Backup Care for Birth

[guestmama 9918]

I recently found careproviders for my HBAC. Up til this time I had been using my regular OB practice, with the intent to VBAC and dilligently looking for different options, since I know they aren't really VBAC friendly. The new careproviders I found support homebirth, but if I would need to transfer, their back up hospital is easily 35 miles away.

I have a state of the art facility literally 5 minutes from my house. Could I just plan to use that hospital for back up? Do I need to have a doctor there or would just whomever is on call deliver me?

[Spark]

Yes, you can just use the hospital closest to you. If you had to transfer it would be an actual emergency & you would not care who was helping you!

[nashvillemidwife]

What do your midwives say?

Most transports actually are not emergencies, in which case it's going to be better for you, your baby, and your midwives if you go to their backup hospital. It's a given that if it were an actual emergency you would go to the nearest hospital regardless.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

What do your midwives say?

Most transports actually are not emergencies, in which case it's going to be better for you, your baby, and your midwives if you go to their backup hospital. It's a given that if it were an actual emergency you would go to the nearest hospital regardless.

Exactly. My MW didn't have a back-up doc, whoever was on call would the the one, I was perfectly ok with that.

[nashvillemidwife]

Backup doctor aside, I'd want to go to the hospital where the client was going to get the best treatment. If you need emergency services, that makes the on-call doctor at the closest hospital the most appropriate choice. If I need medical backup and it's not an emergency, they're going to get the best treatment at my backup hospital, whether that's next door or an hour away.