and the hospital I was planning to deliver at. I figured I would just find a new OB and hospital, but I've gotten the sense that the hospital near me doesn't have the best reputation, whereas the original one is the top hospital in our area for maternity care. I thought an hour was way too far away to be for delivery, but my OB said a lot of his patients are in the same boat and that it works out.

Just curious, how far away will you be from where you plan to deliver? Is my plan to stay with that hospital totally crazy?

TheNewMrsY · August 2012

We're about 9-10 miles which isn't bad....but we live in Northern VA (outside of DC) so if this baby decides to come at rush hour, particularly in the AM, we'd be in trouble! (Babies are only born in the middle of the night, right??)

bdutton0005 · August 2012

With DS we were an hour away. Usually if your OB knows this he will change the parameters about when you should start heading that way.

kprater88 · August 2012

Totally not crazy. If it werent for the new L&D ward they just re-did at hospital in town and my amazing OB, I probably would have decided on delivering at the hospital an hour away from me. So I wouldnt worry about it to much. It is definitely common to see that.

keleknoff · August 2012

We're about 40 minutes from the hospital, but if it's rush hour it could take over 1hr30mins!!! Should be interesting.......

chimneygrl · August 2012

We will be driving 1 hour and 15 mins. My husband was already freaking out about having to drive that in a snow storm.

JumpAroundBucky · August 2012

12 minutes. 10 minutes if the light is green.

It's totally up to you and your comfort level though. Most people don't deliver within an hour. If you are comfortable with it and your OB is comfortable with it, I would say go with the better hospital. Keep in mind though, you are delivering in winter- I don't know where you live, but in here in WI, an hour drive can easily become a three hour drive in a snowstorm.

perplexed59 · August 2012

Either in our home so 0 mins away. Or at the hospital 30 mins away. Usually you will have enough time to get to the hospital unless you have really quick labours. I'm concerned that this time 30 mins may be too far. My last birth was under 4 hours and I'm expecting this one to be shorter.

sragreen · August 2012

15-20 minutes depending on traffic. If DH is at work, it will be 2 min for him since he works in the adjacent building.

Synth · August 2012

About 10 miles, but it's near downtown, so with all the lights it'll take 30 min - 1 hour (if it's not rush hour).

Drea926 · August 2012

My hospital is about 15-20 minutes away. I love my OB - she's been my "lady doctor" since I was 18, and I'd travel further if I had to. It can be worth it for a doc/hospital you know you're comfortable with.

JBos82 · August 2012

We're about 10-15 minutes from our hospital. However, we got there once in 5 for an emergency (hubby got stung by bee and he's allergic - me driving). My old OB practice was about 25 minutes away, but that seemed to far for me, mainly because the highway we'd have to take to get there tends to be farily congested at certain times during the day and I didn't want to get stuck in traffic and freak out when I'd likely already be freaking out.

CupcakeKaper · August 2012

Talk to your doctor...with DS1 I was a good 45 minutes away and I waited until the timing was what they wanted before I went in...and I was 8 cm already by the time I got there. Now I'm a good 30 minutes away. Between this and a history of short labors (3.5 hours total with DD), my OB will induce me to avoid any unnecessary problems.

Mash67 · August 2012

I think an Hr isn't bad, labor is normally a long process. I wouldn't wait till last minute though before you leave your home. We are about 20-30 from ours depending on traffic.

cmhicklin · August 2012

About 6 blocks away. A lot of my friends have driven an hour to give birth, but a lot of them have stayed here too. One of them had to drive in an ice storm.... I think I will just stay here!

moosegal · August 2012

JumpAroundBucky:
12 minutes. 10 minutes if the light is green.
It's totally up to you and your comfort level though. Most people don't deliver within an hour. If you are comfortable with it and your OB is comfortable with it, I would say go with the better hospital. Keep in mind though, you are delivering in winter- I don't know where you live, but in here in WI, an hour drive can easily become a three hour drive in a snowstorm.

We live in Atlanta, but knowing my luck that will be the day we have some freak ice/snow storm that shuts the city down!

mamasmurf12 · August 2012

Ours is 25 minutes w/o traffic, which is what we had for DD since my water broke at 2:30 am. Actually, it probably took us about 30 minutes b/c DH stopped to get a taquito and a Diet Dr Pepper....grrr, lol! However, if it's during the day it's more like 45 minutes, since there's no very direct way there and the way we usually take is one lane most of the way. It's being expanded now, which makes the traffic worse b/c of construction....aah Houston. At least I won't have to worry about a snow storm!

emd886 · August 2012

We are about 45 minutes from our hospital.

6angelbabies · August 2012

Im about 30 minutes away.. I delivered DS same place and my water broke.. my husband showered cause he had thrown up cause he was soo nervous.... we left.. sat in ER for a few minutes.. then I didnt deliver for 8 hours so there is plenty of time..

hsweetman · August 2012

With this LO I will be 20ish minutes away from the hospital. With DD I was an hour away, and not in a city either it was a country road with houses scattered along the way. I was terrified I would deliver along the road somewhere but it turneds out perfectly fine.

MouseInLux · August 2012

There are three choices of hospital to deliver in here in Lux. Which doc you go to decides on the hospital. I switched OBs when I was pregnant with DD and chose one at the closest hospital. We have a 20 min drive with no traffic and tops 45 with. The two in the south of the country are both very good hospitals, I know nothing about the one in the north.

I'd research the hospitals and birthing centers near you and decide with your DH. I personally wouldn't want to travel an hour away to give birth, but that's just me.

ffbride_0813 · August 2012

Ours is an hour away too. The doctor wasnt concerned. Hopefully it doesnt snoww but if it does there is a closer hosipital but its in another state so I dont know how that works with my insurance. They never suggest doctors in Ny state even though its the next town over.

ericalee27 · August 2012

We are 15 minutes away.

NG2HD · August 2012

We're about 45 minutes from the hospital I will be delivering at. Funny - I am about 8 miles from Worcester, which has 3 hospitals, but I will not be delivering in any of them. I am going to Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton. It's awesome. So glad my OB moved there.

kelly321 · August 2012

perplexed59:
Either in our home so 0 mins away. Or at the hospital 30 mins away. Usually you will have enough time to get to the hospital unless you have really quick labours. I'm concerned that this time 30 mins may be too far. My last birth was under 4 hours and I'm expecting this one to be shorter.

That would scare me, too. Have you talked to your OB about whether it would be a good idea to just call an ambulance to come get you when you go into labor? Personally, I'd rather deliver in an ambulance that has access to O2 if you or the baby needs it, ways to at least manage hemorrhaging in case it's needed, and other medical needs as opposed to delivering in a car!

And to answer the original question - I am extremely lucky in that I live a 10-min walk from an excellent university hospital. It's also a 10-min drive because of all the one-ways. Being an hour away would scare me a little, but that's also partially because I'm high risk and there's a decent chance I'll have a preemie and need the NICU again.

cmgedney · August 2012

I'm about an hour away with traffic, a little less without. I moved before I found out I was prego but loved my OBGYN and have decided to stay there. Though apparently there are better hospitals in my immediate area (Fairfax, VA), I was going to have to go into the office during morning hours to register and just couldn't take the time off work to do so. The downside of being so far is that when I have to make a last minute appointment it means i have to take more time off from work to get there then if it was in my area. And since there is the possibility of moving while I am prego, I didn't want to have three different doctors.

DublinMama · August 2012

My hospital is also about 50 minutes away. I have another one that is less than 15 minutes away, but the one I chose is highly regarded for it's birthing suites and newborn care. The length of the drive doesn't bother me, but the potential weather when we do have to drive in scares me! We live in northern New England, and the potential for a blizzard is February is always there! Huh?

ckalm5 · August 2012

I am in the same situation as you are. The hospital I delivered all my kids at was great and only 40 minutes away but they shut down their labor and delivery unit last year

The hospital that is 15 minutes away sucks and you couldn't pay me to have my kid there... so I will be driving an hour away to deliver this one. It makes my husband nervous since this is our 4th and I don't tend to labor very long at all! Hopefully we don't have this one in the car....hahaha.

buggirl72 · August 2012

I moved also and kept my doctor. The hospital she delivers at is better than the one near me and is about 30-40 minutes away - unless we hit the commute times.

JuliaBug · August 2012

We are about 40 minutes away. There is a hospital 5 minutes away, but they do not have a maternity ward, but I could go there if I had an absolute emergency.

wegme27 · August 2012

Doesn't seem crazy to me especially if you feel that hospital will give you the best care. I lucked out and I can see my hospital from my window at work since it's right across the street and my OB is just behind it then it's about 15 minutes from my house.

baxteas · August 2012

We are in the same boat....

I live in Jersey City and have to drive all the way to the Upper Eastside of Manhattan to get to Lennox Hill Hospital!

I LOVE my doctor which is why I won't switch, but to be totally honest, it scares the crud outta me to think that with traffic it could take over an hour to get up there! No NYC traffic it only takes 20 minutes.

I read a story on the birthing page about a woman delivering in her bathroom and having an unmedicated epizmty.

I am not thrilled about the distance, but my hands are tied.

baxteas · August 2012

We are in the same boat....

I live in Jersey City and have to drive all the way to the Upper Eastside of Manhattan to get to Lennox Hill Hospital!

I LOVE my doctor which is why I won't switch, but to be totally honest, it scares the crud outta me to think that with traffic it could take over an hour to get up there! No NYC traffic it only takes 20 minutes.

I read a story on the birthing page about a woman delivering in her bathroom and having an unmedicated epizmty. Pray that this isn't me! I hope to get there quickly (hopefully in the middle of the night).

I am not thrilled about the distance, but my hands are tied.

baxteas · August 2012

We are in the same boat....

I live in Jersey City and have to drive all the way to the Upper Eastside of Manhattan to get to Lennox Hill Hospital!

I LOVE my doctor which is why I won't switch, but to be totally honest, it scares the crud outta me to think that with traffic it could take over an hour to get up there! No NYC traffic it only takes 20 minutes.

I read a story on the birthing page about a woman delivering in her bathroom and having an unmedicated epizmty. Pray that this isn't me! I hope to get there quickly (hopefully in the middle of the night).

I am not thrilled about the distance, but my hands are tied.

baxteas · August 2012

We are in the same boat....

I live in Jersey City and have to drive all the way to the Upper Eastside of Manhattan to get to Lennox Hill Hospital!

I LOVE my doctor which is why I won't switch, but to be totally honest, it scares the crud outta me to think that with traffic it could take over an hour to get up there! No NYC traffic it only takes 20 minutes.

I read a story on the birthing page about a woman delivering in her bathroom and having an unmedicated epizmty. Pray that this isn't me! I hope to get there quickly (hopefully in the middle of the night).

I am not thrilled about the distance, but my hands are tied.

colinsfebmommy · August 2012

Mine is about 20 minutes away, not too bad

BrittianyM · August 2012

I will also be delivering at a Hospital an hour away. The OB I go to is a High Risk OB and everyone says she is the best! The hospital also has great feedback.

I am nervous about it being an hour away but it seems worth it so far. I will be induced though for that reason amongst other reasons.

MexiCali · August 2012

My 1st delivery was an hour away. I ended up being induced, so we don't know what would have happened.

This time it's about 30 minutes or 0 minutes if I decide to deliver at home. I am warming up to the idea.

lswivel · August 2012

We are about 15-20 mins from our hospital. I'm about an hour, in decent traffic, from my old hospital.

FutureMrsDrew73110 · August 2012

5-10 minutes away, depending on whose driving.

mjr12 · August 2012

With #1, we were about an hour away. I stayed at home until I felt in my gut that it was time to go. Got there at 7 cm, had the baby in an hour after arrival.

This time, we aren't going anywhere. Baby will be born at home.

The nearest hospital we have (that has any care for birthing mothers/babies) is about an hour way in any direction.

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