19 Comments Add your own

• 1. Foilwoman  |  August 29th, 2007 at 3:51 am

  What’s with the wanting women in labor to walk/take a bus/take a taxi? Is childbirth that less risky and painful in the U.K.?

  Here I will freely admit, I’ve give birth twice, once I walked to the hospital and once I was driven by my then husband. However, labor is painful, childbirth is not risk-free in the least, and I’d rather have an EMT deliver my kid than a taxi driver. My labors have never lasted long, so if my contractions were five minutes apart, five minutes later they could be 30 seconds apart.

  I know you’ve got this whole stiff upper lip thing going, but come on. Save it for someone who doesn’t deserve a little empathy and sympathy. A woman in the throws of labor who’s about to pass a soccer ball should get a bye. Just MHO, but really, if you can’t give birthing mothers a break, who will you give it too? Just a little too cold blooded and heartless, which is okay if you’re a reptile, but for a mammal seems a bit ungenerous.

• 2. oliviascotland  |  August 29th, 2007 at 2:40 pm

  Whilst I agree in theory with what you’re saying, I would have to point out that it’s virtually impossible to find a taxi to take one anywhere when more than about 7 months pregnant! I know with my first child, I tried to get a taxi to an antenatal appointment at 8 months, and ended up walking the 3 miles to the hospital (as it was quicker than a bus) as not one taxi would stop, let alone take me anywhere - even trying to book a mini-cab as a contigency should my husband not be around was impossible - not one taxi or mini-cab company would accept my booking. Fortunately, my husband was around for all 3 births, and drove me to the hospital each time - but had he not been around (and had I had no other back-up), a taxi would not have agreed to take me (especially with my 2nd and 3rd where I lived over an hour away from the hospital!). Also, it’s worth bearing in mind that babies don’t generally turn up on their due date and sometimes, no matter how many plans have been made, there is sadly no option but to call an ambulance. But, it should be considered a last resort NOT a default option!

• 3. Mr Mans Wife  |  August 30th, 2007 at 1:48 am

  I can see both sides here. I think maybe the point that our dear friend is trying to make is that so many women see an ambulance ride to hospital as a default option and not a last resort.

  I think there are circumstances when an ambulance would be necessary - such as quick labours as Foilwoman mentions - but in most cases women in labour can travel safely when in labour. I have 15 nieces and nephews and not one of their mothers has travelled by ambulance when in labour - despite premature births and -30 temperatures!

  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know someone with a car, and labour is surely one reason that friends or relatives would get out of bed for or even leave work.

  The only problem I see is that I’ve known women in labour to actually be sent home again because of lack of beds, so it seems that unless birth is imminent the hospital won’t take you in, but of course if birth is imminent you wouldn’t want to travel by car!

• 4. uphilldowndale  |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:18 pm

  Maybe its about the women feeling unsupported and ‘unsafe’ at home, with less home births and shortages of community midwives an atmosphere that demands more an more medical attendance /intervention seems to have developed. Pregnancy now seems to be all about worry and anxiety, just deciding what the ‘mum to be’ can eat for lunch seems to require a PhD, Its no wonder they are all stressed out

• 5. Trekkie  |  August 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm

  Oh dear, are we gonna fall out?
  Yes, for my first child, my husband ran me to the hospital. Second time though, we had no car, I was 5 weeks early, and only woke up when my waters broke. Now, if you can find me a taxi that will take a woman with amniotic fluid running down herself to a hospital with contractions making we want to rip any man’s bits off for getting me into that situation in the first place, well, you’re a better man than me Gunga Din.

• 6. John Robertson  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 2:25 am

  Okay, it looks like a reply is wanted! Let’s address a few points here then:

  Firstly, and most importantly, we walked past two cars on the driveway of the house to get to the ambulance. Secondly, as I said, there had been absolutely no loss of fluid and the woman was claiming to have contractions 5 minutes apart - in the 20 minutes I was with her, she gave no indication of a contraction so any that she did have weren’t strong. Thirdly, my training (and that of every other member of the ambulance service) of obstetrics and gynaecology consists of one day in which a lot was covered. I was supposed to have an obs and gynae update course earlier in the year, but it was cancelled due to ‘operational demand’. Whilst I have delivered two babies, I freely admit that I have little to no idea what to do if anything goes wrong.

  I do not expect anyone who has amniotic fluid running down their legs to find private transport, but what I do expect is that people have some consideration as to what plan of action they are going to take when labour starts. It doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. The expected due date that is given is a bit of a give away really. The root of this problem starts at the hospital where women don’t seem to be told what the appropriate method of transport is.

  The crux of the matter lies in the fact that many, many women plan to dial 999 for an emergency ambulance when they go into labour.

• 7. Ms Ellisa  |  September 10th, 2007 at 1:56 pm

  I don’t work in an ambulance and neither have I given birth to any children, but I do believe very strongly that is, that a cardiac arrest is a tiny little bit more risky than labour. If however a mom-to-be decided that she does indeed need an ambulance to get to the hospital fast or safe or both or even if she is alone and feels better being transported that way for whatever reason, no one would be to blame to her and help should be provided.
  It’s just that everyone should apply to their common sense, and not use an ambulance if an ambulance isn’t needed. We should let ambulances be free for those who absolutely need it, if it’s not us.

• 8. Janine  |  September 18th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

  Interesting rants from both sides! However, does anyone actually know of a taxi company that will in fact take a pregnant woman in early labour to hospital??? so far I can’t find any and am looking in advance - yes, I know we aren’t supposed to abuse the ambulance service, and living in London, I don’t know anyone with a car that is going to be around at the time of my due date…

• 9. ecparamedic  |  September 18th, 2007 at 9:26 pm

  It’s not a case of the ambulance service begrudging emergency transport to someone in medical need and no way of getting to hospital.

  It’s the ambulance service repeatedly seeing people in non life threatening situations demand a big white taxi in preference to using their own transport.

  SD

• 10. Chris  |  October 1st, 2007 at 11:55 am

  Whilst I fully appreciate that there are and always will be a percentage of thoughtless inconsiderate people who use and abuse our emergency services unncessarily, one factor that nobody seems to have mentioned here is the fact that with many hospitals having had their maternity departments closed down in this country, an expectant mum can in some cases have to travel several miles to a hospital to give birth. Not all couples have their own transport for the journey. My daughter in law was told only 3 weeks ago by her midwife that if she telephones for an ambulance when she goes into labour that she will have to pay up to £300 for the cost of transporting her to the nearest hospital which is over 40 miles away as our nearest one was shut down some time ago. We would willingly pay the taxi fare (which would in no way cost £300) but as others have rightly stated, taxi companies just do not want to know. Maybe some consideration should be given to charging local taxi companies for the cost of using an ambulance who refuse to take expectant mums to hospital instead!

• 11. Alexis  |  December 5th, 2007 at 4:24 am

  Is everything ok over there? (yes, I know this is the second time I’ve had to post this) Haven’t heard from you in quite a long time. Mark over at NeeNaw hadn’t posted in a while either, but he just put a post up recently; it made me think of you. Hope everything is well with you - happy holidays if you don’t make it on in time!

• 12. Trekkie  |  January 5th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

  John,you realise that, if it get’s to 6 months since you last posted something, we’re going to have a party on here?

• 13. Marky moo  |  February 28th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

  Ok this is all well and good for those of you who have cars. What about those of us who live about an hour away from the hospital. Have no car. and may have to use an ambulance AS A LAST RESOURT. Lets set the scene. 3AM on a friday night. A womans waters break, Can we get a bus NO can we get a taxi At this time on a friday night NO Should we call an ambulance so we can get to hospital and have a safe environment to deliver our baby YES!

  We pay our taxes and ambulance drivers wages so we have the right to call an ambulance as a last resourt without having to worry about getting a charge. If anyone is to blame for the lack of ambulance drivers and the lack of comunity midwives its the government. Too busy sendin soldiers to iraq and fast tracking foreign workers visa’s.

  More money to NHS staff and less to immigrants and war. This country is turning into animal farm.

• 14. Avril  |  March 8th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

  Where can you report the abuse of abulance services, as my neighbour calls the abulance services approx 3 times a month and every time he is extremely drunk, making out he has a bad back to keep his sickness benefit claim going. It is an absolute disgrace when his wife is well able to take him as they have a very expensive BMW at their disposal which is also provided by DLA benefits. How much does this service cost in South Wales?

• 15. Edam  |  April 2nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm

  I was *told* to call an ambulance when I was in labour, when I complained to the chief executive at the hospital about parking charges. And London Ambulance Service backed him up. There was no free parking/cap on charges at that hospital for women in labour, unlike many other trust. Given labour for first pregnancy - the bit at hospital - is an average of, I think, 12 hours, that’s a nice little earner for them. We ended up paying £60 in parking plus the London congestion charge. This was my LOCAL hospital. Strangely I really, really didn’t want to send my husband home to drop the car and then try to get a minicab back at 3am. Especially as there were no midwives around - just one looking after seven women in labour, against every guideline and horrendously dangerous. If I’d send my other half home, I would have been on my own. As it was we paid £60 plus C-charge and I had nasty complications arising from lack of midwifery care. I should send them a bill…

• 16. Lou  |  April 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 am

  My local taxi firm took me to hospital in labour, after my waters had broken and didn’t complain. I did sit on a bin bag though! I never even considered phoning an ambulance. That was with my first child.

• 17. Pag  |  July 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm

  Lou - What was your local taxi firm? All the one I tried did not want to take a pregant woman in labour to go the hospital.

• 18. medic  |  September 8th, 2008 at 5:56 pm

  Edam - there is no congestion charge at 3am!!!

• 19. helen  |  October 20th, 2008 at 9:53 pm

  well, I am planning a home birth, and am all set up to go, it’s all been planned and agreed with the midwife team…we live 20 mins away from the hospital….Saw my Midwife today and she asked me what I’d do if I had less than 20 minutes warning the baby was on the way and they wouldn’t be able to reach me in time - (this is my 3rd child, so I have an idea of what to expect….my other labours were 4 hours plus) ..and I said if things were progressing the baby was litereally on it’s way out before I had any warning that quickly I’d call 999.. But she told me if I were to do this I would be charged £300 for a call out…
  Now I’m obviously not planning or expecting to have a labour that is progressing that fast., they must be vary rare, but it sounds to me a bit outrageous if there isn’t enough time to physically get the MW here on time (or for us to drive to the hospital eithe presumably ) NOT to call for emergency assistance….I appreciate there is a need to discourage use for a ‘routine’ labour….but one that’s under 20 mins has got to be a bit of an emergency, surely?

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