Has anyone actually planned a car birth?

[bethanyclaire]

I've seen this mentioned here on MDC quite a few times and I wanted to hear from mamas who have seriously considered it or actually done it.

Long story short... I want a homebirth. My homebirth MW is no longer catching babies and my insurance doesn't cover any other homebirth MW's. I just cannot afford to pay a CPM out-of-pocket right now, there is no way we could manage it. I can't find a practice anywhere near me that guarantees a MW for a hospital birth, you just get the Dr./MW on call. The nearest birth center is almost 2 hours away.

I have a bleeding disorder that can cause some very serious bleeding/hemorrhaging, so I think I've finally decided against a UC (which I was very seriously considering). My current MW has suggested a family practice at a hospital an hour from me. The hospital is pretty natural birth friendly, from what I understand, and the practice is known for being more hands-off and kind to mothers seeking a natural birth. One used to be the backup for my MW's homebirth practice.

I'm due in December, so the weather could potentially be pretty nasty. We live out in the sticks and our roads get plowed last... plus our driveway is very steep and could be impossible to get out of with snow/ice. My last 2 labors were pretty long (48 hours for DS and 24 for DD) and I stayed home until the last possible minute the last time. I was well into transtition when we arrived at the hospital with DD.

So, has anyone actually planned for their babe to arrive in the car? We have a minivan and I can fold down the back seats and labor there if need be. I don't WANT to but I'm not seeing many other options besides being stuck in the hospital with monitors and such. I HATE the hospital and I don't feel comfortable there. I also know I'm going to be stuck with a care provider I most likely don't know or have possibly never even met (the family practice is HUGE and there are lots of residents as well...)

Would you feel comfortable laboring in the back of a van while driving (so without a seatbelt)? I'm thinking about just laying a shower curtain down and covering it with a big, fluffy comforter. What supplies did you bring along? How long after the actual birth did you wait to go in to the hospital (did you wait on purpose or were you still a distance from the hospital)? Did you deliver the placenta in the car as well? How about cord clamping and/or cutting... did you do it or did you wait? Last, how was the hospital about it... were they rotten to you after or were they okay with it? Did they try to separate you and your babe?

Like I said, I'd love to hear from mamas who planned a car birth, whether they had one or not... and those who had a surprise one. Thanks mamas!

[jeliphish]

If I had a serious bleeding disorder I don't think I would birth anywhere but the hospital....sorry.

[nummies]

Originally Posted by jeliphish

If I had a serious bleeding disorder I don't think I would birth anywhere but the hospital....sorry.

I have to agree. I am very, very pro-homebirth, but planning a car birth with a serious bleeding disorder just doesn't seem safe to me.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 12/17/10 at 9:10am

[MeepyCat]

Aside from the dangers of a bleeding disorder, I'd be pretty uncomfortable with the dangers of laboring in the back of a van, while driving, without a seatbelt, in potentially bad weather. More people die in car accidents every winter than in labor.

I like the hotel room near the hospital idea. That seems like a good, safe compromise for early labor.

[Bmorefarmgirl]

seems to me that you would be less in control of what happened after you got to the hospital if you showed up with the baby already born. they will probably want to give the baby antibiotics if you do not have medical records with a gbs test, plus want to take the baby away for monitoring since you birthed in a car and not in a situation where they could see what was going on.

even though you are not comfortable in the hospital, i would imagine that it would be easier to get the birth you want and post-partum care that is more mom-and-baby friendly if you planned on birthing there, had a birth plan, talked to their staff, and everyone knew you there and knew what you wanted to avoid as far as interventions.

[Astraia]

Hotel room near the hospital sounds total ideal to me. We almost did a hotel birth with DD because we'd moved 3 months before she was born and our house wasn't in an acceptable location for homebirth with a midwife.

Also if your midwife isn't catching babies- would she be willing to come right after you UC to help deal with bleeding?

Those would be the two things I would consider.

I think labouring in a car would be miserable. It'd be cold, bumpy, you wouldn't have homey, comfortable, familiar things with you, no one to give counter pressure or offer you a drink- not to mention the safety factor. I know from DD's birth that being in the car, in labour, in late November was the most miserable part of the whole thing.

A lot of hotels are SUPER quiet during the holiday months (DH works in hotels) so privacy isn't such an issue and a lot of them have big ol' tubs that you can labour in, and you can bring in things like birth ball, your own towels, chux, etc. Just pack it into a suitcase and you'll be good to go. Even bringing in a fully inflated exercise ball wouldn't be such a big deal- you're pregnant, you can get away with almost anything :P

[bethanyclaire]

Originally Posted by nummies

I have to agree. I am very, very pro-homebirth, but planning a car birth with a serious bleeding disorder just doesn't seem safe to me.

Thanks mamas. I should have been more clear. My bleeding disorder is under control while I am pregnant and also during and shortly after birth. Pregnancy hormones keep my clotting factors on the higher side (into normal range) until a few hours after delivery. My concern would be getting to the hospital shortly after birth because it is so far away.

I think I'll look into the hotel room idea, that never even occured to me (I'll blame pregnancy brain for that one...)!

[BanditaMamacita]

Where in CT are u located? I know of a few OB/MW practices in CT that can guarantee a mw birth.

[KLM99]

I don't know about whether or not you should plan to birth in the car (I agree that it could be dangerous, especially if the weather is bad), but I did just accidentally have a baby in the car.

The earlier poster is correct - there were a few things in my birth plan that were not honored despite my doula and my requests because they consider it an emergency. The cord was cut immediately despite us asking them to leave it. They wanted to "resuscitate" him right there in the car even though he was screaming. My doula yelled at them that he was clearly fine and didn't need any help breathing. Then they rushed him inside without letting me hold him. I ended up running after them (well, running until someone grabbed me and sat me in a wheelchair) repeatedly asking that they give me my baby. Finally, they did, but if I hadn't been so demanding, he would have been stuck in an incubator for a period before I held him.

The whole thing was rushed, and the hospital staff clearly thought I was nuts for saying I didn't want any interventions. If my doula and I hadn't spoken up, he would have been giving unnecessary oxygen and stuck in an incubator without my holding him among other things I'm sure.

It was not ideal. Also, we drove like mad to the hospital, which I'm sure was very dangerous. That said, it was really comfortable in the car and I wasn't bothered by anyone asking me if I wanted any labor interventions...

[Doberbrat]

if the weather is so bad that you cant get out of your driveway and the roads are bad I would not want to labor in a van. what if the van breaks down, gets stuck in snow, slides off the roadway etc. heat is pretty important to a nb....

if the hotel doesnt work out, could you rent/borrow a motorhome? that seems a little better

[Tizzy]

Definitely book a hotel room. Splurge if you want on the one that has a jacuzzi tub IN the bedroom part so you'll have lots of room to move around. Unlimited hot water is the best factor to me with that idea
Bring your own stuff to clean out the tub, shower curtain, your own towels, garbage bags to put everything in to go home.

[EmmaWoodhouse]

I'm a little confused. You were planning a hb with a midwife before you found out that she couldn't 'catch' your baby. Right? So the midwife is/was fine about the bleeding disorder and was ready to deal with it at your home. Right? If that is the case, just catch your own baby and still have her come to help you out afterward. That way, she is covered and you can still have the help you need afterward. And if your midwife cannot deal with the bleeding issue at your home, then you are still delivering in a hospital anyway.

Personally, I would not labor or deliver in a car/van. They are not comfortable for me. I would also not labor in a hotel. They are super dirty and if you get any body fluids anywhere, they will charge you hundreds in cleaning fees.

Hospital staff are a lot more easy to deal with when you deliver at the hospital. It becomes a huge hassle when you deliver somewhere else and then go there afterward.

Julie

[Talula Fairie]

I'm sorry but, why is the car a bonus? You'd still be UCing. I don't see how it would be less dangerous and laboring? without a seatbelt? AND DRIVING? Not a good plan.

Go to the hospital.

[Liquesce]

To be honest, I think your thoughts here are showing an unhealthy level of fear of a hospital birth.

[Yew]

Good luck to you.

[purplepaperclip]

I can only tell you how insanely HORRIBLE my teeny-tiny 3 mile ride to the hospital was while I was 9 cm dilated. I would NOT recommend that to ANYONE.

[mntnmom]

I have a friend who is quite mainstream, but had an unplanned car-birth in the hospital parking lot. She and her poor babe were subjected to lots of prophylactic anti-biotics and other tests because it wasn't done in the hospital.
With the bleeding disorder, I have to vote on the hospital side too. You can have a wonderful, supported, natural birth in a hospital. Know your rights, it sounds like you've done your research. Just make sure you've got a labor partner who will support you decisions, and I think you'll be fine.

[bethanyclaire]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

To be honest, I think your thoughts here are showing an unhealthy level of fear of a hospital birth.

I disagree. I have had 2 previous hospital births, the first was traumatic with many interventions that I made it very clear that I did NOT want. My second was actually quite good. We had one issue which was not dealt with in a good way (the mw on panicked and cut DD's cord before she was even delivered for what she only *thought* was a nuchal cord). Because of that, other things that were important to me were also changed at the last minute and it was difficult for me to deal with. Other than that, my experience with that birth was fine.

I am not fearful, I am simply weighing all of my options before I make a very serious and very important decision. The best way for me to make any choice is to weigh each and every one of my options before I decide. I have not ever considered birthing in the car, though I have seen it suggested here on MDC many, many times (this was a number of years ago, however, and much has changed around here since then). Because it was never a consideration for me I was interested in hearing from mamas who have planned it or done it. It seems like they would be the ones to ask about their own personal experiences. With DD's pregnancy I weighed the pros and cons of homebirth vs. hospital birth. With this pregnancy I have weighed the pros and cons of those again, and have also included a UC and also now a car birth. I don't think there is anything wrong with looking at an issue from all sides before making a choice. That is why I came here and asked. I didn't say I was dead set on *having* a car birth... I simply asked about others' experiences and also brought up some points about it (cons) that I was uncomfortable with... like driving in the car without a seatbelt and driving such a long distance in the winter in possible bad weather.

[Astraia]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

To be honest, I think your thoughts here are showing an unhealthy level of fear of a hospital birth.

I'm not sure how this is supposed to be helpful.

Being that I found myself in a similar situation and considered the same things the OP is considering (minus the bleeding disorder), I find this kind of offensive.

So you're saying we should - what, just choke it back? Go anyway despite the fear of hospitals? Get into counselling? What?