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Would you have your second baby at a birth center that is a 1 hour and 18 min drive away?  

post #1 of 34
7/17/08 at 8:45pm
Thread Starter 
I really want to birth here: http://www.ctbirthcenter.com/index.htm but, according to mapquest, it is a 1 hour, 18 min drive away. I know the second baby can come pretty fast, so it seems like it wouldn't be a good idea. I was thinking maybe I could head out there when I'm still in early labor and go to a hotel until I'm further along (there are a few just a few minutes away), but what if I only think I'm in labor? Sounds like it would be a pain. What do you all think? Would it be too risky? I don't really want to give birth in a car.
post #2 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:23pm
I personally wouldn't do it but then again I prefer to homebirth for many, many reasons and I can't imagine laboring in a car. Anecdotally, that's a good birth center as birth centers go, but it's not the same as homebirth (e.g., from one friend who birthed there, they have routine suctioning, GD testing required, placenta "helped" out).
post #3 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:31pm
Well disregaurding that 2nd post (might want to really look into some of that) --- I birthed 1st and will birth 2nd at a birth center that is an hour away with ABSOLUTELY NO traffic in a very traffic'y' city!!! I think if you listen to your body you can do it/make it just fine. And if a car birth happens; its still better than the hospital My m/w is pretty sweet though and if you are worried about the transfer will tell you to come on in and labor while she sleeps or does 'exams' in the other house.
post #4 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:44pm
Thread Starter 
I guess I should add that my other option is a hospital (which I have heard good things about). I've considered homebirth, but have decided against it.
post #5 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:54pm
If you went to the birth center would you have to switch care providers?
post #6 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:56pm
Where in CT are you?
post #7 of 34
7/17/08 at 9:58pm
I never post in here but I saw your title on the main page. I had my first in triage because I couldn't make it to the birth center on the other side of the city (about 35 minutes away). In retrospect, the car would have been better than the hospital.

But everyone has those stories. My more practical advice is that it's your SECOND. You will have a better idea of how your body labors and even if things move much faster, you will likely not end up in transition going, "I don't know if I'm allowed to call yet!" You're probably going to be better at judging where your labor is than with your first and how to manage the trip, when to go, how comfortable you feel, etc.

There's also the argument that a false alarm isn't going to haunt you for years, whereas a less-than-ideal birth might, so I'd aim for the ideal.

You could also mapquest hospitals along the way just to be prepared. And is there any time of day that the traffic will make the trip worse? That could be important.
post #8 of 34
7/17/08 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eli's mama View Post
If you went to the birth center would you have to switch care providers?
Well they do prenatal care at the birth center, I'm not sure how they'd feel about me just showing up for the birth. I wouldn't mind the drive for the prenatal appts anyway, it's just the birth I'm worried about.
post #9 of 34
7/17/08 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MamaJenese View Post
Where in CT are you?
Manchester
post #10 of 34
7/17/08 at 10:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nwmamas View Post
You could also mapquest hospitals along the way just to be prepared. And is there any time of day that the traffic will make the trip worse? That could be important.
Yes I'll definitely have to check out the route to the birth center, I haven't actually been there yet.
post #11 of 34
7/17/08 at 11:22pm
Me personally? no. I had a 12 hour labor and wouldn't have thought to leave home until it was too late. If second labors are always shorter, I would have the baby in the car. And mapquest might be underestimating the route - ours was usually 45 minutes but took an hour with a fill-up at the gas station. Are there alternate routes? We didn't really have an alternate route from our location to the birth center I used. IF there is a third baby (second preg), we will have it at home.
post #12 of 34
7/17/08 at 11:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by liliaceae View Post
I guess I should add that my other option is a hospital (which I have heard good things about). I've considered homebirth, but have decided against it.
In that case definitely better in so many ways than most hospitals and probably worth the longer trip. Also I think (you should check into this yourself to make sure it's true of all mws there) they tend to check dilation before they "admit" you (so you can use the place but aren't admitted yet) and you aren't on the clock until dilated a certain amount enough to be "admitted"...so going there early isn't so bad (except to the extent you're not getting to be at home). I believe this is one of the reasons they have such a low transfer rate (I checked into it for someone).
post #13 of 34
7/17/08 at 11:34pm
Yes, I would. With my first I chose a birth center that was over 3 hours away from where I lived because it was the only center I could find that would take both me and my insurance. I had only a 7 hour labor. With #2 I had her at home, but I was in labor 21 hours. So although usually 2nd's are faster, they aren't always. And I wouldn't let travel time interfer with me being where I wanted to be.
post #14 of 34
7/18/08 at 11:22am
I am another one who had a second labor longer than the first. It was poky and irregular for a while. So you never know, every birth is different and while it is "average" for 2nd births to be shorter, yours may not be.

Once things did "kick in" from irregular to active labor/transition, I left for the hospital (30 min drive) got there at 9 cm and spent one hour there before pushing baby out. So I would have been okay with the distance you describe.

If it is the place you feel most comfortable birthing, I say go for it. But you should try the drive a couple times yourself, and obviously visit to see if it is really as great as you imagine, before deciding.
post #15 of 34
7/18/08 at 11:55am
How long was your first labor and delivery?

I would do it if my only other option was the hospital. But I would be more conserned aobut laboring in the car then actually not getting there in time. Like a PP said, as long as you listen to your body, I think the chances of that happening are pretty slim unless you have a crazy fast labor. If it were me, I would be prepared to be as comfortable in the car as possible. Bring relaxing CD, pillows, blankets, something to squeeze, snack and water, etc. Also make sure that whoever is driving you there knows to stay completely calm, (even if traffic is bad or something else is stressing them out). I can just picture my DH getting all hot and bothered on the way there and totally throwing off my laboring. As far as checking into another hospital on the way...I wouldn't do it. But that's just me. Maybe talk to your midwife and see if you would be able to still go to the birth center for a check up if the unlikely happens, and the baby is born in the car.
post #16 of 34
7/18/08 at 1:55pm
My first labor was about 5 hours total, so I chose to stay home rather than drive a little over an hour to the only available birth center (a very nice place, btw). Good thing; I would not have made it with #2.

I would really consider why you have decided against homebirth. If it is a safety/risk factor issue, you may want to reconsider. Generally, a freestanding birth center is no "safer" than birthing at home. Everything you would have at a bc will be brought to your home by the mw. Unless the bc is significantly closer to a hospital for transfer in an emergency, it's really just birthing at someone else's house rather than your own. For me, it just wouldn't be worth it to drive over an hour to birth at someone else's house, kwim?

If it's a cleanup issue, the mw takes care of the cleanup at your house. You get to cozy up in your own bed and just enjoy your baby.

But, if my only choice was really b/c or hospital (maybe because there were no hb mw in my area)? I'd try to make the drive, and maybe camp out at my dad's house (closer to the b/c near us) for awhile before I was due. Then again... I'd probably just go UC. But the hospital would be last on my option list... and I had a relatively good first hospital birth. I wasn't traumatized or anything, and felt like my wishes were respected.
post #17 of 34
7/18/08 at 2:06pm
i'd choose homebirth, without a doubt.

however, if my only 2 options were the birth center or the hospital, i'd choose the birth center hands down, no matter how long it took to get there.
post #18 of 34
7/18/08 at 3:34pm
personally, I would have a hard time with this question if my only other option was the hosp. All of my deliveries have been nonintervention births with mw at hosp except for last one, and that was a UC at the hosp. I have decided because of that the deliver at home next time. The closest center to me is about 45 min to 1 hour away, and for me that is too far. I have very fast labors first was 4 hours, second was 1 hour, and third was a little less than an hour. Seriously, from beginning of "I think I am in labor" to baby delivering! And the drive to the hosp is the worst, so I could not do it for an hour personally.
post #19 of 34
7/18/08 at 6:13pm
I am having the same issue. We have to look into the money issue. If money is no problem, just the drive, then go for it! My vbac with #2 was at a hospital 2+ hours away and the doctor didn't bat an eye. Now the problem we have is trying to come up with a huge sum of money just to drive a couple hours to have a baby in a birth center. And in the event of a transfer, no refunds. That's just not something we can take lightly. And homebirth isn't an option for everyone, so I understand that point.

My best advice is to talk to the birthing center about just the option of delivering there and if there is a discounted fee and what happens in the event of a transfer. If they are okay with just delivering then the next step is to find a local doc or midwife who is willing to do split care. (this is what we did with ds) so you don't have to drive all the way to the birthing center every month, then every two weeks, etc. because gas is so outrageous. You have your standard "ho-hum yep you look good appointments" close to home and visit the birthing center for tests you want or just to check in and just carry your records back and forth with you.

But the drive, I really wouldn't sweat it. 1 1/2 hours doesn't sound bad at all for the birth you really want and deserve.
post #20 of 34
7/18/08 at 7:40pm
Theoretically I would...realistically....I don't know. I'm on a different tangent, I'm thinking of gas to and from, especially when prenatals get closer towards the end. I guess this post
Quote:
If it is the place you feel most comfortable birthing, I say go for it. But you should try the drive a couple times yourself, and obviously visit to see if it is really as great as you imagine, before deciding.
sums it up for me.
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