Birthing far away from home, home birth not an option

[1colt4me]

I am 33 weeks pregnant and just moved to a semi-remote location. I was receiving regular prenatel care up until our move. Now I'm realizing just how far away everything is.
Found a birth center 72miles to west and nearest hospital is 56 miles to the east over mountian pass. Drive times about the same. hour-and-a-half one way. Trying to decide our best option.
The birth center is everything I want in a birth experience except that they will not keep you overnight. Would need to leave as soon as baby and I where stable after birth 6-8 hour average. Then return for a check up the following day, seems like a lot of travel for me and baby so soon. Hospital has two midwives. doesn't sound too bad. Recently renovated, not clear on all policies yet, I have made two appointments to meet each midwife. So, I guess we'll see.
Just wondering if anyone else has had to birth so far away from hospital or birth center. What did you do?

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

I'm not in a situation quite that extreme. DH and I live one hour away from the nearest freestanding birth center, and about 15 minutes from the nearest hospital. After doing the research, we decided to opt for the birth center despite the drive time because we will be able to have the birth we want there -- and if for some reason we don't get the birth we want, it will be because of medical reasons, not because we have doctors who don't support us. I can't tell you what to do, but in my experience, the birth center midwives will have a lot more autonomy than the hospital midwives, and that could make a REALLY big difference.

As far as the timeframe for when you leave and returning the next day, there might be other options available. At our birth center, if you live less than one hour away, the midwives do a home visit the day after delivery (we are just on the border). If you live more than one hour away, they help you arrange with the VNA to have a nurse come to your house because a 3 hour round trip drive the day after delivery sounds terrible. Perhaps you can work with the birth center to have a nurse come to your house. Or maybe they have other options.

I wouldn't worry too much about leaving shortly after the birth, if you REALLY aren't ready to make the drive, you could always get a hotel - same with labor. If you are afraid of being so far away during labor, you could get a hotel room and labor there for a while if you are comfortable with that.

Hope that helps some. Good luck!

[dannic]

With my first two, I travelled 3 hrs for visits and bc birth. It was either that or birth in hospital/UC. My last, and this time around, I found a MW so I am HBing.

My sis also birthed at the bc...I stayed overnight afterwards at a relative's home; sis stayed overnight at a hotel. Coming home the next day (after staying over night wasn't difficult at all). Of course, I wasn't driving...so it's not hard if you are just traveling in the backseat with baby. HTH.

[MyBoysBlue]

Why not go to the birth center then get a hotel room instead of heading back home after the birth and then traveling back in the next day for the check up. Saves on travel?

[snoopy5386]

I agree with the hotel suggestion. We're 5 mins from the nearest hospital and an hour and 15 mins from the nearest birth center. We're birthing at the birth center. We also have to leave within 8 hours and if you live within an hour you get a home visit the next day. Since we live outside of that radius, no home visit for us.

[1colt4me]

Thank you

Thanks for all the ideas. I may check into having a different midwife or nurse come to me. My husband is not comfortable with the idea of staying in a hotel with a new baby. I may have to compromise with my husband and go with a hospital birth with a midwife.

[SeekingJoy]

If you have a natural childbirth, which you would at a birth center, the travel back and forth probably wouldn't be too big a deal. You can also just ask the birth center about flexibility in options for follow up care.

For me, birthing out of a hospital would be much more important than the details of followup care.