With the uncertainty of maternity units closing here in Northern Ireland, the thought of travelling long distances, while in labour may set your nerves on edge.
Of course, your chosen maternity hospital may already be a fair drive away, regardless of any changes to local maternity services. For some women, that can mean a longer journey while in labour, so it's worth thinking ahead about how you can make that car ride as comfortable as possible.
This blog is here to help you prepare, make a plan and feel confident about what to do if things don't unfold quite as expected. From knowing when to make your way to hospital, to making the journey more comfortable, to knowing what to do if your labour progresses quickly or your baby decides not to wait, a little preparation can help you feel ready for whatever twists your birth may bring.
If Your Maternity Hospital is Further Away, It's Worth Having a Plan
If you were expecting to give birth at Daisy Hill, the possibility of travelling further to hospital may feel like a big adjustment. You may be thinking about the practicalities of getting there in labour, particularly if you live some distance from Craigavon Hospital, or your drive involves busy roads, rural routes or unpredictable traffic. Your journey to your chosen hospital may just be a fair drive from home regardless.
You don't need to spend your pregnancy worrying about everything that might happen. But having a simple plan can help you feel much more prepared if the arrangements around your birth change.
Think about the journey as part of your birth preparation, just as you might think about what you're taking in your hospital bag or who you'd like supporting you
Know Your Journey to the Hospital
Before labour starts, take the time to familiarise yourself with the routes to the hospital. Don't rely solely on your car's GPS or Google Maps. They have no idea of the condition of the roads, roadworks, traffic delays, etc.
Here are some things to carefully consider:
- How long does the journey usually take?
- How might that change during rush hour?
- Are there particular roads that are prone to delays?
- Are there any roadworks along the way?
- Is there an alternative route?
- What will you do if you go into labour while your partner is at work or away from home?
- What if there are weather disruptions?
Plan with your husband/birth partner well in advance, discussing the different scenarios and alternatives you can make, so you have a Plan B prepared.
Make the Car Journey Part of your Birth Preparation
If you're travelling a fair distance to the maternity hospital, planning ahead of time will ensure calm and peace of mind. You could use the following as a checklist:
- Keep the car reasonably fuelled from 38 weeks
- Make sure your phone is charged. (Extra cable in the car)
- Have your hospital bags ready
- Have your baby's car seat installed and ready for the journey home
- Keep some old towels or waterproof protection in the car
- Make sure your birth partner knows the route, entrance to the maternity unit and where to park
- Have the maternity unit's phone number easily accessible on both your phones.
- Think about who your backup driver might be.
When Should You Leave for the Hospital?
Your individual circumstances, your pregnancy and the distance you need to travel can all be relevant when deciding when to make your way to hospital when you're in labour.
It's worth keeping the conversation ongoing with your healthcare provider during your antenatal appointments, particularly if you live some distance from your planned place of birth or there are factors outside your control that may affect your care.
Ask your midwife/consultant what they would recommend for you specifically, when you should contact the maternity unit and whether the length of your journey changes anything about your individual plan.
What if You're Not Sure When it's Time to Go
You don't have to have all the answers! And you definitely don't have to be 100% sure before phoning through to the maternity unit.
The early stages of labour can be a time of uncertainty: Is this really labour? Should I wait a little longer, or should we leave now?
When you're facing a longer journey to the hospital, it can be difficult to know exactly when the time is right to leave when you're in labour.
If you're ever unsure, make the call!
That's what they're there for. Explain what you're experiencing, how far away you are and anything else that's relevant. They should take the time to talk things through with you and advise you on what to do next.
What Can Make a Car Journey in Labour More Comfortable?
A longer journey to hospital in labour doesn't have to mean abandoning everything that helps you feel calm, safe and in your labour zone.
There are lots of little things you can do to make the journey feel more comfortable and protected, while keeping safety firmly at the top of the list.
First Things First: Safety
Rule number one: safety first.
Whether you're travelling in the front or back of the car, keep your seatbelt on while the car is moving. If you need to change your position significantly or remove your seatbelt for any reason, the driver needs to pull over somewhere safe first.
Your seatbelt should sit with the diagonal strap between your breasts and the lap belt low across your pelvis and upper thighs, underneath your bump.
You can still move, breathe and find positions that feel comfortable within the limits of your seatbelt. If you need to make a bigger adjustment, simply pull over safely first.
How to Protect Your Labour Environment on the Journey to Hospital
Rule number two: think about what helps you feel safe, steady and undisturbed.
Labour hormones work best when you feel safe and able to switch off from the outside world. So think about how you can create as much of that feeling as possible during the journey.
Oxytocin is one of the key hormones involved in labour, and anything that helps you feel calm, comfortable and connected can help you stay in your labour zone.
When it comes to creating your ideal environment, more of what makes you feel safe and comfortable can be a very good thing!
Leaving the Safety of Home in Labour
Leaving the safety and familiarity of your home can sometimes slow your labour down.
Your body responds to your environment, and when you move from somewhere safe, familiar and private into a car, onto the roads and eventually into a hospital environment, you may suddenly become more aware of what's happening around you.
So think about how you can protect your labour zone as much as possible.
If you find that outside stimulation distracts you from your labour, think about how you can reduce it.
Noise-cancelling headphones can help block out unnecessary noise. Having a calming playlist or familiar hypnobirthing tract playing through your headphomes could help you further. Sunglasses can soften bright daylight, while an eye mask may be useful for blocking the flickering flourescent lighting once you're on the maternity ward.
The aim is to create the conditions that help you stay relaxed, focused and on top of those contractions.
What to Pack for a Comfortable Journey to Hospital in Labour
Think about the things that help you feel physically comfortable.
Keep the temperature at a level that feels good for you. You may find yourself feeling warmer during contractions, so a cool cloth over your forehead or the back of your neck can feel lovely.
Take a few pillows for extra support, and keep some clean towels or incontinence pads within easy reach in case your waters are leaking or break.
Don't underestimate how really small things can have a huge impact on your car journey.
Use Your Senses to Stay in Your Labour Zone
Using your senses during labour is an incredibly powerful tool to utilise during labour.
Sound: Have a playlist ready with music that calms you, makes you feel safe or brings back happy memories.
Taste: Take drinks and/or foods you enjoy in the car for the journey. (This is over what's in your labour bag)
Sight: It could help to focus on an affirmation card, a photograph from your pregnancy, a scan of your baby or even a happy place you've created in your imagination.
Smell: Familiar scents can be comforting. You might choose clothing, blankets or pillows that smells of home, your favourite essential oil or another familiar scent that makes you feel relaxed.
Touch: Is there something you can hold that helps you feel calm? A smooth stone, a soft piece of fabric, a birth comb or a small textured ball can all give you something to focus on.
You don't need to make conversation. You don't need to answer questions. You don't need to make small talk. In fact, these distractions pull you out of your labour zone, distracting you from the rhythm or ritual you have established in managing each contraction.
You can simply close your eyes, breathe and get on with the important work of having your baby.
What to Do Before Leaving for Hospital in Labour
One of the simplest ways to reduce stress is to have as much as possible organised before labour begins and transferring to the hospital while in labour.
Ideally, your husband/ partner has everything packed and ready to go, so you're not waiting around while someone searches for the missing phone charger or tries to remember where the hospital bag is.
When it's time to leave, you can be the last one into the car - meaning everyone else is ready and there's no unnecessary rushing backwards and forwards.
If you're planning on using a TENS machine, put it on before you leave if you haven't already. You don't want to be trying to find batteries and attach electrodes while you're having contractions!
Breathe, Soften and Stay Grounded
Your breathing can be such a powerful anchor throughout the journey to the hospital.
One of my favourite breathing techniques is:
Breathe in for 4, out for more.
You don't need to count perfectly. The idea is simply to make your exhale longer and softer than your inhale.
Let your shoulders drop.
Soften your forehead.
Unclench your jaw.
Let your hands relax.
A longer, slower exhale can help you feel calmer and more grounded, giving your body the message that you are safe.
Comfortable and Safe Positions for Labour in the Car
Finding a comfortable position in a moving car isn't always easy, especially when you're having contractions.
If you're travelling in the back, you may find it helpful to have the front passenger seat rolled down towards itself. During a contraction, use the front seat as a support as you lean forward. You can use a pillow for extra support and make small movements that feel comfortable.
You might find that gently turning your body to one side or changing your posture slightly during a contraction helps. Again, use pillows or the available supports in the car to make yourself as comfortable as possible, without interfering with your seatbelt.
If you need to make a bigger positional change, ask the driver to pull over somewhere safe first.
And remember: you don't have to sit perfectly still just because you're in a car. You can still sway and use movement to help you through each contraction.
How Your Birth Partner Can Support You During the Journey to Hospital
Your birth partner (or doula) doesn't need to entertain you, distract you or keep asking how you're doing.
Sometimes the most supportive thing they can do is simply protect your space.
They can keep conversation to a minimum, help you stay focused and in your labour zone, remind you to breathe and gently encourage you to:
- Soften your brow.
- Drop your shoulders
- Relax your hands
- Keep your jaw relaxed
Sometimes, the best support is simply being there quietly and helping you feel safe.
Your Hospital Journey Doesn't Have to Take You Out of Your Labour Zone
The journey to hospital is simply another part of your birth story.
With a little preparation, you can take some of the things that help you feel safe, calm and comfortable at home with you.
You can't control the traffic, the weather or exactly how your labour will unfold.
But you can think about what helps you feel safe, what keeps you in your labour zone and what you can put in place beforehand to make the journey feel a little easier.
What Happens if Labour Speeds Up in the Car?
The majority of women will arrive at the hospital to birth their baby. However, babies sometimes have their own agenda.
With the upheaval and stress of packing the bags and getting yourself comfortable in the car, you might find the reality is that your labour actually slows down. When stress pops up in labour, adrenalin takes over from the hormone that's been driving your labour - oxytocin.
As labour progresses, we want contractions to get closer together, and stronger, and longer. That's labour progressing well.
Notice the Changes:
These may be some indications labour is progressing fast:
- Your contractions have intensified, and contractions are close together
- You're having the urge to push/bear down
- There is lots of pressure in your bottom (like you want to poo)
- You feel the baby's head emerging.
If you are aware of any of these changes, tell your partner immediately so he is aware of how quickly things are moving on.
Don't speed towards the hospital.
If you feel birth is imminent, priorities have now changed from getting to the hospital to getting somewhere safe and calling for professional help.
If the car is equipped with handsfree, your birth partner can call 999, explaining what's happening, and how far you are from the hospital. The emergency call handler can help assess the situation and guide you for the next steps
What if Baby Arrives Before Reaching the Hospital?
Let's talk about the possibility of giving birth to your baby before arriving at the hospital. That's why you're reading this blog, right?
As I've already said, the chances of this happening are slim, but there is still a chance. So, instead of spending unnecessarytime and increasing your stress levels, having a plan in the unlikely event of this happening will prepare you, reducing some of that fear.
If you feel birth is imminent, your birth partner needs to pull over safely and call 999
You don't have to know exactly what to do. Take a deep breath, surrender to what is happening right now, and allow the person on the end of the phone to guide you both through what happens next.
If your baby arrives before the ambulance, stay on the phone with the emergency provider, following their insructions.
Your main priorities:
- Keep you and your baby safe
- Keep baby warm
- Keep baby close
- There is no need to tie off, or cut the umbilical cord. Wait until emergency services arrive.
If your baby is breathing well, keeping them skin-to-skin is the best place to be. Put a towel and or blanket over them, to keep them warm.
If baby is not breathing well, let the emergency responder know, and follow their adivice.
Have a "What If" Plan
If you are going to be travelling some distance to your hospital, it might be worth having the conversation with your husband/birth partner and doula, if you are hiring one.Considerations would be:
- When will we call the maternity unit?
- When will we leave for the hospital?
- What if labour becomes stronger?
- Who will call 999?
- What do we need to look for when pulling over?
- What will we need if baby does arrive?
Whether your hospital is some distance away or you're being forced to travel to another hospital, it's worth taking some time to think to think through what your journey might look like.
Knowing when you should contact the maternity unit, when you should transfer in, and what to do if labour ramps up and the possibility of having the baby en route can help you feel more prepared.
Preparation isn't about trying to predict exactly how your birth will unfold. It's about knowing your options, understanding what you can do in different situations and having the confidence to respond if things don't go exactly to plan.
Gathering the information, making decisions that feel right for you, and having the practical plans in place will help you focus on bringing your baby safely into your arms - no matter how the journey unfolds.
If you're pregnant in Newry, South Down or the surrounding areas and you'd like support exploring your birth options and preparing for the different possibilities labour can bring, I'm here to help.
As a birth doula, I can help you think through your options, prepare for the practicalities of your journey and build confidence in your ability to navigate the unexpected — while keeping you and your choices at the heart of your birth.
If you'd like to chat about your birth and how I could support you, send me a WhatsApp message. I'd love to hear from you.
Or, if you'd prefer to arrange a time to talk, you can book a free discovery call here::