For the NYC mamas out there:
1. How did you get to the hospital if you didn't have a car? Did you call an ambulance when you went into labor? Car service? Taxi? Gulp... subway? I live in south Brooklyn but will be delivering at NYU Langone (east 30's in Manhattan). Thoughts?
2. If you have a dog, how did you arrange for its care while you were at the hospital, without knowing when that would be or how long you might be there? Our vet's office has a kennel that we use for boarding if we go out of town, but I'm not sure how that would work in this case since we'd have no advance notice and I could easily go into labor while they're closed. We don't have a regular dog walker/sitter, and our pup is not the most easy going little guy, so I'd be worried about just asking a friend to stop in for feedings and walks. Maybe if we worked it out with a friend in advance, and set up a couple of times for the friend and our dog to spend some time together beforehand that could work??
Any advice or experiences to share would be much appreciated, thanks!
Re: 2 L&D questions for NYC mamas - transportation to hospital and pet care
I also live in South BK and will be delivering at Langone. My colleagues who have recently delivered all made it via taxi cab (Uber). My family who has recently delivered were usually driven by husbands in their own vehicles. Everyone happened to be coming from home.
If this is your first baby, you will likely be okay in terms of having to cab it. Tip from one of my colleagues is do not let them know you are in labor
A very kind neighbor of mine looks after my dog from time to time, and she agreed in advance to do so when it was time for me to deliver. If you have friends who would be willing to do it, just ask! You can even set up a backup person to give the first person some relief if you're in the hospital for longer than expected.
I met this neighbor by asking another neighbor if he knew any good dog walkers. She's not a dog walker, just a person who loves dogs, and has fun taking care of mine. It's worth asking around.
Unless you have the car pull over to the side, there is no good place to install a car seat at Langone. It only took us about 2 minutes to get our baby buckled into the car seat, and there were cars behind us honking.