Anyone had to birth away from home?

[Briannasmom]

Hi everyone,
I'm planning a "home away from homebirth" for the birth of my third child in October. I couldn't find a midwife and backup doctor situation that I felt comfortable with up here in the Bay Area, so I'm going back down to LA to have my baby with the amazing midwife that helped catch baby #2. We have family down there, but no one has a place for me, the 2 kids, the cats (have to bring em) and my husband to stay - we're planning on being there from 37 weeks til a few weeks after the delivery. I think my best option is to stay at a residence inn type place... I can't imagine anyone being willing to sublet to our crazy brood, plus be willing to let me birth there

So - I'm looking for tips/tricks/what do to/what not to do about having a babe at a hotel. Also, any tips in general from mamas who have had to travel to birth their babes would be so appreciated.

Thank you!
Katherine

[blizzard_babe]

I had to travel to give birth to DS1 because I lived in a village in bush Alaska without adequate medical care (not a single doctor, nurse, paramedic, or even EMT in the village, and no road to the nearest place with any of those things). I didn't choose a homebirth, or even look into it, because I am very much a homebody... I wouldn't feel comfortable "homebirthing" away from home. I can't explain why a hospital birth was different, but... I'm odd .

I had to leave home at 36 weeks to "wait" in Anchorage. It's a very common birthing situation in rural Alaska; if you say, "I'm in *city* waiting," people don't ask you what you're waiting for . A coworker had a house in Anchorage and let me rent it for the month.

So... I'm no help on the home-away-from-homebirth aspect, but know all about the traveling to give birth thing. "Nesting" was hard because I wasn't so much feeling it before I left, and then my second week in Anchorage, I wanted to organize and clean and... there I was in my coworker's house that sat vacant most of the time, so it was pretty organized and clean and not mine to clean anyway .

[2ID_Wife]

I was debating on having the baby at my sisters. But I don't think it will work, small place, 7 kids, 2 dogs..

Also look at places just don't tell them you are having the baby in the apt.