Question about labour and needing an ambulance.

January

Just thinking out loud here. Back in 2009 when I was pregnant on my second child and I registered with the Coombe hospital I was told by a receptionist when I made my first appointment by phone that if I needed an ambulance during the pregnancy/labour that the ambulance would only take me to my nearest maternity hospital (which was the Rotunda at the time as I lived in Finglas). I never queried it and never needed one but my last labour was very short and I am now pregnant again and attending the Coombe again and it has been on my mind a lot lately.

Is it true that they will only take you to your nearest maternity hospital? Where I am living now in Blanchardstown is the same distance to the Coombe as it is to the Rotunda but the Rotunda is more direct to get to.

Maybe somebody here could answer this for me. Thanks in advance.

Paulzx

You'll generally be taken to the maternity hospital that you are attending. Personally, i have never had to take someone to a hospital that is not the one they are attending. It's not uncommon for people to attend a maternity hospital that isnot the closest one to them

Thoie

I'd suspect it would depend on what the problem is. The ambulance service is there to save lives by getting you to a suitable facility as quickly as possible. While they're highly trained, they don't have the equipment that a hospital has. It could take 10 minutes or more to get from the Rotunda to the Coombe - if the situation is serious enough the priority would be getting you proper medical attention, not necessarily getting you to "your" doctor.

truebluesac

I have only had to go to the nearest maternity hospital a couple of times . Paramedics are fully trained in normal deliveries and the more common problems which may arise .They are also trained in neonate resusatation should it be required .

Advanced paramedics have different drugs that can slow down labour and have skills that reach futher into the problematic side should they be required .

I have personally delivered over 10 babies all without incident , the question you should ask first is .... Is your labour an emergancy and do you need an ambulance for it , have you made your plans to get to the hospital bags packed , other kids minded etc

When your pains start this is the time to start making your way safely to the hospital by your pre determined plan .

Bang Bang

Well put truebluesac.

You will be taken to the hospital that you are registered with, within reason of course. For example if you are holidaying in Dublin but from Cork and attending a Cork hospital you will not be taken to Cork, you will be taken to the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street. Likewise visitors to the country or patients not registered in any hospital will be taken to NMH Holles Street, this would include the call originating from certain areas outside of Dublin. Again I relate to Dublin as your question is regarding Dublin hospitals. Other counties have just one maternity unit so the issue never rises.

Proper planning for a delivery will result in not requiring an ambulance and leaving it free for emergencies. But it does happen as the OP states a mother can get 'caught short' with a sudden and quick labour resulting in imminent birth, in these situations paramedics can easily manage normal births at home or in the back of an ambulance.

If a pregnant patient were involved in trauma, serious falls or a road traffic collision for example and required an ambulance then they will usually be taken to the emergency department in the catchment area of the incident. Very few, if any maternity units are equipped to manage trauma, all emergency departments are equipped and trained to deal with emergency childbirth.

January

truebluesac wrote: »

I have only had to go to the nearest maternity hospital a couple of times . Paramedics are fully trained in normal deliveries and the more common problems which may arise .They are also trained in neonate resusatation should it be required .

Advanced paramedics have different drugs that can slow down labour and have skills that reach futher into the problematic side should they be required .

I have personally delivered over 10 babies all without incident , the question you should ask first is .... Is your labour an emergancy and do you need an ambulance for it , have you made your plans to get to the hospital bags packed , other kids minded etc

When your pains start this is the time to start making your way safely to the hospital by your pre determined plan .

Thank you, have my plan in place, my parents only live around the corner from us so they can be here in less than 3 minutes to mind other kids and we'd be straight into the car to the hospital after that. Bags packed around week 30, just to be on the safe side and waiting by the door in the last few weeks! Just in the off chance that I would need an ambulance (while labour was quick it still lasted over an hour so plenty of time to make it to hospital) I would like to be taken to my hospital of choice, of course if it's an emergency I wouldn't care if I ended up in Timbuktoo as long as baby and myself were safe.

truebluesac

I wish you all the best .

But just remember to take your own lead aswell . If you think you need an ambulance do not hessitate to call . And all the best plans and intentions in the world can be broken . It could be that 1 night your mam ans dad decide to go for dinner or somthing haha ,

Making babies and delivering them are the most naturall things in the world , we have been doing it for thousands of years ;-)

Best of luck