Traveling for Prenatal Care

Re: Traveling for Prenatal Care

• harpseal135 member

  October 2021 edited October 2021

  lizzyb1stbb4us said:

  
  Hello all. This is my very fist post on the BUMP so please be kind. This IS my first rodeo. I am newly pregnant at 6 weeks (today!) and I haven't told my family or friends yet. I have a very big surprise planned for everyone at a family Thanksgiving this year. However, that means that only my husband of 1 year and I know that this little love bug is being built at the moment. I work at our local hospital, which happens to be one of the larger hospitals in my state, however, it is not the best hospital for prenatal/labor and delivery care. The hospital and prenatal care that I would want the most is about an hour south of where we currently live. BUT, I don't know if an hour away is okay, if you get what I mean. It seems pretty far when I think about how quickly I would want to be at the hospital when the little babe is on their way, but also, the hospital and prenatal offices are genuinely nicer and isn't filled with familiar coworkers that might get to see me in a vulnerable moment. I think in the end I would be happy with the selection, but again, this is my first time thinking about these things and I just want to make sure that there are others that have traveled a little ways to receive prenatal and labor and delivery care.

  Not sure the back story of telling family was important to the question- but you do you and thats that. 
  
  As for an hour away - there is no way I would want to be an hour away for delivery.  If labor comes quickly and is fast you will be delivering on the side of the highway.  
  
  Just know the water doesn't always break 1st.  My water did not break, they had to physically break it after 15 hours of labor, just before delivery.  Its not always a 1st indication of labor, or in early stages of labor.  
  
  If you need to go in and they monitor you and you are not in active labor, they will send you back home.  Braxton hicks can feel like real labor and I personally know someone who was sent to L&D five times, but each time was a false alarm.  I can not imagine that.  
  
  Honestly an hour away would be a no go for me. Just because I know of too many experiences w/ friends and family that it would be way too much back and forth.  

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• Lisa3379 member

  October 2021

  I think it's do-able. I have family that live in a very rural area and they have no choice - their hospital is an hour away. If the care you'd receive really is much better than at the nearest hospital, it's something to think about I guess. 

  
  

  My hospital is only 15 minutes away, but when I went into labor for my first kid, my water started breaking around 7am, but it was super gradual, and my contractions were pretty far apart still, so I made myself breakfast, let my husband sleep in, finished folding laundry, and then eventually made our way to the hospital about 3 hours later. Baby was born 15 hours after getting there. Again, that's just me, but first babies tend to take longer. For my second, even though he was born 6 hours after my water broke, I wanted to get to the hospital as fast as humanly possible, mostly for peace of mind, so yeah, being far from the hospital would've freaked me out. 

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• pajamstagrams member

  October 2021

  Probably doable, if that's your only/best option. You would have to factor in that time in determining when to call your OB/drive to the hospital (and that may mean going before contractions are consistently 5 min apart), with the understanding that you might have to walk around and wait if labor moves slower than you think, and you might not get admitted immediately. 
  
  My hospital is *best case* 25 min away with light traffic, and worst case probably an hour if I hit rush hour.  Thankfully with my first I drove in at 9 pm so traffic was minimal, but if it's looking like I might have to drive in during the day this time, I would plan for a 45-60 min drive.
  
  
  
  
  

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• meggyme member

  October 2021

  Just remember that towards the end you will be at the office at least once a week, way more if you end up being high risk. I’d argue that finding a more local OB and going to the further hospital for delivery would be the way to go.

  DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::

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• swizzlemalarkey member

  October 2021

  @lizzyb1stbb4us I took the chance and went to a hospital that was an hour away from me. When I brought it up to my midwife she said that precipitous labor is pretty rare for first time moms. But it does happen. At 39 weeks my cervix was completely closed so I was less worried. I ended up needing to be induced at 40 weeks so it worked out. But I’ll be honest driving an hour each way for appts wasn’t fun. 

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• paytonpedro member

  October 2021

  My hospital is a half hour away and I’d have traveled the extra half hour more if the care was that much better. But idk if my opinion counts because I technically had 2 inductions despite being in labor upon arrival with my second. 

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• coldlife2 member

  October 2021

  I know many, many people who’ve driven to a hospital an hour away even with closer options. If you become high risk it might be unwise (although in my area, if you’re high risk, the farther away hospitals are the ones you’d be told to go to), but you can discuss that if you become high risk. 

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• babybelugaco member

  November 2021

  The hospital I delivered both my girls at was 45-90min drive depending on time of day. It wasn't too bad with my 1st because I worked downtown a short bus ride from the hospital so the weekly appointments at the end weren't terrible. This last baby I had to make the drive down and for a quick 5 minute checkup it was a lot of hassle. 
  However, it was one of the best hospitals and I love my OB so it was worth it. They told me that instead of the 5 minute rule for contractions, to start to come in when they were 8-10 minutes because they didn't want me having a car baby. 
  In the end it didn't matter because I was induced with both so I didn't have to worry about the right time to head in. 

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• knottie0f7367f6ded01c45 member

  April 2022

  Well, most rural pregnant women deal with this too. I live an hour away from the closest delivery hospital since I live in the Florida Keys (no OBs or deliveries on the island), so I don’t necessarily agree with the other women posting about it being too far. Not everyone has the same luxuries. It’s not ideal, but it is what it is. My partner jokes that he will get fake sirens if he has to lol (obviously not really because it’s illegal).

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