5 Top Tips for the Journey to Hospital
Choosing a hospital or birth centre birth? The journey there can massively impact your labour so below are my 5 top tips.
Speaking from experience, this was one of the things that brought about much anxiety as I neared my due date. Would there be a parking space? Where else could we park? How do we pay for the parking if we don’t know how long we will be? Must remember coins for the parking. What if my husband misses the birth due to parking the car? What if there is traffic?
Some women don’t even think about these worries until they are in the moment. And this is where remembering these tips could really help.
For this I will share each point in a list format to make it easier to remember.
Spare change anyone? An obvious but important one to start with. GO put change in the car now! I mean now! But really, find out where the best parking for you will be and if you will need change for the parking. Most hospitals and birth centres will validate your parking once they admit you in active labour but this might be something you need to research.
Do a practice run. You may have already visited for scans or blood tests or even a ‘walk around’ (yes, this is possible for some birth centres and hospitals), then it might be a good idea to have a practice journey, maybe find the fastest/most comfortable route for you thinking about road conditions and rush hour hot spots. Going over 18 speed bumps to avoid school time traffic while in labour might not be ideal! Its also a good idea to have options for parking, a few minutes’ walk would be preferable over circling a rammed carpark for 20 minutes.
Take your headphones. Your headphones/ earphones can help block out the world and keep you in your labouring bubble. Sounds from the car journey can be overwhelming and stressful, especially if your birth partner is trying to navigate a stressful journey. They will also be useful for you to listen to your favourite music or affirmations to keep that gorgeous hormone, oxytocin, flowing. Or you could use this time to listen to some hypnosis tracks to help guide you into some self-hypnosis and visualisations.
Blackout. Consider using some sunglasses or an eye mask or simply just close your eyes to block out the lights and sights of the journey so you don’t see yet another red light or some unexpected road works stopping you in your tracks. The darkness can help you visualise you are elsewhere, maybe sailing down a calm river and each time the car jolts is just water lapping on the side of your boat or visualise floating through the sky and each corner the car turns you can visualise swaying past each cloud (might sound corny to some but visualisations like these can be really powerful!).
Hydrate. Staying hydrated is so important when you are in labour, I’m not talking guzzling down litres of the stuff, small sips will help too. Staying hydrated will help keep your strength up, so having something to drink nearby is a must, especially if you give birth in a heatwave like I did!
To help you further here are some affirmations I really like for this:
“The more relaxed I am, the more confident I feel”
“I am confident that I will calmy adapt to any changes in our birth path”
“The deeper I breathe, the more relaxed I feel”
“I breathe in strength and breathe out anything I need to let go of”
"I trust that everything is happening exactly as it’s meant to, and I am safe."
"I let go of fear and trust that I am supported in every moment."
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